Isaiah 48

Israel’s Obstinacy

1“1Hear this, house of Jacob, who are named Israel And who came from the 2waters of Judah, Who 3swear by the name of the Lord And invoke the God of Israel, But not in truth nor in 4righteousness.2For they name themselves after the 5holy city, And 6lean on the God of Israel; The Lord of armies is His name.3I 7declared the former things long ago, And they went out of My mouth, and I proclaimed them. 8Suddenly I acted, and they 9came to pass.4Because I know that you are 1011obstinate, And your 12neck is an iron tendon And your 13forehead bronze,5Therefore I declared them to you long ago, Before 14they took place I proclaimed them to you, So that you would not say, ‘My 15idol has done them, And my carved image and my cast metal image have commanded them.’6You have heard; look at all this. And you, will you not declare it? I proclaim to you 16new things from this time, Hidden things which you have not known.7They 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.’8You have not 17heard, 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 1819rebel from 20birth.921For the sake of My name I 22delay My wrath, And for My praise I restrain it for you, In order not to cut you off.10Behold, I have refined you, but 23not as silver; I have tested you in the 24furnace of affliction.1125For My own sake, for My own sake, I will act; For how can My name be profaned? And I will not give My 26glory to another.

Rescue Promised

12“Listen to Me, Jacob, Israel 27whom I called; 28I am He, 29I am the first, I am also the last.13Assuredly My hand 30founded the earth, And My right hand spread out the heavens; When I 31call to them, they stand together.1432Assemble, all of you, and listen! 33Who among them has declared these things? The Lord loves him; he will 34carry out His good pleasure against 35Babylon, And His arm will be against the Chaldeans.15I, yes I, have spoken; indeed I have 36called him, I have brought him, and He will make his ways successful.1637Come near to Me, listen to this: From the beginning I have 38not spoken in secret, 39From the time it took place, I was there. And now 40the Lord 41God has sent Me, and His Spirit.”

17This is what the Lord says, He who is your 42Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to benefit, Who 43leads you in the way you should go.18If only you had 44paid attention to My commandments! Then your 4546well-being would have been like a river, And your 47righteousness like the waves of the sea.19Your 4849descendants would have been like the sand, And 50your offspring like its grains; 51Their name would never be eliminated or destroyed from My presence.”

2052Go out from Babylon! Flee from the Chaldeans! Declare with the sound of 53joyful shouting, proclaim this, 54Send it out to the end of the earth; Say, “55The Lord has redeemed His servant Jacob.”21They did not 56thirst when He led them through the deserts. He 57made the water flow out of the rock for them; He split the rock and 58the water gushed out.22“59There is no peace for the wicked,” says the Lord.