Isaiah 48:1-11

“Listen carefully, O Jacob’s tribes, you who are called by the name Israel and come from the lineage of Judah, who solemnly swear in the name of YAHWEH and claim to worship the God of Israel. But there is no truth or righteousness in your confession! Indeed, you name yourselves after the holy city and say that you depend upon Israel’s God. YAHWEH, the Commander of Angel Armies, is his name. “Long ago I prophesied things that would happen. I issued decrees and made them known. Then suddenly, I acted and made them happen. I knew you were stubborn. Your neck is like a rod of iron, and you’re as hard-hearted as brass! Long ago I told you these things. Long before they happened I proclaimed them so you would never be able to say, ‘My idols did this; my wood and metal idols decreed it!’ You have heard what I foretold and have seen it all unfold, so admit that it happened and I was right! From now on I will tell you about new things never seen before, hidden things, well-guarded secrets you know nothing about. They are created now, brand new today, not long ago! You’ve never heard of them before now, so you cannot say, ‘Oh, I already knew about that.’ “You have never heard nor understood; your ear had not been opened beforehand. Though I knew that you would fight against me as a rebel from birth, yet, for the sake of my great name and for my glory, I held back my anger and was patient with you so I did not whittle you down to nothing. See, I have purified you in the furnace of adversity, but not like silver—I have refined you in the fire. For my own sake alone I will do it, so my name will not be dishonored. I will not yield my glory to another.”