48 “Listen to this, house of Jacob—
those who are called by the name Israel
and have descended from^[a] Judah,^(A)
who swear by the name of the Lord^(B)
and declare the God of Israel,
but not in truth or righteousness.
² For they are named after the holy city,
and lean on the God of Israel;^(C)
his name is the Lord of Armies.
³ I declared the past events long ago;
they came out of my mouth; I proclaimed them.
Suddenly I acted, and they occurred.
⁴ Because I know that you are stubborn,
and your neck is iron^[b]
and your forehead bronze,^(D)
5 therefore I declared to you long ago.
I announced it to you before it occurred,
so you could not claim, ‘My idol caused them;
my carved image and cast idol control them.’^(E)
6 You have heard it. Observe it all.
Will you not acknowledge it?
From now on I will announce new things to you,
hidden things that you have not known.^(F)
7 They have been created now, and not long ago;
you have not heard of them before today,
so you could not claim, ‘I already knew them!’
⁸ You have never heard; you have never known;
for a long time your ears have not been open.
For I knew that you were very treacherous,
and were known as a rebel from birth.^(G)
9 I will delay my anger for the sake of my name,
and I will restrain myself for your benefit and for my praise,
so that you will not be destroyed.
¹⁰ Look, I have refined you,^(H) but not as silver;
I have tested^[c] you in the furnace of affliction.
¹¹ I will act for my own sake, indeed, my own,^(I)
for how can I^[d] be defiled?
I will not give my glory to another.^(J)
12 “Listen to me, Jacob,
and Israel, the one called by me:
I am he; I am the first,
I am also the last.^(K)
13 My own hand founded the earth,
and my right hand spread out the heavens;^(L)
when I summoned them,
they stood up together.
¹⁴ All of you, assemble and listen!
Who among the idols^[e] has declared these things?
The Lord loves him;^[f]
he will accomplish his will against Babylon,^(M)
and his arm will be against the Chaldeans.
¹⁵ I—I have spoken;
yes, I have called him;^(N)
I have brought him,
and he will succeed in his mission.^(O)
16 Approach me and listen to this.
From the beginning I have not spoken in secret;^(P)
from the time anything existed, I was there.”
And now the Lord God
has sent me and his Spirit.^(Q)

I am the Lord your God,
who teaches you for your benefit,
who leads you in the way you should go.
¹⁸ If only you had paid attention to my commands.
Then your peace would have been like a river,^(T)
and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.^(U)
19 Your descendants would have been as countless as the sand,^(V)
and the offspring of your body like its grains;
their name would not be cut off
or eliminated from my presence.