(“) Listen to this , O house of Jacob , you who are called by the name of Israel , who have descended from the line of Judah , who swear by the name of the LORD , who invoke the God of Israel — but not in tRuth - (or) righteousness —
who indeed call yourselves after the holy city and lean on the God of Israel ; the LORD of Hosts (is) His name.
I foretold the former things long ago ; they came out of My mouth and I proclaimed them. Suddenly I acted , and they came to pass.
For I knew that you ... are stubborn ; your neck is iron and your forehead (is) bronze.
Therefore I declared it long ago ; I announced it before it came to pass , so that you could not claim , ‘ My idol has done this ; my carved image and molten god has ordained it. ’
You have heard (these things) ; look at them all. Will you not acknowledge (them)? From now on I will tell you of new things , hidden things unknown to you ....
They are created now , and not long ago ; you have not heard of them before today. So you cannot claim , ‘ I already knew them ! ’
- You have never heard ; ... you have never understood ; ... for a long time your ears have not been open. For I knew ... how deceitful you are ; you have been called a rebel from birth.
For the sake of My name I will delay My wrath ; for the sake of My praise I will restrain it so that you will not be cut off.
See , I have refined you , but not as silver ; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.
For My own sake , My very own sake , I will act ; for how can I let Myself be defamed ? I will not yield My glory to another.
Listen to Me , O Jacob , and Israel , whom I have called : I am He ; I am the first , and I am ... the last.
Surely My own hand founded the earth , and My right hand spread out the heavens ; when I ... summon them , they stand up together.
Come together , all of you , and listen : Which has foretold - these things ? The LORD’s chosen ally will carry out His desire against Babylon , and His arm will be against the Chaldeans.
I , even I , have spoken ; yes , I have called him. I have brought him , and he will succeed in his mission.
Come near to Me and listen to this : From the beginning I have not spoken in secret ; from the time it happened , I was there. ” And now the Lord GOD has sent me , accompanied by His Spirit.
Thus says the LORD your Redeemer , the Holy One of Israel : “ I am the LORD your God , who teaches you for your benefit , who directs you in the way you should go.
If only you had paid attention to My commandments , your peace would have been like a river , and your righteousness like waves of the sea.
Your descendants would have been as (countless as) the sand , and your offspring ... as (numerous as) its grains ; their name would never be cut off ... or eliminated from My presence. ”
Leave Babylon ! Flee from the Chaldeans ! Declare it with a shout of joy , proclaim it , let it go out to the ends of the earth , saying , “ The LORD has redeemed His servant Jacob ! ”
They did not thirst when He led them through the deserts ; He made water flow from the rock ; He split the rock , and water gushed out.