Isaiah 48

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Hear this, O house of Jacob called by the name Israel, sprung from the stock of Judah, You who swear by the name of the LORD and invoke the God of Israel without sincerity or justice,	1 Listen to these things, O house of Jacob, you who are called by the name of Israel, and who went forth from the waters of Judah. You swear by the name of the Lord and you call to mind the God of Israel, but not in truth, and not in justice.
2 Though you are named after the holy city and rely on the God of Israel, whose name is the LORD of hosts.	2 For they have been called from the holy city, and they have been founded upon the God of Israel. The Lord of hosts is his name.
3 Things of the past I foretold long ago, they went forth from my mouth, I let you hear of them; then suddenly I took action and they came to be.	3 From that time, I announced the former things. They went forth from my mouth, and I have caused them to be heard. I wrought these things suddenly, and they were fulfilled.
4 Because I know that you are stubborn and that your neck is an iron sinew and your forehead bronze,	4 For I knew that you are stubborn, and that your neck is like an iron sinew, and that your forehead is like brass.
5 I foretold them to you of old; before they took place I let you hear of them, That you might not say, "My idol did them, my statue, my molten image commanded them."	5 From that time, I foretold to you. Before these things happened, I revealed them to you, lest you say: “My idols have accomplished these things, and my graven and molten images have commanded them.”
6 Now that you have heard, look at all this; must you not admit it? From now on I announce new things to you, hidden events of which you knew not.	6 See all the things that you have heard. But were you the ones who announced them? From that time, I caused you to hear about new things, and you do not know how these were preserved.
7 Now, not long ago, they are brought into being, and beforetime you did not hear of them, so that you cannot claim to have known them;	7 They are created now, and not in that time. And even before today, you did not hear of them; otherwise, you might say, “Behold, I knew them.”
8 You neither heard nor knew, they did not reach your ears beforehand. Yes, I know you are utterly treacherous, a rebel you were called from birth.	8 You have neither heard, nor known, nor were your ears open in that time. For I knew that you would transgress greatly, and so I called you a transgressor from the womb.
9 For the sake of my name I restrain my anger, for the sake of my renown I hold it back from you, lest I should destroy you.	9 For the sake of my name, I will take the face of my fury far away. And for the sake of my praise, I will bridle you, lest you perish.
10 See, I have refined you like silver, tested you in the furnace of affliction.	10 Behold, I have refined you, but not like silver. I have chosen you for the furnace of poverty.
11 For my sake, for my own sake, I do this; why should I suffer profanation? My glory I will not give to another.	11 For my sake, for my own sake, I will do it, so that I may not be blasphemed. For I will not give my glory to another.
12 Listen to me, Jacob, Israel, whom I named! I, it is I who am the first, and also the last am I.	12 Listen to me, O Jacob, and Israel whom I call. I am the same, I am the first, and I am the last.
13 Yes, my hand laid the foundations of the earth; my right hand spread out the heavens. When I call them, they stand forth at once.	13 Also, my hand has founded the earth, and my right hand has measured the heavens. I will call them, and they will stand together.
14 All of you assemble and listen: Who among you foretold these things? The LORD'S friend shall do his will against Babylon and the progeny of Chaldea.	14 Gather together, all of you, and listen. Who among them has announced these things? The Lord has loved him; he will do his will with Babylon, and his arm is upon the Chaldeans.
15 I myself have spoken, I have called him, I have brought him, and his way succeeds!	15 I am, I have spoken, and I have called him. I have led him forward, and his way has been straight.
16 Come near to me and hear this! Not from the beginning did I speak it in secret; At the time it comes to pass, I am present: "Now the Lord GOD has sent me, and his spirit."	16 Draw near to me, and listen to this. From the beginning, I have not spoken in secret. From the time before it happened, I was there. And now, the Lord God has sent me, and his Spirit.
17 Thus says the LORD, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I, the LORD, your God, teach you what is for your good, and lead you on the way you should go.	17 Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am the Lord, your God, who teaches you beneficial things, who guides you in the way that you walk.
18 If you would hearken to my commandments, your prosperity would be like a river, and your vindication like the waves of the sea;	18 If only you had paid attention to my commandments! Your peace would have been like a river, and your justice would have been like the waves of the sea,
19 Your descendants would be like the sand, and those born of your stock like its grains, Their name never cut off or blotted out from my presence.	19 and your offspring would have been like the sand, and the stock from your loins would have been like its stones. His name would not have passed away, nor would it have been worn away before my face.
20 Go forth from Babylon, flee from Chaldea! With shouts of joy proclaim this, make it known; Publish it to the ends of the earth, and say, "The LORD has redeemed his servant Jacob.	20 Depart from Babylon! Flee from the Chaldeans! Announce it with a voice of exultation. Cause it to be heard, and carry it even to the ends of the earth. Say: “The Lord has redeemed his servant Jacob.”
21 They did not thirst when he led them through dry lands; Water from the rock he set flowing for them; he cleft the rock, and waters welled forth."	21 They did not thirst in the desert, when he led them out. He produced water from the rock for them. For he split the rock, and the waters flowed out.
22 (There is no peace for the wicked, says the LORD.)	22 “There is no peace for the impious,” says the Lord.