Isaiah 48

The LORD rebukes Israel for swearing by His name without truth or righteousness. He declared former things long ago so they could not credit their idols. For His own name's sake He delays His anger, and He refines Israel in the furnace of affliction. He commands them to go forth from Babylon and declares there is no peace for the wicked.

v	King James Version	Modern English
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.	Listen to this, O house of Jacob — you who are called by the name of Israel and came from the line of Judah. You swear by the name of the LORD and call on the God of Israel, but not in truth or 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.	They call themselves citizens of the holy city and lean on 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.	I declared the former things long ago. They went out from My mouth; I made them known. Then I acted 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;	I knew that You are stubborn — your neck is an iron tendon and Your forehead is 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.	Therefore I told You these things long ago. Before they came to pass I declared them to You, so that You could not say, "My idol did them; my carved image or my cast idol 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.	You have heard these things; look at all of them! Will You not declare it? From this time on I announce new things to You — hidden things You have not known.
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.	They are created now and not long ago; before today You had not heard of them, so that You could not say, "I already 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.	You had not heard; You did not know; Your ear was not opened long ago. For I knew that You would deal very treacherously. You were called a rebel from birth.
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.	For My name's sake I hold back My anger; for the sake of My praise I restrain it for You, so that I do not cut You off.
10	Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.	I have refined You, but not as silver is refined. I have tried 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.	For My own sake — for My own sake — I do this. How can My name be dishonored? I will not give 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.	Listen to Me, O Jacob, and Israel, whom I have called. I am he. I am the first, and I 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.	My hand laid the foundation of the earth. My right hand spread out the heavens. When I call to 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.	Come together and listen, all of You. Which of the idols declared these things? The LORD loves Him. He will carry out His purpose against Babylon; His arm will be against the Chaldeans.
15	I, even I, have spoken; yea, I have called him: I have brought him, and he shall make his way prosperous.	I, I have spoken. I have called Him, I have brought Him, and His way will succeed.
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.	Come near to Me; listen to this. From the beginning I have not spoken in secret. From the time it came to be, I was there. And now the Lord GOD has sent Me, along with His Spirit.
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:	Thus says the LORD, Your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: "I am the LORD Your God, who teaches You what is good for You, who leads You in the way You should 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:	If only You had listened to My commandments! Then Your peace would have been like a river, and 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.	Your descendants would have been as numerous as the sand, and Your children as countless as its grains. Their name would never be cut off or destroyed 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.	Go out from Babylon; flee from the Chaldeans! Declare this with shouts of joy; proclaim it and send it out to the end of the earth. Say, "The LORD 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.	They did not thirst when He led them through the deserts. He made water flow for them from the rock; He split the rock and the waters gushed out.
22	There is no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked.	"There is no peace," says the LORD, "for the wicked."