< Isaiah 48 >
1 “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—
“Hear this, O house of Jacob, Who are called by the name of Israel, And from the waters of Judah came out, Who are swearing by the Name of YHWH, And make mention of the God of Israel, Not in truth nor in righteousness.
2 for they call themselves citizens of the holy city, and rely on the God of Israel; the LORD of Armies is his name.
For they have been called from the Holy City, And been supported on the God of Israel, YHWH of Hosts [is] His Name.
3 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.
I declared the former things from that time, And they have gone forth from My mouth, And I proclaim them, Suddenly I have done, and it comes.
4 Because I knew that you are obstinate, and your neck is an iron sinew, and your brow bronze;
From My knowing that you are obstinate, And your neck—a sinew of iron, And your forehead—bronze,
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. My engraved image and my molten image has commanded them.’
And from that time I declare [it] to you, Before it comes I have caused you to hear, Lest you say, My idol has done them, And my carved image, And my molten image commanded them.
6 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.
You have heard, see the whole of it, And you, do you not declare? I have caused you to hear new things from this time, And things reserved that you did not know.
7 They are created now, and not from of old. Before today, you didn’t hear them, lest you should say, ‘Behold, I knew them.’
Now they have been produced and not from that time, Indeed, before the day, and you have not heard them, Lest you say, Behold, I have known them.
8 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.
Indeed, you have not heard, Indeed, you have not known, Indeed, your ear has not opened from that time, For I have known you deal treacherously, And [are] a transgressor from the belly, One is crying to you.
9 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.
I defer My anger for My Name’s sake, And [for] My praise I restrain for you, So as not to cut you off.
10 Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver. I have chosen you in the furnace of affliction.
Behold, I have refined you, and not with silver, I have chosen you in a furnace of affliction.
11 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.
For My sake, for My own sake, I do [it], For how is it defiled? And I do not give My glory to another.
12 “Listen to me, O Jacob, and Israel my called: I am he. I am the first. I am also the last.
Listen to me, O Jacob, and Israel, My called one, I [am] He, I [am] first, and I [am] 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 earth, And My right hand stretched out the heavens, I am calling to them, they stand together.
14 “Assemble yourselves, all of you, and hear! Who amongst them has declared these things? He whom the LORD loves will do what he likes to Babylon, and his arm will be against the Chaldeans.
Be gathered, all of you, and hear, Who among them declared these things? YHWH has loved him, He does His pleasure on Babylon, And His arm [is on] 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 have spoken, indeed, I have called him, I have brought him in, And he has made his way prosperous.
16 “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.
Come near to Me, hear this, I have not spoken in secret from the beginning, From the time of its being, I [am] there, And now Lord YHWH has sent Me, and His Spirit.”
17 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.
Thus said YHWH, your Redeemer, The Holy One of Israel: “I [am] your God YHWH, teaching you to profit, Causing you to tread in the way you go.
18 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.
O that you had attended to My commands, Then your peace is as a river, And your righteousness as billows of the sea,
19 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.”
And your seed is as sand, And the offspring of your bowels as gravel, His name would not be cut off nor destroyed before Me.”
20 Leave Babylon! Flee from the Chaldeans! 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!”
Go out from Babylon, flee from the Chaldeans, Declare with a voice of singing, Cause this to be heard, Bring it forth to the end of the earth, Say, “YHWH has redeemed His servant Jacob.”
21 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.
And they have not thirsted in wastelands, He has caused them to go on, He has caused waters from a rock to flow to them, Indeed, he cleaves a rock, and waters flow.
22 “There is no peace”, says the LORD, “for the wicked.”
“There is no peace,” said YHWH, “for the wicked!”