Isaiah 48

1 Hear ye this, O house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel, and have come forth out of the waters 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 this, house of Jacob, you who are called by the name of Israel, and have come out of the waters of Judah. You swear by the LORD’s name, and make mention of the God of Israel, 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; the LORD of Hosts is his name.

3 I have declared the former things from the beginning; and they went forth from my mouth, and I showed 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 revealed 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 showed [it] thee: lest thou shouldst say, My 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 showed it to you; lest you should say, ‘My idol has done them. My engraved image and my molten image has commanded them.’

6 Thou hast heard, see all this; and will not ye declare [it]? I have showed ye new things from this time, even hidden things, and thou didst not know them.

You have heard it. Now see all this. And you, won’t you declare it? “I have shown 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 heardst them not; lest thou shouldst say, Behold, I knew them.

They are created now, and not from of old. Before today, you didn’t hear them, lest you should say, ‘Behold, I knew them.’

8 Yes, thou heardst not; yes, thou knewest not; yes, from that time [that] thy ear was not opened: for I knew that thou wouldst deal very treacherously, and wast called a transgressor from the womb.

Yes, you didn’t hear. 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 my 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 praise, 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 my own sake, [even] for my own sake, will I do [it]: for how should [my name] be profaned? and I will not give my glory to 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 glory to another.

12 Hearken 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 my called: I am he. I am the first. I am also the last.

13 My hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned the heavens: [when] I call to 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; who 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 hear! Who among them has declared these things? He whom the LORD loves will do what he likes to Babylon, and his arm will be against the Kasdim.

15 I, [even] I, have spoken, yes, 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 to 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 hear this: “From the beginning I have not spoken in secret; from the time that it happened, I was there.” Now the Lord GOD has sent me with his Spirit.

17 Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I [am] the LORD thy God, who teacheth thee to profit, who leadeth thee by the way [that] thou shouldst go.

The LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, says: “I am the LORD 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 commandments! 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 its gravel; 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 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.

Leave Babylon! Flee from the Kasdim! With the sound of joyful shouting announce this, tell it even to the end of the earth; say, “The LORD has redeemed 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.

They didn’t thirst when he led them through the deserts. He caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them. He also split the rock and the waters gushed out.

22 [There is] no peace, saith the LORD, to the wicked.

“There is no peace”, says the LORD, “for the wicked.”