1
"Hear this, O house of Jacob, Who are called by the name of Israel, And have come forth from the wellsprings of Judah; Who swear by the name of the Lord, And make mention of the God of Israel, But not in truth or in righteousness;
2
For they call themselves after the holy city, And lean on the God of Israel; The Lord of hosts is His name:
3
"I have declared the former things from the beginning; They went forth from My mouth, and I caused them to hear it. Suddenly I did them, and they came to pass.
4
Because I knew that you were obstinate, And your neck was an iron sinew, And your brow bronze,
5
Even from the beginning I have declared it to you; Before it came to pass I proclaimed it to you, Lest you should say, 'My idol has done them, And my carved image and my molded image Have commanded them.'
6
"You have heard; See all this. And will you not declare it? I have made you hear new things from this time, Even hidden things, and you did not know them.
7
They are created now and not from the beginning; And before this day you have not heard them, Lest you should say, 'Of course I knew them.'
8
Surely you did not hear, Surely you did not know; Surely from long ago your ear was not opened. For I knew that you would deal very treacherously, And were called a transgressor from the womb.
9
"For My name's sake I will defer My anger, And for My praise I will restrain it from you, So that I do not cut you off.
10
Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.
11
For My own sake, for My own sake, I will do it; For how should My name be profaned? And I will not give My glory to another.
12
"Listen to Me, O Jacob, And Israel, My called: I am He, I am the First, I am also the Last.