Isaiah 48:3-13

3 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.
4 Because I saw that your heart was hard, and that your neck was an iron cord, and your brow brass;
5 For this reason I made it clear to you in the past, before it came I gave you word of it: for fear that you might say, My god did these things, and my pictured and metal images made them come about.
6 All this has come to your ears and you have seen it; will you not give witness to it? I am now making clear new things, even secret things, of which you had no knowledge.
7 They have only now been effected, and not in the past: and before this day they had not come to your ears; for fear that you might say, I had knowledge of them.
8 Truly you had no word of them, no knowledge of them; no news of them in the past had come to your ears; because I saw how false was your behaviour, and that your heart was turned against me from your earliest days.
9 Because of my name I will put away my wrath, and for my praise I will keep myself from cutting you off.
10 See, I have been testing you for myself like silver; I have put you through the fire of trouble.
11 For myself, even because of my name, I will do it; for I will not let my name be shamed; and my glory I will not give to another.
12 Give ear to me, Jacob, and Israel, my loved one; I am he, I am the first and I am the last.
13 Yes, by my hand was the earth placed on its base, and by my right hand the heavens were stretched out; at my word they take up their places.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.