UST GEN EXO LEV NUM DEU JOS JDG RUTH 1 SAM 2 SAM 1 KI 2 KI 1 CHR 2 CHR EZRA NEH EST JOB PSA PROV ECC SNG ISA JER LAM EZE DAN HOS JOEL AMOS OBA YNA MIC NAH HAB ZEP HAG ZEC MAL MAT MARK LUKE YHN ACTs ROM 1 COR 2 COR GAL EPH PHP COL 1 TH 2 TH 1 TIM 2 TIM TIT PHM HEB YAC 1 PET 2 PET 1 YHN 2 YHN 3 YHN YUD REV

ISA C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 C12 C13 C14 C15 C16 C17 C18 C19 C20 C21 C22 C23 C24 C25 C26 C27 C28 C29 C30 C31 C32 C33 C34 C35 C36 C37 C38 C39 C40 C41 C42 C43 C44 C45 C46 C47 C48 C49 C50 C51 C52 C53 C54 C55 C56 C57 C58 C59 C60 C61 C62 C63 C64 C65 C66

UST ISA Chapter 48

◄ ISA 48 ► ║ ═ ©

48 Yahweh says, “Listen to this, you descendants of Jacob,

whom people call Israelites,

who come from the tribe of Judah.

You appeal to me, Yahweh, to guarantee your oaths,

and you pray to me as the God of Israel.

But you do not do that sincerely or honestly.

2 You merely identify yourselves as people from the holy city of Jerusalem,

and you claim to rely on me, the God of Israel.

I am Yahweh, the commander of the heavenly armies.

3 Long ago I announced the things that would happen.

I proclaimed them, and I made sure everyone heard them.

Then, when it was the right time, I acted, and they happened.

4 I did this because I knew that you are stubborn.

You refuse to change what you think or what you do.

5 That is why I told you those things long ago.

I announced them to you before they happened.

That way you could not say that your idol did them

or that your wooden or metal image commanded them to happen.

6 You have heard what I predicted.

Consider all that has happened.

You should certainly acknowledge that what I announced did happen!

Now I am telling you about new things that will happen.

These are things that I have kept secret, so you do not know about them.

7 I am making them happen now. They did not begin long ago,

You have not heard about them before today,

so you can not say, ‘Listen, I already knew about those things.’

8 No, you certainly did not hear about them, and you did not know about them.

You were not paying attention in the past.

I did not tell you, because I knew that you would certainly be disloyal to me.

As soon as you were born, it was clear that you would rebel.

9 However, for the sake of my own reputation, I will not become angry with you.

People will praise me because I restrained myself

and did not destroy you completely.

10 Listen! I have purified you, but not with actual fire,

such as people use to purify silver.

Instead, I have allowed your enemies to afflict you,

and this has shown your true character,

just as melting metal in a furnace shows whether it is pure.

11 It is certainly for my own sake that I will act.

I will not allow people to think that I am like the gods that other nations worship!

I will not let anyone else receive the honor that only I deserve.”

12 “Listen to me, you Israelites, who are descendants of Jacob

and whom I have chosen as my people.

I am the only true God.

I have always existed, and I always will exist.

13 Truly, by my great power, I created the earth and the sky.

They still obey my commands.

14 All of you, gather together and listen!

None of your idols ever announced these things.

I, Yahweh, have chosen a man to do what I want against the Babylonians.

Through him, I will use my power against them.

15 I myself have spoken, and I have called him personally.

I have brought him here to attack the Babylonians,

and he will succeed in what he is doing.

16 Come close to me and listen to this:

From the very beginning, I have spoken openly.

From the time these things began to happen, I have been making them happen.”

Now Yahweh, the Lord, has given me his Spirit and sent me to you Israelites.

17 Yahweh is the holy God of you Israelites.

He is rescuing you. This is what he says:

“I am Yahweh your God.

I am telling you what will help you.

I am guiding you to do what you should do.

18 I wish that you had obeyed my commands!

If you had done that, things would have gone well for you continually.

You would have kept doing what is right,

just as the waves of the sea keep breaking on the shore.

19 Your descendants would have been very numerous,

like the grains of sand on the seashore.

I would not have destroyed them,

and then their family line would have continued in my presence.”

20 Leave Babylon!

Yes, flee that land that the Chaldeans rule!

Celebrate as you announce this so that people know about it.

Proclaim the news to people throughout the world.

Say, “Yahweh has rescued his servants, the descendants of Jacob.”

21 Yahweh led them through the desert, but they did not become thirsty.

He split open a rock

and caused water to gush out for them to drink.

22 But Yahweh says, “Things will never go well for wicked people.”