I foretold the former things(A) long ago,
    my mouth announced(B) them and I made them known;
    then suddenly(C) I acted, and they came to pass.
For I knew how stubborn(D) you were;
    your neck muscles(E) were iron,
    your forehead(F) was bronze.
Therefore I told you these things long ago;
    before they happened I announced(G) them to you
so that you could not say,
    ‘My images brought them about;(H)
    my wooden image and metal god ordained them.’
You have heard these things; look at them all.
    Will you not admit them?

“From now on I will tell you of new things,(I)
    of hidden things unknown to you.
They are created(J) now, and not long ago;(K)
    you have not heard of them before today.
So you cannot say,
    ‘Yes, I knew(L) of them.’
You have neither heard nor understood;(M)
    from of old your ears(N) have not been open.
Well do I know how treacherous(O) you are;
    you were called a rebel(P) from birth.

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I have declared the former things from the beginning; and they went forth out of my mouth, and I shewed them; I did them suddenly, and they came to pass.

Because I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass;

I have even from the beginning declared it to thee; before it came to pass I shewed it thee: lest thou shouldest say, Mine idol hath done them, and my graven image, and my molten image, hath commanded them.

Thou hast heard, see all this; and will not ye declare it? I have shewed thee new things from this time, even hidden things, and thou didst not know them.

They are created now, and not from the beginning; even before the day when thou heardest them not; lest thou shouldest say, Behold, I knew them.

Yea, thou heardest not; yea, thou knewest not; yea, from that time that thine ear was not opened: for I knew that thou wouldest deal very treacherously, and wast called a transgressor from the womb.

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“I have (A)declared the former things from the beginning;
They went forth from My mouth, and I caused them to hear it.
Suddenly I did them, (B)and they came to pass.
Because I knew that you were [a]obstinate,
And (C)your neck was an iron sinew,
And your brow bronze,
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.’

“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.
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.’
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 (D)a transgressor from the womb.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 48:4 Heb. hard