Isaiah 48
Christian Standard Bible
Israel Must Leave Babylon
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)
17 This is what the Lord, your Redeemer,(R) the Holy One of Israel(S) says:
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.
20 Leave Babylon,
flee from the Chaldeans!
Declare with a shout of joy,
proclaim this,
let it go out to the end of the earth;
announce,
“The Lord has redeemed his servant(W) Jacob!”
21 They did not thirst
when he led them through the deserts;
he made water flow from the rock for them;(X)
he split the rock, and water gushed out.
22 “There is no peace for the wicked,” says the Lord.(Y)
Isaiah 48
New American Standard Bible
Israel’s Obstinacy
48 “(A)Hear this, house of Jacob, who are named Israel
And who came from the (B)waters of Judah,
Who (C)swear by the name of the Lord
And invoke the God of Israel,
But not in truth nor in (D)righteousness.
2 For they name themselves after the (E)holy city,
And (F)lean on the God of Israel;
The Lord of armies is His name.
3 I (G)declared the former things long ago,
And they went out of My mouth, and I proclaimed them.
(H)Suddenly I acted, and they (I)came to pass.
4 Because I know that you are [a](J)obstinate,
And your (K)neck is an iron tendon
And your (L)forehead bronze,
5 Therefore I declared them to you long ago,
Before [b]they took place I proclaimed them to you,
So that you would not say, ‘My (M)idol has done them,
And my carved image and my cast metal image have commanded them.’
6 You have heard; look at all this.
And you, will you not declare it?
I proclaim to you (N)new things from this time,
Hidden things which you have not known.
7 They are created now and not long ago;
And before today you have not heard them,
So that you will not say, ‘Behold, I knew them.’
8 You have not (O)heard, you have not known.
Even from long ago your ear has not been open,
Because I knew that you would deal very treacherously;
And you have been called a [c](P)rebel from [d]birth.
9 (Q)For the sake of My name I (R)delay My wrath,
And for My praise I restrain it for you,
In order not to cut you off.
10 Behold, I have refined you, but (S)not as silver;
I have tested you in the (T)furnace of affliction.
11 (U)For My own sake, for My own sake, I will act;
For how can My name be profaned?
And I will not give My (V)glory to another.
Rescue Promised
12 “Listen to Me, Jacob, Israel [e]whom I called;
(W)I am He, (X)I am the first, I am also the last.
13 Assuredly My hand (Y)founded the earth,
And My right hand spread out the heavens;
When I (Z)call to them, they stand together.
14 (AA)Assemble, all of you, and listen!
(AB)Who among them has declared these things?
The Lord loves him; he will (AC)carry out His good pleasure against (AD)Babylon,
And His arm will be against the Chaldeans.
15 I, yes I, have spoken; indeed I have (AE)called him,
I have brought him, and He will make his ways successful.
16 (AF)Come near to Me, listen to this:
From the beginning I have (AG)not spoken in secret,
(AH)From the time it took place, I was there.
And now (AI)the Lord [f]God has sent Me, and His Spirit.”
17 This is what the Lord says, He who is your (AJ)Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
“I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to benefit,
Who (AK)leads you in the way you should go.
18 If only you had (AL)paid attention to My commandments!
Then your [g](AM)well-being would have been like a river,
And your (AN)righteousness like the waves of the sea.
19 Your [h](AO)descendants would have been like the sand,
And [i]your offspring like its grains;
(AP)Their name would never be eliminated or destroyed from My presence.”
20 (AQ)Go out from Babylon! Flee from the Chaldeans!
Declare with the sound of (AR)joyful shouting, proclaim this,
(AS)Send it out to the end of the earth;
Say, “(AT)The Lord has redeemed His servant Jacob.”
21 They did not (AU)thirst when He led them through the deserts.
He (AV)made the water flow out of the rock for them;
He split the rock and (AW)the water gushed out.
22 “(AX)There is no peace for the wicked,” says the Lord.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 48:4 Or harsh
- Isaiah 48:5 Lit it
- Isaiah 48:8 Or transgressor
- Isaiah 48:8 Lit the belly
- Isaiah 48:12 Lit My called one
- Isaiah 48:16 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
- Isaiah 48:18 Or peace
- Isaiah 48:19 Lit seed
- Isaiah 48:19 Lit the offspring of your inward parts
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
