1Hear ye this, O house of Jacob, which are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah, which swear by the name of the LORD, and make mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth, nor in righteousness. 2For they call themselves of the holy city, and stay themselves upon the God of Israel; The LORD of hosts is his name. 3I have declared the former things from the beginning; and they went forth out of my mouth, and I shewed them; I did them suddenly, and they came to pass. 4Because I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass;48.4 obstinate: Heb. hard 5I have even from the beginning declared it to thee; before it came to pass I shewed it thee: lest thou shouldest say, Mine idol hath done them, and my graven image, and my molten image, hath commanded them. 6Thou hast heard, see all this; and will not ye declare it? I have shewed thee new things from this time, even hidden things, and thou didst not know them. 7They are created now, and not from the beginning; even before the day when thou heardest them not; lest thou shouldest say, Behold, I knew them. 8Yea, thou heardest not; yea, thou knewest not; yea, from that time that thine ear was not opened: for I knew that thou wouldest deal very treacherously, and wast called a transgressor from the womb.
9¶ For my name’s sake will I defer mine anger, and for my praise will I refrain for thee, that I cut thee not off. 10Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.48.10 with…: or, for silver 11For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another.
12¶ Hearken unto me, O Jacob and Israel, my called; I am he; I am the first, I also am the last. 13Mine hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned the heavens: when I call unto them, they stand up together.48.13 my…: or, the palm of my right hand hath spread out 14All ye, assemble yourselves, and hear; which among them hath declared these things? The LORD hath loved him: he will do his pleasure on Babylon, and his arm shall be on the Chaldeans. 15I, even I, have spoken; yea, I have called him: I have brought him, and he shall make his way prosperous.
16¶ Come ye near unto me, hear ye this; I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I: and now the Lord GOD, and his Spirit, hath sent me. 17Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the LORD thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go. 18O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea: 19Thy seed also had been as the sand, and the offspring of thy bowels like the gravel thereof; his name should not have been cut off nor destroyed from before me.
20¶ Go ye forth of Babylon, flee ye from the Chaldeans, with a voice of singing declare ye, tell this, utter it even to the end of the earth; say ye, The LORD hath redeemed his servant Jacob. 21And they thirsted not when he led them through the deserts: he caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them: he clave the rock also, and the waters gushed out. 22There is no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked.
頑梗的以色列
1「雅各家啊，聽我說！
你們被稱為以色列人，是猶大的子孫，
憑耶和華的名起誓、
呼求以色列的上帝，
卻不真心誠意。
2你們還自稱為聖城的人，
聲稱倚靠名為萬軍之耶和華的以色列的上帝。
3「過去所發生的事，
我很久以前就預言過、
親口宣告過，
然後使它們瞬間發生。
4我知道你頑梗，
有鐵一般的頸項，
銅一般的額頭。
5所以，在很久以前，
事情還沒有發生時就向你預言這些事，
免得你說這些是你的偶像做的，
是你雕刻和鑄造的偶像命定的。
6「你已經聽見了，看看這一切，
難道你還不承認嗎？
現在我要把新事，把你不知道的隱秘事告訴你。
7這些事過去沒有，現在才有，
在今天以前你從未聽過，
免得你說，『這些事我早就知道了。』
8你不知道這些事，
甚至聞所未聞。
我知道你生性詭詐，
你自出母胎就被稱為悖逆之徒。
9「我為了我的名，暫時忍怒；
我為了我的榮耀，壓住怒氣，
不消滅你。
10看啊，我熬煉你，但不像在火爐中煉銀子，
我是在苦難的爐中熬煉你。
11我這樣做是為了自己，
我豈能讓自己的名受褻瀆，
把自己的榮耀給別人？
12雅各，我所揀選的以色列啊，
聽我說！
我是上帝，我是首先的，
也是末後的。
13我親手奠立大地的根基，
我的右手鋪展穹蒼。
我一呼喚，它們都侍立一旁。
14「你們一起來聽吧。
假神中有誰曾預言過這些事？
耶和華所揀選的人必成就祂的旨意，
他的臂膀必攻擊迦勒底人。
15唯有我說過這些事；
我召了他，領他出來；
他必一路亨通。
16你們到我跟前來聽吧。
我一開始就沒有暗地裡說話，
事情發生的時候，我就在場。」
現在主耶和華差遣我和祂的靈來。
17你的救贖主耶和華——以色列的聖者說：
「我是你的上帝耶和華，
我為了使你受益而教導你，
我引導你走當行的路。
18真希望你當時肯聽我的命令！
那樣，你的平安必像滾滾河水，
你的公義必如滔滔海浪；
19你的後裔必多如海沙，
你的子孫必像細沙一樣不可勝數，
他們的名號絕不會從我面前被剷除、被消滅。」
20你們要離開巴比倫，
從迦勒底人那裡逃出來。
你們要高聲歡呼，向普天下傳揚、宣告：
「耶和華救贖了祂的僕人雅各！」
21耶和華帶領他們經過沙漠，
他們也不會口渴。
為了他們，
祂使水從磐石中流出，祂使磐石裂開、湧出水來。
22耶和華說：「惡人得不到平安。」
