Chapter 48

Israel’s Obstinacy

1 “aHear this, O house of Jacob, who are named Israel

And who came forth from the 1bloins of Judah,

Who cswear by the name of the Lord

And invoke the God of Israel,

But not in truth nor in drighteousness.

2 “For they call themselves after the aholy city

And blean on the God of Israel;

The Lord of hosts is His name.

3 “I adeclared the former things long ago

And they went forth from My mouth, and I proclaimed them.

bSuddenly I acted, and they ccame to pass.

4 “Because I know that you are 1aobstinate,

And your bneck is an iron sinew

And your cforehead bronze,

5 Therefore I declared them to you long ago,

Before 1they took place I proclaimed them to you,

So that you would not say, ‘My aidol has done them,

And my graven image and my molten image have commanded them.’

6 “You have heard; look at all this.

And you, will you not declare it?

I proclaim to you anew things from this time,

Even hidden things which you have not known.

7 “They are created now and not long ago;

And before today you have not heard them,

So that you will not say, ‘Behold, I knew them.’

8 “You have not aheard, you have not known.

Even from long ago your ear has not been open,

Because I knew that you would deal very treacherously;

And you have been called a 1brebel from 2birth.

9 “aFor the sake of My name I bdelay My wrath,

And for My praise I restrain it for you,

In order not to cut you off.

10 “Behold, I have refined you, but anot as silver;

I have tested you in the bfurnace of affliction.

11 “aFor My own sake, for My own sake, I will act;

For how can My name be profaned?

And My bglory I will not give to another.

Deliverance Promised

12 “Listen to Me, O Jacob, even Israel 1whom I called;

aI am He, bI am the first, I am also the last.

13 “Surely My hand afounded the earth,

And My right hand spread out the heavens;

When I bcall to them, they stand together.

14 “aAssemble, all of you, and listen!

bWho among them has declared these things?

The Lord loves him; he will ccarry out His good pleasure on dBabylon,

And His arm will be against the Chaldeans.

15 “I, even I, have spoken; indeed I have acalled him,

I have brought him, and He will make his ways successful.

16 “aCome near to Me, listen to this:

From the first I have bnot spoken in secret,

cFrom the time it took place, I was there.

And now dthe Lord 1God has sent Me, and His Spirit.”

17 Thus says the Lord, your aRedeemer, the Holy One of Israel,

“I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit,

Who bleads you in the way you should go.

18 “If only you had apaid attention to My commandments!

Then your 1bwell-being would have been like a river,

And your crighteousness like the waves of the sea.

19 “Your 1adescendants would have been like the sand,

And 2your offspring like its grains;

bTheir name would never be cut off or destroyed from My presence.”

20 aGo forth from Babylon! Flee from the Chaldeans!

Declare with the sound of bjoyful shouting, proclaim this,

cSend it out to the end of the earth;

Say, “dThe Lord has redeemed His servant Jacob.”

21 They did not athirst when He led them through the deserts.

He bmade the water flow out of the rock for them;

He split the rock and cthe water gushed forth.

22 “aThere is no peace for the wicked,” says the Lord.