Isaiah 48

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God Rules His World

48 <1> The Lord says,

"Family of Jacob, listen to me!

You people call yourself 'Israel,'

but you are from Judah's family.

You use the Lord's name

to make promises.

You talk about the God of Israel,

but you are not honest and sincere."

<2> Yes, they call themselves citizens of the Holy City.[431]

They depend on the God of Israel.

The Lord All-Powerful is his name.

<3> "Long ago I told you

what would happen.

I told you about these things.

And then suddenly,

I made them happen.

<4> I did that because I knew

you were stubborn.

You were very stubborn,

like iron that does not bend,

as hard as bronze.

<5> So a long time ago I told you

what would happen.

I told you about those things

long before they happened.

I did this so that you could not say,

'The gods we made did this.'

I told you so that you could not say,

'Our idols, our statues, made this happen.'"

God Punishes Israel to Make Them Pure

<6> "You heard about it,

now look at all of it.

Shouldn't you tell others about it?

I told you about things

that are just now happening,

secrets that you didn't know yet.

<7> This is not something

that happened a long time ago.

This is what is happening now.

You had not heard about it before today.

So you cannot say,

'We already knew that.'

<8> But even then, you didn't listen.

You didn't learn anything.

You never listen to what I say.

I have known since the beginning

that you would turn against me.

You have rebelled against me

from the time you were born.

<9> "But I will be patient.

I will do this for myself.

People will praise me

for not becoming angry with you and destroying you.

You will praise me for waiting.

<10> "Look, I will make you pure,

but not in the way you make silver pure.

I will make you pure

by giving you troubles.

<11> I will do this for myself-for me!

You will not treat me

like I am not important.

I will not let some false god

take my glory and praise.

<12> "Jacob, listen to me!

Israel, I called you to be my people.

So listen to me!

I am the Beginning,

and I am the End.

<13> I made the earth with my own hands.

My right hand made the sky.

And if I call them,

they will come to stand before me.

<14> "All of you come here and listen to me.

Did any of the false gods say these things would happen? No!"

The Lord's friend will do what he wants

to Babylon and the Chaldeans.[432]

<15> [The Lord says,]

"I told you I would call him,[433]

and I will bring him.

I will make him succeed.

<16> Come here and listen to me!

I was there when Babylon began as a nation.

And from the beginning, I spoke clearly,

so that people could know what I said."

Now, the Lord my Master sends me and his Spirit to tell you these things. <17> The Lord, the Savior, the Holy One of Israel, says,

"I am the Lord your God.

I teach you for your own good.

I lead you in the way you should go.

<18> If you had obeyed me,

then peace would have come to you

like a full flowing river.

Good things would have come to you again and again,

like the waves of the sea.

<19> If you had obeyed me,

you would have had as many children as the grains of sand.

If you had obeyed me,

then you would not have been destroyed.

You would have continued with me."

<20> My people, leave Babylon!

My people, run from the Chaldeans!

Tell the news with joy.

Spread the news around the world.

Tell them, "The Lord rescued his servant Jacob."

<21> They never got thirsty as he led them through the desert

because he made water flow from a rock.

He split the rock,

and water flowed out.

<22> But the Lord also said,

"There is no peace for evil people."