Isaiah 48:18
New International Version
If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your well-being like the waves of the sea.

New Living Translation
Oh, that you had listened to my commands! Then you would have had peace flowing like a gentle river and righteousness rolling over you like waves in the sea.

English Standard Version
Oh that 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;

Berean Standard Bible
If only you had paid attention to My commandments, your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like waves of the sea.

King James Bible
O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea:

New King James Version
Oh, that you had heeded My commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, And your righteousness like the waves of the sea.

New American Standard Bible
“If only you had paid attention to My commandments! Then your well-being would have been like a river, And your righteousness like the waves of the sea.

NASB 1995
“If only you had paid attention to My commandments! Then your well-being would have been like a river, And your righteousness like the waves of the sea.

NASB 1977
“If only you had paid attention to My commandments! Then your well-being would have been like a river, And your righteousness like the waves of the sea.

Legacy Standard Bible
If 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.

Amplified Bible
“Oh, that you had paid attention to My commandments! Then your peace and prosperity would have been like a [flowing] river, And your righteousness [the holiness and purity of the nation] like the [abundant] waves of the sea.

Christian Standard Bible
If only you had paid attention to my commands. Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
If only you had paid attention to My commands. Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.

American Standard Version
Oh that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea:

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
But, oh, that you had listened to my commands, and your peace had been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea!

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And if thou hadst hearkened to my commandments, then would thy peace have been like a river, and thy righteousness as a wave of the sea.

Contemporary English Version
How I wish that you had obeyed my commands! Your success and good fortune would then have overflowed like a flooding river.

Douay-Rheims Bible
O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments: thy peace had been as a river, and thy justice as the waves of the sea,

English Revised Version
Oh that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
If only you had listened to my commands! Your peace would be like a river [that never runs dry]. Your righteousness would be like waves on the sea.

Good News Translation
"If only you had listened to my commands! Then blessings would have flowed for you like a stream that never goes dry. Victory would have come to you like the waves that roll on the shore.

International Standard Version
Now if only you had paid attention to my commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, and your success like the waves of the sea.

JPS Tanakh 1917
Oh that thou wouldest hearken to My commandments! Then would thy peace be as a river, And thy righteousness as the waves of the sea;

Literal Standard Version
O that you had attended to My commands, | Then your peace is as a river, | And your righteousness as billows of the sea,

Majority Standard Bible
If only you had paid attention to My commandments, your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like waves of the sea.

New American Bible
If only you would attend to my commandments, your peace would be like a river, your vindication like the waves of the sea,

NET Bible
If only you had obeyed my commandments, prosperity would have flowed to you like a river, deliverance would have come to you like the waves of the sea.

New Revised Standard Version
O that you had paid attention to my commandments! Then your prosperity would have been like a river, and your success like the waves of the sea;

New Heart English Bible
But would that you had listened to my commandments. Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.

Webster's Bible Translation
O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea:

World English Bible
Oh that you had listened to my commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.

Young's Literal Translation
O that thou hadst attended to My commands, Then as a river is thy peace, And thy righteousness as billows of the sea,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Deliverance Promised to Israel
17Thus says the LORD your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the LORD your God, who teaches you for your benefit, who directs you in the way you should go. 18If only you had paid attention to My commandments, your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like waves of the sea. 19Your descendants would have been as countless as the sand, and your offspring as numerous as its grains; their name would never be cut off or eliminated from My presence.”…

Cross References
Deuteronomy 5:29
If only they had such a heart to fear Me and keep all My commandments always, so that it might be well with them and with their children forever.

Deuteronomy 32:29
If only they were wise, they would understand it; they would comprehend their fate.

Psalm 81:13
If only My people would listen to Me, if Israel would follow My ways,

Psalm 119:165
Abundant peace belongs to those who love Your law; nothing can make them stumble.

Isaiah 32:16
Then justice will inhabit the wilderness, and righteousness will dwell in the fertile field.

Isaiah 33:21
But there the Majestic One, our LORD, will be for us a place of rivers and wide canals, where no galley with oars will row, and no majestic vessel will pass.

Isaiah 42:24
Who gave Jacob up for spoil, and Israel to the plunderers? Was it not the LORD, against whom we have sinned? They were unwilling to walk in His ways, and they would not obey His law.


Treasury of Scripture

O that you had listened to my commandments! then had your peace been as a river, and your righteousness as the waves of the sea:

that thou

Deuteronomy 5:29
O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!

Deuteronomy 32:29
O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!

Psalm 81:13-16
Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways! …

then had

Isaiah 32:15-18
Until the spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest…

Isaiah 66:12
For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream: then shall ye suck, ye shall be borne upon her sides, and be dandled upon her knees.

Psalm 36:8
They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.

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Attended Attention Billows Commandments Ear Hadst Hearken Hearkened Orders Paid Peace Righteousness River Sea Waves Well-Being Wouldest
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Attended Attention Billows Commandments Ear Hadst Hearken Hearkened Orders Paid Peace Righteousness River Sea Waves Well-Being Wouldest
Isaiah 48
1. God, to convince the people of their foreknown obstinance, revealed his prophecies
9. He saves them for his own sake
12. He exhorts them to obedience, because of his power and providence
16. He laments their backwardness
20. He powerfully delivers his people out of Babylon














(18) Then had thy peace been as a river.--Literally, "as the river," i.e., the Euphrates, which for the Babylonian exiles was a natural standard of comparison. "Righteousness," as elsewhere, includes the idea of the blessedness which is its recompense. United with "peace" it implies every element of prosperity.

Verse 18. - Oh that thou hadst hearkened! (comp. Psalm 81:13-16, "Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways! I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries," etc.) Some render, "Oh that thou wouldst hearken!" etc., on the analogy of Isaiah 64:1; but unnecessarily. Dr. Kay says that God "upbraideth not," referring to James 1:5. But he may expostulate. What is it but expostulation, when our Lord says, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate" (Matthew 23:27, 28)? To look back on the past, and see what we have missed, is a good lesson for the future. Then had thy peace been as a river; literally, as the river (i.e. the Euphrates), abounding, overflowing, continuous. Thy righteousness. Not "thy prosperity" (Cheyne), but "thy good deeds." If Israel had clung to God, then God's blessing would have been poured upon them, and have enabled them to bring forth abundant fruits of righteousness. As the waves of the sea; i.e. innumerable and unceasing.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
If only
ל֥וּא (lū)
Preposition
Strong's 3863: If, would that!

you had paid attention
הִקְשַׁ֖בְתָּ (hiq·šaḇ·tā)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 7181: To prick up the ears, hearken

to My commandments,
לְמִצְוֺתָ֑י (lə·miṣ·wō·ṯāy)
Preposition-l | Noun - feminine plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 4687: Commandment

your peace
שְׁלוֹמֶ֔ךָ (šə·lō·w·me·ḵā)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 7965: Safe, well, happy, friendly, welfare, health, prosperity, peace

would have been
וַיְהִ֤י (way·hî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

like a river,
כַנָּהָר֙ (ḵan·nā·hār)
Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5104: A stream, prosperity

and your righteousness
וְצִדְקָתְךָ֖ (wə·ṣiḏ·qā·ṯə·ḵā)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 6666: Rightness, subjectively, objectively

like waves
כְּגַלֵּ֥י (kə·ḡal·lê)
Preposition-k | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1530: Something rolled, a heap of stone, dung, a spring of water

of the sea.
הַיָּֽם׃ (hay·yām)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3220: A sea, the Mediterranean Sea, large river, an artifical basin


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OT Prophets: Isaiah 48:18 Oh that you had listened to my (Isa Isi Is)
Isaiah 48:17
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