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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 waters of Judah; who swear by the name of Jehovah, and make mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth, nor in righteousness. |
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| 2 For they call themselves of the holy city, and stay themselves upon the God of Israel; Jehovah of hosts is his name. |
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| 3 I have declared the former things from of old; yes, they went forth out of my mouth, and I showed them: suddenly I did them, and they came to pass. |
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| 4 Because I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow copper; |
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| 5 therefore I have declared it to thee from of old; before it came to pass I showed it thee; lest thou shouldest say, Mine idol hath done them, and my graven image, and my molten image, hath commanded them. |
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| 6 Thou hast heard it; behold all this; and ye, will ye not declare it? I have showed thee new things from this time, even hidden things, which thou hast not known. |
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| 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. |
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| 8 Yes, thou heardest not; yes, thou knewest not; yes, from of old thine ear was not opened: for I knew that thou didst deal very treacherously, and wast called a transgressor from the womb. |
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 will I defer mine anger, and for my praise will I refrain for thee, that I cut thee not off. |
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| 10 Behold, I have refined thee, but not as silver; I have tried thee in the furnace of affliction. |
Furnace – Figurative and symbolic of affliction, fiery trials, by which we are relined. R2971:2
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| 11 For mine own sake, for mine own sake, will I do it; for how should my name be profaned? and my glory will I not give to another. |
Not give my glory – Neither to Jews nor Gentiles, but keeps it for himself. R2126:4
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| 12 Hearken unto me, O Jacob, and Israel my called: I am he; I am the first, I also am the last. |
Hearken unto me – Beginning a new subject from that of verses 9 to 11. R2126:4
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| 13 Yes, my hand hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spread out the heavens: when I call unto them, then they stand up together. |
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| 14 Assemble yourselves, all ye, and hear; who among them hath declared these things? He whom Jehovah loveth shall perform his pleasure on Babylon, and his arm shall be on the Chaldeans. |
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| 15 I, even I, have spoken; yes, I have called him; I have brought him, and he shall make his way prosperous. |
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| 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 Jehovah hath sent me, and his Spirit. |
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| 17 Thus saith Jehovah, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am Jehovah thy God, who teacheth thee to profit, who leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go. |
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| 18 Oh that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea: |
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| 19 thy seed also had been as the sand, and the offspring of thy bowels like the grains thereof: his name would not be cut off nor destroyed from before me. |
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| 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, Jehovah hath redeemed his servant Jacob.
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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 thirsted not when he led them through the deserts; he caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them; he clave the rock also, and the waters gushed out. |
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| 22 There is no peace, saith 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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