< Isaiah 48 >
1 Hear ye this, house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah, who swear by the name of Jehovah, and make mention of the God of Israel, not in truth, nor in righteousness.
Hear these [words], ye house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel, and have come forth out of Juda, who swear by the name of the Lord God of Israel, making mention [of it, but] not with truth, nor with righteousness;
2 For they are named after the holy city, and stay themselves upon the God of Israel: Jehovah of hosts is his name.
maintaining also the name of the holy city, and staying themselves on the God of Israel: the Lord of hosts is his name. The former things I have already declared;
3 I have declared the former things long ago; and they went forth out of my mouth, and I caused them to be heard: I wrought suddenly, and they came to pass.
and they that have proceeded out of my mouth, and it became well known; I wrought suddenly, and [the events] came to pass.
4 Because I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass,
I know that thou art stubborn, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy forehead brazen.
5 so I have long ago declared [them] to thee; before they came to pass I caused thee to hear [them]; lest thou shouldest say, Mine idol hath done them, and my graven image, or my molten image hath commanded them.
And I told thee of old what [should be] before it came upon thee; I made it known to thee, lest thou shouldest say, [My] idols have done [it] for me; and shouldest say, [My] graven and molten images have commanded me.
6 Thou heardest, see all this; — and ye, will not ye declare [it]? I have caused thee to hear new things from this time, and things hidden, and that thou knewest not:
Ye have heard all this, but ye have not known: yet I have made known to thee the new things from henceforth, which are coming to pass, and thou saidst not,
7 they are created now, and not long ago; and before this day thou hast not heard them, lest thou shouldest say, Behold, I knew them.
Now they come to pass, and not formerly: and thou heardest not of them in former days: say not thou, Yea, I know them.
8 Yea, thou heardest not, yea, thou knewest not, yea, from of old thine ear was not opened; for I knew that thou wouldest ever deal treacherously, and thou wast called a transgressor from the womb.
Thou hast neither known, nor understood, neither from the beginning have I opened thine ears: for I knew that thou wouldest surely deal treacherously, and wouldest be called a transgressor even from the womb.
9 For my name's sake I will defer mine anger, and [for] my praise will I refrain as to thee, that I cut thee not off.
For mine own sake will I shew thee my wrath, and will bring before thee my glorious acts, that I may not utterly destroy thee.
10 Behold, I have refined thee, but not as silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.
Behold, I have sold thee, [but] not for silver; but I have rescued thee from the furnace of affliction.
11 For mine own sake, for mine own sake, will I do [it]; for how should [my name] be profaned? and I will not give my glory unto another.
For mine own sake I will do [this] for thee, because my name is profaned; and I will not give my glory to another.
12 Hearken unto me, Jacob, and [thou] Israel, my called. I [am] HE; I, the first, and I, the last.
Hear me, O Jacob, and Israel whom I call; I am the first, and I endure for ever.
13 Yea, my hand hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spread abroad the heavens: I call unto them, they stand up together.
My hand also has founded the earth, and my right hand has fixed the sky: I will call them, and they shall stand together.
14 All ye, gather yourselves together, and hear: which among them hath declared these things? He whom Jehovah hath loved shall execute his pleasure on Babylon, and his arm [shall be on] the Chaldeans.
And all shall be gathered, and shall hear: who has told them these things? Out of love to thee I have fulfilled thy desire on Babylon, to abolish the seed of the Chaldeans.
15 I, [even] I, have spoken; yea, I have called him; I have brought him, and his way shall be prosperous.
I have spoken, I have called, I have brought him, and made his way prosperous.
16 Come near unto me, hear ye this: I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I; and now the Lord Jehovah hath sent me, and his Spirit.
Draw nigh to me, and hear ye these words; I have not spoken in secret from the beginning: when it took place, there was I, and now the Lord, [even] the Lord, and his Spirit, hath sent me.
17 Thus saith Jehovah, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I [am] Jehovah thy God, who teacheth thee for [thy] profit, who leadeth thee in the way that thou shouldest go.
Thus saith the Lord that delivered thee, the Holy One of Israel; I am thy God, I have shewn thee how thou shouldest find the way wherein thou shouldest walk.
18 Oh that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! Then would thy peace have been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea;
And if thou hadst hearkened to my commandments, [then] would thy peace have been like a river, and thy righteousness as a wave of the sea.
19 and thy seed would have been as the sand, and the offspring of thy bowels like the gravel thereof: their name should not have been cut off nor destroyed from before me.
Thy seed also would have been as the sand, and the offspring of thy belly as the dust of the ground: neither now shalt thou by any means be utterly destroyed, neither shall thy name perish before me.
20 Go ye forth from Babylon, flee from the Chaldeans, with a voice of singing; declare, cause this to be heard, utter it to the end of the earth; say ye, Jehovah hath redeemed his servant Jacob.
Go forth of Babylon, thou that fleest from the Chaldeans: utter aloud a voice of joy, and let this be made known, proclaim it to the end of the earth; say ye, The Lord hath delivered his servant Jacob.
21 And they thirsted not when he led them through the deserts; he caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them; yea, he clave the rock, and the waters gushed out.
And if they shall thirst, he shall lead them through the desert; he shall bring forth water to them out of the rock: the rock shall be cloven, and the water shall flow forth, and my people shall drink.
22 There is no peace, saith Jehovah, unto the wicked.
There is no joy, saith the Lord, to the ungodly.