Isaiah 48

1Hear 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.

2For they call themselves of the holy city, and stay themselves upon the God of Israel; The LORD of hosts is his name.

3I 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.

4Because I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass;footnote a

5I 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.

6Thou 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.

7They 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.

8Yea, 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.

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

10Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.footnote b

11For 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.

12Hearken unto me, O Jacob and Israel, my called; I am he; I am the first, I also am the last.

13Mine 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.footnote c

14All 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.

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

16Come 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.

17Thus 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.

18O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea:

19Thy 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.

20Go 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.

21And 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.

22There is no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked.

Israel’s Stubbornness

1“Listen to this, O house of Jacob,you who are called by the name of Israel,who have descended from the line of Judah,who swear by the name of the LORD,who invoke the God of Israel—but not in truth or righteousness— 2who indeed call yourselves after the holy cityand lean on the God of Israel;the LORD of Hosts is His name.

3I foretold the former things long ago;they came out of My mouth and I proclaimed them.Suddenly I acted, and they came to pass. 4For I knew that you are stubborn;your neck is iron and your forehead is bronze. 5Therefore I declared it to you long ago;I announced it before it came to pass,so that you could not claim, ‘My idol has done this;my carved image and molten god has ordained it.’ 6You have heard these things; look at them all.Will you not acknowledge them?From now on I will tell you of new things,hidden things unknown to you. 7They are created now, and not long ago;you have not heard of them before today.So you cannot claim,‘I already knew them!’ 8You have never heard; you have never understood;for a long time your ears have not been open.For I knew how deceitful you are;you have been called a rebel from birth.

9For the sake of My name I will delay My wrath;for the sake of My praise I will restrain it,so that you will not be cut off. 10See, I have refined you, but not as silver;I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. 11For My own sake, My very own sake, I will act;for how can I let Myself be defamed?I will not yield My glory to another.

Deliverance Promised to Israel

12Listen to Me, O Jacob,and Israel, whom I have called:I am He; I am the first,and I am the last. 13Surely My own hand founded the earth,and My right hand spread out the heavens;when I summon them,they stand up together. 14Come together, all of you, and listen:Which of the idols has foretold these things?The LORD’s chosen ally will carry out His desire against Babylon,and His arm will be against the Chaldeans.footnote a 15I, even I, have spoken;yes, I have called him.I have brought him,and he will succeed in his mission.

16Come near to Me and listen to this:From the beginning I have not spoken in secret;from the time it happened, I was there.”And now the Lord GOD has sent me,accompanied by His Spirit.

17Thus says the LORD your Redeemer,the Holy One of Israel:“I am the LORD your God,who teaches you for your benefit,who directs you in the way you should go. 18If only you had paid attention to My commandments,your peace would have been like a river,and your righteousness like waves of the sea. 19Your descendants would have been as countless as the sand,and your offspring as numerous as its grains;footnote btheir name would never be cut offor eliminated from My presence.”

20Leave Babylon!Flee from the Chaldeans!Declare it with a shout of joy,proclaim it,let it go out to the ends of the earth, saying,“The LORD has redeemed His servant Jacob!” 21They did not thirst when He led them through the deserts;He made water flow for them from the rock;He split the rock, and water gushed out.

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