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 waters of Judah; who swear by the name of Jehovah, and make mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth, nor in righteousness2 (for they call themselves of the holy city, and stay themselves upon the God of Israel; Jehovah of hosts is his name):3 I have declared the former things from of old; yea, they went forth out of my mouth, and I showed them: suddenly I did them, and they came to pass.4 Because I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass;5 therefore I have declared it to thee from of old; before it came to pass I showed it thee; lest thou shouldest say, Mine idol hath done them, and my graven image, and my molten image, hath commanded them.6 Thou hast heard it; behold all this; and ye, will ye not declare it? I have showed thee new things from this time, even hidden things, which thou hast not known.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.8 Yea, thou heardest not; yea, thou knewest not; yea, from of old thine ear was not opened: for I knew that thou didst deal very treacherously, and wast 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.10 Behold, I have refined thee, but not as silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.11 For mine own sake, for mine own sake, will I do it; for how should my name be profaned? and my glory will I not give to another.12 Hearken unto me, O Jacob, and Israel my called: I am he; I am the first, I also am the last.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.14 Assemble yourselves, all ye, and hear; who among them hath declared these things? He whom Jehovah loveth shall perform his pleasure on Babylon, and his arm shall be on the Chaldeans.15 I, even I, have spoken; yea, I have called him; I have brought him, and he shall make 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 Jehovah hath sent me, and his Spirit.17 Thus saith Jehovah, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am Jehovah thy God, who teacheth thee to profit, who leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go.18 Oh that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea:19 thy seed also had been as the sand, and the offspring of thy bowels like the grains thereof: 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, Jehovah hath 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 clave the rock also, and the waters gushed out.22 There is no peace, saith Jehovah, to the wicked.

ISAIAH 48

The [Lord] Corrects His People

1 People of Israel,
you come from Jacob's family
and the tribet of Judah.
You claim to worship me,
the [Lord] God of Israel,
but you are lying.

2 You call Jerusalem your home
and say you depend on me,
the [Lord] All-Powerful,
the God of Israel.

3 Long ago I announced
what was going to be,
then without warning,
I made it happen.

4 I knew you were stubborn
and hardheaded.

5 And I told you these things,
so that when they happened
you would not say,
“The idols we worship did this.”

6 You heard what I said,
and you have seen it happen.
Now admit it's true!
I will show you secrets
you have never known.

7 Today I am doing something new,
something you cannot say
you have heard before.

8 You have never been willing
to listen to what I say;
from the moment of your birth,
I knew you would rebel.

The [Lord] Warns Israel

9 I, the [Lord], am true to myself;
I will be praised for not punishing
and destroying you.

10 I tested you in hard times
just as silver is refined
in a heated furnace.t

11 I did this because of who I am.
I refuse to be dishonoredt
or share my praise
with any other god.

12  t Israel, my chosen people,
listen to me.
I alone am the [Lord],
the first and the last.

13 With my own hand
I created the earth
and stretched out the sky.
They obey my every command.

The [Lord] Speaks //to the Nations

14 Gather around me, all of you!
Listen to what I say.
Did any of your idols
predict this would happen?
Did they say that my friendt
would do what I want done
to Babylonia?t

15 I was the one who chose him.
I have brought him this far,
and he will be successful.

16 Come closer and listen!
I have never kept secret
the things I have said,
and I was here
before time began.

It Is Best //To Obey the [Lord]

17 with this message:
People of Israel,
I am the holy [Lord] God,
the one who rescues you.
For your own good,
I teach you, and I lead you
along the right path.

18 How I wish that you
had obeyed my commands!
Your success and good fortune
would then have overflowed
like a flooding river.

19 Your nation would be blessed
with more people
than there are grains of sand
along the seashore.
And I would never have let
your country be destroyed.

20  t Now leave Babylon!
Celebrate as you go.
Be happy and shout
for everyone to hear,
“The [Lord] has rescued
his servant Israel!

21 He led us through the desert
and made water flow from a rock
to satisfy our thirst.

22  t But the [Lord] has promised
that none who are evil
will live in peace.”