Isaiah 48:1-4

The Lord Appeals to the Exiles

48:1 Listen to this, O family of Jacob,

you who are called by the name ‘Israel,’

and are descended from Judah,

who take oaths in the name of the Lord,

and invoke the God of Israel –

but not in an honest and just manner.

48:2 Indeed, they live in the holy city;

they trust in the God of Israel,

whose name is the Lord who commands armies.

48:3 “I announced events beforehand,

I issued the decrees and made the predictions;

suddenly I acted and they came to pass.

48:4 I did this because I know how stubborn you are.

Your neck muscles are like iron

and your forehead like bronze.