Isaiah 48

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Listen to this, House of Jacob, you who are cal ed by the name of Israel and issued from the waters ofJudah, who swear by the name of Yahweh and invoke the God of Israel, though not in good faith or uprightness;	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,
2 for they cal themselves after the holy city and rely on the God of Israel, Yahweh Sabaoth is his name.	2 Though you are named after the holy city and rely on the God of Israel, whose name is the LORD of hosts.
3 Things now past I revealed long ago, they issued from my mouth, I proclaimed them; suddenly I actedand they happened.	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.
4 For I knew you to be obstinate, your neck an iron sinew and your forehead bronze.	4 Because I know that you are stubborn and that your neck is an iron sinew and your forehead bronze,
5 As I told you about it long before, before it happened I revealed it to you, so that you could not say, 'Mystatue did it, my idol, my metal image, ordained this.'	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."
6 You have heard and seen all this, why won't you admit it? Now I am going to reveal new things to you,secrets that you do not know;	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.
7 they have just been created, not long ago, and until today you have heard nothing about them, so thatyou cannot say, 'Yes, I knew about this.'	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;
8 No, you have not heard, you have not known, for a long time your ear has not been attentive, for I knewhow treacherous you were; you have been called a rebel since the womb.	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.
9 For the sake of my name I shall defer my anger, for the sake of my honour I shall be patient with you,rather than destroy you.	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.
10 Look, I have purchased you, but not for silver, I have chosen you out of the cauldron of affliction.	10 See, I have refined you like silver, tested you in the furnace of affliction.
11 For my sake and my sake only shal I act, for why should my name be profaned? I wil not yield myglory to another.	11 For my sake, for my own sake, I do this; why should I suffer profanation? My glory I will not give to another.
12 Listen to me, Jacob, Israel whom I have cal ed: I, and none else, am the first, I am also the last.	12 Listen to me, Jacob, Israel, whom I named! I, it is I who am the first, and also the last am I.
13 My hand laid the foundations of earth and my right hand spread out the heavens. I summon them andthey al present themselves together.	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.
14 Assemble, al of you, and listen; which of them has revealed this? Yahweh loves him; he will do hispleasure on Babylon and the race of the Chaldaeans;	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.
15 I, I have spoken, yes, I have summoned him, I have brought him, and he will succeed.	15 I myself have spoken, I have called him, I have brought him, and his way succeeds!
16 Come near and listen to this: from the first, I never spoke obscurely; when it happened, I was there,and now Lord Yahweh has sent me with his spirit.	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."
17 Thus says Yahweh, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am Yahweh your God and teach you foryour own good, I lead you in the way you ought to go.	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.
18 If only you had listened to my commandments! Your prosperity would have been like a river and yoursaving justice like the waves of the sea.	18 If you would hearken to my commandments, your prosperity would be like a river, and your vindication like the waves of the sea;
19 Your descendants would have been numbered like the sand, your offspring as many as its grains.Their name would never be cancel ed or blotted out from my presence.	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.
20 Come out from Babylon! Flee from the Chaldaeans! Declare this with cries of joy, proclaim it, carry itto the remotest parts of earth, say, 'Yahweh has redeemed his servant Jacob.'	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.
21 Those he led through the arid country never went thirsty; he made water flow for them from the rock,he split the rock and out streamed the water.	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."
22 There is no peace, says Yahweh, for the wicked.	22 (There is no peace for the wicked, says the LORD.)