Isaiah 48
The Message
Tested in the Furnace of Affliction
48 1-11 “And now listen to this, family of Jacob,
you who are called by the name Israel:
Who got you started in the loins of Judah,
you who use God’s name to back up your promises
and pray to the God of Israel?
But do you mean it?
Do you live like it?
You claim to be citizens of the Holy City;
you act as though you lean on the God of Israel,
named God-of-the-Angel-Armies.
For a long time now, I’ve let you in on the way I work:
I told you what I was going to do beforehand,
then I did it and it was done, and that’s that.
I know you’re a bunch of hardheads,
obstinate and flint-faced,
So I got a running start and began telling you
what was going on before it even happened.
That is why you can’t say,
‘My god-idol did this.’
‘My favorite god-carving commanded this.’
You have all this evidence
confirmed by your own eyes and ears.
Shouldn’t you be talking about it?
And that was just the beginning.
I have a lot more to tell you,
things you never knew existed.
This isn’t a variation on the same old thing.
This is new, brand-new,
something you’d never guess or dream up.
When you hear this you won’t be able to say,
‘I knew that all along.’
You’ve never been good listeners to me.
You have a history of ignoring me,
A sorry track record of fickle attachments—
rebels from the womb.
But out of the sheer goodness of my heart,
because of who I am,
I keep a tight rein on my anger and hold my temper.
I don’t wash my hands of you.
Do you see what I’ve done?
I’ve refined you, but not without fire.
I’ve tested you like silver in the furnace of affliction.
Out of myself, simply because of who I am, I do what I do.
I have my reputation to keep up.
I’m not playing second fiddle to either gods or people.
12-13 “Listen, Jacob. Listen, Israel—
I’m the One who named you!
I’m the One.
I got things started and, yes, I’ll wrap them up.
Earth is my work, handmade.
And the skies—I made them, too, horizon to horizon.
When I speak, they’re on their feet, at attention.
14-16 “Come everybody, gather around, listen:
Who among the gods has delivered the news?
I, God, love this man Cyrus, and I’m using him
to do what I want with Babylon.
I, yes I, have spoken. I’ve called him.
I’ve brought him here. He’ll be successful.
Come close, listen carefully:
I’ve never kept secrets from you.
I’ve always been present with you.”
Your Progeny, Like Grains of Sand
16-19 And now, the Master, God, sends me and his Spirit
with this Message from God
your Redeemer, The Holy of Israel:
“I am God, your God,
who teaches you how to live right and well.
I show you what to do, where to go.
If you had listened all along to what I told you,
your life would have flowed full like a river,
blessings rolling in like waves from the sea.
Children and grandchildren are like sand,
your progeny like grains of sand.
There would be no end of them,
no danger of losing touch with me.”
20 Get out of Babylon! Run from the Babylonians!
Shout the news. Broadcast it.
Let the world know, the whole world.
Tell them, “God redeemed his dear servant Jacob!”
21 They weren’t thirsty when he led them through the deserts.
He made water pour out of the rock;
he split the rock and the water gushed.
22 “There is no peace,” says God, “for the wicked.”
以賽亞書 48
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)
頑梗的以色列
48 「雅各家啊，聽我說！
你們被稱為以色列人，是猶大的子孫，
憑耶和華的名起誓、
呼求以色列的上帝，
卻不真心誠意。
2 你們還自稱為聖城的人，
聲稱倚靠名為萬軍之耶和華的以色列的上帝。
3 「過去所發生的事，
我很久以前就預言過、
親口宣告過，
然後使它們瞬間發生。
4 我知道你頑梗，
有鐵一般的頸項，
銅一般的額頭。
5 所以，在很久以前，
事情還沒有發生時就向你預言這些事，
免得你說這些是你的偶像做的，
是你雕刻和鑄造的偶像命定的。
6 「你已經聽見了，看看這一切，
難道你還不承認嗎？
現在我要把新事，把你不知道的隱秘事告訴你。
7 這些事過去沒有，現在才有，
在今天以前你從未聽過，
免得你說，『這些事我早就知道了。』
8 你不知道這些事，
甚至聞所未聞。
我知道你生性詭詐，
你自出母胎就被稱為悖逆之徒。
9 「我為了我的名，暫時忍怒；
我為了我的榮耀，壓住怒氣，
不消滅你。
10 看啊，我熬煉你，但不像在火爐中煉銀子，
我是在苦難的爐中熬煉你。
11 我這樣做是為了自己，
我豈能讓自己的名受褻瀆，
把自己的榮耀給別人？
12 雅各，我所揀選的以色列啊，
聽我說！
我是上帝，我是首先的，
也是末後的。
13 我親手奠立大地的根基，
我的右手鋪展穹蒼。
我一呼喚，它們都侍立一旁。
14 「你們一起來聽吧。
假神中有誰曾預言過這些事？
耶和華所揀選的人必成就祂的旨意，
他的臂膀必攻擊迦勒底人。
15 唯有我說過這些事；
我召了他，領他出來；
他必一路亨通。
16 你們到我跟前來聽吧。
我一開始就沒有暗地裡說話，
事情發生的時候，我就在場。」
現在主耶和華差遣我和祂的靈來。
17 你的救贖主耶和華——以色列的聖者說：
「我是你的上帝耶和華，
我為了使你受益而教導你，
我引導你走當行的路。
18 真希望你當時肯聽我的命令！
那樣，你的平安必像滾滾河水，
你的公義必如滔滔海浪；
19 你的後裔必多如海沙，
你的子孫必像細沙一樣不可勝數，
他們的名號絕不會從我面前被剷除、被消滅。」
20 你們要離開巴比倫，
從迦勒底人那裡逃出來。
你們要高聲歡呼，向普天下傳揚、宣告：
「耶和華救贖了祂的僕人雅各！」
21 耶和華帶領他們經過沙漠，
他們也不會口渴。
為了他們，
祂使水從磐石中流出，祂使磐石裂開、湧出水來。
22 耶和華說：「惡人得不到平安。」
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson