Isaiah 48:1-15

New International Version

Stubborn Israel

48 “Listen to this, you descendants of Jacob,
    you who are called by the name of Israel^(A)
    and come from the line of Judah,^(B)
you who take oaths^(C) in the name of the Lord^(D)
    and invoke^(E) the God of Israel—
    but not in truth^(F) or righteousness—
²you who call yourselves citizens of the holy city^(G)
    and claim to rely^(H) on the God of Israel—
    the Lord Almighty is his name:^(I)
³I foretold the former things^(J) long ago,
    my mouth announced^(K) them and I made them known;
    then suddenly^(L) I acted, and they came to pass.
⁴For I knew how stubborn^(M) you were;
    your neck muscles^(N) were iron,
    your forehead^(O) was bronze.
⁵Therefore I told you these things long ago;
    before they happened I announced^(P) them to you
so that you could not say,
    ‘My images brought them about;^(Q)
    my wooden image and metal god ordained them.’
⁶You have heard these things; look at them all.
    Will you not admit them?

“From now on I will tell you of new things,^(R)
    of hidden things unknown to you.
⁷They are created^(S) now, and not long ago;^(T)
    you have not heard of them before today.
So you cannot say,
    ‘Yes, I knew^(U) of them.’
⁸You have neither heard nor understood;^(V)
    from of old your ears^(W) have not been open.
Well do I know how treacherous^(X) you are;
    you were called a rebel^(Y) from birth.
⁹For my own name’s sake^(Z) I delay my wrath;^(AA)
    for the sake of my praise I hold it back from you,
    so as not to destroy you completely.^(AB)
¹⁰See, I have refined^(AC) you, though not as silver;
    I have tested^(AD) you in the furnace^(AE) of affliction.
¹¹For my own sake,^(AF) for my own sake, I do this.
    How can I let myself be defamed?^(AG)
    I will not yield my glory to another.^(AH)

Israel Freed

¹²“Listen^(AI) to me, Jacob,
    Israel, whom I have called:^(AJ)
I am he;^(AK)
    I am the first and I am the last.^(AL)
¹³My own hand laid the foundations of the earth,^(AM)
    and my right hand spread out the heavens;^(AN)
when I summon them,
    they all stand up together.^(AO)

¹⁴“Come together,^(AP) all of you, and listen:
    Which of the idols has foretold^(AQ) these things?
The Lord’s chosen ally^(AR)
    will carry out his purpose^(AS) against Babylon;^(AT)
    his arm will be against the Babylonians.^[a]
¹⁵I, even I, have spoken;
    yes, I have called^(AU) him.
I will bring him,
    and he will succeed^(AV) in his mission.