1. Listen to this, people of Israel,you that are descended from Judah:You swear by the name of the Lordand claim to worship the God of Israel —but you don't mean a word you say.
2. And yet you are proud to saythat you are citizens of the holy cityand that you depend on Israel's God,whose name is the Lord Almighty.
3. The Lord says to Israel,“Long ago I predicted what would take place;then suddenly I made it happen.
4. I knew that you would prove to be stubborn,as rigid as iron and unyielding as bronze.
5. And so I predicted your future long ago,announcing events before they took place,to prevent you from claimingthat your idols and images made them happen.
6. “All I foretold has now taken place;you have to admit my predictions were right.Now I will tell you of new things to come,events that I did not reveal before.
7. Only now am I making them happen;nothing like this took place in the past.If it had, you would claim that you knew all about it.
8. I knew that you couldn't be trusted,that you have always been known as a rebel.That is why you never heard of this at all,why no word of it ever came to your ears.
9. “In order that people will praise my name,I am holding my anger in check;I am keeping it back and will not destroy you.
10. I have tested you in the fire of suffering,as silver is refined in a furnace.But I have found that you are worthless.
11. What I do is done for my own sake —I will not let my name be dishonouredor let anyone else share the glorythat should be mine and mine alone.”