Isaiah 48

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

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.

2 (for they call themselves of the holy city, and stay themselves on the God of Israel; YHWH of hosts is his name):

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.

3 I have declared the former things from of old; yes, they went forth out of my mouth, and I caused them to hear it. Suddenly I did them, and they happened.

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.

4 Because I knew that you are obstinate, and your neck is an iron sinew, and your brow bronze;

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

5 therefore I have declared it to you from of old; before it came to pass I showed it to you; lest you should say, 'My idol has done them, and my engraved image, and my molten image, has commanded them.'

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.”

6 You have heard it; see all this; and you, will you not declare it? "I have shown you new things from this time, even hidden things, which you have not known.

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.

7 They are created now, and not from of old; and before this day you did not hear them; lest you should say, 'Look, I knew them.'

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.”

8 Yes, you did not hear; yes, you did not know; yes, from of old your ear was not opened: for I knew that you dealt very treacherously, and was called a transgressor from the womb.

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.

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

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.

10 Look, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have chosen you in the furnace of affliction.

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

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

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.

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

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

13 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.

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

14 "Let all of them assemble and hear; who among them has declared these things? He whom YHWH loves shall perform his pleasure on Babylon, and his arm shall be on the Chaldeans.

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.

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

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

16 "Come near to me and hear this: "From the beginning I have not spoken in secret; from the time that it was, there am I." Now YHWH has sent me, with his Spirit.

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.

17 Thus says YHWH, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am YHWH your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you by the way that you should go.

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.

18 But would that you had listened to my commandments. Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.

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,

19 Your descendants would have been as the sand, and the offspring of your body like its grains; his name not be cut off nor destroyed from before me.

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.

20 Go forth from Babylon, flee from the Chaldeans; with a voice of singing declare, tell this, utter it even to the end of the earth: say, YHWH has redeemed his servant Jacob.

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.”

21 They did not 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.

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.

22 "There is no peace," says YHWH, "for the wicked."

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