Isaiah 48:3

THE MESSAGE

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
I declared the past events long ago;they came out of my mouth; I proclaimed them.Suddenly I acted, and they occurred.

Hebrew Names Version
I have declared the former things from of old; yes, they went forth out of my mouth, and I shown them: suddenly I did them, and they happened.

King James Version
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.

English Standard Version
"The former things I declared of old; they went out from my mouth, and I announced them; then suddenly I did them, and they came to pass.

New American Standard Bible
"I declared the former things long ago, And they went out of My mouth, and I proclaimed them. Suddenly I acted, and they came to pass.

New Century Version
Long ago I told you what would happen. I said these things and made them known; suddenly I acted, and these things happened.

Amplified Bible
"I have declared the former things [which happened to Israel] in times past; They went forth from My mouth and I proclaimed them; Suddenly I acted, and they came to pass.

World English Bible
I have declared the former things from of old; yes, they went forth out of my mouth, and I shown them: suddenly I did them, and they happened.

Geneva Bible (1587)
I haue declared ye former things of old, and they went out of my mouth, & I shewed them: I did them suddenly, and they came to passe.

Legacy Standard Bible
I declared the former things long ago,And they went forth from My mouth, and I caused them to be heard.Suddenly I acted, and they came to pass.

Berean Standard Bible
I foretold the former things long ago; they came out of My mouth; I proclaimed them. Suddenly I acted, and they came to pass.

Contemporary English Version
Long ago I announced what was going to be, then without warning, I made it happen.

Complete Jewish Bible
"I announced things that happened at the beginning, long ago; they issued from my mouth, I proclaimed them. Then suddenly I acted, and they occurred.

Darby Translation
I have declared the former things long ago; and they went forth out of my mouth, and I caused them to be heard: I wrought suddenly, and they came to pass.

Easy-to-Read Version
"Long ago I told you what would happen. I told you about these things. And suddenly I made them happen.

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

Good News Translation
The Lord says to Israel, "Long ago I predicted what would take place; then suddenly I made it happen.

Lexham English Bible
"I declared the former things from of old, and they went out from my mouth. And I announced them suddenly; I acted, and they came to pass,

Literal Translation
I have declared the former things from then; and they went out of My mouth; and I made them hear; suddenly I acted, and they came about.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The thinges that I shewed you euer sence the begynnynge: Haue I not brought the to passe, immediatly as they came out of my mouth, and declared them? And they are come?

American Standard Version
I have declared the former things from of old; yea, they went forth out of my mouth, and I showed them: suddenly I did them, and they came to pass.

Bible in Basic English
I gave word in the past of the things which came about; they came from my mouth, and I made them clear: suddenly I did them, and they came about.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
I have declared the former things from of old; yea, they went forth out of My mouth, and I announced them; suddenly I did them, and they came to pass.

King James Version (1611)
I haue declared the former things from the beginning: and they went foorth out of my mouth, and I shewed them, I did them suddenly, and they came to passe.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
The thynges that I haue shewed you euer since the begynnyng, haue I not brought them to passe immediatly as they came out of my mouth, and declared them, and they are come?

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
and they that have proceeded out of my mouth, and it became well known; I wrought suddenly, and the events came to pass.

English Revised Version
I have declared the former things from of old; yea, they went forth out of my mouth, and I shewed them: suddenly I did them, and they came to pass.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Fro that tyme Y telde the former thingis, and tho yeden out of my mouth; and Y made tho knowun; sudenli Y wrouyte, and tho thingis camen.

Update Bible Version
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.

Webster's Bible Translation
I have declared the former things from the beginning; and they went forth from my mouth, and I showed them; I did [them] suddenly, and they came to pass.

New English Translation
"I announced events beforehand, I issued the decrees and made the predictions; suddenly I acted and they came to pass.

New King James Version
"I have declared the former things from the beginning; They went forth from My mouth, and I caused them to hear it. Suddenly I did them, and they came to pass.

New Living Translation
Long ago I told you what was going to happen. Then suddenly I took action, and all my predictions came true.

New Life Bible
I made known the things that would happen long ago. From My mouth My words went out. Then all at once I did what I said I would, and they came to pass.

New Revised Standard
The former things I declared long ago, they went out from my mouth and I made them known; then suddenly I did them and they came to pass.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Things in advance, of old, I declared, Yea out of mine own mouth, came they forth, that I might let them be known, - Suddenly, I wrought and they came to pass.

Douay-Rheims Bible
The former things of old, I have declared, and they went forth out of my mouth, and I have made them to be heard: I did them suddenly and they came to pass.

Revised Standard Version
"The former things I declared of old, they went forth from my mouth and I made them known; then suddenly I did them and they came to pass.

Young's Literal Translation
The former things from that time I declared, And from my mouth they have gone forth, And I proclaim them, Suddenly I have done, and it cometh.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"I declared the former things long ago And they went forth from My mouth, and I proclaimed them. Suddenly I acted, and they came to pass.

Contextual Overview

¹ "And now listen to this, family of Jacob, you who are called by the name Israel: Who got you started in the loins of Judah, you who use God 's name to back up your promises and pray to the God of Israel? But do you mean it? Do you live like it? You claim to be citizens of the Holy City; you act as though you lean on the God of Israel, named God -of-the-Angel-Armies. For a long time now, I've let you in on the way I work: I told you what I was going to do beforehand, then I did it and it was done, and that's that. I know you're a bunch of hardheads, obstinate and flint-faced, So I got a running start and began telling you what was going on before it even happened. That is why you can't say, ‘My god-idol did this.' ‘My favorite god-carving commanded this.' You have all this evidence confirmed by your own eyes and ears. Shouldn't you be talking about it? And that was just the beginning. I have a lot more to tell you, things you never knew existed. This isn't a variation on the same old thing. This is new, brand-new, something you'd never guess or dream up. When you hear this you won't be able to say, ‘I knew that all along.' You've never been good listeners to me. You have a history of ignoring me, A sorry track record of fickle attachments— rebels from the womb. But out of the sheer goodness of my heart, because of who I am, I keep a tight rein on my anger and hold my temper. I don't wash my hands of you. Do you see what I've done? I've refined you, but not without fire. I've tested you like silver in the furnace of affliction. Out of myself, simply because of who I am, I do what I do. I have my reputation to keep up. I'm not playing second fiddle to either gods or people.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

declared: Isaiah 41:22, Isaiah 42:9, Isaiah 43:9, Isaiah 44:7, Isaiah 44:8, Isaiah 45:21, Isaiah 46:9, Isaiah 46:10

and I: Isaiah 10:12-19, Isaiah 10:33, Isaiah 10:34, Isaiah 37:7, Isaiah 37:29, Isaiah 37:36-38, Joshua 21:45, Joshua 23:14, Joshua 23:15

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 9:6 - a stiffnecked 1 Kings 22:38 - and the dogs Isaiah 41:4 - calling Isaiah 48:5 - even Isaiah 48:16 - I have not Hosea 5:9 - have

Cross-References

Genesis 17:1
When Abram was ninety-nine years old, God showed up and said to him, "I am The Strong God, live entirely before me, live to the hilt! I'll make a covenant between us and I'll give you a huge family."

Genesis 28:3
"And may The Strong God bless you and give you many, many children, a congregation of peoples; and pass on the blessing of Abraham to you and your descendants so that you will get this land in which you live, this land God gave Abraham."

Genesis 48:9
Joseph told his father, "They are my sons whom God gave to me in this place." "Bring them to me," he said, "so I can bless them." Israel's eyesight was poor from old age; he was nearly blind. So Joseph brought them up close. Old Israel kissed and embraced them and then said to Joseph, "I never expected to see your face again, and now God has let me see your children as well!"

Genesis 48:12
Joseph took them from Israel's knees and bowed respectfully, his face to the ground. Then Joseph took the two boys, Ephraim with his right hand setting him to Israel's left, and Manasseh with his left hand setting him to Israel's right, and stood them before him. But Israel crossed his arms and put his right hand on the head of Ephraim who was the younger and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, the firstborn. Then he blessed them: The God before whom walked my fathers Abraham and Isaac, The God who has been my shepherd all my life long to this very day, The Angel who delivered me from every evil, Bless the boys. May my name be echoed in their lives, and the names of Abraham and Isaac, my fathers, And may they grow covering the Earth with their children.

Genesis 48:19
But his father wouldn't do it. He said, "I know, my son; but I know what I'm doing. He also will develop into a people, and he also will be great. But his younger brother will be even greater and his descendants will enrich nations." Then he blessed them both: Israel will use your names to give blessings: May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh. In that he made it explicit: he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

I have declared the former things from the beginning,.... From the time of their first ancestors, from the time of Abraham their father, to whom was declared what should befall his posterity; that they should sojourn in Egypt, be afflicted there, and come out from thence with great substance; that they be brought into the land of Canaan, and the inhabitants of it being driven out before them,

Genesis 15:13.

And they went forth out of my mouth, and I showed them; they were told to Abraham by word of mouth; they were shown to him in prophecy:

I did them suddenly, and they came to pass; for very quickly these things began to take place, even in Abraham's time; for his seed being a stranger in a land not theirs, and afflicted near four hundred years, must be reckoned from the birth of Isaac; and all which exactly came to pass as was foretold; not one thing which the Lord had spoken of failed; all was punctually fulfilled, Joshua 21:45.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

I have declared the former things - That is, in former times I have predicted future events by the prophets, which have come to pass as they were foretold. Though the fulfillment might have appeared to be long delayed, yet it came to pass at the very time, showing it to be an exact fulfillment of the prophecy. The design of thus referring to the former predictions is, to remind them of their proneness to disregard his declarations, and to recall to their attention the fact that all that he said would be certainly accomplished. As a people, they had been prone to disbelieve his word. He saw that the same thing would take place in Babylon, and that there also they would disbelieve his prophecies about raising up Cyrus, and restoring them to their own land. He therefore endeavors to anticipate this, by reminding them of their former unbelief, and of the fact that all that he had foretold in former times had come to pass.

From the beginning - In regard to this, and the meaning of the phrase, ‘the former things, see the notes at Isaiah 41:22; Isaiah 43:9. The phrase. ‘former things,’ refers to the things which precede others; the series, or order of events.

I did them suddenly - They came to pass at an unexpected time; when you were not looking for them, and when perhaps you were doubting whether they would occur, or were calling in question the divine veracity. The idea is, that God in like manner would, certainly, and suddenly, accomplish his predictions about Babylon, and their release from their captivity.