Isaiah 48

1 Listen to these things, O house of Jacob, you who are called by the name of Israel, and who went forth from the waters of Judah. You swear by the name of the Lord and you call to mind the God of Israel, but not in truth, and not in justice.

“Hear this, O house of Jacob, Who are called by the name of Israel, And from the waters of Judah came out, Who are swearing by the Name of YHWH, And make mention of the God of Israel, Not in truth nor in righteousness.

2 For they have been called from the holy city, and they have been founded upon the God of Israel. The Lord of hosts is his name.

For they have been called from the Holy City, And been supported on the God of Israel, YHWH of Hosts [is] His Name.

3 From that time, I announced the former things. They went forth from my mouth, and I have caused them to be heard. I wrought these things suddenly, and they were fulfilled.

I declared the former things from that time, And they have gone forth from My mouth, And I proclaim them, Suddenly I have done, and it comes.

4 For I knew that you are stubborn, and that your neck is like an iron sinew, and that your forehead is like brass.

From My knowing that you are obstinate, And your neck—a sinew of iron, And your forehead—bronze,

5 From that time, I foretold to you. Before these things happened, I revealed them to you, lest you say: “My idols have accomplished these things, and my graven and molten images have commanded them.”

And from that time I declare [it] to you, Before it comes I have caused you to hear, Lest you say, My idol has done them, And my carved image, And my molten image commanded them.

6 See all the things that you have heard. But were you the ones who announced them? From that time, I caused you to hear about new things, and you do not know how these were preserved.

You have heard, see the whole of it, And you, do you not declare? I have caused you to hear new things from this time, And things reserved that you did not know.

7 They are created now, and not in that time. And even before today, you did not hear of them; otherwise, you might say, “Behold, I knew them.”

Now they have been produced and not from that time, Indeed, before the day, and you have not heard them, Lest you say, Behold, I have known them.

8 You have neither heard, nor known, nor were your ears open in that time. For I knew that you would transgress greatly, and so I called you a transgressor from the womb.

Indeed, you have not heard, Indeed, you have not known, Indeed, your ear has not opened from that time, For I have known you deal treacherously, And [are] a transgressor from the belly, One is crying to you.

9 For the sake of my name, I will take the face of my fury far away. And for the sake of my praise, I will bridle you, lest you perish.

I defer My anger for My Name’s sake, And [for] My praise I restrain for you, So as not to cut you off.

10 Behold, I have refined you, but not like silver. I have chosen you for the furnace of poverty.

Behold, I have refined you, and not with silver, I have chosen you in a furnace of affliction.

11 For my sake, for my own sake, I will do it, so that I may not be blasphemed. For I will not give my glory to another.

For My sake, for My own sake, I do [it], For how is it defiled? And I do not give My glory to another.

12 Listen to me, O Jacob, and Israel whom I call. I am the same, I am the first, and I am the last.

Listen to me, O Jacob, and Israel, My called one, I [am] He, I [am] first, and I [am] last;

13 Also, my hand has founded the earth, and my right hand has measured the heavens. I will call them, and they will stand together.

Also, My hand has founded earth, And My right hand stretched out the heavens, I am calling to them, they stand together.

14 Gather together, all of you, and listen. Who among them has announced these things? The Lord has loved him; he will do his will with Babylon, and his arm is upon the Chaldeans.

Be gathered, all of you, and hear, Who among them declared these things? YHWH has loved him, He does His pleasure on Babylon, And His arm [is on] the Chaldeans.

15 I am, I have spoken, and I have called him. I have led him forward, and his way has been straight.

I have spoken, indeed, I have called him, I have brought him in, And he has made his way prosperous.

16 Draw near to me, and listen to this. From the beginning, I have not spoken in secret. From the time before it happened, I was there. And now, the Lord God has sent me, and his Spirit.

Come near to Me, hear this, I have not spoken in secret from the beginning, From the time of its being, I [am] there, And now Lord YHWH has sent Me, and His Spirit.”

17 Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am the Lord, your God, who teaches you beneficial things, who guides you in the way that you walk.

Thus said YHWH, your Redeemer, The Holy One of Israel: “I [am] your God YHWH, teaching you to profit, Causing you to tread in the way you go.

18 If only you had paid attention to my commandments! Your peace would have been like a river, and your justice would have been like the waves of the sea,

O that you had attended to My commands, Then your peace is as a river, And your righteousness as billows of the sea,

19 and your offspring would have been like the sand, and the stock from your loins would have been like its stones. His name would not have passed away, nor would it have been worn away before my face.

And your seed is as sand, And the offspring of your bowels as gravel, His name would not be cut off nor destroyed before Me.”

20 Depart from Babylon! Flee from the Chaldeans! Announce it with a voice of exultation. Cause it to be heard, and carry it even to the ends of the earth. Say: “The Lord has redeemed his servant Jacob.”

Go out from Babylon, flee from the Chaldeans, Declare with a voice of singing, Cause this to be heard, Bring it forth to the end of the earth, Say, “YHWH has redeemed His servant Jacob.”

21 They did not thirst in the desert, when he led them out. He produced water from the rock for them. For he split the rock, and the waters flowed out.

And they have not thirsted in wastelands, He has caused them to go on, He has caused waters from a rock to flow to them, Indeed, he cleaves a rock, and waters flow.

22 “There is no peace for the impious,” says the Lord.

“There is no peace,” said YHWH, “for the wicked!”