Israel Refined for God’s Glory

48 “Hear this, O house of Jacob,

Who are called by the name of Israel,

And have come forth from the wellsprings of Judah;

Who swear by the name of the Lord,

And make mention of the God of Israel,

But anot in truth or in righteousness;

2 For they call themselves bafter the holy city,

And clean on the God of Israel;

The Lord of hosts is His name:

3 “I have ddeclared the former things from the beginning;

They went forth from My mouth, and I caused them to hear it.

Suddenly I did them, eand they came to pass.

4 Because I knew that you were 1obstinate,

And fyour neck was an iron sinew,

And your brow bronze,

5 Even from the beginning I have declared it to you;

Before it came to pass I proclaimed it to you,

Lest you should say, ‘My idol has done them,

And my carved image and my molded image

Have commanded them.’

6 “You have heard;

See all this.

And will you not declare it?

I have made you hear new things from this time,

Even hidden things, and you did not know them.

7 They are created now and not from the beginning;

And before this day you have not heard them,

Lest you should say, ‘Of course I knew them.’

8 Surely you did not hear,

Surely you did not know;

Surely from long ago your ear was not opened.

For I knew that you would deal very treacherously,

And were called ga transgressor from the womb.

9 “For hMy name’s sake iI will 2defer My anger,

And for My praise I will restrain it from you,

So that I do not cut you off.

10 Behold, jI have refined you, but not as silver;

I have tested you in the kfurnace of affliction.

11 For My own sake, for My own sake, I will do it;

For lhow should My name be profaned?

And mI will not give My glory to another.