ISRAEL MUST LEAVE BABYLON

48 “Listen to this, house of Jacob—

those who are called by the name Israel

and have descended fromD Judah,o

who swear by the name of the Lordp

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;q

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 ironA

and your forehead bronze,a

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.’b

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.c

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.d

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,e but not as silver;

I have testedB you in the furnace of affliction.

11 I will act for my own sake, indeed, my own,f

for how can IC be defiled?

I will not give my glory to another.g