Isaiah 65-66
Holman Christian Standard Bible
The Lord’s Response
65 “I was sought by those who did not ask;[a]
I was found by those who did not seek Me.
I said: Here I am, here I am,
to a nation that was not called by[b] My name.(A)
2 I spread out My hands all day long
to a rebellious people(B)
who walk in the wrong path,
following their own thoughts.
3 These people continually provoke Me
to My face,
sacrificing in gardens,(C)
burning incense on bricks,
4 sitting among the graves,
spending nights in secret places,
eating the meat of pigs,(D)
and putting polluted broth in their bowls.[c]
5 They say, ‘Keep to yourself,
don’t come near me, for I am too holy for you!’
These practices are smoke in My nostrils,
a fire that burns all day long.
6 It is written before Me:
I will not keep silent,(E) but I will repay;(F)
I will repay them fully[d]
7 for your iniquities and the iniquities(G)
of your[e] fathers together,”
says the Lord.
“Because they burned incense on the mountains
and reproached Me on the hills,(H)
I will reward them fully[f]
for their former deeds.”
8 The Lord says this:
As the new wine is found in a bunch of grapes,
and one says, ‘Don’t destroy it,
for there’s some good[g] in it,’
so I will act because of My servants
and not destroy them all.
9 I will produce descendants from Jacob,(I)
and heirs to My mountains from Judah;
My chosen(J) ones will possess it,
and My servants will dwell there.(K)
10 Sharon will be a pasture for flocks,(L)
and the Valley of Achor a place for cattle to lie down,(M)
for My people who have sought Me.(N)
11 But you who abandon the Lord,
who forget My holy mountain,
who prepare a table for Fortune
and fill bowls of mixed wine for Destiny,[h]
12 I will destine you for the sword,
and all of you will kneel down to be slaughtered,
because I called and you did not answer,
I spoke and you did not hear;
you did what was evil in My sight
and chose what I did not delight in.(O)
13 Therefore, this is what the Lord God says:
My servants will eat,
but you will be hungry;
My servants will drink,
but you will be thirsty;
My servants will rejoice,
but you will be put to shame.
14 My servants will shout for joy from a glad heart,
but you will cry out from an anguished heart,
and you will lament out of a broken spirit.
15 You will leave your name behind
as a curse for My chosen ones,(P)
and the Lord God will kill you;
but He will give His servants another name.(Q)
16 Whoever is blessed in the land
will be blessed by the God of truth,(R)
and whoever swears in the land
will swear by the God of truth.
For the former troubles will be forgotten
and hidden from My sight.
A New Creation
17 “For I will create a new heaven and a new earth;(S)
the past events will not be remembered or come to mind.
18 Then be glad and rejoice forever
in what I am creating;
for I will create Jerusalem to be a joy
and its people to be a delight.
19 I will rejoice in Jerusalem
and be glad in My people.
The sound of weeping and crying
will no longer be heard in her.(T)
20 In her, a nursing infant will no longer live
only a few days,[i]
or an old man not live out his days.
Indeed, the youth will die at a hundred years,
and the one who misses a hundred years will be cursed.(U)
21 People will build houses and live in them;
they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.(V)
22 They will not build and others live in them;
they will not plant and others eat.
For My people’s lives will be
like the lifetime of a tree.(W)
My chosen ones will fully enjoy
the work of their hands.
23 They will not labor without success(X)
or bear children destined for disaster,
for they will be a people blessed by the Lord
along with their descendants.(Y)
24 Even before they call, I will answer;(Z)
while they are still speaking, I will hear.
25 The wolf and the lamb will feed together,[j]
and the lion will eat straw like the ox,(AA)
but the serpent’s food will be dust!(AB)
They will not do what is evil or destroy
on My entire holy mountain,”(AC)
says the Lord.
Final Judgment and Joyous Restoration
66 This is what the Lord says:
Heaven(AD) is My throne,(AE)
and earth is My footstool.(AF)
What house could you possibly build for Me?
And what place could be My home?(AG)
2 My hand made all these things,
and so they all came into being.
This is the Lord’s declaration.
I will look favorably on this kind of person:
one who is humble,(AH) submissive[k] in spirit,(AI)
and trembles at My word.
3 One slaughters an ox, one kills a man;
one sacrifices a lamb, one breaks a dog’s neck;
one offers a grain offering, one offers pig’s blood;
one offers incense, one praises an idol—
all these have chosen their ways
and delight in their detestable practices.(AJ)
4 So I will choose their punishment,
and I will bring on them what they dread
because I called and no one answered;
I spoke and they didn’t hear;
they did what was evil in My sight
and chose what I didn’t delight in.(AK)
5 You who tremble at His word,(AL)
hear the word of the Lord:(AM)
“Your brothers who hate and exclude you
because of Me have said,(AN)
‘Let the Lord be glorified
so that we can see your joy!’
But they will be put to shame.”(AO)
6 A sound of uproar from the city!
A voice from the temple—
the voice of the Lord,
paying back His enemies what they deserve!(AP)
7 Before Zion was in labor, she gave birth;
before she was in pain, she delivered a boy.
8 Who has heard of such a thing?
Who has seen such things?
Can a land be born in one day
or a nation be delivered in an instant?
Yet as soon as Zion was in labor,
she gave birth to her sons.
9 “Will I bring a baby to the point of birth
and not deliver it?”
says the Lord;
“or will I who deliver, close the womb?”
says your God.
10 Be glad for Jerusalem and rejoice over her,
all who love her.(AQ)
Rejoice greatly with her,
all who mourn over her—
11 so that you may nurse and be satisfied
from her comforting breast
and drink deeply and delight yourselves
from her glorious breasts.
12 For this is what the Lord says:
I will make peace flow to her like a river,(AR)
and the wealth[l] of nations like a flood;(AS)
you will nurse and be carried on her hip(AT)
and bounced on her lap.
13 As a mother comforts her son,
so I will comfort you,(AU)
and you will be comforted in Jerusalem.
14 You will see, you will rejoice,
and you[m] will flourish like grass;(AV)
then the Lord’s power will be revealed to His servants,
but He will show His wrath against His enemies.
15 Look, the Lord will come with fire(AW)—
His chariots are like the whirlwind(AX)—
to execute His anger with fury
and His rebuke with flames of fire.
16 For the Lord will execute judgment
on all flesh(AY) with His fiery sword,
and many will be slain by the Lord.
17 “Those who dedicate and purify themselves to enter the groves(AZ) following their leader,[n] eating meat from pigs, vermin, and rats, will perish together.”
This is the Lord’s declaration.
18 “Knowing[o] their works and their thoughts, I have come to gather all nations and languages;(BA) they will come and see My glory. 19 I will establish a sign among them, and I will send survivors from them to the nations—to Tarshish, Put,[p] Lud (who are archers), Tubal, Javan,(BB) and the islands far away—who have not heard of My fame or seen My glory. And they will proclaim My glory among the nations.(BC) 20 They will bring all your brothers from all the nations as a gift to the Lord on horses and chariots, in litters, and on mules and camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem,”(BD) says the Lord, “just as the Israelites bring an offering in a clean vessel to the house of the Lord. 21 I will also take some of them as priests and Levites,”(BE) says the Lord.
22 “For just as the new heavens and the new earth,(BF)
which I will make,
will endure before Me”—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
“so your offspring and your name will endure.
23 All mankind will come to worship Me
from one New Moon to another
and from one Sabbath to another,”
says the Lord.
24 “As they leave, they will see the dead bodies of the men who have rebelled against Me;(BG) for their worm(BH) will never die, their fire will never go out,(BI) and they will be a horror to all mankind.”(BJ)
Footnotes
- Isaiah 65:1 LXX, Syr, DSS, Tg read ask for Me
- Isaiah 65:1 LXX, Syr, DSS, Tg, Vg read that did not call on
- Isaiah 65:4 These vv. describe pagan worship.
- Isaiah 65:6 Lit repay into their lap
- Isaiah 65:7 LXX, Syr read [for] their iniquities and the iniquities of their
- Isaiah 65:7 Lit reward into their lap
- Isaiah 65:8 Or there’s a blessing
- Isaiah 65:11 Pagan gods
- Isaiah 65:20 Lit her, no longer infant of days
- Isaiah 65:25 Lit as one
- Isaiah 66:2 Lit broken
- Isaiah 66:12 Or glory
- Isaiah 66:14 Lit your bones
- Isaiah 66:17 Hb obscure
- Isaiah 66:18 LXX, Syr; MT omits Knowing
- Isaiah 66:19 LXX; MT reads Pul
Revelation 21-22
Holman Christian Standard Bible
The New Creation
21 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth,(A) for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea no longer existed.(B) 2 I also saw the Holy City, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,(C) prepared like a bride adorned for her husband.(D)
3 Then I heard a loud voice from the throne:[a]
Look! God’s dwelling[b] is with humanity,
and He will live with them.
They will be His people,(E)
and God Himself will be with them
and be their God.[c]
4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes.(F)
Death will no longer exist;(G)
grief, crying, and pain will exist no longer,(H)
because the previous things[d] have passed away.(I)
5 Then the One seated on the throne said, “Look! I am making everything new.” He also said, “Write, because these words[e] are faithful and true.”(J) 6 And He said to me, “It is done!(K) I am the Alpha and the Omega,(L) the Beginning and the End.(M) I will give water as a gift to the thirsty(N) from the spring of life.(O) 7 The victor(P) will inherit these things, and I will be his God, and he will be My son.(Q) 8 But the cowards, unbelievers,[f] vile, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars—their share will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur,(R) which is the second death.”
The New Jerusalem
9 Then one of the seven angels, who had held the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues,(S) came and spoke with me: “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10 He then carried me away in the Spirit[g](T) to a great and high mountain(U) and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, 11 arrayed with God’s glory.(V) Her radiance was like a very precious stone, like a jasper stone, bright as crystal. 12 The city had a massive high wall, with 12 gates. Twelve angels were at the gates; the names of the 12 tribes of Israel’s sons were inscribed on the gates. 13 There were three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west.(W) 14 The city wall had 12 foundations, and the 12 names of the Lamb’s 12 apostles were on the foundations.
15 The one who spoke with me had a gold measuring rod(X) to measure the city, its gates, and its wall.(Y) 16 The city is laid out in a square; its length and width are the same. He measured the city with the rod at 12,000 stadia.[h] Its length, width, and height are equal. 17 Then he measured its wall, 144 cubits according to human measurement, which the angel used. 18 The building material of its wall was jasper, and the city was pure gold like clear glass.
19 The foundations of the city wall were adorned with every kind of precious stone:(Z)
the first foundation jasper,
the second sapphire,
the third chalcedony,
the fourth emerald,
20 the fifth sardonyx,
the sixth carnelian,
the seventh chrysolite,
the eighth beryl,
the ninth topaz,
the tenth chrysoprase,
the eleventh jacinth,
the twelfth amethyst.
21 The 12 gates are 12 pearls; each individual gate was made of a single pearl. The broad street[i] of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.
22 I did not see a sanctuary in it, because the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its sanctuary. 23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, because God’s glory illuminates it, and its lamp is the Lamb.(AA) 24 The nations[j] will walk in its light,(AB) and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.[k](AC) 25 Each day its gates will never close because it will never be night there. 26 They will bring the glory and honor of the nations into it.[l](AD) 27 Nothing profane will ever enter it:(AE) no one who does what is vile or false, but only those written in the Lamb’s book of life.(AF)
The Source of Life
22 Then he showed me the river[m] of living water, sparkling like crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb(AG) 2 down the middle of the broad street of the city. The tree of life[n] was on both sides of the river, bearing 12 kinds of fruit, producing its fruit every month.(AH) The leaves of the tree are for healing the nations, 3 and there will no longer be any curse.(AI) The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city,[o] and His slaves will serve Him. 4 They will see His face,(AJ) and His name will be on their foreheads.(AK) 5 Night will no longer exist,(AL) and people will not need lamplight or sunlight, because the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign forever and ever.
The Time Is Near
6 Then he said to me, “These words are faithful and true.(AM) And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets,[p] has sent His angel to show His slaves what must quickly take place.”[q](AN)
7 “Look, I am coming quickly!(AO) The one who keeps the prophetic words of this book is blessed.”(AP)
8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. When I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had shown them to me. 9 But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow slave with you, your brothers the prophets, and those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.”(AQ) 10 He also said to me, “Don’t seal the prophetic words of this book, because the time is near.(AR) 11 Let the unrighteous go on in unrighteousness; let the filthy go on being made filthy; let the righteous go on in righteousness; and let the holy go on being made holy.”(AS)
12 “Look! I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me(AT) to repay each person according to what he has done.(AU) 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega,(AV) the First and the Last,(AW) the Beginning and the End.(AX)
14 “Blessed(AY) are those who wash their robes,[r] so that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by the gates. 15 Outside are the dogs, the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying.(AZ)
16 “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to attest these things to you[s] for the churches. I am the Root(BA) and the Offspring of David,(BB) the Bright Morning Star.”(BC)
17 Both the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” Anyone who hears should say, “Come!” And the one who is thirsty should come. Whoever desires should take the living water as a gift.(BD)
18 I testify to everyone who hears the prophetic words of this book: If anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book. 19 And if anyone takes away from the words of this prophetic book, God will take away his share of the tree of life and the holy city, written in this book.(BE)
20 He who testifies about these things(BF) says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.”
Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!(BG)
21 The grace of the Lord Jesus[t] be with all the saints.[u] Amen.[v]
Footnotes
- Revelation 21:3 Other mss read from heaven
- Revelation 21:3 Or tent, or tabernacle
- Revelation 21:3 Other mss omit and be their God
- Revelation 21:4 Or the first things
- Revelation 21:5 Other mss add of God
- Revelation 21:8 Other mss add the sinful
- Revelation 21:10 Or in spirit
- Revelation 21:16 A stadion (sg) = about 600 feet; 12,000 stadia = 1,400 miles.
- Revelation 21:21 Or The public square
- Revelation 21:24 Other mss add of those who are saved
- Revelation 21:24 Other mss read will bring to Him the nations’ glory and honor
- Revelation 21:26 Other mss add in order that they might go in
- Revelation 22:1 Other mss read pure river
- Revelation 22:2 Or was a tree of life, or was a tree that gives life
- Revelation 22:3 Lit in it
- Revelation 22:6 Other mss read God of the holy prophets
- Revelation 22:6 Or soon
- Revelation 22:14 Other mss read who keep His commands
- Revelation 22:16 In Gk, you is pl
- Revelation 22:21 Other mss add Christ
- Revelation 22:21 Other mss omit the saints
- Revelation 22:21 Other mss omit Amen.
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