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.
For they name themselves after the (E)holy city,
And (F)lean on the God of Israel;
The Lord of armies is His name.
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.
Because I know that you are [a](J)obstinate,
And your (K)neck is an iron tendon
And your (L)forehead bronze,
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.’
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.
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.’
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.
(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

  1. Isaiah 48:4 Or harsh
  2. Isaiah 48:5 Lit it
  3. Isaiah 48:8 Or transgressor
  4. Isaiah 48:8 Lit the belly
  5. Isaiah 48:12 Lit My called one
  6. Isaiah 48:16 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  7. Isaiah 48:18 Or peace
  8. Isaiah 48:19 Lit seed
  9. Isaiah 48:19 Lit the offspring of your inward parts

Yahweh Refines Stubborn Israel

48 Hear this, house of Jacob,
who are called by the name of Israel
    and came out from the waters of Judah,
who swear by the name of Yahweh,
    and invoke[a] the God of Israel,
but not in truth
    and not in righteousness.
For they call themselves after the holy city,[b]
    and they lean on the God of Israel—
        Yahweh of hosts is his name.
“I declared the former things from of old,[c]
    and they went out from my mouth.
And I announced[d] them suddenly;
    I acted,[e] and they came to pass,
because I know[f] that you are obstinate,
    and your neck an iron sinew,
    and your forehead bronze.
And I declared them to you from of old;
    I announced[g] them to you before they came to pass
so that you would not say, ‘My idol did them,
    and my image and my cast image commanded them.’
You have heard; see it all.
    And will you not declare it?
I announce[h] new things to you from this time
    and hidden things that[i] you have not known.
Now they are created, and not from of old,[j]
    and before today, and you have not heard them
        so that you could not say, “Look! I knew them.”
Neither have you heard, nor have you known,
    nor from of old[k] has your ear been opened.
For I knew you would deal treacherously, very treacherously,
    and you are called a rebel from the womb.
For the sake of my name I refrain from[l] my anger,
    and for my praise I restrain it for you
        so as not to cut you off.
10 Look! I have refined you, but[m] not like[n] silver;
    I have chosen you in the furnace of misery.
11 For my own sake, for my own sake I do it;
    for why should it[o] be defiled?
        And I will not give my glory to another.”

Yahweh Frees Israel

12 “Listen to me, Jacob,
    and Israel, whom I called:[p]
I am he. I am the first;
    also I am the last.
13 Indeed, my hand founded the earth,
    and my right hand spread out the heavens;
        when I summon[q] them, they stand in position together.
14 Assemble, all of you, and hear!
    Who among them declared these things?
Yahweh loves him;
    he shall perform[r] his wish against Babylon
    and his arm against the Chaldeans.[s]
15 I, I myself, I have spoken!
    Indeed, I have called him.
I have brought him,
    and he will be successful in his way.
16 Draw near to me; hear this! I have not spoken in secrecy from the beginning;[t]
    from the time it came to be,[u] there I have been;
        And now the Lord Yahweh has sent me and his Spirit.”

17 Thus says Yahweh, your redeemer, the holy one of Israel:

“I am Yahweh your God, who teaches[v] you to profit,
    leads you in the way you should go.

18 O that you had listened attentively to my commandments!

Then[w] your prosperity would have been like a river,
    and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.
19 And your offspring would have been like the sand,
    and the descendants of your body[x] like its grains.[y]
It would not be cut off,
    and its name would not be destroyed from my presence.”
20 Go out from Babylon!
    Flee from Chaldea!
Proclaim[z] it with a shout[aa] of rejoicing; proclaim[ab] this!
    Send it forth[ac] to the end of the earth;
        say, “Yahweh has redeemed his servant Jacob!”
21 And when he led them through the deserts, they were not thirsty;
    he made water flow from the rock for them,
and he split the rock,
    and the water gushed out.

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

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 48:1 Literally “cause to remember”
  2. Isaiah 48:2 Literally “from the city of the holiness”
  3. Isaiah 48:3 Literally “then”
  4. Isaiah 48:3 Literally “caused to hear”
  5. Isaiah 48:3 Or “did”
  6. Isaiah 48:4 Literally “knowing me”
  7. Isaiah 48:5 Literally “caused to hear”
  8. Isaiah 48:6 Literally “cause to hear”
  9. Isaiah 48:6 Or “and”
  10. Isaiah 48:7 Literally “then”
  11. Isaiah 48:8 Literally “then”
  12. Isaiah 48:9 Literally “make long”
  13. Isaiah 48:10 Or “and”
  14. Isaiah 48:10 Or “with”
  15. Isaiah 48:11 That is, my name
  16. Isaiah 48:12 Literally “who was called by me”
  17. Isaiah 48:13 Or “calling”
  18. Isaiah 48:14 Or “do”
  19. Isaiah 48:14 Literally “Chaldea”
  20. Isaiah 48:16 Literally “head”
  21. Isaiah 48:16 Literally “of becoming it”
  22. Isaiah 48:17 Literally “teaching”
  23. Isaiah 48:18 Or “and”
  24. Isaiah 48:19 Literally “intestines”
  25. Isaiah 48:19 Hebrew “grain”
  26. Isaiah 48:20 Or “announce”
  27. Isaiah 48:20 Or “sound”
  28. Isaiah 48:20 Or “cause to hear”
  29. Isaiah 48:20 Literally “Cause it to go out”