Isaiah 46-48

New International Version

³ “Listen^(E) to me, you descendants of Jacob,
    all the remnant^(F) of the people of Israel,
you whom I have upheld since your birth,^(G)
    and have carried^(H) since you were born.^(I)
4 Even to your old age and gray hairs^(J)
    I am he,^(K) I am he who will sustain you.
I have made you and I will carry you;
    I will sustain^(L) you and I will rescue you.

⁵ “With whom will you compare me or count me equal?
    To whom will you liken me that we may be compared?^(M)
6 Some pour out gold from their bags
    and weigh out silver on the scales;
they hire a goldsmith^(N) to make it into a god,
    and they bow down and worship it.^(O)
7 They lift it to their shoulders and carry^(P) it;
    they set it up in its place, and there it stands.
    From that spot it cannot move.^(Q)
Even though someone cries out to it, it cannot answer;^(R)
    it cannot save^(S) them from their troubles.

⁸ “Remember^(T) this, keep it in mind,
    take it to heart, you rebels.^(U)
9 Remember the former things,^(V) those of long ago;^(W)
    I am God, and there is no other;
    I am God, and there is none like me.^(X)
10 I make known the end from the beginning,^(Y)
    from ancient times,^(Z) what is still to come.^(AA)
I say, ‘My purpose will stand,^(AB)
    and I will do all that I please.’
¹¹ From the east I summon^(AC) a bird of prey;^(AD)
    from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose.
What I have said, that I will bring about;
    what I have planned,^(AE) that I will do.^(AF)
12 Listen^(AG) to me, you stubborn-hearted,^(AH)
    you who are now far from my righteousness.^(AI)
13 I am bringing my righteousness^(AJ) near,
    it is not far away;
    and my salvation^(AK) will not be delayed.
I will grant salvation to Zion,^(AL)
    my splendor^(AM) to Israel.

⁴ Our Redeemer^(AZ)—the Lord Almighty^(BA) is his name^(BB)—
    is the Holy One^(BC) of Israel.

⁵ “Sit in silence,^(BD) go into darkness,^(BE)
    queen city of the Babylonians;^(BF)
no more will you be called
    queen^(BG) of kingdoms.^(BH)
6 I was angry^(BI) with my people
    and desecrated my inheritance;^(BJ)
I gave them into your hand,^(BK)
    and you showed them no mercy.^(BL)
Even on the aged
    you laid a very heavy yoke.
⁷ You said, ‘I am forever^(BM)—
    the eternal queen!’^(BN)
But you did not consider these things
    or reflect^(BO) on what might happen.^(BP)

⁸ “Now then, listen, you lover of pleasure,
    lounging in your security^(BQ)
and saying to yourself,
    ‘I am, and there is none besides me.^(BR)
I will never be a widow^(BS)
    or suffer the loss of children.’
⁹ Both of these will overtake you
    in a moment,^(BT) on a single day:
    loss of children^(BU) and widowhood.^(BV)
They will come upon you in full measure,
    in spite of your many sorceries^(BW)
    and all your potent spells.^(BX)
10 You have trusted^(BY) in your wickedness
    and have said, ‘No one sees me.’^(BZ)
Your wisdom^(CA) and knowledge mislead^(CB) you
    when you say to yourself,
    ‘I am, and there is none besides me.’
¹¹ Disaster^(CC) will come upon you,
    and you will not know how to conjure it away.
A calamity will fall upon you
    that you cannot ward off with a ransom;
a catastrophe you cannot foresee
    will suddenly^(CD) come upon you.

¹² “Keep on, then, with your magic spells
    and with your many sorceries,^(CE)
    which you have labored at since childhood.
Perhaps you will succeed,
    perhaps you will cause terror.
¹³ All the counsel you have received has only worn you out!^(CF)
    Let your astrologers^(CG) come forward,
those stargazers who make predictions month by month,
    let them save^(CH) you from what is coming upon you.
¹⁴ Surely they are like stubble;^(CI)
    the fire^(CJ) will burn them up.
They cannot even save themselves
    from the power of the flame.^(CK)
These are not coals for warmth;
    this is not a fire to sit by.
¹⁵ That is all they are to you—
    these you have dealt with
    and labored^(CL) with since childhood.
All of them go on in their error;
    there is not one that can save^(CM) you.

“From now on I will tell you of new things,^(DE)
    of hidden things unknown to you.
⁷ They are created^(DF) now, and not long ago;^(DG)
    you have not heard of them before today.
So you cannot say,
    ‘Yes, I knew^(DH) of them.’
⁸ You have neither heard nor understood;^(DI)
    from of old your ears^(DJ) have not been open.
Well do I know how treacherous^(DK) you are;
    you were called a rebel^(DL) from birth.
⁹ For my own name’s sake^(DM) I delay my wrath;^(DN)
    for the sake of my praise I hold it back from you,
    so as not to destroy you completely.^(DO)
10 See, I have refined^(DP) you, though not as silver;
    I have tested^(DQ) you in the furnace^(DR) of affliction.
¹¹ For my own sake,^(DS) for my own sake, I do this.
    How can I let myself be defamed?^(DT)
    I will not yield my glory to another.^(DU)

¹⁴ “Come together,^(EC) all of you, and listen:
    Which of the idols has foretold^(ED) these things?
The Lord’s chosen ally^(EE)
    will carry out his purpose^(EF) against Babylon;^(EG)
    his arm will be against the Babylonians.^[c]
15 I, even I, have spoken;
    yes, I have called^(EH) him.
I will bring him,
    and he will succeed^(EI) in his mission.

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

And now the Sovereign Lord^(EM) has sent^(EN) me,
    endowed with his Spirit.^(EO)

¹⁷ This is what the Lord says—
    your Redeemer,^(EP) the Holy One^(EQ) of Israel:
“I am the Lord your God,
    who teaches^(ER) you what is best for you,
    who directs^(ES) you in the way^(ET) you should go.
¹⁸ If only you had paid attention^(EU) to my commands,
    your peace^(EV) would have been like a river,^(EW)
    your well-being^(EX) like the waves of the sea.
¹⁹ Your descendants^(EY) would have been like the sand,^(EZ)
    your children like its numberless grains;^(FA)
their name would never be blotted out^(FB)
    nor destroyed from before me.”

²⁰ Leave Babylon,
    flee^(FC) from the Babylonians!
Announce this with shouts of joy^(FD)
    and proclaim it.
Send it out to the ends of the earth;^(FE)
    say, “The Lord has redeemed^(FF) his servant Jacob.”
²¹ They did not thirst^(FG) when he led them through the deserts;
    he made water flow^(FH) for them from the rock;
he split the rock
    and water gushed out.^(FI)

²² “There is no peace,”^(FJ) says the Lord, “for the wicked.”^(FK)