Isaiah 48

1 Hear ye this, O house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel, and have come forth out of the waters of Judah, who swear by the name of Jehovah, and make mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth, nor in righteousness

2 (for they call themselves of the holy city, and steady themselves upon the God of Israel, Jehovah of hosts is his name):

3 I have declared the former things from of old. Yea, they went forth out of my mouth, and I showed them. Suddenly I did them, and they came to pass.

4 Because I knew that thou are obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass,

5 therefore I have declared it to thee from of old. Before it came to pass I showed it to thee, lest thou should say, My idol has done them. And my graven image, and my molten image, has commanded them.

6 Thou have heard it, behold all this, and ye, will ye not declare it? I have shown thee new things from this time, even hidden things, which thou have not known.

7 They are created now, and not from of old. And thou have not heard them before this day, lest thou should say, Behold, I knew them.

8 Yea, thou heard not. Yea, thou knew not. Yea, from of old thine ear was not opened. For I knew that thou dealt very treacherously, and were called a transgressor from the womb.

9 For my name's sake I will defer my anger, and for my praise I will refrain for thee, that I not cut thee off.

10 Behold, I have refined thee, but not as silver. I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.

11 For my own sake, for my own sake, I will do it. For how should my name be profaned? And I will not give my glory to another.

12 Hearken to me, O Jacob, and Israel my called: I am he. I am the first. I also am the last.

13 Yea, my hand has laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand has spread out the heavens. When I call to them, they stand up together.

14 Assemble yourselves, all ye, and hear: Who among them has declared these things? He whom Jehovah loves shall perform his pleasure on Babylon, and his arm, the Chaldeans.

15 I, even I, have spoken, yea, I have called him. I have brought him, and he shall make his way prosperous.

16 Come ye near to me, hear ye this: From the beginning I have not spoken in secret. From the time that it was, there I am. And now the lord Jehovah and his Spirit has sent me.

17 Thus says Jehovah, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am Jehovah thy God, who teaches thee to profit, who leads thee by the way that thou should go.

18 Oh that thou had hearkened to my commandments! Then thy peace would have been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea.

19 Thy seed also would have been as the sand, and the offspring of thy bowels like the grains of it. His name would not be cut off nor destroyed from before me.

20 Go ye forth from Babylon. Flee ye from the Chaldeans. With a voice of singing declare ye, tell this, utter it even to the end of the earth. Say ye, Jehovah has redeemed his servant Jacob.

21 And they did not thirst when he led them through the deserts. He caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them. He also split the rock, and the waters gushed out.

22 There is no peace, says Jehovah, to the wicked.