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
Yahweh Refines Stubborn Israel
1Hear this, house of Jacob,
who are called by the name of Israel
and came out from the waters of Judah,
who swear by the name of Yahweh,
and invoke#Literally “cause to remember” the God of Israel,
but not in truth
and not in righteousness.
2For they call themselves after the holy city,#Literally “from the city of the holiness”
and they lean on the God of Israel—
Yahweh of hosts is his name.
3“I declared the former things from of old,#Literally “then”
and they went out from my mouth.
And I announced#Literally “caused to hear” them suddenly;
I acted,#Or “did” and they came to pass,
4because I know#Literally “knowing me” that you are obstinate,
and your neck an iron sinew,
and your forehead bronze.
5And I declared them to you from of old;
I announced#Literally “caused to hear” them to you before they came to pass
so that you would not say, ‘My idol did them,
and my image and my cast image commanded them.’
6You have heard; see it all.
And will you not declare it?
I announce#Literally “cause to hear” new things to you from this time
and hidden things that#Or “and” you have not known.
7Now they are created, and not from of old,#Literally “then”
and before today, and you have not heard them
so that you could not say, “Look! I knew them.”
8Neither have you heard, nor have you known,
nor from of old#Literally “then” has your ear been opened.
For I knew you would deal treacherously, very treacherously,
and you are called a rebel from the womb.
9For the sake of my name I refrain from#Literally “make long” my anger,
and for my praise I restrain it for you
so as not to cut you off.
10Look! I have refined you, but#Or “and” not like#Or “with” silver;
I have chosen you in the furnace of misery.
11For my own sake, for my own sake I do it;
for why should it#That is, my name be defiled?
And I will not give my glory to another.”
Yahweh Frees Israel
12“Listen to me, Jacob,
and Israel, whom I called:#Literally “who was called by me”
I am he. I am the first;
also I am the last.
13Indeed, my hand founded the earth,
and my right hand spread out the heavens;
when I summon#Or “calling” them, they stand in position together.
14Assemble, all of you, and hear!
Who among them declared these things?
Yahweh loves him;
he shall perform#Or “do” his wish against Babylon
and his arm against the Chaldeans.#Literally “Chaldea”
15I, I myself, I have spoken!
Indeed, I have called him.
I have brought him,
and he will be successful in his way.
16Draw near to me; hear this! I have not spoken in secrecy from the beginning;#Literally “head”
from the time it came to be,#Literally “of becoming it” there I have been;
And now the Lord Yahweh has sent me and his Spirit.”
17Thus says Yahweh, your redeemer, the holy one of Israel:
“I am Yahweh your God, who teaches#Literally “teaching” you to profit,
leads you in the way you should go.
18O that you had listened attentively to my commandments!
Then#Or “and” your prosperity would have been like a river,
and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.
19And your offspring would have been like the sand,
and the descendants of your body#Literally “intestines” like its grains.#Hebrew “grain”
It would not be cut off,
and its name would not be destroyed from my presence.”
20Go out from Babylon!
Flee from Chaldea!
Proclaim#Or “announce” it with a shout#Or “sound” of rejoicing; proclaim#Or “cause to hear” this!
Send it forth#Literally “Cause it to go out” to the end of the earth;
say, “Yahweh has redeemed his servant Jacob!”
21And when he led them through the deserts, they were not thirsty;
he made water flow from the rock for them,
and he split the rock,
and the water gushed out.
22“There is no peace,” says Yahweh, “for the wicked.”
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