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¹ “Listen to this, house of Jacob—² For they are named after the Holy City,
and lean on the God of Israel;^(C1)
his name is the Lord of Armies.³ I declared the past events long ago;
they came out of my mouth; I proclaimed them.
Suddenly I acted, and they occurred.⁴ Because I know that you are stubborn,
and your neck is iron^(F1)
and your forehead bronze,^(C1)5 therefore I declared to you long ago.
I announced it to you before it occurred,
so you could not claim, ‘My idol caused them;
my carved image and cast idol control them.’^(C1)6 You have heard it. Observe it all.
Will you not acknowledge it?
From now on I will announce new things to you,
hidden things that you have not known.^(C1)7 They have been created now, and not long ago;
you have not heard of them before today,
so you could not claim, ‘I already knew them!’⁸ You have never heard; you have never known;
for a long time your ears have not been open.
For I knew that you were very treacherous,
and were known as a rebel from birth.^(C1)9 I will delay my anger for the sake of my name,
and I will restrain myself for your benefit and for my praise,
so that you will not be destroyed.¹⁰ Look, I have refined you,^(C1) but not as silver;
I have tested^(F1) you in the furnace of affliction.¹¹ I will act for my own sake, indeed, my own,^(C1)
for how can I^(F1) be defiled?
I will not give my glory to another.^(C2)12 “Listen to me, Jacob,
and Israel, the one called by me:
I am he; I am the first,
I am also the last.^(C1)13 My own hand founded the earth,
and my right hand spread out the heavens;^(C1)
when I summoned them,
they stood up together.¹⁴ All of you, assemble and listen!
Who among the idols^(F1) has declared these things?
The Lord loves him;^(F2)
he will accomplish his will against Babylon,^(C1)
and his arm will be against the Chaldeans.¹⁵ I—I have spoken;
yes, I have called him;^(C1)
I have brought him,
and he will succeed in his mission.^(C2)16 Approach me and listen to this.
From the beginning I have not spoken in secret;^(C1)
from the time anything existed, I was there.”
And now the Lord God
has sent me and his Spirit.^(C2)

I am the Lord your God,
who teaches you for your benefit,
who leads you in the way you should go.
¹⁸ If only you had paid attention to my commands.
Then your peace would have been like a river,^(C1)
and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.^(C2)19 Your descendants would have been as countless as the sand,^(C1)
and the offspring of your body like its grains;
their name would not be cut off
or eliminated from my presence.