(KJV) Isaiah 48¹

⥃Israel’s Stubbornness

[1] Hear ye this, O house of Jacob, which are² called by the name of Israel, and are come³ forth out of the waters of Judah, which swear⁴ by the name of the Lord, and make mention⁵ of the God of Israel, [but] not in truth⁶, nor in righteousness. [2] For they call⁷ themselves of the holy city, and stay⁸ themselves upon the God of Israel; The Lord⁹ of hosts [is] his name. [3] I have declared¹⁰ the former things from the beginning; and they went forth out of my mouth, and I¹¹ shewed them; I did [them] suddenly, and they came to pass. [4] Because I knew¹² that thou [art] obstinate¹³, and thy neck [is] an iron sinew, and thy brow¹⁴ brass; [5] I have even¹⁵ from the beginning declared [it] to thee; before it came to pass I shewed [it] thee: lest thou shouldest say, Mine idol¹⁶ hath done them, and my graven image, and my molten image, hath commanded them. [6] Thou hast heard¹⁷, see all this; and will¹⁸ not ye declare [it]? I have shewed¹⁹ thee new things from this time, even hidden things, and thou didst not know them. [7] They are created now, and not from the beginning; even before the day when thou heardest them not; lest thou shouldest say, Behold, I knew them. [8] Yea, thou heardest²⁰ not; yea, thou knewest not; yea, from that time [that] thine ear²¹ was not opened: for I knew²² that thou wouldest deal very treacherously, and wast called a transgressor²³ from the womb.

[9] For my name’s²⁴ sake will I defer²⁵ mine anger, and for my praise will I refrain for thee, that I cut thee not off. [10] Behold, I have refined²⁶ thee, but not with silver²⁷; I have chosen²⁸ thee in the furnace of affliction. [11] For mine own²⁹ sake, [even] for mine own sake, will I do [it]: for how³⁰ should [my name³¹] be polluted? and I will not³² give my glory unto another.

⥃Deliverance Promised to Israel

[12] [¶]Hearken³³ unto me, O Jacob³⁴ and Israel, my called³⁵; I [am] he³⁶; I [am] the first, I also [am] the last. [13] Mine hand³⁷³⁸ also hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned³⁹ the heavens: [when⁴⁰] I call unto them, they stand up together. [14] All ye, assemble⁴¹ yourselves, and hear; which among them⁴² hath declared these [things]? The Lord⁴³ hath loved him: he will do⁴⁴ his pleasure on Babylon, and his arm [shall be on] the Chaldeans. [15] I, [even] I, have spoken; yea, I have called him: I have brought him, and he shall make his way prosperous.⁴⁵

[16] Come ye near unto me, hear ye this; I have not⁴⁶ spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there [am] I: and now the Lord God⁴⁷, and his Spirit, hath sent me. [17] Thus saith the Lord⁴⁸, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I [am] the Lord thy God which teacheth⁴⁹ thee to profit, which leadeth⁵⁰ thee by the way [that] thou shouldest go. [18] O that thou⁵¹ hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had⁵² thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea: [19] Thy seed⁵³ also had been as the sand, and the offspring of thy bowels like the gravel thereof; his name⁵⁴ should not have been cut off nor destroyed from before me.

[20] [¶]Go ye forth⁵⁵ of Babylon, flee ye from the Chaldeans, with a voice⁵⁶ of singing declare ye, tell this, utter it [even⁵⁷] to the end of the earth; say ye, The Lord hath redeemed his servant Jacob. [21] And they thirsted⁵⁸ not [when] he led them through the deserts: he caused⁵⁹ the waters to flow out of the rock for them: he clave the rock also, and the waters gushed out. [22] [There is] no peace, saith the Lord, unto the wicked. ⁶⁰