Isaiah 48

Hear this, house of Jacob, you who are called by the name of Israel and who came from the waters of Judah — who swear by the name of the LORD and invoke the God of Israel, but not in truth or in righteousness.

KJV 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.

For they call themselves after the holy city and lean on the God of Israel — the LORD of Hosts is His name.

KJV For they call themselves of the holy city, and stay themselves upon the God of Israel; The LORD of hosts is his name.

The former things I declared long ago; they went out from my mouth and I announced them. Then suddenly I acted, and they came to pass.

KJV 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.

Because I knew how stubborn you are — your neck is an iron sinew, your forehead is bronze —

KJV Because I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass;

therefore I declared it to you long ago; before it happened I announced it to you, lest you say, 'My idol did this, my carved image and my cast image commanded it.'

KJV 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.

You have heard — now look at all this! Will you not acknowledge it? From now on I announce new things to you, hidden things you have not known.

KJV 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.

They are created now, not long ago; before today you have not heard of them, lest you say, 'I already knew that.'

KJV 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.

You have neither heard nor known; from of old your ear has not been opened. For I knew you would act utterly treacherously; you have been called a rebel from the womb.

KJV 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.

For the sake of my name I defer my anger; for the sake of my praise I hold it back from you, so as not to cut you off.

KJV 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.

Look — I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.

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

For my own sake, for my own sake, I act — for how should my name be profaned? My glory I will not give to another.

KJV 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.

Listen to me, Jacob, and Israel, whom I called: I am He; I am the first, and I am the last.

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

My hand laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand spread out the heavens. When I call to them, they stand together.

KJV 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.

Assemble, all of you, and listen. Which of them declared these things? The LORD loves him — he will carry out His purpose against Babylon, and his arm will be against the Chaldeans.

KJV 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.

I, even I, have spoken; indeed I have called him. I have brought him, and he will succeed.

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

Come near to me and hear 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, and His Spirit.

KJV 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.

This is what the LORD says — your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am the LORD your God, who teaches you for your benefit, who leads you in the way you should go.

KJV 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.

If only you had paid attention to my commands! Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.

KJV 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:

Your offspring would have been like the sand, your descendants like its grains. Their name would never have been cut off or destroyed from before me.

KJV 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.

Go out from Babylon! Flee from the Chaldeans! With a shout of joy declare it, proclaim it, send it out to the ends of the earth. Say, 'The LORD has redeemed His servant Jacob!'

KJV 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.

They did not thirst when He led them through the deserts. He made water flow from the rock for them; He split the rock, and water gushed out.

KJV 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.

"There is no peace," says the LORD, "for the wicked."

KJV There is no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked.