Isaiah 48
48
New things from now on
1Listen to this, house of Jacob,
who are known by the name of Israel,
descendants of Judah,#48.1 Or came out from the waters of Judah
who swear by the LORD’s name
and invoke Israel’s God dishonestly and unrighteously.
2They are known as residents of the holy city,
those who depend upon the God of Israel—
the LORD of heavenly forces is his name.
3Past things I announced long ago;
from my mouth I proclaimed them.
I acted suddenly, and they came about.
4Because I know that you are stubborn,
your neck is made of iron,
and your forehead is bronze.
5I informed you long ago;
before they came about I proclaimed them to you
so you wouldn’t say, “My idol did them;
my wood statue and metal god commanded them.”
6You’ve heard and seen all this—
won’t you admit it?
From now on I’ll tell you new things,
guarded secrets that you don’t know.
7They are created now, not long ago;
before today you hadn’t heard of them,
so you won’t say, “I already knew them.”
8You haven’t heard, nor have you known;
as in ages past your ears are closed,
because I knew what a traitor you were;
you were known as a rebel from birth.
9For the sake of my reputation I control my anger;
for your sake I restrain my powerful radiance
so as to not destroy you.
10See, I have refined you, but not like silver;
I have tested you#48.10 Or I have chosen in the furnace of misery.
11For the sake of my reputation, for my own sake, I will act,
for why will my name be made impure?
I won’t give my glory to another.
12Listen to me, Jacob;
Israel, whom I called:
I am the one;
I am the first and I am the last.
13My hand founded the earth;
my strong hand spread out the heavens.
When I call to them, they all stand up.
14Gather yourselves, all of you, and listen.
Who among you announced these things?
“The LORD loves him.
He will do what God wants with Babylon
and with the descendants#48.14 LXX; MT his arm of Chaldea.”
15I, I have spoken and told him
the things that will happen to him;
I will make him succeed.
16Come close to me; listen to this:
Since the very beginning I haven’t spoken in secret.
Whenever anything happens, I am there.
(And now the LORD God has sent me with his spirit.)
17The LORD your redeemer,
the holy one of Israel, proclaims:
I am the LORD your God
who teaches you for your own good,
who leads you in the way you should go.
18If you would pay attention to my commands,
your well-being would be like a river,
and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.
19Your offspring would be like the sand,
and your descendants like its grains.
Their name would never be eliminated,
never wiped out from before me.
20Go out from Babylon;
flee from the Chaldeans!
Report this with a loud shout, proclaim it;
broadcast it out to the end of the earth.
Say, “The LORD has redeemed his servant Jacob!”
21They weren’t thirsty when he led them through the deserts.
God made water flow from the rock for them;
split the rock, and water flowed out.
22There is no well-being, says the LORD, for the wicked.
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Isaiah 48: CEB
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2011 Common English Bible. All rights reserved.
Isaiah 48
48
The Lord Corrects His People
1People of Israel,
you come from Jacob's family
and the tribe#48.1 tribe: Hebrew “waters.” of Judah.
You claim to worship me,
the Lord God of Israel,
but you are lying.
2You call Jerusalem your home
and say you depend on me,
the Lord All-Powerful,
the God of Israel.
3Long ago I announced
what was going to be,
then without warning,
I made it happen.
4I knew you were stubborn
and hardheaded.
5And I told you these things,
so that when they happened
you would not say,
“The idols we worship did this.”
6You heard what I said,
and you have seen it happen.
Now admit it's true!
I will show you secrets
you have never known.
7Today I am doing something new,
something you cannot say
you have heard before.
8You have never been willing
to listen to what I say;
from the moment of your birth,
I knew you would rebel.
The Lord Warns Israel
9I, the Lord, am true to myself;
I will be praised for not punishing
and destroying you.
10I tested you in hard times
just as silver is refined
in a heated furnace.#48.10 furnace: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 10.
11I did this because of who I am.
I refuse to be dishonored#48.11 I refuse to be dishonored: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
or share my praise
with any other god.
12 #
Is 44.6; Rev 1.17; 22.13. Israel, my chosen people,
listen to me.
I alone am the Lord,
the first and the last.
13With my own hand
I created the earth
and stretched out the sky.
They obey my every command.
The Lord Speaks to the Nations
14Gather around me, all of you!
Listen to what I say.
Did any of your idols
predict this would happen?
Did they say that my friend#48.14 my friend: Probably Cyrus (see 44.28; 45.1).
would do what I want done
to Babylonia?#48.14 Babylonia: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 14.
15I was the one who chose him.
I have brought him this far,
and he will be successful.
16Come closer and listen!
I have never kept secret
the things I have said,
and I was here
before time began.
It Is Best To Obey the Lord
By the power of his Spirit
the Lord God has sent me
17with this message:
People of Israel,
I am the holy Lord God,
the one who rescues you.
For your own good,
I teach you, and I lead you
along the right path.
18How I wish that you
had obeyed my commands!
Your success and good fortune
would then have overflowed
like a flooding river.
19Your nation would be blessed
with more people
than there are grains of sand
along the seashore.
And I would never have let
your country be destroyed.
20 #
Rev 18.4. Now leave Babylon!
Celebrate as you go.
Be happy and shout
for everyone to hear,
“The Lord has rescued
his servant Israel!
21He led us through the desert
and made water flow from a rock
to satisfy our thirst.
22 #
Is 57.21. But the Lord has promised
that none who are evil
will live in peace.”
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.