Isaiah 48:1-11 - Yahweh Refines Stubborn Israel

¹ Hear this, O house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel, and have come forth out of the waters of Judah, who swear by the name of the LORD, and make mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth, nor in righteousness. ² For they call themselves after the holy city, and anchor themselves upon the God of Israel; The LORD of hosts is his name. ³ I have declared the former things from the beginning; and they went forth out of my mouth, and I showed them; I did them suddenly, and they came to pass. ⁴ Because I knew that you are obstinate, and your neck is an iron sinew, and your brow bronze; ⁵ I have even from the beginning declared it to you; before it came to pass I showed it to you: lest you should say, my idol has done them, and my graven image, and my molten image, has commanded them. ⁶ You have heard, now see all this; and will you not declare it? I have showed you new things from this time, even hidden things, and you did not know them. ⁷ They are created now, and not from the beginning; even before the day when you heard them not; lest you should say, Behold, I knew them. ⁸ Yea, you heard not; yea, you knew not; yea, from of old 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 will I defer my anger, and for my praise will I restrain it for you, that I cut you not off. ¹⁰ Behold, I have refined you, but not with silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. ¹¹ For my own sake, even for my own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be profaned? and I will not give my glory unto another.