Isaiah 48

1HEAR these things, ye house of Jacob, ye who are called by the name of Israel! ye who are descendants of Juda! ye who swear by the name of the Lord God of Israel, making mention of it, but not with truth, nor with righteousness;

2and who stay themselves on the name of this holy city, and rely for support on the God of Israel, Whose name is the Lord of Hosts. I have already told you former things:

3when they proceeded from My mouth and were published, I did them speedily and they came to pass.

4I know that thou art of an untractable temper, that thy neck is a sinew of iron and thy brow, brass;

5therefore I told thee beforehand what would come upon thee; I published them that thou mightest not say, The idols have done this to me, nor say, The graven or molten images have ordered it for me.

6You have heard all these things, and did not yourselves know them. But now I have made thee hear new things, which shall hereafter come to pass. Yet hast thou not said, Things done now and not formerly! Yes, never in former days didst thou hear these things. Thou shouldst not say, Indeed I know them.

8Thou didst neither know nor didst thou believe, nor did I from the beginning open thine ear: for I knew that, being in rebellion, thou wilt continue to rebel and wilt still be called a transgressor from the womb.

9For Mine Own name’s sake I will shew thee My wrath, and bring upon thee My marvellous things; that I may not cut thee off utterly.

10Behold I sold thee; but not for money; and I have rescued thee out of the furnace of affliction.

11For Mine own sake I will deal with thee; because My name hath been profaned, and My glory I will not give to another.

12Hearken to me, O Jacob! and thou, Israel, whom I call. I am the First and am forever.

13My hand hath founded the earth, and My right hand hath established the heaven. Let Me summon them and let them stand together.

14Let them all be assembled and listen. Who hath told them these things? I Who love thee have executed thy will on Babylon, to take away the seed of the Chaldeans.

15I have spoken, I have called, I have brought him [Jacob], and have made his way prosperous.

16Draw near to Me and hear these things: from the beginning I have not spoken in secret. When it was doing I was there. And now the Lord God hath sent me and His spirit.

17Thus saith the Lord Who hath redeemed thee, the Holy One of Israel: I am thy God. I pointed out to thee, how to find the way in which thou shouldst walk.

18And hadst thou hearkened to My commandments thy peace would have been like a river and thy righteousness like a wave of the sea;

19and thy seed would have been as the sand, and the issue of thy bowels as the dust of the ground. Still, however, thou shalt not be utterly cut off; nor shall thy name perish from before Me.

20Haste out of Babylon! flee from the Chaldeans: proclaim the joyful news, and let this be published. Proclaim even to the end of the earth—say: The Lord hath delivered His servant Jacob;

21and if they shall thirst (for He will lead them through a desert) a rock shall be cleft and water shall gush forth, that My people may drink.

22There is no peace, saith the Lord, for the wicked.