Isaiah 48

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

Hear these [words], you 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 call themselves of the holy city, and stay themselves upon the God of Israel, the LORD 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 from of old; yea, they went forth out of My mouth, and I announced them; suddenly I did them, 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 you are stubborn, and your neck is an iron sinew, and your forehead brazen.

5 Therefore I have declared it to thee from of old; before it came to pass I announced it to thee; lest thou shouldest say: 'Mine idol hath done them, and my graven image, and my molten image, hath commanded them.'

And I told you of old what [should be] before it came upon you; I made it known to you, lest you should say, [My] idols have done [it] for me; and should say, [My] graven and molten images have commanded me.

6 Thou hast heard, see, all this; and ye, will ye not declare it? I have announced unto thee new things from this time, even hidden things, which thou hast not known.

You have heard all this, but you have not known: yet I have made known to you the new things from henceforth, which are coming to pass, and you said not,

7 They are created now, and not from of old, and before this day thou heardest them not; lest thou shouldest say: 'Behold, I knew them.'

Now they come to pass, and not formerly: and you heard not of them in former days: say not you, Yes, 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 deal very treacherously, and wast called a transgressor from the womb.

You have neither known, nor understood, neither from the beginning have I opened your ears: for I knew that you would surely deal treacherously, and would be called a transgressor even from the womb.

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

For mine own sake will I show you my wrath, and will bring before you my glorious acts, that I may not utterly destroy you.

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

Behold, I have sold you, [but] not for silver; but I have rescued you from the furnace of affliction.

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

For mine own sake I will do [this] for you, because my name is profaned; and I will not give my glory to another.

12 Hearken unto Me, O Jacob, and Israel My called: I am He; I am the first, I also am 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 out the heavens; when 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 Assemble yourselves, all ye, and hear; which among them hath declared these things? He whom the LORD loveth shall perform His pleasure on Babylon, and show His arm on the Chaldeans.

And all shall be gathered, and shall hear: who has told them these things? Out of love to you I have fulfilled your 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 he shall make his way prosperous.

I have spoken, I have called, I have brought him, and made his way prosperous.

16 Come ye near unto Me, hear ye this: From the beginning I have not spoken in secret; from the time that it was, there am I; and now the Lord GOD hath sent me, and His spirit.

Draw near to me, and hear you 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, has sent me.

17 Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am the LORD thy God, who teacheth thee for thy profit, who leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go.

Thus says the Lord that delivered you, the Holy One of Israel; I am your God, I have shown you how you should find the way wherein you should walk.

18 Oh that thou wouldest hearken to My commandments! then would thy peace be as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea;

And if you had listened to my commandments, [then] would your peace have been like a river, and your righteousness as a wave of the sea.

19 Thy seed also would be as the sand, and the offspring of thy body like the grains thereof; his name would not be cut off nor destroyed from before Me.

Your seed also would have been as the sand, and the offspring of your belly as the dust of the ground: neither now shall you by any means be utterly destroyed, neither shall your name perish 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: 'The LORD hath redeemed His servant Jacob.

Go forth of Babylon, you that flee from the Chaldeans: utter aloud a voice of joy, and let this be made known, proclaim it to the end of the earth; say you, The Lord has 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; He cleaved the rock also, 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 the LORD concerning the wicked.

There is no joy, says the Lord, to the ungodly.