Isa 48 | LEB | STEP | Hear 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⌟ the God of Israel, but not in truth and not in righteousness.

Isaiah 48

Yahweh Refines Stubborn Israel

1 Hear 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.
2 For 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,
4 because ⌞I know⌟ ^{▼▼Literally “knowing me”} that you are obstinate,
and your neck an iron sinew,
and your forehead bronze.
5 And 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.’
6 You 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.
7 Now 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.”
8 Neither 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.
9 For 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.
10 Look! I have refined you, but ^{▼▼Or “and”} not like ^{▼▼Or “with”} silver;
I have chosen you in the furnace of misery.
11 For 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.
13 Indeed, my hand founded the earth,
and my right hand spread out the heavens;
when I summon ^{▼▼Or “calling”} them, they stand in position together.
14 Assemble, 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”}
15 I, I myself, I have spoken!
Indeed, I have called him.
I have brought him,
and he will be successful in his way.
16 Draw 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.”

17 Thus 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.

18 O 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.
19 And 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.”
20 Go 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!”
21 And 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.”