Israel’s Stubbornness

1“ Hear this, O house of Jacob,

those being called by the name of Israel

and having come forth from the wellsprings of Judah,

and those swearing by the name of YHWH

and calling to mind the God of Israel,

not in truth and not in righteousness!

2Indeed, they have been called from the city of holiness,

and upon the God of Israel they have leaned—

YHWH of Hosts is His name.

3The former things of old I have declared,

and from My mouth they went forth,

and I caused them to be heard—

I acted suddenly, and they came to pass.

4From my knowing that you are obstinate,

and your neck is an iron sinew,

and your forehead bronze,

5and I declared to you from then,

before it came to pass;

I informed you, lest you should say,

‘My idol has done them,

and my carved image and my molten image has commanded them!’

6You have heard—see all of it—

and will you⁺ not declare it?

I make you to hear new things from now,

and hidden things that you did not know.

7Now they have been created, and not from then;

and before this day, and you did not hear of them,

lest you should say,

‘Behold, I knew them.’

8Indeed, you have not heard; indeed you have not known;

even from long ago your ear was not opened;

for I knew that you would be utterly treacherous,,

and ‘one rebelling from the womb’ is it called out for you.

9For the sake of My name, I will lengthen My nose,

and for My praise I will hold it back from you,

so as to not cut you off.

10Behold, I have refined you, and not as silver;

I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.

11For My own sake, My very own sake, I will act—

for how can I let Myself be profaned!

And My glory I will give not to another.

Deliverance Promised to Israel

12Listen to Me, O Jacob,

and Israel, My called one!

I am He; I am the First;

also I am the Last.

13Surely My own hand founded the earth,

and My right hand spread out the heavens;

I call to them;

they stand up together.

14Assemble, all of you⁺, and hear!

Who among them has declared these things?

YHWH has loved him; He will accomplish His desire against Babylon,

and His arm against the Chaldeans.†

15I, I have spoken,

yes, I have called him;

I have brought him

and he has made prosperous his way.

16Come near to Me, hear this!

From the beginning I have not spoken in secret;

from the time of its coming to be, there” I am.

And now, the Lord YHWH has sent me,

and His Spirit.

17Thus says YHWH your Redeemer,

the Holy One of Israel:

“I am YHWH your God

the One teaching you to profit,

the One leading you by the way you should go.

18If only you had paid attention to My commandments!

Then your peace would have been like a river,

and your righteousness like the waves of the sea;

19and your seed would have been like the sand,

and the offspring of your bowels like its grains.†

It would not have been cut off and not destroyed—

His name from before Me!”

20Go forth from Babylon!

Flee from the Chaldeans!

With a voice ringing out, declare it,

let this be heard;

let it go forth to the end of the earth!

Say, “YHWH has redeemed His servant Jacob.”

21And they did not thirst in the deserts when He led them;

He made flow the waters from the rock for them,

and He split the rock, and the waters gushed out.

22“There is no peace,” says YHWH,

“For the wicked.”