Isaiah 48

1Hear this, house of Jacob, 2For they call themselves people of the holy city 3“I have declared the things from long ago; they came out from my mouth, and I made them known; 4Because I knew that you were obstinate, 5therefore I declared these things to you beforehand; before they happened I informed you, 6You heard about these things; look at all this evidence; and you, will you not admit what I said is true? From now on, I am showing you new things, hidden things that you have not known. 7Now, and not from previously, they come into being, and before today you have not heard about them, 8You never heard; you did not know; these things were not unfolded to your ears beforehand. 9For the sake of my name I will defer my anger, and for my honor I will hold back from destroying you. 10Look, I refined you, but not as silver; I have purified you in the furnace of affliction. 11For my own sake, for my own sake I will act; for how can I allow my name to be profaned? 12Listen to me, Jacob, and Israel, whom I called: 13Yes, my hand laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand spread out the heavens; 14Assemble yourselves, all of you, and listen! Who among you has announced these things? 15I, I have spoken, yes, I have summoned him, I have brought him, and he will succeed. 16Come near to me, listen to this: 17This is what Yahweh, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel says, 18If only you had obeyed my commandments! 19Your descendants would have been as numerous as the sand, and the children from your womb as numerous as the grains of sand; 20Come out from Babylon! Flee from the Chaldeans! 21They did not thirst when he led them through the deserts;