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| 1 Hear ye this, O house of Jacob, Who are called by the name of Israel, And from the waters of Judah came out, Who are swearing by the name of Jehovah, And of the God of Israel make mention, Not in truth nor in righteousness. |
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| 2 For from the Holy City they have been called, And on the God of Israel been supported, Jehovah of Hosts [is] His name. |
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| 3 The former things from that time I declared, And from my mouth they have gone forth, And I proclaim them, Suddenly I have done, and it cometh. |
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| 4 From my knowing that thou art obstinate, And a sinew of iron thy neck, And thy forehead brass, |
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| 5 And I declare to thee from that time, Before it cometh I have caused thee to hear, Lest thou say, 'Mine idol hath done them, And my graven image, And my molten image did command them. |
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| 6 Thou hast heard, see the whole of it, And ye, do ye not declare I have caused thee to hear new things from this time, And things reserved that ye knew not. |
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| 7 Now they have been produced and not from that time, Yea, before the day, and thou hast not heard them, Lest thou say, 'Lo, I have known them.' |
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| 8 Yea, thou hast not heard, Yea, thou hast not known, Yea, from that time not opened hath thine ear, For I have known thou dealest treacherously, And 'Transgressor from the belly,' One is crying to thee. |
Transgressor from the womb – The children of Adam are not in God's image, but love sin. R5286:5
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| 9 For My name's sake I defer Mine anger, And My praise I restrain for thee, So as not to cut thee off. |
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| 10 Lo, I have refined thee, and not with silver, I have chosen thee in a furnace of affliction. |
Furnace – Figurative and symbolic of affliction, fiery trials, by which we are relined. R2971:2
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| 11 For My sake, for Mine own sake, I do [it], For how is it polluted And Mine honour to another I give not. |
Not give my glory – Neither to Jews nor Gentiles, but keeps it for himself. R2126:4
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| 12 Hearken to me, O Jacob, and Israel, My called one, I [am] He, I [am] first, and I [am] last; |
Hearken unto me – Beginning a new subject from that of verses 9 to 11. R2126:4
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| 13 Also, My hand hath founded earth, And My right hand stretched out the heavens, I am calling unto them, they stand together. |
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| 14 Be gathered all of you, and hear, Who among them did declare these things Jehovah hath loved him, He doth His pleasure on Babylon, And His arm [is on] the Chaldeans. |
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| 15 I I have spoken, yea, I have called him, I have brought him in, And he hath made prosperous his way. |
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| 16 Come ye near unto me, hear this, Not from the beginning in secret spake I, From the time of its being, there [am] I, And now the Lord Jehovah hath sent me, and His Spirit. |
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| 17 Thus said Jehovah, thy redeemer, The Holy One of Israel, 'I [am] Jehovah thy God, teaching thee to profit, Causing thee to tread in the way thou goest.
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| 18 O that thou hadst attended to My commands, Then as a river is thy peace, And thy righteousness as billows of the sea, |
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| 19 And as sand is thy seed, And the offspring of thy bowels as its gravel, Not cut off nor destroyed his name before Me. |
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| 20 Go out from Babylon, flee from the Chaldeans, With a voice of singing declare, Cause ye this to be heard, Bring it forth unto the end of the earth, Say, Redeemed hath Jehovah His servant Jacob. |
Go ye forth – The "wheat" will first all be separated from the "tares." R2538:1
Of Babylon – A reference to the restoration of the Jews from literal Babylon. R3643:1, R4893:4
The Lord now calls his people forth from mystic Babylon. R3643:4, R2538:1
Voice of singing – A writer describes it thus: "Forth from the gates of Babylon they rode to the sound of joyous music--a band of horsemen playing on flutes and tabrets, accompanied by their own 200 minstrels and 128 singers of the Temple." (Ezra 2:41-65) R3643:1, R4893:4
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| 21 And they have not thirsted in waste places, He hath caused them to go on, Waters from a rock he hath caused to flow to them, Yea, he cleaveth a rock, and flow do waters. |
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| 22 There is no peace, said Jehovah, to the wicked! |
There is no peace – God is not favorable for peace at the present time and under present circumstances. SM457:T
There is no peace to any man out of Christ. R1841:1
The wicked are self-seeking and grasping; filled with anger if they cannot get what they want; with malice if they see someone enjoying what they cannot have. All these things indicate a lack of peace. R4818:2
Unto the wicked – Broadly, the entire human family; only a comparatively small number have ceased to be wicked. SM457:1
"The wicked are like the troubled sea" (Isa. 57:20), continually casting up mire and dirt. R4818:2
Man's true peace can be found only in harmony with his Creator. R1841:1
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