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48 Hear ye this, O Bais Ya’akov, which are called b’shem Yisroel, and are come forth out of the waters of Yehudah, which take oaths b’Shem Hashem, and invoke Elohei Yisroel, but not in emes, nor in tzedakah.

For they call themselves of the Ir HaKodesh, and lean themselves upon Elohei Yisroel; Hashem Tzva’os Shmo.

I have declared the rishonot (former things) from long ago; and they went forth out of My mouth, and I made them known; I acted pitom (suddenly), and they came to pass.

Because I knew that thou art kesheh (obstinate, stubborn) and thy oref (neck) is sinew of barzel (iron), and thy metzach (brow, forehead) bronze;

I have even from long ago preached it to thee; before it came to pass I caused thee to hear it; lest thou shouldest say, Mine atzav (idol) hath done them, and my pesel, and my nesech (molten idol, metal image) hath commanded them.

Thou hast heard, look at all this; and will not ye preach it? I have caused thee to hear chadashot (new things) from this time, even netzurot (hidden things) and thou didst not know them.

Now they are created, and not from long ago; before today thou heardest them not; lest thou shouldest say, Hinei, I knew them.

Thou heardest not; thou had no da’as; from of old, thine ozen (ear) was not opened; for I knew that thou wouldest deal as a boged (treacherous betrayer), and thou wast called a poshei’a (rebel, transgressor) from the beten (womb, i.e., birth; See Ps 51:5).

Lema’an Shmi (for the sake of My Name) will I defer Mine anger, and for My tehillah (praise) will I refrain for thee, that I cut thee not off.

10 Hinei, I have refined thee, but not as kesef; I have chosen thee in the furnace of oni (affliction).

11 For Mine own sake, even for Mine own sake will I do it; for how can I allow Chillul Hashem? And I will not give My kavod unto another.

12 Pay heed unto Me, O Ya’akov and Yisroel, My called; I am He; I am Rishon, I also am Acharon.

13 Mine Yad also hath laid the foundation of Eretz, and My yamin hath measured Shomayim; when I call them, they stand up together.

14 All ye, assemble yourselves, and listen. Which among them [the pesilim, idols] hath declared these things? Hashem hath loved him [i.e., Cyrus], he will do His chafetz (pleasure, will) on Babylon, and His zero’a shall be on the Kasdim (Chaldeans).

15 I, even I, have spoken; indeed, I have called him [i.e., Cyrus]; I have brought him, and He shall make his derech successful.

16 Come ye near unto Me, hear ye this; I have not spoken baseter (in secret) merosh (from the first); from the time that it takes place, there am I; and now Adonoi Hashem, and His Ruach [Hakodesh], hath sent Me [Moshiach, the Eved Hashem; see Isaiah 42:1; see Hashem’s Kedushah HaMeshulleshet here].

17 Thus saith Hashem, thy Go’el, the Kadosh Yisroel; I am Hashem Eloheicha thy Melamed (Teacher) of doing that which profiteth, thy Madrikh (Guide, Instructor) in the Derech that thou shouldest go.

18 O if only thou hadst paid heed to My mitzvot! Then had thy shalom been like a nahar, and thy tzedakah as the waves of the yam;

19 Thy zera also had been like the chol (sand), and those that come out of thy loins like me’otav (sands of the sea thereof); his shem should not have been cut off nor destroyed from before Me.

20 Go ye forth of Babylon, flee ye from the Kasdim (Chaldeans), with a voice of joyful singing declare ye, preach this, send it forth even to the ketzeh ha’aretz; say ye, Hashem hath redeemed His Eved Ya’akov.

21 And they thirsted not when He led them through the deserts; He caused the mayim to flow out of the Tzur for them; He split the Tzur also, and the mayim gushed out.

22 There is no shalom, saith Hashem, unto the resha’im.

Stubborn Israel

48 “Listen to this, you descendants of Jacob,
    you who are called by the name of Israel(A)
    and come from the line of Judah,(B)
you who take oaths(C) in the name of the Lord(D)
    and invoke(E) the God of Israel—
    but not in truth(F) or righteousness—
you who call yourselves citizens of the holy city(G)
    and claim to rely(H) on the God of Israel—
    the Lord Almighty is his name:(I)
I foretold the former things(J) long ago,
    my mouth announced(K) them and I made them known;
    then suddenly(L) I acted, and they came to pass.
For I knew how stubborn(M) you were;
    your neck muscles(N) were iron,
    your forehead(O) was bronze.
Therefore I told you these things long ago;
    before they happened I announced(P) them to you
so that you could not say,
    ‘My images brought them about;(Q)
    my wooden image and metal god ordained them.’
You have heard these things; look at them all.
    Will you not admit them?

“From now on I will tell you of new things,(R)
    of hidden things unknown to you.
They are created(S) now, and not long ago;(T)
    you have not heard of them before today.
So you cannot say,
    ‘Yes, I knew(U) of them.’
You have neither heard nor understood;(V)
    from of old your ears(W) have not been open.
Well do I know how treacherous(X) you are;
    you were called a rebel(Y) from birth.
For my own name’s sake(Z) I delay my wrath;(AA)
    for the sake of my praise I hold it back from you,
    so as not to destroy you completely.(AB)
10 See, I have refined(AC) you, though not as silver;
    I have tested(AD) you in the furnace(AE) of affliction.
11 For my own sake,(AF) for my own sake, I do this.
    How can I let myself be defamed?(AG)
    I will not yield my glory to another.(AH)

Israel Freed

12 “Listen(AI) to me, Jacob,
    Israel, whom I have called:(AJ)
I am he;(AK)
    I am the first and I am the last.(AL)
13 My own hand laid the foundations of the earth,(AM)
    and my right hand spread out the heavens;(AN)
when I summon them,
    they all stand up together.(AO)

14 “Come together,(AP) all of you, and listen:
    Which of the idols has foretold(AQ) these things?
The Lord’s chosen ally(AR)
    will carry out his purpose(AS) against Babylon;(AT)
    his arm will be against the Babylonians.[a]
15 I, even I, have spoken;
    yes, I have called(AU) him.
I will bring him,
    and he will succeed(AV) in his mission.

16 “Come near(AW) me and listen(AX) to this:

“From the first announcement I have not spoken in secret;(AY)
    at the time it happens, I am there.”

And now the Sovereign Lord(AZ) has sent(BA) me,
    endowed with his Spirit.(BB)

17 This is what the Lord says—
    your Redeemer,(BC) the Holy One(BD) of Israel:
“I am the Lord your God,
    who teaches(BE) you what is best for you,
    who directs(BF) you in the way(BG) you should go.
18 If only you had paid attention(BH) to my commands,
    your peace(BI) would have been like a river,(BJ)
    your well-being(BK) like the waves of the sea.
19 Your descendants(BL) would have been like the sand,(BM)
    your children like its numberless grains;(BN)
their name would never be blotted out(BO)
    nor destroyed from before me.”

20 Leave Babylon,
    flee(BP) from the Babylonians!
Announce this with shouts of joy(BQ)
    and proclaim it.
Send it out to the ends of the earth;(BR)
    say, “The Lord has redeemed(BS) his servant Jacob.”
21 They did not thirst(BT) when he led them through the deserts;
    he made water flow(BU) for them from the rock;
he split the rock
    and water gushed out.(BV)

22 “There is no peace,”(BW) says the Lord, “for the wicked.”(BX)

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 48:14 Or Chaldeans; also in verse 20