Isaiah, 48

1. 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.

1. Listen to this, House of Jacob, called by the name of Israel and born out of Judah's womb, you who swear by the name of Yahweh and invoke the God of Israel, though not in truth or 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.

2. calling yourselves after the holy city, and relying on the God of Israel whose name is Yahweh Sabaoth.

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.

3. From long ago I revealed things past: they went forth from my mouth; I declared them. Then suddenly I acted and the word came to be.

4. Because I knew that thou [art] obstinate, and thy neck [is] an iron sinew, and thy brow brass;

4. Because I know that you are stubborn, your head as hard as iron, your forehead as bronze,

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.

5. So I told you about them; before they took place I let you hear of them, lest you should say: "My idols did these, my graven image, my molten image 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.

6. Now that you have heard and seen, will you not admit it? From now on I will tell you new things, even hidden things you have not known before.

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.

7. They are created now and not long ago; up to this day you have not heard of them lest you should say, "I already knew."

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.

8. You have not heard, you didn't know nor were your ears opened before, for I knew how treacherous you were - you who from birth have been called a rebel.

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.

9. For my name's sake I delayed my anger, for my honor's sake I restrained it, lest I destroy you.

10. Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.

10. See: I have refined you as silver; I have tested you 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.

11. But now for my own sake I will act, yes, for my own sake. For how could I let my Name be defiled? Never will I yield my glory to another.

12. Hearken unto me, O Jacob and Israel, my called; I [am] he; I [am] the first, I also [am] the last.

12. Listen to me, O Jacob, Israel whom I have called, I am the same, I am the first, and I am also 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.

13. My hand laid the foundation of the earth, my right hand spread out the heavens. When I call on the stars they all stand forth 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.

14. Assemble, all of you, and listen. Who among them has foretold these things? The beloved of Yahweh will do what pleases him with Babylon and the people of Chaldea.

15. I, [even] I, have spoken; yea, I have called him: I have brought him, and he shall make his way prosperous.

15. I, yes I myself, have spoken; I myself called him and made him prosper in his way.

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.

16. Come near me and listen to this: From the beginning I have not spoken in secret; from the time that it happened I have been there. Know then, that Yahweh the Lord, with his Spirit has 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.

17. Thus says Yahweh, your Re-deemer, the Holy One of Israel: I, Yahweh, your God, teach you what is best for you; I lead you in the way that you must 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:

18. Had you paid attention to my commandments, your peace would have been like a river, your righteousness like 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.

19. Your descendants would have been like the sand, and those born of your stock like its grains, their names never cut off nor blotted out from my presence.

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.

20. "Go forth from Babylon, flee from Chaldea!" Declare this with shouts of joy, make this known to the ends of the earth. Proclaim: Yahweh has 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.

21. Those he led through the desert were never thirsty. He made water flow for them from the rock; he split the rock and water gushed out.

22. [There is] no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked.

22. There is no peace for the wicked, Yahweh says.