Isaiah 48
48
God Rules His World
1“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,#48:2 holy city That is, Jerusalem.
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.
4I did that because I knew you were stubborn.
You were like iron that will not bend,
with heads as hard as bronze.
5So 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.’”
God Punishes Israel to Make Them Pure
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.
7This 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.’
8But 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.
11I 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.
13I 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#48:14 friend Or “partner.” This probably means Cyrus, king of Persia. He ruled about 550–530 B.C. 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.
16Come 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. 17The 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.
18If 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.
19If 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.”
20My 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.”
21They 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.
22But the Lord also said,
“There is no peace for evil people.”
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Isaiah 48: ERV
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© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
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.