You have heard these things; look at them all.
    Will you not admit them?

“From now on I will tell you of new things,(A)
    of hidden things unknown to you.
They are created(B) now, and not long ago;(C)
    you have not heard of them before today.
So you cannot say,
    ‘Yes, I knew(D) of them.’
You have neither heard nor understood;(E)
    from of old your ears(F) have not been open.
Well do I know how treacherous(G) you are;
    you were called a rebel(H) from birth.
For my own name’s sake(I) I delay my wrath;(J)
    for the sake of my praise I hold it back from you,
    so as not to destroy you completely.(K)
10 See, I have refined(L) you, though not as silver;
    I have tested(M) you in the furnace(N) of affliction.
11 For my own sake,(O) for my own sake, I do this.
    How can I let myself be defamed?(P)
    I will not yield my glory to another.(Q)

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“You have heard—now look at them all!
    How[a] can you not admit them?
From now on, I’ll make you hear new things,
    hidden things that you have not known.
They are created now, and not long ago;
    you didn’t hear them before today,
        so you cannot say, ‘Yes, I knew them.’
And[b] neither had you heard, nor did you understand,
    nor did you open[c] your ear long ago.[d]
Indeed, I knew that[e] you would act very deceitfully,
    and they would call[f] you a rebel from birth.
I defer my anger for my name’s sake,
    and as my first act[g] I’m restraining it for you,
        so as not to cut you off.
10 Look, I have refined you, but not like silver;
    I have purified[h] you in the furnace of affliction.
11 For my own sake—Yes, for my own sake!—I’m doing it;
    indeed, how can I be profaned?[i]
        Furthermore, I won’t give my glory to another.”

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 48:6 Lit. And how
  2. Isaiah 48:8 So 1QIsaa; 4QIsab MT LXX lack And
  3. Isaiah 48:8 So 1QIsaa Targ; MT reads did your ear open itself; CaiGen Syr Vulg read was your ear uncovered
  4. Isaiah 48:8 Lit. ear from of old
  5. Isaiah 48:8 So 1QIsaa LXX; MT lacks that
  6. Isaiah 48:8 So 1QIsaa; LXX Targ read and you would be called; 4QIsad MT read deceitfully, calling
  7. Isaiah 48:9 Lit. and for my commencement; or and for my profanation; so 1QIsaa; 4QIsad MT read for my praise; LXX reads for my glorious deeds
  8. Isaiah 48:10 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX read chosen
  9. Isaiah 48:11 Or can I wait; so 1QIsaa; 4QIsad MT read can it be profaned; 4QIsad MT read can it wait; LXX reads can my name be profaned