Isaiah 48-49
“If only you would pay attention to my commandments! Then your peace would become just like a river.”
Isaiah 48
Jehovah:
Hear this, O house of Jacob, You who call yourselves by the name of Israel And who have come from the waters of Judah, You who swear by the name of Jehovah And who call on the God of Israel, Though not in truth and righteousness.
For they call themselves after the holy city And seek the support of the God of Israel, Whose name is Jehovah of armies.
“The former things I told you long ago. From my own mouth they went out, And I made them known. Suddenly I took action, and they came about.
Because I knew how stubborn you are —That your neck is an iron sinew and your forehead is copper—
I told you long ago. Before it came about, I caused you to hear it, So that you could not say, ‘My idol did this; My carved image and my metal image commanded this.’
You have heard and seen all of this. Will you not declare it?
From now on I am announcing new things to you, Guarded secrets that you have not known.
Only now are they being created, and not long ago, Things that you never heard before today, So that you cannot say, ‘Look! I already know them.’
No, you have not heard, you have not known, And in the past your ears were not opened. For I know that you are very treacherous, And you have been called a transgressor from birth.
But for the sake of my name I will hold back my anger; For my own praise I will restrain myself toward you, And I will not do away with you.
Look! I have refined you, but not in the form of silver. I have tested you in the smelting furnace of affliction.
For my own sake, for my own sake I will act, For how could I let myself be profaned? I give my glory to no one else.
Listen to me, O Jacob, and Israel, whom I have called. I am the same One. I am the first; I am also the last.
My own hand laid the foundation of the earth, And my right hand spread out the heavens. When I call to them, they stand up together.
Gather together, all of you, and listen. Who among them has announced these things? Jehovah has loved him. He will carry out his delight against Babylon, And his arm will come against the Chaldeans.
I myself have spoken, and I have called him. I have brought him, and his way will be successful.
Come near to me, and hear this. From the very start I have not spoken in secret. From the time it happened I was there.”
Narrator:
And now the Sovereign Lord Jehovah has sent me, and his spirit.
Jehovah:
“This is what Jehovah says, your Repurchaser, the Holy One of Israel:
‘I, Jehovah, am your God, The One teaching you to benefit yourself, The One guiding you in the way you should walk.
If only you would pay attention to my commandments! Then your peace would become just like a river And your righteousness like the waves of the sea.
Your offspring would be as many as the sand And your descendants as its grains. Their name would never be cut off or annihilated from before me.’
Go out from Babylon! Flee from the Chaldeans! Announce it with a joyful cry! Proclaim it! Make it known to the ends of the earth.
Say: ‘Jehovah has repurchased his servant Jacob. They did not become thirsty when he led them through devastated places. He caused water to flow out of the rock for them; He split a rock and made water gush out.’”
“There is no peace,” says Jehovah, “for the wicked.”
Isaiah 49
Servant:
Listen to me, you islands, And pay attention, you faraway nations.
Jehovah has called me before I was born. From the time I was in my mother’s womb he has made mention of my name.
He made my mouth like a sharp sword; He has hidden me in the shadow of his hand. He made me a polished arrow; He concealed me in his quiver.
He said to me: “You are my servant, O Israel, Through whom I will show my splendor.”
But I said:
“I have toiled for nothing. I used up my strength for an unreality, in vain. But surely my judgment is with Jehovah, And my wages with my God.”
And now Jehovah, the One who formed me from the womb as his servant, Has said for me to bring Jacob back to him, So that Israel may be gathered to him.
I will be glorified in the eyes of Jehovah, And my God will have become my strength.
Jehovah:
“And he said:
‘It is not enough that you are my servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob And to bring back those who were preserved of Israel.
I have also given you as a light of nations, So that my salvation may reach the ends of the earth.’”
“This is what Jehovah, the Repurchaser of Israel, his Holy One, says To the one who is despised, To the one who is detested by the nation, To the servant of rulers:
‘Kings will see and rise up, And princes will bow down Because of Jehovah, who is faithful, The Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.’”
“This is what Jehovah says:
‘In a time of favor I answered you, And in a day of salvation I helped you; I kept safeguarding you to give you as a covenant for the people, To rehabilitate the land, To cause them to possess their desolate inheritances,
To say to the prisoners, “Come out!” And to those in the darkness, “Show yourselves!”
By the roadways they will feed, Along all the worn paths will be their pastures.
They will not go hungry, nor will they thirst, Nor will scorching heat or the sun beat down on them. For the One who has mercy on them will lead them, And he will guide them by the springs of water.
I will make all my mountains into a road, And my highways will be raised up.
Look! These are coming from far away, And look! these from the north and from the west, And these from the land of Sinim.’”
Shout for joy, you heavens, and rejoice, you earth. Let the mountains become cheerful with a joyful cry. For Jehovah has comforted his people, And he shows mercy to his own afflicted ones.
Zion:
“Jehovah has abandoned me, And Jehovah has forgotten me.”
Jehovah:
“Can a woman forget her nursing child Or have no compassion for the son of her womb? Even if these women forget, I would never forget you.
Look! On my palms I have engraved you. Your walls are always before me.
Your sons hurry back. Those who tore you down and devastated you will depart from you.
Raise your eyes and look all around. They are all gathering together. They are coming to you.
As surely as I am living,” declares Jehovah, “You will clothe yourself with all of them as with ornaments, And you will fasten them on yourself as a bride does.
Although your places were devastated and desolate and your land was in ruins, Now it will become too cramped for those dwelling there, And those who swallowed you down will be far away.
The sons born when you were bereaved will say in your hearing, ‘This place is too cramped for me. Make room for me to dwell here.’
And you will say in your heart, ‘Who has fathered these for me, Since I am a woman bereaved of children and barren, Exiled and taken prisoner? Who has raised these? Look! I was left all alone, So where have these come from?’”
“This is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah says:
‘Look! I will raise up my hand to the nations, And I will lift up my signal to the peoples.
They will bring your sons in their arms And carry your daughters on their shoulders.
Kings will become caretakers for you, And their princesses will be your nurses. They will bow down to you with their faces to the ground And lick the dust of your feet, And you will have to know that I am Jehovah; Those hoping in me will not be put to shame.’”
“Can those already captured be taken from a mighty man, Or can the captives of the tyrant be rescued?”
“But this is what Jehovah says:
‘Even the captives of a mighty man will be taken away, And those captured by the tyrant will be rescued.
I will oppose those who oppose you, And I will save your own sons.
I will make those who mistreat you eat their own flesh, And as with sweet wine, they will become drunk with their own blood.
And all people will have to know that I am Jehovah, Your Savior and your Repurchaser, The Powerful One of Jacob.’”
—
Hear this, O house of Jacob, You who call yourselves by the name of Israel+ And who have come from the waters of* Judah, You who swear by the name of Jehovah+ And who call on the God of Israel, Though not in truth and righteousness.+ 2 For they call themselves after the holy city+ And seek the support of the God of Israel,+ Whose name is Jehovah of armies. 3 “The former* things I told you long ago. From my own mouth they went out, And I made them known.+ Suddenly I took action, and they came about.+ 4 Because I knew how stubborn you are —That your neck is an iron sinew and your forehead is copper+— 5 I told you long ago. Before it came about, I caused you to hear it, So that you could not say, ‘My idol did this; My carved image and my metal image* commanded this.’ 6 You have heard and seen all of this. Will you not declare it?+ From now on I am announcing new things to you,+ Guarded secrets that you have not known. 7 Only now are they being created, and not long ago, Things that you never heard before today, So that you cannot say, ‘Look! I already know them.’ 8 No, you have not heard,+ you have not known, And in the past your ears were not opened. For I know that you are very treacherous,+ And you have been called a transgressor from birth.+ 9 But for the sake of my name I will hold back my anger;+ For my own praise I will restrain myself toward you, And I will not do away with you.+ 10 Look! I have refined you, but not in the form of silver.+ I have tested* you in the smelting furnace of affliction.+ 11 For my own sake, for my own sake I will act,+ For how could I let myself be profaned?+ I give my glory to no one else.* 12 Listen to me, O Jacob, and Israel, whom I have called. I am the same One.+ I am the first; I am also the last.+ 13 My own hand laid the foundation of the earth,+ And my right hand spread out the heavens.+ When I call to them, they stand up together. 14 Gather together, all of you, and listen. Who among them has announced these things? Jehovah has loved him.+ He will carry out his delight against Babylon,+ And his arm will come against the Chal·deʹans.+ 15 I myself have spoken, and I have called him.+ I have brought him, and his way will be successful.+ 16 Come near to me, and hear this. From the very start I have not spoken in secret.+ From the time it happened I was there.” And now the Sovereign Lord Jehovah has sent me, and* his spirit. 17 This is what Jehovah says, your Repurchaser, the Holy One of Israel:+ “I, Jehovah, am your God, The One teaching you to benefit yourself,+ The One guiding you in the way you should walk.+ 18 If only you would pay attention to my commandments!+ Then your peace would become just like a river+ And your righteousness like the waves of the sea.+ 19 Your offspring would be as many as the sand And your descendants as its grains.+ Their name would never be cut off or annihilated from before me.” 20 Go out from Babylon!+ Flee from the Chal·deʹans! Announce it with a joyful cry! Proclaim it!+ Make it known to the ends of the earth.+ Say: “Jehovah has repurchased his servant Jacob.+ 21 They did not become thirsty when he led them through devastated places.+ He caused water to flow out of the rock for them; He split a rock and made water gush out.”+ 22 “There is no peace,” says Jehovah, “for the wicked.”+ 49 Listen to me, you islands, And pay attention, you faraway nations.+ Jehovah has called me before I was born.+ From the time I was in my mother’s womb he has made mention of my name. 2 He made my mouth like a sharp sword; He has hidden me in the shadow of his hand.+ He made me a polished arrow; He concealed me in his quiver. 3 He said to me: “You are my servant, O Israel,+ Through whom I will show my splendor.”+ 4 But I said: “I have toiled for nothing. I used up my strength for an unreality, in vain. But surely my judgment is with Jehovah, And my wages* with my God.”+ 5 And now Jehovah, the One who formed me from the womb as his servant, Has said for me to bring Jacob back to him, So that Israel may be gathered to him.+ I will be glorified in the eyes of Jehovah, And my God will have become my strength. 6 And he said: “It is not enough that you are my servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob And to bring back those who were preserved of Israel. I have also given you as a light of nations,+ So that my salvation may reach the ends of the earth.”+ 7 This is what Jehovah, the Repurchaser of Israel, his Holy One,+ says to the one who is despised,+ to the one who is detested by the nation, to the servant of rulers: “Kings will see and rise up, And princes will bow down Because of Jehovah, who is faithful,+ The Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”+ 8 This is what Jehovah says: “In a time of favor I answered you,+ And in a day of salvation I helped you;+ I kept safeguarding you to give you as a covenant for the people,+ To rehabilitate the land, To cause them to possess their desolate inheritances,+ 9 To say to the prisoners, ‘Come out!’+ And to those in the darkness,+ ‘Show yourselves!’ By the roadways they will feed, Along all the worn paths* will be their pastures. 10 They will not go hungry, nor will they thirst,+ Nor will scorching heat or the sun beat down on them.+ For the One who has mercy on them will lead them,+ And he will guide them by the springs of water.+ 11 I will make all my mountains into a road, And my highways will be raised up.+ 12 Look! These are coming from far away,+ And look! these from the north and from the west, And these from the land of Siʹnim.”+ 13 Shout for joy, you heavens, and rejoice, you earth.+ Let the mountains become cheerful with a joyful cry.+ For Jehovah has comforted his people,+ And he shows mercy to his own afflicted ones.+ 14 But Zion kept saying: “Jehovah has abandoned me,+ and Jehovah has forgotten me.”+ 15 Can a woman forget her nursing child Or have no compassion for the son of her womb? Even if these women forget, I would never forget you.+ 16 Look! On my palms I have engraved you. Your walls are always before me. 17 Your sons hurry back. Those who tore you down and devastated you will depart from you. 18 Raise your eyes and look all around. They are all gathering together.+ They are coming to you. “As surely as I am living,” declares Jehovah, “You will clothe yourself with all of them as with ornaments, And you will fasten them on yourself as a bride does. 19 Although your places were devastated and desolate and your land was in ruins,+ Now it will become too cramped for those dwelling there,+ And those who swallowed you down+ will be far away.+ 20 The sons born when you were bereaved will say in your hearing, ‘This place is too cramped for me. Make room for me to dwell here.’+ 21 And you will say in your heart, ‘Who has fathered these for me, Since I am a woman bereaved of children and barren, Exiled and taken prisoner? Who has raised these?+ Look! I was left all alone,+ So where have these come from?’”+ 22 This is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah says: “Look! I will raise up my hand to the nations, And I will lift up my signal* to the peoples.+ They will bring your sons in their arms* And carry your daughters on their shoulders.+ 23 Kings will become caretakers for you,+ And their princesses will be your nurses. They will bow down to you with their faces to the ground+ And lick the dust of your feet,+ And you will have to know that I am Jehovah; Those hoping in me will not be put to shame.”+ 24 Can those already captured be taken from a mighty man, Or can the captives of the tyrant be rescued? 25 But this is what Jehovah says: “Even the captives of a mighty man will be taken away,+ And those captured by the tyrant will be rescued.+ I will oppose those who oppose you,+ And I will save your own sons. 26 I will make those who mistreat you eat their own flesh, And as with sweet wine, they will become drunk with their own blood. And all people* will have to know that I am Jehovah,+ Your Savior+ and your Repurchaser,+ The Powerful One of Jacob.”+