Isaiah 48

¹ Hear ye this, O house of Jacob, Who are called by the name of Israel, And are come forth out of the fountain of Judah; Who swear by the name of the LORD, And make mention of the God of Israel, But not in truth, nor in righteousness. ² For they call themselves of the holy city, And stay themselves upon the God of Israel, The LORD of hosts is His name. ³ I have declared the former things from of old; Yea, they went forth out of My mouth, and I announced them; Suddenly I did them, and they came to pass. ⁴ Because I knew that thou art obstinate, And thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass; ⁵ Therefore I have declared it to thee from of old; Before it came to pass I announced it to thee; Lest thou shouldest say: "Mine idol hath done them, And my graven image, and my molten image, hath commanded them." ⁶ Thou hast heard, see, all this; And ye, will ye not declare it? I have announced unto thee new things from this time, Even hidden things, which thou hast not known. ⁷ They are created now, and not from of old, And before this day thou heardest them not; Lest thou shouldest say: "Behold, I knew them." ⁸ Yea, thou heardest not; Yea, thou knewest not; Yea, from of old thine ear was not opened; For I knew that thou wouldest deal very treacherously, And wast called a transgressor from the womb. ⁹ For My name's sake will I defer Mine anger, And for My praise will I refrain for thee, that I cut thee not off. ¹⁰ Behold, I have refined thee, but not as silver; I have tried thee in the furnace of affliction. ¹¹ For Mine own sake, for Mine own sake, will I do it; For how should it be profaned? And My glory will I not give to another. ¹² Hearken unto Me, O Jacob, And Israel My called: I am He; I am the first, I also am the last. ¹³ Yea, My hand hath laid the foundation of the earth, And My right hand hath spread out the heavens; When I call unto them, They stand up together. ¹⁴ Assemble yourselves, all ye, and hear; Which among them hath declared these things? He whom the LORD loveth shall perform His pleasure on Babylon, And show His arm on the Chaldeans. ¹⁵ I, even I, have spoken, yea, I have called him; I have brought him, and he shall make his way prosperous. ¹⁶ Come ye near unto Me, hear ye this: From the beginning I have not spoken in secret; From the time that it was, there am I; And now the Lord GOD hath sent me, and His spirit. ¹⁷ Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, The Holy One of Israel: I am the LORD thy God, Who teacheth thee for thy profit, Who leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go. ¹⁸ Oh that thou wouldest hearken to My commandments! Then would thy peace be as a river, And thy righteousness as the waves of the sea; ¹⁹ Thy seed also would be as the sand, And the offspring of thy body like the grains thereof; His name would not be cut off Nor destroyed from before Me. ²⁰ Go ye forth from Babylon, Flee ye from the Chaldeans; With a voice of singing Declare ye, tell this, Utter it even to the end of the earth; Say ye: "The LORD hath redeemed His servant Jacob. ²¹ And they thirsted not When He led them through the deserts; He caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them; He cleaved the rock also, and the waters gushed out." ²² There is no peace, Saith the LORD concerning the wicked.