懲罰與拯救

65 耶和華說:「我向沒有求問我的人顯現,
讓沒有尋找我的人尋見,
對沒有求告我的國家說,
『我在這裡,我在這裡!』
我整天伸出雙手招呼一群悖逆的百姓,
他們卻任意妄為,
不走正路,
不斷地當面惹我發怒。
他們在園中獻祭,
在磚臺上燒香,
坐在墳場裡,
宿在隱秘處。
他們吃豬肉,
用不潔之物做湯,
還對人說,『站遠點,
別挨近我,因為我比你聖潔!』
我被這些人氣得鼻孔冒煙,
整天怒火難息。
看啊,這些都記錄在我面前,
我不會再保持緘默,
我要報應他們,
按他們和他們祖先的罪報應他們。
我必按他們的所作所為報應他們,
因為他們在山上燒香,
在丘陵上褻瀆我。
這是耶和華說的。」

耶和華說:「人發現一串葡萄尚可釀造新酒時,
一定會說,『不要毀壞它,
裡面還有好葡萄。』
同樣,因我僕人的緣故,
我也不會把他們全部毀滅。

「我必使雅各的後裔興起,
使猶大人興起,
繼承我的群山。
我揀選的子民必擁有那片土地,
我的僕人必在那裡安居。
10 沙崙必成為牧放羊群的草場,
亞割谷必成為牛群休憩的地方,
這些地方必屬於尋求我的人。
11 但至於你們這些背棄我、
忘記我的聖山、
擺宴供奉幸運之神、
調酒祭奠命運之神的人,
12 我要使你們註定被殺,
喪身刀下。
因為我呼喚你們,你們不回應;
我講話,你們不聆聽。
你們做我視為惡的事,
專行令我不悅的事。」

13 所以主耶和華說:
「看啊,我的僕人必有吃有喝,
你們卻要饑渴交加;
我的僕人必歡喜,
你們卻要受羞辱;
14 我的僕人必歡喜快樂,
揚聲歌唱,
你們卻要傷心欲絕,
嚎啕大哭。
15 我的選民必用你們的名字作咒詛,
主耶和華必殺死你們,
給祂的僕人另起名字。
16 因此,在地上求福祉的人都必向信實的上帝祈求,
在地上起誓的人都必憑信實的上帝起誓。
因為過去的苦難已經被遺忘,
從我眼前消失了。

新天新地

17 「看啊,我要創造新天新地,
過去的一切都要被遺忘,
從記憶中消失。
18 你們要因我創造的一切而永遠歡喜快樂。
看啊,我要創造一個充滿喜樂的耶路撒冷,
其中的居民個個歡欣。
19 我必因耶路撒冷而歡喜,
因我的子民而快樂。
城裡再聽不見哭泣和哀號聲。
20 再沒有只活幾天便夭折的嬰兒,
也沒有壽數未盡便死的老人,
因為滿了百歲便死的人不過算是青年,
不足百歲便死的人被視為受了咒詛。
21 他們要建造房屋,安然居住,
栽種葡萄園,吃園中的果子。
22 他們建的房屋再不會被別人居住,
他們種的果實再不會被別人享用。
我的子民必像樹木一樣長壽,
我揀選的人必長享自己親手勞碌的成果。
23 他們不會徒勞,
他們的孩子也不會遇到災禍,
因為他們及其子孫是蒙上帝賜福的人。
24 他們還沒有求告,
我就已經應允;
他們正要禱告,
我就已經垂聽。
25 豺狼和綿羊必一起吃草,
獅子必像牛一樣吃草,
蛇必以塵土為食。
在我的整個聖山上,
牠們都不傷人,不害物。
這是耶和華說的。」

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)
I spread out My hands all day long
to a rebellious people(B)
who walk in the wrong path,
following their own thoughts.
These people continually provoke Me
to My face,
sacrificing in gardens,(C)
burning incense on bricks,
sitting among the graves,
spending nights in secret places,
eating the meat of pigs,(D)
and putting polluted broth in their bowls.[c]
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.
It is written before Me:
I will not keep silent,(E) but I will repay;(F)
I will repay them fully[d]
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.”

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.
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.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 65:1 LXX, Syr, DSS, Tg read ask for Me
  2. Isaiah 65:1 LXX, Syr, DSS, Tg, Vg read that did not call on
  3. Isaiah 65:4 These vv. describe pagan worship.
  4. Isaiah 65:6 Lit repay into their lap
  5. Isaiah 65:7 LXX, Syr read [for] their iniquities and the iniquities of their
  6. Isaiah 65:7 Lit reward into their lap
  7. Isaiah 65:8 Or there’s a blessing
  8. Isaiah 65:11 Pagan gods
  9. Isaiah 65:20 Lit her, no longer infant of days
  10. Isaiah 65:25 Lit as one

Judgment and Salvation

65 “I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me;
    I was found by those who did not seek me.(A)
To a nation(B) that did not call on my name,(C)
    I said, ‘Here am I, here am I.’
All day long I have held out my hands
    to an obstinate people,(D)
who walk in ways not good,
    pursuing their own imaginations(E)
a people who continually provoke me
    to my very face,(F)
offering sacrifices in gardens(G)
    and burning incense(H) on altars of brick;
who sit among the graves(I)
    and spend their nights keeping secret vigil;
who eat the flesh of pigs,(J)
    and whose pots hold broth of impure meat;
who say, ‘Keep away; don’t come near me,
    for I am too sacred(K) for you!’
Such people are smoke(L) in my nostrils,
    a fire that keeps burning all day.

“See, it stands written before me:
    I will not keep silent(M) but will pay back(N) in full;
    I will pay it back into their laps(O)
both your sins(P) and the sins of your ancestors,”(Q)
    says the Lord.
“Because they burned sacrifices on the mountains
    and defied me on the hills,(R)
I will measure into their laps
    the full payment(S) for their former deeds.”

This is what the Lord says:

“As when juice is still found in a cluster of grapes(T)
    and people say, ‘Don’t destroy it,
    there is still a blessing in it,’
so will I do in behalf of my servants;(U)
    I will not destroy them all.
I will bring forth descendants(V) from Jacob,
    and from Judah those who will possess(W) my mountains;
my chosen(X) people will inherit them,
    and there will my servants live.(Y)
10 Sharon(Z) will become a pasture for flocks,(AA)
    and the Valley of Achor(AB) a resting place for herds,
    for my people who seek(AC) me.

11 “But as for you who forsake(AD) the Lord
    and forget my holy mountain,(AE)
who spread a table for Fortune
    and fill bowls of mixed wine(AF) for Destiny,
12 I will destine you for the sword,(AG)
    and all of you will fall in the slaughter;(AH)
for I called but you did not answer,(AI)
    I spoke but you did not listen.(AJ)
You did evil in my sight
    and chose what displeases me.”(AK)

13 Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“My servants will eat,(AL)
    but you will go hungry;(AM)
my servants will drink,(AN)
    but you will go thirsty;(AO)
my servants will rejoice,(AP)
    but you will be put to shame.(AQ)
14 My servants will sing(AR)
    out of the joy of their hearts,
but you will cry out(AS)
    from anguish of heart
    and wail in brokenness of spirit.
15 You will leave your name
    for my chosen ones to use in their curses;(AT)
the Sovereign Lord will put you to death,
    but to his servants he will give another name.(AU)
16 Whoever invokes a blessing(AV) in the land
    will do so by the one true God;(AW)
whoever takes an oath in the land
    will swear(AX) by the one true God.
For the past troubles(AY) will be forgotten
    and hidden from my eyes.

New Heavens and a New Earth

17 “See, I will create
    new heavens and a new earth.(AZ)
The former things will not be remembered,(BA)
    nor will they come to mind.
18 But be glad and rejoice(BB) forever
    in what I will create,
for I will create Jerusalem(BC) to be a delight
    and its people a joy.
19 I will rejoice(BD) over Jerusalem
    and take delight(BE) in my people;
the sound of weeping and of crying(BF)
    will be heard in it no more.

20 “Never again will there be in it
    an infant(BG) who lives but a few days,
    or an old man who does not live out his years;(BH)
the one who dies at a hundred
    will be thought a mere child;
the one who fails to reach[a] a hundred
    will be considered accursed.
21 They will build houses(BI) and dwell in them;
    they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.(BJ)
22 No longer will they build houses and others live in them,(BK)
    or plant and others eat.
For as the days of a tree,(BL)
    so will be the days(BM) of my people;
my chosen(BN) ones will long enjoy
    the work of their hands.
23 They will not labor in vain,(BO)
    nor will they bear children doomed to misfortune;(BP)
for they will be a people blessed(BQ) by the Lord,
    they and their descendants(BR) with them.
24 Before they call(BS) I will answer;(BT)
    while they are still speaking(BU) I will hear.
25 The wolf and the lamb(BV) will feed together,
    and the lion will eat straw like the ox,(BW)
    and dust will be the serpent’s(BX) food.
They will neither harm nor destroy
    on all my holy mountain,”(BY)
says the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 65:20 Or the sinner who reaches