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¹ Hear ye this, O house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the fountain of Judah; who swear by the name of the LORD, and make mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth, nor in righteousness.² For they call themselves of the holy city, and stay themselves upon the God of Israel, the LORD of hosts is His name. ³ I have declared the former things from of old; yea, they went forth out of My mouth, and I announced them; suddenly I did them, and they came to pass.⁴ Because I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass;⁵ Therefore I have declared it to thee from of old; before it came to pass I announced it to thee; lest thou shouldest say: 'Mine idol hath done them, and my graven image, and my molten image, hath commanded them.'⁶ Thou hast heard, see, all this; and ye, will ye not declare it? I have announced unto thee new things from this time, even hidden things, which thou hast not known.⁷ They are created now, and not from of old, and before this day thou heardest them not; lest thou shouldest say: 'Behold, I knew them.'⁸ Yea, thou heardest not; yea, thou knewest not; yea, from of old 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.¹⁰ Behold, I have refined thee, but not as silver; I have tried thee in the furnace of affliction.¹¹ For Mine own sake, for Mine own sake, will I do it; for how should it be profaned? And My glory will I not give to another. ¹² Hearken unto Me, O Jacob, and Israel My called: I am He; I am the first, I also am the last.¹³ Yea, My hand hath laid the foundation of the earth, and My right hand hath spread out the heavens; when I call unto them, they stand up together.¹⁴ Assemble yourselves, all ye, and hear; which among them hath declared these things? He whom the LORD loveth shall perform His pleasure on Babylon, and show His arm on the Chaldeans.¹⁵ I, 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: From the beginning I have not spoken in secret; from the time that it was, there am I; and now the Lord GOD hath sent me, and His spirit. ¹⁷ Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am the LORD thy God, who teacheth thee for thy profit, who leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go.¹⁸ 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;¹⁹ Thy seed also would be as the sand, and the offspring of thy body like the grains thereof; his name would not be cut off nor destroyed from before Me. ²⁰ Go ye forth from 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.²¹ And they thirsted not when He led them through the deserts; He caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them; He cleaved the rock also, and the waters gushed out.'²² There is no peace, saith the LORD concerning the wicked.