Isaiah 48

1 “Listen to this, house of Jacob, you who are called by the name of Israel, and who have come forth from Judah’s loins; ^{a48:1 Lit. waters; this word is misspelled in both 1QIsaa and MT} you who swear oaths in the name of the LORD and invoke the God of Israel— but not in truth, nor in good faith.ISV — Isaiah 48:1

2 For they name themselves after the holy city, and rely on the God of Israel— the LORD of the Heavenly Armies is his name.ISV — Isaiah 48:2

3 I foretold the former things long ago; it ^{b48:3 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX read they} went forth from my mouth, and I disclosed them; Suddenly, I acted, and they came to pass.ISV — Isaiah 48:3

4 Because I knew ^{c48:4 Lit. Because of my knowledge} that you are obstinate, and because your neck is an iron sinew, and your forehead is bronze,ISV — Isaiah 48:4

5 I told you these things long ago; I announced them to you before they happened so that you couldn’t say, ‘My idol did them; my ^{d48:5 So 1QIsaa; MT reads and my} carved image or metal idol ordained them.’ISV — Isaiah 48:5

6 “You have heard—now look at them all! How ^{e48:6 Lit. And how} can you not admit them? From now on, I’ll make you hear new things, hidden things that you have not known.ISV — Isaiah 48:6

7 They are created now, and not long ago; you didn’t hear them before today, so you cannot say, ‘Yes, I knew them.’ISV — Isaiah 48:7

8 And ^{f48:8 So 1QIsaa; 4QIsab MT LXX lack And} neither had you heard, nor did you understand, nor did you open ^{g48:8 So 1QIsaa Targ; MT reads did your ear open itself; CaiGen Syr Vulg read was your ear uncovered} your ear long ago. ^{h48:8 Lit. ear from of old} Indeed, I knew that ^{i48:8 So 1QIsaa LXX; MT lacks that} you would act very deceitfully, and they would call ^{j48:8 So 1QIsaa; LXX Targ read and you would be called; 4QIsad MT read deceitfully, calling} you a rebel from birth.ISV — Isaiah 48:8

9 I defer my anger for my name’s sake, and as my first act ^{k48:9 Lit. and for my commencement; or and for my profanation; so 1QIsaa; 4QIsad MT read for my praise; LXX reads for my glorious deeds} I’m restraining it for you, so as not to cut you off.ISV — Isaiah 48:9

10 Look, I have refined you, but not like silver; I have purified ^{l48:10 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX read chosen} you in the furnace of affliction.ISV — Isaiah 48:10

11 For my own sake—Yes, for my own sake!—I’m doing it; indeed, how can I be profaned? ^{m48:11 Or can I wait; so 1QIsaa; 4QIsad MT read can it be profaned; 4QIsad MT read can it wait; LXX reads can my name be profaned} Furthermore, I won’t give my glory to another.”ISV — Isaiah 48:11

12 “Listen to these things, ^{n48:12 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX read me} Jacob, and Israel, whom I have called. I am the One: I am the first, I am even ^{o48:12 So 1QIsaa MT; 4QIsad reads also} the last.ISV — Isaiah 48:12

13 Moreover, my hands laid ^{p48:13 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX read hand laid} the earth’s foundation, and my right hand spread out the heavens. I call out to them, and ^{q48:13 So 1QIsaa 4QIsac 4QIsad LXX; MT lacks and} they stand up together.ISV — Isaiah 48:13

14 Let all of them come together and listen: ^{r48:14 So 1QIsaa LXX; 4QIsad MT read Come together, all of you, and listen!} Who is there among them that could declare ^{s48:14 So 1QIsaa; 4QIsad MT LXX read has declared} these things? “The LORD loves me, ^{t48:14 So 1QIsaa; 4QIsad MT read him; LXX reads you} and he will accomplish ^{u48:14 So 1QIsaa (misspelling carry out); 4QIsad MT read He will carry out; LXX reads I have carried out} my purpose ^{v48:14 So 1QIsaa; 4QIsad MT LXXms read his purpose; LXX reads your purpose} against Babylon; his arm ^{w48:14 i.e. the Messiah; so 1QIsaa; MT reads and his arm; LXX reads to do away with the offspring} will be against the Chaldeans.ISV — Isaiah 48:14

15 I—Yes, I!—have spoken; indeed, I’ve called and ^{x48:15 So 1QIsaa; 4QIsad MT read called him; 4QIsac LXX read brought him} I’ve brought him, and he will make his path successful. ^{y48:15 Or his path will be successful; so 1QIsaa (feminine) and 4QIsad MT (masculine); 4QIsac LXX read I will make his path successful}ISV — Isaiah 48:15

16 Draw near to me, and ^{z48:16 So 1QIsaa LXX; MT lacks and} listen to this: ‘From the beginning I haven’t spoken in secret; at ^{aa48:16 So 1QIsaa LXX; MT reads from} the time it happened, I was there.’ And now the LORD God, and his Spirit, has sent me. ^{bb48:16 Or has sent me and his Spirit.}ISV — Isaiah 48:16

17 “This is what the LORD says, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the LORD your God, who teaches you how to succeed, who directs you ^{cc48:17 1QIsaa misspells this word} in the path by which ^{dd48:17 So 1QIsaa LXX; 1QIsab 4QIsac 4QIsad MT lack which} you should go.ISV — Isaiah 48:17

18 Now ^{ee48:18 So 1QIsaa 1QIsab 4QIsac LXX; MT lacks Now} if only you had paid attention to my commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, and your success like the waves of the sea.ISV — Isaiah 48:18

19 Your descendants would’ve been like the sand, and your offspring ^{ff48:19 So 1QIsaa; 1QIsab MT LXX read the offspring of your loins} like its numberless grains. Their name wouldn’t have been cut off or annihilated out of my reach.ISV — Isaiah 48:19

20 “Go out from Babylon, flee from the Chaldeans! With happy shouts, announce and ^{gg48:20 So 1QIsaa LXX; 1QIsab MT lack and} proclaim this ^{hh48:20 So 1QIsaa; 1QIsab 4QIsad MT LXX read this. Send it forth} to the ends ^{ii48:20 So 1QIsaa; 4QIsad MT LXX read end} of the earth: Say, ‘The LORD has redeemed his servant Jacob!’ISV — Isaiah 48:20

21 They didn’t thirst when he led him ^{jj48:21 So 1QIsaa LXXmss; 4QIsad MT LXX read them} through the desolate places. He made water gush ^{kk48:21 So 1QIsaa Syr; cf. Ps 78:20 and 105:41; 1QIsab 4QIsad MT read flow; LXX reads he will bring forth} from a rock for them; he split open the rock, and water gushed out.ISV — Isaiah 48:21

22 “But ^{ll48:22 So 1QIsaa; 1QIsab MT LXX lack But} there is no peace,” says the LORD, “for the wicked.”ISV — Isaiah 48:22