Israel's Stubbornness

1Hear ye this, house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah, who swear by the name of Jehovah, and make mention of the God of Israel, not in truth, nor in righteousness.

2For they are named after the holy city, and stay themselves upon the God of Israel: Jehovah of hosts is his name.

3I have declared the former things long ago; and they went forth out of my mouth, and I caused them to be heard: I wrought suddenly, and they came to pass.

4Because I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass,

5so I have long ago declared [them] to thee; before they came to pass I caused thee to hear [them]; lest thou shouldest say, Mine idol hath done them, and my graven image, or my molten image hath commanded them.

6Thou heardest, see all this; -- and ye, will not ye declare [it]? I have caused thee to hear new things from this time, and things hidden, and that thou knewest not:

7they are created now, and not long ago; and before this day thou hast not heard them, lest thou shouldest say, Behold, I knew them.

8Yea, thou heardest not, yea, thou knewest not, yea, from of old thine ear was not opened; for I knew that thou wouldest ever deal treacherously, and thou wast called a transgressor from the womb.

9For my name's sake I will defer mine anger, and [for] my praise will I refrain as to thee, that I cut thee not off.

10Behold, I have refined thee, but not as silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.

11For mine own sake, for mine own sake, will I do [it]; for how should [my name] be profaned? and I will not give my glory unto another.

Israel Promised Deliverance

12Hearken unto me, Jacob, and [thou] Israel, my called. I [am] HE; I, the first, and I, the last.

13Yea, my hand hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spread abroad the heavens: I call unto them, they stand up together.

14All ye, gather yourselves together, and hear: which among them hath declared these things? He whom Jehovah hath loved shall execute his pleasure on Babylon, and his arm [shall be on] the Chaldeans.

15I, [even] I, have spoken; yea, I have called him; I have brought him, and his way shall be prosperous.

16Come near unto me, hear ye this: I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I; and now the Lord Jehovah hath sent me, and his Spirit.

17Thus saith Jehovah, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I [am] Jehovah thy God, who teacheth thee for [thy] profit, who leadeth thee in the way that thou shouldest go.

18Oh that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! Then would thy peace have been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea;

19and thy seed would have been as the sand, and the offspring of thy bowels like the gravel thereof: their name should not have been cut off nor destroyed from before me.

20Go ye forth from Babylon, flee from the Chaldeans, with a voice of singing; declare, cause this to be heard, utter it to the end of the earth; say ye, Jehovah hath redeemed his servant Jacob.

21And they thirsted not when he led them through the deserts; he caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them; yea, he clave the rock, and the waters gushed out.

22There is no peace, saith Jehovah, unto the wicked.