Israel Freed

12 “Listen(A) to me, Jacob,
    Israel, whom I have called:(B)
I am he;(C)
    I am the first and I am the last.(D)
13 My own hand laid the foundations of the earth,(E)
    and my right hand spread out the heavens;(F)
when I summon them,
    they all stand up together.(G)

14 “Come together,(H) all of you, and listen:
    Which of the idols has foretold(I) these things?
The Lord’s chosen ally(J)
    will carry out his purpose(K) against Babylon;(L)
    his arm will be against the Babylonians.[a]
15 I, even I, have spoken;
    yes, I have called(M) him.
I will bring him,
    and he will succeed(N) in his mission.

16 “Come near(O) me and listen(P) to this:

“From the first announcement I have not spoken in secret;(Q)
    at the time it happens, I am there.”

And now the Sovereign Lord(R) has sent(S) me,
    endowed with his Spirit.(T)

17 This is what the Lord says—
    your Redeemer,(U) the Holy One(V) of Israel:
“I am the Lord your God,
    who teaches(W) you what is best for you,
    who directs(X) you in the way(Y) you should go.
18 If only you had paid attention(Z) to my commands,
    your peace(AA) would have been like a river,(AB)
    your well-being(AC) like the waves of the sea.
19 Your descendants(AD) would have been like the sand,(AE)
    your children like its numberless grains;(AF)
their name would never be blotted out(AG)
    nor destroyed from before me.”

20 Leave Babylon,
    flee(AH) from the Babylonians!
Announce this with shouts of joy(AI)
    and proclaim it.
Send it out to the ends of the earth;(AJ)
    say, “The Lord has redeemed(AK) his servant Jacob.”
21 They did not thirst(AL) when he led them through the deserts;
    he made water flow(AM) for them from the rock;
he split the rock
    and water gushed out.(AN)

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Rescue Promised

12 “Listen to Me, Jacob, Israel [a]whom I called;
(A)I am He, (B)I am the first, I am also the last.
13 Assuredly My hand (C)founded the earth,
And My right hand spread out the heavens;
When I (D)call to them, they stand together.
14 (E)Assemble, all of you, and listen!
(F)Who among them has declared these things?
The Lord loves him; he will (G)carry out His good pleasure against (H)Babylon,
And His arm will be against the Chaldeans.
15 I, yes I, have spoken; indeed I have (I)called him,
I have brought him, and He will make his ways successful.
16 (J)Come near to Me, listen to this:
From the beginning I have (K)not spoken in secret,
(L)From the time it took place, I was there.
And now (M)the Lord [b]God has sent Me, and His Spirit.”

17 This is what the Lord says, He who is your (N)Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:

“I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to benefit,
Who (O)leads you in the way you should go.
18 If only you had (P)paid attention to My commandments!
Then your [c](Q)well-being would have been like a river,
And your (R)righteousness like the waves of the sea.
19 Your [d](S)descendants would have been like the sand,
And [e]your offspring like its grains;
(T)Their name would never be eliminated or destroyed from My presence.”

20 (U)Go out from Babylon! Flee from the Chaldeans!
Declare with the sound of (V)joyful shouting, proclaim this,
(W)Send it out to the end of the earth;
Say, “(X)The Lord has redeemed His servant Jacob.”
21 They did not (Y)thirst when He led them through the deserts.
He (Z)made the water flow out of the rock for them;
He split the rock and (AA)the water gushed out.

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