Isaiah 48:3–8

“The former things I declared of old;

they went out from my mouth, and I announced them;

then suddenly I did them, and they came to pass.

Because I know that you are obstinate,

and your neck is an iron sinew

and your forehead brass,

I declared them to you from of old,

before they came to pass I announced them to you,

lest you should say, ‘My idol did them,

my carved image and my metal image commanded them.’

“You have heard; now see all this;

and will you not declare it?

From this time forth I announce to you new things,

hidden things that you have not known.

They are created now, not long ago;

before today you have never heard of them,

lest you should say, ‘Behold, I knew them.’

You have never heard, you have never known,

from of old your ear has not been opened.

For I knew that you would surely deal treacherously,

and that from before birth you were called a rebel.

I foretold the former things long ago,

my mouth announced them and I made them known;

then suddenly I acted, and they came to pass.

For I knew how stubborn you were;

your neck muscles were iron,

your forehead was bronze.

Therefore I told you these things long ago;

before they happened I announced them to you

so that you could not say,

‘My images brought them about;

my wooden image and metal god ordained them.’

You have heard these things; look at them all.

Will you not admit them?

“From now on I will tell you of new things,

of hidden things unknown to you.

They are created now, and not long ago;

you have not heard of them before today.

So you cannot say,

‘Yes, I knew of them.’

You have neither heard nor understood;

from of old your ears have not been open.

Well do I know how treacherous you are;

you were called a rebel from birth.

I declared the past events long ago;

they came out of my mouth; I proclaimed them.

Suddenly I acted, and they occurred.

Because I know that you are stubborn,

and your neck is iron

and your forehead bronze,

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.’

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.

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!’

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.

Long ago I told you what was going to happen.

Then suddenly I took action,

and all my predictions came true.

For I know how stubborn and obstinate you are.

Your necks are as unbending as iron.

Your heads are as hard as bronze.

That is why I told you what would happen;

I told you beforehand what I was going to do.

Then you could never say, ‘My idols did it.

My wooden image and metal god commanded it to happen!’

You have heard my predictions and seen them fulfilled,

but you refuse to admit it.

Now I will tell you new things,

secrets you have not yet heard.

They are brand new, not things from the past.

So you cannot say, ‘We knew that all the time!’

“Yes, I will tell you of things that are entirely new,

things you never heard of before.

For I know so well what traitors you are.

You have been rebels from birth.

“I declared the former things from of old,

and they went out from my mouth.

And I announced them suddenly;

I acted, and they came to pass,

because I know 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 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 new things to you from this time

and hidden things that you have not known.

Now they are created, and not from of old,

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 has your ear been opened.

For I knew you would deal treacherously, very treacherously,

and you are called a rebel from the womb.

I have declared the former things from the beginning;

And they went forth out of my mouth, and I shewed them;

I did them suddenly, and they came to pass.

Because I knew that thou art obstinate,

And thy neck is an iron sinew,

And thy brow brass;

I have even from the beginning declared it to thee;

Before it came to pass I shewed it thee:

Lest thou shouldest say, Mine idol hath done them,

And my graven image, and my molten image, hath commanded them.

Thou hast heard, see all this;

And will not ye declare it?

I have shewed thee new things from this time,

Even hidden things, and thou didst not know them.

They are created now, and not from the beginning;

Even before the day when thou heardest them not;

Lest thou shouldest say, Behold, I knew them.

Yea, thou heardest not; yea, thou knewest not;

Yea, from that time that thine ear was not opened:

For I knew that thou wouldest deal very treacherously,

And wast called a transgressor from the womb.