1“Hear this, O house of Ya‛aqoḇ, who are called by the name of Yisra’ĕl, and have come from the waters of Yehuḏah, who swear by the Name of יהוה, and profess the Elohim of Yisra’ĕl – though not in truth or in righteousness –

2for they call themselves after the set-apart city, and lean on the Elohim of Yisra’ĕl – יהוה of hosts is His Name:

3“I have declared the former events from the beginning, and they went forth from My mouth, and I made you hear them. Suddenly I acted, and they came to be.

4“Because I knew that you were hard, and your neck was an iron sinew, and your forehead bronze,

5therefore I declared it to you long ago. Before it came I made you hear, lest you should say, ‘My idol has done them, and my carved image and my moulded image commanded them.’

6“You have heard, look at them all. And do you not declare it? From now on I shall make you hear new ones, even hidden ones, which you have not known.

7“Now they shall be created and not long ago. And before this day you have not heard them, lest you should say, ‘Look, I knew them.’

8“No, you have not heard; no, you have not known; no, from of old your ear has not been open. Because I knew that you are indeed treacherous, and are called ‘a transgressor from the womb.’

9“For My Name’s sake I postponed My displeasure, and for My praise I held it back from you, so as not to cut you off.

10“See, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have chosen you in the furnace of affliction.

11“For My own sake, for My own sake, I do it. For how is it profaned? And My esteem I do not give to another.

12“Listen to Me, O Ya‛aqoḇ, and Yisra’ĕl, My called: I am He, I am the First, I am also the Last.

13“Also, My hand has laid the foundation of the earth, and My right hand has stretched out the heavens. I call to them, let them stand together.

14“All of you, gather yourselves, and hear! Who among them has declared these? יהוה has loved him. Let him do His pleasure on Baḇel, and His arm be on the Chaldeans.

15“I, I have spoken, I have also called him, I have brought him, and he shall make his way prosperous.

16“Come near to Me, hear this: I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, I was there. And now the Master יהוה has sent Me, and His Spirit.”

17Thus said יהוה, your Redeemer, the Set-apart One of Yisra’ĕl, “I am יהוה your Elohim, teaching you what is best, leading you by the way you should go.

18“If only you had listened to My commands! Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.

19“And your seed would have been like the sand, and the offspring of your inward parts like the grains of sand. His name would not have been cut off nor destroyed from before Me.

20“Come out of Baḇel! Flee from the Chaldeans! Declare this with a voice of singing, proclaim it, send it out to the end of the earth! Say, ‘יהוה has redeemed His servant Ya‛aqoḇ!’ ”

21And they did not thirst when He led them through the deserts; He caused waters from a rock to flow for them; He split the rock, and waters gushed out.

22“There is no peace for the wrong,” said יהוה.”