Isaiah Chapter 48

Stubborn Israel

         48^:1“Listen to this, Jacob called ‘Israel,’

                        that came from Judah’s family,

                        that swear by the LORD and invoke Israel’s God,

                              but not sincerely and rightly,

                        ² that call yourself The Holy City

                              and depend on the LORD of Hosts:

Is 48:1-2

                  ³ long ago, I told you what was going to happen;

                        all at once it has; my prediction has come true.

                  ⁴ I know how stubborn you are,

                        that your neck is as stiff as iron,

                        and your head is as hard as bronze.

                  ⁵ I made my prediction long ago

                        so you couldn’t say your idol did it,

                        that your carved image, your molten god commanded it.’    

Is 48:3-5

      ⁶ “You’ve heard my predictions and seen them fulfilled,

                           but you still won’t own up to them;

            now I’ll tell you things you haven’t heard.

      ⁷ They’re not things from long ago;

            so you can’t claim you knew them all along.

      ⁸ I know what traitors you are;

                        you’ve been rebels from birth.

                  ⁹ Yet for my name’s sake, I’ve delayed expressing my anger;

                        for my honor I’ve restrained it

                              to keep from wiping you out.

                  ¹⁰ I’ve refined you, but not like silver;

            I’ve refined you in the furnace of suffering.

      ¹¹ For my own sake—yes, I’ll do it for my own sake—

            I won’t let my reputation be tarnished;

            I won’t share my honor with idols.                            

Is 48:6-11

Israel Freed from Babylon

      ¹² “Listen to me, Jacob, Israel that I’ve chosen;

                  I’m the only One, the first and the last.

      ¹³ I’m the One that founded the earth

                  and spread out the sky;

            when I call out the stars, they come out in force.

      ¹⁴ Come here, all of you, and listen!

                  Which of your idols has told you this?

            I’ve set my regard on Cyrus;

                  he’ll carry out my intentions on Babylon;

                  he’ll oppose the Babylonians.

      ¹⁵ There I’ve said it; I’ve called him;

            I’ve brought him; he’ll succeed.

      ¹⁶ Come close and listen:

                  from the beginning I’ve spoken plainly

                  about what would happen.”                                

Already the Lord GOD and his Spirit have sent me with that message.

Is 48:12-16

      ¹⁷ This is what the LORD says,

         your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:

                  “I’m the LORD your God

                        that teaches you how to succeed

                        and leads you the way you should go.

      ¹⁸ If only you’d paid attention to what I told you,

                       you’d have had peace like a river

                              and goodness like ocean waves washing over you.

                  ¹⁹ Your descendants would have been too numerous to count,

                              like grains of sand by the seashore;                    

I wouldn’t have needed to cut them off

                              or destroy them out of my presence.”                  

Is 48:17-19

                  ²⁰ “Get out of Babylon! Escape from the Babylonians!

                        Shout the news everywhere with joy:

                              the LORD has rescued his servant Jacob!

                  ²¹ They weren’t thirsty while he led them through the desert;

                              he made water gush out of rock for them to drink;

      ²² “But there’s no peace for the wicked,” the LORD says.

Is 48:20-22