耶和华的审判

66 耶和华说:

“天是我的宝座,
地是我的脚凳,
你们要为我造怎样的殿宇?
哪里可作我的安歇之处?
一切都是我亲手创造的。
这是耶和华说的。
我看顾谦卑、悔过、
对我的话心存敬畏的人。

“至于那些任意妄为、以行可憎之事为乐、宰牛就像杀人、
献羊羔就像打断狗颈、
献谷物就像献猪血、
烧香就像颂赞偶像的人,
我必重重地惩罚他们,
使他们遭遇自己害怕的事。
因为我呼唤,无人回应;
我讲话,无人聆听。
他们做我视为恶的事,
专行令我不悦的事。”

对耶和华的话心存敬畏的人啊,要听祂的话:
“你们的弟兄憎恨你们,
因为我的缘故而弃绝你们,
他们讥讽说,
‘愿耶和华得荣耀,
我们好看看你们的欢乐!’
他们必受羞辱。
城中传出喧闹声,
殿中也传出声音,
这是耶和华报应祂仇敌的声音。

“锡安还没有阵痛就分娩,
还没有感到产痛就生下男婴。
谁曾听过看过这样的事?
一个国家能一日而生吗?
一个民族能在刹那间产生吗?
然而锡安刚开始分娩就生下了儿女。”
耶和华说:“我既使她临产,
难道不让她分娩吗?”
你的上帝说:“我既使她生产,
难道封闭她的胎吗?

10 “爱耶路撒冷的人啊,
要与她一同欢喜,为她高兴。
为她悲哀的人啊,
要与她尽情欢乐。
11 你们必在她舒适的怀抱里得到满足,
如婴儿欢快地在母亲怀中吮吸充足的奶汁。”

12 耶和华说:
“看啊,我赐给她的平安如川流不息的江河,
使万国的滚滚财富都归给她。
你们必被她抱在怀中,
摇在膝上。
13 母亲怎样抚慰孩子,
我也怎样抚慰你们,
使你们在耶路撒冷得到安慰。”
14 你们见到这些事,必满心欢喜,
身体如青草一样充满活力。
耶和华必向祂的仆人彰显大能,
向祂的仇敌发怒。

15 看啊,耶和华要在火中降临,
祂的战车好像旋风。
祂要发烈怒,用火焰惩罚。
16 因为耶和华要用火和剑审判世人,杀死许多人。

17 耶和华说:“那些奉献自己、洁净自己的人一个接一个进园中祭拜假神,又吃猪肉、老鼠及其他可憎之物,他们必一同灭亡。 18 我知道他们的所作所为和所思所想。我要召集万邦万民,使他们看见我的荣耀。 19 我要在他们中间行神迹,我要派一些生还者到他施、普勒、路德、米设、罗施、土巴、雅完各国,以及那些没有听过我名声也没有见过我荣耀的遥远海岛,在列国传扬我的荣耀。 20 他们必骑着马、驾着车、坐着轿、骑着骡子或骆驼,把你们的弟兄从各国带到我的圣山耶路撒冷,作为供物献给耶和华,好像以色列人用洁净的器皿把素祭带到耶和华的殿中。这是耶和华说的。” 21 耶和华说:“我要在他们中间立一些人做祭司和利未人。”

22 耶和华说:“正如我造的新天新地在我面前长存,
你们的名字和后裔也必长存。
23 每逢朔日和安息日,
世人都必来敬拜我。
这是耶和华说的。
24 他们必出去观看那些背叛我之人的尸体,
因为咬他们的虫永远不死,
烧他们的火永远不灭,
世人都必厌恶他们。”

'以 賽 亞 書 66 ' not found for the version: Chinese New Testament: Easy-to-Read Version.

66 This is what the Lord says.
The heavens are my throne,
and the earth is a footstool under my feet.
Where, then, is the house that you could build for me?
Where, then, is a place that could serve as my resting place?
For my hand made all these things,
so all these things came into existence,
declares the Lord.

Those Who Tremble at the Lord’s Word

Yet this is the person I will watch over:
    the one who is afflicted and whose spirit is crushed,
    the one who trembles at my word.

One who slaughters an ox, also smites a person.
One who sacrifices a lamb, also breaks the neck of a dog.
One who offers a grain offering, also offers the blood of pigs.
One who offers memorial incense, also blesses a useless idol.
Yes, they have chosen their own ways,
and their soul delights in their detestable things.
So I myself will choose their punishments,
and the things that terrify them I will bring to them,
because I called, and there was no one who answered.
I spoke, and they did not listen.
They did what is evil in my eyes,
and they chose things that do not please me.

Hear the word of the Lord, you who tremble at his word.
Your brothers, who hate you
and exclude you for the sake of my name, say:
“Let the Lord be glorified so that we may see your joy.”
But they themselves will be put to shame.

Listen! An uproar in the city,
the sound of an uproar from the temple,
the sound of the Lord repaying his enemies in full!

Lady Zion’s Final Blessing

Before she suffers labor pains, she gives birth.
Before birth pain comes upon her, she delivers a male child.
Who has ever heard of something like this?
Who has ever seen such a thing?
Is a land brought forth in one day?
Is a nation born all at once?
But as soon as Zion experiences labor pains, she gives birth
    to her children.
Would I bring a baby to the point of birth and not let it be born?
says the Lord.
Or would I let a baby be conceived but shut the womb to prevent
    its birth?
says your God.
10 Rejoice with Jerusalem and celebrate with her, all you who love her.
Share her joy with her, all you who have been mourning over her,
11 so that you may nurse and be satisfied from her comforting breast,
so that you may suck and find delight from her milk-filled breasts.[a]
12 Yes, this is what the Lord says.
I am ready to extend peace to her like a river,
and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream.
You will be nursed. You will be carried on her side,
and you will be bounced on her knees.
13 Just like a man[b] whom his mother comforts,
in the same way I myself will comfort you,
and you will be comforted concerning Jerusalem.
14 Then you will see, and your heart will be glad.
Like grass you will receive new strength, right down to your bones.
Then the Lord’s hand will be known to his servants,
but his fury to his enemies.
15 Look, the Lord will come like fire,
and his chariots like a whirlwind,
to pour out his furious anger
and his rebuke like flames of fire.
16 For the Lord will bring judgment on all flesh
    by fire and by his sword,
and those slain by the Lord will be many.
17 Those who try to sanctify themselves
and those who try to purify themselves
    in order to follow others into the groves,
    in order to eat the meat of pigs and other disgusting things like mice—
together they will be swept away, declares the Lord.
18 As for me, because of their works and their thoughts,
the time is coming for me to gather people from all nations
    and all languages.
They will come, and they will see my glory.

19 Then I will set up a sign among them,
and I will send out survivors from among them to the nations,
to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud,[c] to those who are archers,
to Tubal and Javan,[d] to the distant coastlands,
who have not heard my message and have not seen my glory.
Then they will declare my glory among the nations.

20 Then they will bring all your brothers from all the nations as an offering to the Lord. They will bring them on horses and chariots and wagons and mules and dromedaries[e] to my holy mountain Jerusalem, says the Lord, in the same way that the people of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel to the Lord’s house. 21 Even from among these people I will take priests and Levites, says the Lord.

22 For just as the new heavens and the new earth that I am making will remain standing before me, declares the Lord, in the same way your offspring and your name will stand. 23 As often as one new moon follows another and one Sabbath follows another, all flesh will come to worship before me, says the Lord.

24 They will go out, and they will see the corpses of the ones who were rebelling against me, for their worm will not die, and their fire will not be quenched, and all flesh will be horrified by them.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 66:11 Literally her heavy or glorious nipple
  2. Isaiah 66:13 The Hebrew uses the word man rather than child.
  3. Isaiah 66:19 Tarshish was in the western Mediterranean, probably in Spain. Pul is probably the same as Put, a region in Libya. Lud may also be in Libya but may refer to Lydia in present-day Turkey.
  4. Isaiah 66:19 Tubal was in the distant north. Javan refers to the Ionian Greeks.
  5. Isaiah 66:20 Or two-humped camels

Judgment and Hope

66 This is what the Lord says:

“Heaven is my throne,(A)
    and the earth is my footstool.(B)
Where is the house(C) you will build for me?
    Where will my resting place be?
Has not my hand made all these things,(D)
    and so they came into being?”
declares the Lord.

“These are the ones I look on with favor:
    those who are humble and contrite in spirit,(E)
    and who tremble at my word.(F)
But whoever sacrifices a bull(G)
    is like one who kills a person,
and whoever offers a lamb
    is like one who breaks a dog’s neck;
whoever makes a grain offering
    is like one who presents pig’s(H) blood,
and whoever burns memorial incense(I)
    is like one who worships an idol.
They have chosen their own ways,(J)
    and they delight in their abominations;(K)
so I also will choose harsh treatment for them
    and will bring on them what they dread.(L)
For when I called, no one answered,(M)
    when I spoke, no one listened.
They did evil(N) in my sight
    and chose what displeases me.”(O)

Hear the word of the Lord,
    you who tremble at his word:(P)
“Your own people who hate(Q) you,
    and exclude you because of my name, have said,
‘Let the Lord be glorified,
    that we may see your joy!’
    Yet they will be put to shame.(R)
Hear that uproar from the city,
    hear that noise from the temple!
It is the sound(S) of the Lord
    repaying(T) his enemies all they deserve.

“Before she goes into labor,(U)
    she gives birth;
before the pains come upon her,
    she delivers a son.(V)
Who has ever heard of such things?
    Who has ever seen(W) things like this?
Can a country be born in a day(X)
    or a nation be brought forth in a moment?
Yet no sooner is Zion in labor
    than she gives birth to her children.(Y)
Do I bring to the moment of birth(Z)
    and not give delivery?” says the Lord.
“Do I close up the womb
    when I bring to delivery?” says your God.
10 “Rejoice(AA) with Jerusalem and be glad for her,
    all you who love(AB) her;
rejoice greatly with her,
    all you who mourn(AC) over her.
11 For you will nurse(AD) and be satisfied
    at her comforting breasts;(AE)
you will drink deeply
    and delight in her overflowing abundance.”(AF)

12 For this is what the Lord says:

“I will extend peace(AG) to her like a river,(AH)
    and the wealth(AI) of nations like a flooding stream;
you will nurse and be carried(AJ) on her arm
    and dandled on her knees.
13 As a mother comforts her child,(AK)
    so will I comfort(AL) you;
    and you will be comforted over Jerusalem.”

14 When you see this, your heart will rejoice(AM)
    and you will flourish(AN) like grass;
the hand(AO) of the Lord will be made known to his servants,(AP)
    but his fury(AQ) will be shown to his foes.
15 See, the Lord is coming with fire,(AR)
    and his chariots(AS) are like a whirlwind;(AT)
he will bring down his anger with fury,
    and his rebuke(AU) with flames of fire.
16 For with fire(AV) and with his sword(AW)
    the Lord will execute judgment(AX) on all people,
    and many will be those slain(AY) by the Lord.

17 “Those who consecrate and purify themselves to go into the gardens,(AZ) following one who is among those who eat the flesh of pigs,(BA) rats(BB) and other unclean things—they will meet their end(BC) together with the one they follow,” declares the Lord.

18 “And I, because of what they have planned and done,(BD) am about to come[a] and gather the people of all nations(BE) and languages, and they will come and see my glory.(BF)

19 “I will set a sign(BG) among them, and I will send some of those who survive(BH) to the nations—to Tarshish,(BI) to the Libyans[b] and Lydians(BJ) (famous as archers), to Tubal(BK) and Greece,(BL) and to the distant islands(BM) that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory.(BN) They will proclaim my glory among the nations. 20 And they will bring(BO) all your people, from all the nations, to my holy mountain(BP) in Jerusalem as an offering to the Lord—on horses, in chariots and wagons, and on mules and camels,”(BQ) says the Lord. “They will bring them, as the Israelites bring their grain offerings, to the temple of the Lord in ceremonially clean vessels.(BR) 21 And I will select some of them also to be priests(BS) and Levites,” says the Lord.

22 “As the new heavens and the new earth(BT) that I make will endure before me,” declares the Lord, “so will your name and descendants endure.(BU) 23 From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath(BV) to another, all mankind will come and bow down(BW) before me,” says the Lord. 24 “And they will go out and look on the dead bodies(BX) of those who rebelled(BY) against me; the worms(BZ) that eat them will not die, the fire that burns them will not be quenched,(CA) and they will be loathsome to all mankind.”

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 66:18 The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain.
  2. Isaiah 66:19 Some Septuagint manuscripts Put (Libyans); Hebrew Pul

66 Thus saith Hashem, HaShomayim is My kisse, and ha’aretz is My footstool; where is the Beis that ye build for Me? And where is the Makom of My Menuchah?

For all those things hath Mine hand made, and so came they all into being, saith Hashem; but to this man will I look, even to him that is oni and of a contrite ruach, and trembleth at My Devar.

He that slaughtereth the bull is the slayer of a man; he that sacrificeth a seh, is a strangler of dogs; he that offereth a minchah, it is dahm chazir; he that burneth incense, blesseth idols. As they have chosen their own ways, and their nefesh delighteth in their shikkutzim (abominations),

I also will choose their illtreatments, and will bring their terrors upon them; because when I called, no one did answer; when I spoke, they did not hear; but they did the rah before Mine eyes, and chose that in which I took no pleasure.

Hear the Devar Hashem, ye that tremble at His word; Your achim that hated you, that cast you out from them l’ma’an Shemi, said, Let Hashem get honor, that we may see your simcha; they shall be ashamed.

Sound of tumult from the Ir, a sound from the Heikhal, a sound of Hashem that rendereth gemul (retribution) to His enemies.

Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her chevel (pain) came, she was delivered of a zachar (man child).

Who hath heard such a thing? Who hath seen such things? Shall Eretz be born in yom echad? Or shall a nation be born in a moment? For as soon as Tziyon travailed in labor, she gave birth to her banim.

Shall I bring to the moment of birth, and not cause to bring delivery? saith Hashem. Shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? saith thy G-d.

10 Rejoice ye with Yerushalayim, and be glad with her, all ye that love her; rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her;

11 That ye may nurse, and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations; that ye may drink in, be delighted with the abundance of her kavod.

12 For thus saith Hashem, Hineni, I will extend shalom to her like a river, and the kavod of the Goyim like an overflowing stream; then shall ye nurse, ye shall be borne upon arms, and be fondled upon her knees.

13 As one whom his em comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Yerushalayim.

14 And when ye see this, your lev shall rejoice, and your atzmot shall flourish like herbage; and the yad Hashem shall be made known to His avadim, and His indignation toward His enemies.

15 For, hinei, Hashem will come with eish, with His merkavot like the whirlwind, to render His anger in fury, His rebuke in flames of eish.

16 For by eish and by His cherev will Hashem execute judgment on kol basar; and the slain of Hashem shall be many.

17 They that set themselves apart as kodesh, and purify themselves to go into the ganot, following the one in the midst, eating basar hachazir, and the sheketz, and the akhbar (mouse), shall be consumed together, saith Hashem.

18 For I know their ma’asim and their machshevot; it shall come to pass, that I will gather kol Goyim and leshonot; they shall come, and see My kavod.

19 And I will set an ot (sign) among them, and I will send away those that escape of them unto the Goyim, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud (that draw the bow), to Tuval, and Yavan [Greece], to the isles afar off, that have not heard My fame, neither have seen My kavod; and they shall declare My kavod among the Goyim.

20 And they shall bring all your achim out of all heathen nations for a minchah unto Hashem upon susim, and in chariots, and in wagons, and upon mules, and upon camels, to My Har Kodesh, to Yerushalayim, saith Hashem, as the Bnei Yisroel bring the minchah in a keli tahor into the Beis Hashem.

21 And I will also take of them for kohanim and for Levi’im, saith Hashem.

22 For as the Shomayim HaChadashim and HaAretz HaChadashah, which I will make, shall continue before Me, saith Hashem, so shall your zera and your shem remain.

23 And it shall come to pass, that from one Rosh Chodesh to another, and from one Shabbos to another, kol basar shall come to bow down before Me, saith Hashem.

24 And they shall go forth, and look upon the pigrei ha’anashim that have rebelled against Me; for their tola’at (worm) shall not die, neither shall their eish be quenched; and they shall be dera’on (loathsome, an abomination) to kol basar [See also on Gehinnom Dan 12:2].