Isaiah 48
1 HEAR ye this, O house of Jacob, which are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah, which swear by the name of the Lord, and make mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth, nor in righteousness.
“Sh'ma ·Hear obey· this, house of Jacob [Supplanter], you who are called by the name of Israel [God prevails], and have come out of the waters of Judah [Praised]. You swear by Adonai’s name, and make mention of the God of Israel [God prevails], but not in truth, nor in 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.
(for they call themselves citizens of the holy city, and rely on the God of Israel [God prevails]; Adonai Tzva'ot [Yahweh Commander of heaven’s armies] is his name):
3 I have declared the former things from the beginning; and they went forth out of my mouth, and I shewed them; I did them suddenly, and they came to pass.
I have declared the former things from of old; yes, they went out of my mouth, and I sh'ma ·heard obeyed, declared· them. I did them suddenly, and they happened.
4 Because I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass;
Because I knew that you are obstinate, and your neck is an iron sinew, and your brow bronze;
5 I have even from the beginning declared it to thee; before it came to pass I shewed it thee: lest thou shouldest say, Mine idol hath done them, and my graven image, and my molten image, hath commanded them.
therefore I have declared it to you from of old; before it came to pass I sh'ma ·heard obeyed, declared· it to you; lest you should say, ‘My idol has done them, and my engraved image, and my molten image, has enjoined them.’
6 Thou hast heard, see all this; and will not ye declare it? I have shewed thee new things from this time, even hidden things, and thou didst not know them.
You have sh'ma ·hear obey· it; see all this. And you, won’t you declare it? “I have sh'ma ·hear obey, declared· you new things from this time, even hidden things, which you have not known.
7 They are created now, and not from the beginning; even before the day when thou heardest them not; lest thou shouldest say, Behold, I knew them.
They are created now, and not from of old; and before today you didn’t sh'ma ·hear obey· them; lest you should say, ‘Behold, I knew them.’
8 Yea, thou heardest not; yea, thou knewest not; yea, from that time that thine ear was not opened: for I knew that thou wouldest deal very treacherously, and wast called a transgressor from the womb.
Yes, you didn’t sh'ma ·hear obey·; yes, you didn’t know; yes, from of old your ear was not opened: for I knew that you dealt very treacherously, and were called a transgressor 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 my name’s sake, I will defer my anger, and for my tehilah ·praise song· I hold it back for you, so that I don’t cut you off.
10 Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.
Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver. I have chosen you in the furnace of affliction.
11 For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another.
For my own sake, for my own sake, I will do it; for how would my name be profaned? I will not give my kavod ·weighty 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.
“Sh'ma ·Hear obey· me, O Jacob [Supplanter], and Israel [God prevails] my called: I am he; I am the first, I am also the last.
13 Mine hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned the heavens: when I call unto them, they stand up together.
Yes, 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 All ye, assemble yourselves, and hear; which among them hath declared these things? The Lord hath loved him: he will do his pleasure on Babylon, and his arm shall be on the Chaldeans.
“Assemble yourselves, all of you, and sh'ma ·hear obey·; who among them has declared these things? He whom Adonai 'ahav ·affectionately loves· will do what he likes to Babylon [Confusion], and his arm will be against the Chaldeans [Descendants of Loving-kindness].
15 I, even I, have spoken; yea, I have called him: I have brought him, and he shall make his way prosperous.
I, even I, have spoken; yes, I have called him. I have brought him, and he shall make his way prosperous.
16 Come ye 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 God, and his Spirit, hath sent me.
“Come near to me and sh'ma ·hear obey· this: “From the beginning I have not spoken in secret; from the time that it happened, I was there.” Now the Lord Adonai has sent me, with his Spirit.
17 Thus saith the Lord, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go.
Adonai, your Redeemer, the haKadosh Isra'el [the Holy One of God prevails] says: “I am Adonai your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you by the way that you should go.
18 O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea:
Oh that you had listened to my mitzvot ·instructions·! Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.
19 Thy seed also had been as the sand, and the offspring of thy bowels like the gravel thereof; his name should not have been cut off nor destroyed from before me.
Your offspring also would have been as the sand, and the descendants of your body like its grains. His name would not be cut off nor destroyed from before me.”
20 Go ye forth of 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.
Leave Babylon [Confusion]! Flee from the Chaldeans [Descendants of Loving-kindness]! With a voice of singing sh'ma ·hear obey, declare· this, tell it even to the end of the earth: say, “Adonai has redeemed his servant Jacob [Supplanter]!”
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 clave the rock also, and the waters gushed out.
They didn’t thirst when he led them through the deserts. He caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them. He split the rock also, and the waters gushed out.
22 There is no peace, saith the Lord, unto the wicked.
“There is no peace,” says Adonai, “for the wicked.”
