48 Listen to this, family of Jacob. You are called ‘Israel’, and you are Judah's descendants. [ a ] You use the name of the Lord when you make promises. You pray to Israel's God. But you do not do those things honestly and fairly. 2 Your people are proud to say that they live in the holy city. They trust in Israel's God, whose name is the Lord Almighty.
3 The Lord says to his people,
‘I already spoke about things that would happen at a future time.
A long time ago I told you what would happen.
Then I suddenly did my work,
and I caused those things to happen!
4 I did it because I know what you are like.
You refuse to obey me.
You do not want to change the way that you live.
Your neck is like iron and it will not bend!
Your head is as hard as bronze!
5 So I told you about these things a long time ago.
Before they happened, I told you about them.
Then you could not say, “My idol did them.
Yes, my wooden image and my idol made of metal
decided that these things would happen.”
6 You heard what I said would happen,
and now you have seen it happen.
Agree that what I say is true!
Now I will tell you about new things that will happen.
They are secret things that you do not yet know about.
7 They are not things that started long ago.
I am causing them to happen now.
You did not hear about them before today.
So you cannot say, “Yes, I already knew about them.”
8 You have not heard about them before.
You know nothing about them.
From long ago you refused to listen to me.
I know that you are never honest.
Since you first became a nation,
you have refused to obey me.
9 Because of who I am,
I will keep my anger until later.
I will not destroy you now,
so that people will praise my name.
10 Listen! I have made you pure.
But I have not done it in the way that people make silver pure.
Instead, I have sent pain and trouble to you.
That is how I make you pure.
11 I do these things to show who I am.
That is why I do it!
I will not let people insult my good name.
I will not let anyone else share my glory.
12 So listen to me, descendants of Jacob!
I called you to belong to me, you Israelite people.
I am the only One.
I am the first, and I am also the last.
13 I created the earth with my own hand.
With my right hand, I hung up the sky like a curtain.
When I call to the stars,
they all appear in their places.
14 All of you, come together and listen to me.
Not one of your idols has said
what will happen now.
I, the Lord , have chosen a friend to attack Babylon.
He will do what I want.
He will have the power to punish the Babylonians.
15 Yes, that is what I have commanded.
I have called him to do this work.
I have shown him what he must do,
and he will do it!
16 Come near to me! Listen to my message!
From the beginning, I have not spoken secretly.
When these things happen, I will already be there.’
Now the Almighty Lord has sent me, with the power of his Spirit. [ b ]
17 The Lord is your Redeemer, Israel's Holy God. He says,
‘I am the Lord your God.
I teach you what will be good for you.
I lead you along a good path in life.
18 You should have obeyed my commands.
Then you would have had peace in your lives,
like a river that runs quietly.
You would have been safe and well,
like the strong waves in the sea.
19 You would have had many descendants,
as much as the sand on the shore of the sea.
I would not need to destroy them.
Their family name would continue for ever.’
20 Now leave Babylon as free people!
No longer serve the Babylonians!
Shout the news with joy!
Tell everyone about it, all over the world.
Tell them that the Lord has redeemed his people,
his servants, the Israelites.
21 When he led them through the desert,
they did not become thirsty.
He broke open a rock for them,
so that water poured out.
They could drink as much as they needed.
22 But the Lord says, ‘Wicked people will have no peace in their lives.’
48 “Family of Jacob, listen to me!
You people call yourself ‘Israel,’
but you are from Judah’s family.
When you take an oath, I, the Lord , the God of Israel,
am the one whose name you use,
but you are not honest and sincere.
2 “Yes, you call yourselves citizens of the holy city, [ a ]
those who depend on the God of Israel.
The Lord All-Powerful is his name.
3 “Long ago I told you what would happen.
I told you about these things.
And suddenly I made them happen.
4 I did that because I knew you were stubborn.
You were like iron that will not bend,
with heads as hard as bronze.
5 So long ago I told you what would happen.
I told you about those things long before they happened.
I did this so that you could not say,
‘The gods we made did this.
Our idols, our statues, made this happen.’”
6 “You heard what I said would happen.
And you can see it has all been done.
Shouldn’t you tell this to others?
Now I will tell you about new things,
secrets you have not known before.
7 This is something that is happening now, not long ago.
You have not heard about it before today.
So you cannot say, ‘We already knew that.’
8 But even in the past you didn’t listen.
You didn’t learn anything.
You never listen to what I say.
I have always known that you would turn against me.
You have rebelled against me from the time you were born.
9 “But I will be patient.
I will do this for myself.
People will praise me for not becoming angry and destroying you.
You will praise me for waiting.
10 “Look, I will make you pure,
but not in the way you make silver pure.
I will make you pure by giving you troubles.
11 I will do this for myself—for me!
I will not let you treat me as if I am not important.
I will not let some false god take my glory and praise.
12 “Jacob, listen to me!
Israel, I called you to be my people.
So listen to me!
I am the Beginning,
and I am the End.
13 I made the earth with my own hands.
My right hand made the sky.
And if I call them,
they will come to stand before me.
14 “All of you, come here and listen to me.
Did any of the false gods say these things would happen? No!
The Lord ’s friend [ b ] will do what he wants
to Babylon and the Chaldeans.
15 “I told you that I would call him.
I will lead him,
and I will make him succeed.
16 Come here and listen to me!
I was there when Babylon began as a nation.
And from the beginning, I spoke clearly
so that people could know what I said.”
Now, the Lord God sends me and his Spirit to tell you these things. 17 The Lord , the Savior, the Holy One of Israel, says,
“I am the Lord your God.
I teach you for your own good.
I lead you in the way you should go.
18 If you had obeyed me,
then peace would have come to you
like a full flowing river.
Good things would have come to you again and again,
like the waves of the sea.
19 If you had obeyed me,
you would have had as many children as there are grains of sand.
And they would always have been mine
and would never have been destroyed.”
20 My people, leave Babylon!
My people, run from the Chaldeans!
Tell the news with joy.
Spread the news around the world.
Tell them,
“The Lord rescued his servant Jacob.”
21 They never got thirsty as he led them through the desert,
because he made water flow from a rock.
He split the rock,
and water flowed out.
22 But the Lord also said,
“There is no peace for evil people.”
48 Hear ye this, O house of Jacob, which are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah, which 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 the beginning; and they went forth out of my mouth, and I shewed them; I did them suddenly, 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 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.
6 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.
7 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.
8 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.
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 with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.
11 For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another.
12 Hearken unto me, O Jacob and Israel, my called; I am he; I am the first, I also am the last.
13 Mine hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned the heavens: when I call unto them, they stand up together.
14 All ye, assemble yourselves, and hear; which among them hath declared these things? The Lord hath loved him: he will do his pleasure on Babylon, and his arm shall be 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; I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I: and now the Lord God , and his Spirit, hath sent me.
17 Thus saith the Lord , thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go.
18 O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea:
19 Thy seed also had been as the sand, and the offspring of thy bowels like the gravel thereof; his name should not have been cut off nor destroyed from before me.
20 Go ye forth of 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 clave the rock also, and the waters gushed out.
22 There is no peace, saith the Lord , unto the wicked.
48 “ ( A ) Hear this, house of Jacob, who are named Israel
And who came from the ( B ) waters of Judah,
Who ( C ) swear by the name of the Lord
And invoke the God of Israel,
But not in truth nor in ( D ) righteousness.
2 For they name themselves after the ( E ) holy city,
And ( F ) lean on the God of Israel;
The Lord of armies is His name.
3 I ( G ) declared the former things long ago,
And they went out of My mouth, and I proclaimed them.
( H ) Suddenly I acted, and they ( I ) came to pass.
4 Because I know that you are [ a ] ( J ) obstinate,
And your ( K ) neck is an iron tendon
And your ( L ) forehead bronze,
5 Therefore I declared them to you long ago,
Before [ b ] they took place I proclaimed them to you,
So that you would not say, ‘My ( M ) idol has done them,
And my carved image and my cast metal image have commanded them.’
6 You have heard; look at all this.
And you, will you not declare it?
I proclaim to you ( N ) new things from this time,
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 ( O ) heard, 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 [ c ] ( P ) rebel from [ d ] birth.
9 ( Q ) For the sake of My name I ( R ) delay 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 ( S ) not as silver;
I have tested you in the ( T ) furnace of affliction.
11 ( U ) For My own sake, for My own sake, I will act;
For how can My name be profaned?
And I will not give My ( V ) glory to another.
12 “Listen to Me, Jacob, Israel [ e ] whom I called;
( W ) I am He, ( X ) I am the first, I am also the last.
13 Assuredly My hand ( Y ) founded the earth,
And My right hand spread out the heavens;
When I ( Z ) call to them, they stand together.
14 ( AA ) Assemble, all of you, and listen!
( AB ) Who among them has declared these things?
The Lord loves him; he will ( AC ) carry out His good pleasure against ( AD ) Babylon,
And His arm will be against the Chaldeans.
15 I, yes I, have spoken; indeed I have ( AE ) called him,
I have brought him, and He will make his ways successful.
16 ( AF ) Come near to Me, listen to this:
From the beginning I have ( AG ) not spoken in secret,
( AH ) From the time it took place, I was there.
And now ( AI ) the Lord [ f ] God has sent Me, and His Spirit.”
17 This is what the Lord says, He who is your ( AJ ) Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
“I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to benefit,
Who ( AK ) leads you in the way you should go.
18 If only you had ( AL ) paid attention to My commandments!
Then your [ g ] ( AM ) well-being would have been like a river,
And your ( AN ) righteousness like the waves of the sea.
19 Your [ h ] ( AO ) descendants would have been like the sand,
And [ i ] your offspring like its grains;
( AP ) Their name would never be eliminated or destroyed from My presence.”
20 ( AQ ) Go out from Babylon! Flee from the Chaldeans!
Declare with the sound of ( AR ) joyful shouting, proclaim this,
( AS ) Send it out to the end of the earth;
Say, “ ( AT ) The Lord has redeemed His servant Jacob.”
21 They did not ( AU ) thirst when He led them through the deserts.
He ( AV ) made the water flow out of the rock for them;
He split the rock and ( AW ) the water gushed out.
22 “ ( AX ) There is no peace for the wicked,” says the Lord .
48 “Listen to this, you descendants of Jacob,
you who are called by the name of Israel ( A )
and come from the line of Judah, ( B )
you who take oaths ( C ) in the name of the Lord ( D )
and invoke ( E ) the God of Israel—
but not in truth ( F ) or righteousness—
2 you who call yourselves citizens of the holy city ( G )
and claim to rely ( H ) on the God of Israel—
the Lord Almighty is his name: ( I )
3 I foretold the former things ( J ) long ago,
my mouth announced ( K ) them and I made them known;
then suddenly ( L ) I acted, and they came to pass.
4 For I knew how stubborn ( M ) you were;
your neck muscles ( N ) were iron,
your forehead ( O ) was bronze.
5 Therefore I told you these things long ago;
before they happened I announced ( P ) them to you
so that you could not say,
‘My images brought them about; ( Q )
my wooden image and metal god ordained them.’
6 You have heard these things; look at them all.
Will you not admit them?
“From now on I will tell you of new things, ( R )
of hidden things unknown to you.
7 They are created ( S ) now, and not long ago; ( T )
you have not heard of them before today.
So you cannot say,
‘Yes, I knew ( U ) of them.’
8 You have neither heard nor understood; ( V )
from of old your ears ( W ) have not been open.
Well do I know how treacherous ( X ) you are;
you were called a rebel ( Y ) from birth.
9 For my own name’s sake ( Z ) I delay my wrath; ( AA )
for the sake of my praise I hold it back from you,
so as not to destroy you completely. ( AB )
10 See, I have refined ( AC ) you, though not as silver;
I have tested ( AD ) you in the furnace ( AE ) of affliction.
11 For my own sake, ( AF ) for my own sake, I do this.
How can I let myself be defamed? ( AG )
I will not yield my glory to another. ( AH )
12 “Listen ( AI ) to me, Jacob,
Israel, whom I have called: ( AJ )
I am he; ( AK )
I am the first and I am the last. ( AL )
13 My own hand laid the foundations of the earth, ( AM )
and my right hand spread out the heavens; ( AN )
when I summon them,
they all stand up together. ( AO )
14 “Come together, ( AP ) all of you, and listen:
Which of the idols has foretold ( AQ ) these things?
The Lord ’s chosen ally ( AR )
will carry out his purpose ( AS ) against Babylon; ( AT )
his arm will be against the Babylonians. [ a ]
15 I, even I, have spoken;
yes, I have called ( AU ) him.
I will bring him,
and he will succeed ( AV ) in his mission.
16 “Come near ( AW ) me and listen ( AX ) to this:
“From the first announcement I have not spoken in secret; ( AY )
at the time it happens, I am there.”
17 This is what the Lord says—
your Redeemer, ( BC ) the Holy One ( BD ) of Israel:
“I am the Lord your God,
who teaches ( BE ) you what is best for you,
who directs ( BF ) you in the way ( BG ) you should go.
18 If only you had paid attention ( BH ) to my commands,
your peace ( BI ) would have been like a river, ( BJ )
your well-being ( BK ) like the waves of the sea.
19 Your descendants ( BL ) would have been like the sand, ( BM )
your children like its numberless grains; ( BN )
their name would never be blotted out ( BO )
nor destroyed from before me.”
20 Leave Babylon,
flee ( BP ) from the Babylonians!
Announce this with shouts of joy ( BQ )
and proclaim it.
Send it out to the ends of the earth; ( BR )
say, “The Lord has redeemed ( BS ) his servant Jacob.”
21 They did not thirst ( BT ) when he led them through the deserts;
he made water flow ( BU ) for them from the rock;
he split the rock
and water gushed out. ( BV )
