Heaven Is God’s Throne

66 This is what the Lord says:

(A)Heaven is My throne and the earth is the footstool for My feet.
Where then is a (B)house you could build for Me?
And where is a place that [a]I may rest?
For (C)My hand made all these things,
So all these things came into being,” declares the Lord.
“But I will look to this one,
At one who is humble and (D)contrite in spirit, and who (E)trembles at My word.

Hypocrisy Rebuked

But the one who slaughters an ox is like one who kills a person;
The one who sacrifices a lamb is like one who breaks a dog’s neck;
One who offers a grain offering is like one who offers (F)pig’s blood;
One who [b](G)burns incense is like one who blesses an idol.
As they have chosen their (H)own ways,
And their souls delight in their (I)abominations,
So I will (J)choose their [c]punishments
And (K)bring on them what they dread.
Because I called, but (L)no one answered;
I spoke, but they did not listen.
Instead, they did (M)evil in My sight
And chose that in which I did not delight.”
Hear the word of the Lord, you who (N)tremble at His word:
“Your brothers who (O)hate you, who (P)exclude you on account of My name,
Have said, ‘Let the Lord be glorified, so that we may see your joy.’
But (Q)they will be put to shame.
A sound of uproar from the city, a voice from the temple,
The voice of the Lord who is (R)dealing retribution to His enemies.

“Before she was in labor, (S)she delivered;
Before her pain came, (T)she gave birth to a boy.
(U)Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things?
Can a land be [d]born in one day?
Can a nation be given birth all at once?
As soon as Zion was in labor, she also delivered her sons.
Shall I bring to the point of birth but (V)not give delivery?” says the Lord.
“Or shall I who gives delivery shut the womb?” says your God.

Joy in Jerusalem’s Future

10 “Be (W)joyful with Jerusalem and rejoice for her, all you who (X)love her;
Be exceedingly (Y)glad with her, all you who mourn over her,
11 So that you may nurse and (Z)be satisfied with her comforting breasts,
So that you may drink fully and be delighted with her (AA)bountiful breasts.”
12 For this is what the Lord says: “Behold, I extend (AB)peace to her like a river,
And the (AC)glory of the nations like an overflowing stream;
And you will [e]be nursed, you will be (AD)carried on the [f]hip and rocked back and forth on the knees.
13 As one whom his mother comforts, so I will (AE)comfort you;
And you will be comforted in Jerusalem.”
14 Then you will (AF)see this, and your (AG)heart will be glad,
And your (AH)bones will flourish like the new grass;
And the (AI)hand of the Lord will be made known to His servants,
But He will be (AJ)indignant toward His enemies.
15 For behold, the Lord will come in (AK)fire,
And His (AL)chariots like the whirlwind,
To render His anger with fury,
And His rebuke with flames of fire.
16 For the Lord will execute judgment by (AM)fire
And by His (AN)sword on [g]humanity,
And those put to death by the Lord will be many.
17 “Those who sanctify and purify themselves to go to the (AO)gardens,
[h]Following one in the center,
Who eat (AP)pig’s flesh, detestable things, and mice,
Will (AQ)come to an end altogether,” declares the Lord.

18 “For I [i]know their works and their (AR)thoughts; [j]the time is coming to (AS)gather all the nations and tongues. And they shall come and see My glory. 19 And I will put a (AT)sign among them and send survivors from them to the nations: (AU)Tarshish, [k]Put, (AV)Lud, [l]Meshech, (AW)Tubal, and [m]Javan, to the distant (AX)coastlands that have neither heard of My fame nor seen My glory. And they will (AY)declare My glory among the nations. 20 Then they shall (AZ)bring all your countrymen from all the nations as a grain offering to the Lord, on horses, in chariots, in litters, on mules, and on camels, to My (BA)holy mountain Jerusalem,” says the Lord, “just as the sons of Israel bring their grain offering in a (BB)clean vessel to the house of the Lord. 21 I will also take some of them as (BC)priests and Levites,” says the Lord.

22 “For just as the (BD)new heavens and the new earth,
Which I make, will endure before Me,” declares the Lord,
“So will your (BE)descendants and your (BF)name endure.
23 And it shall be from (BG)new moon to new moon
And from Sabbath to Sabbath,
All [n]mankind will come to (BH)bow down before Me,” says the Lord.
24 “Then they will go out and look
At the (BI)corpses of the people
Who have (BJ)rebelled against Me.
For their (BK)worm will not die
(BL)And their fire will not be extinguished;
And they will be an (BM)abhorrence to all [o]mankind.”

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 66:1 Lit is My resting place?
  2. Isaiah 66:3 Lit offers a memorial of incense
  3. Isaiah 66:4 Lit ill treatments
  4. Isaiah 66:8 Lit born through labor-pains
  5. Isaiah 66:12 Lit nurse
  6. Isaiah 66:12 Lit side
  7. Isaiah 66:16 Lit all flesh
  8. Isaiah 66:17 Lit After
  9. Isaiah 66:18 As in LXX; know not found in MT
  10. Isaiah 66:18 Lit it is coming
  11. Isaiah 66:19 As in LXX; MT Pul
  12. Isaiah 66:19 As in LXX; MT those who draw the bow
  13. Isaiah 66:19 I.e., Greece
  14. Isaiah 66:23 Lit flesh
  15. Isaiah 66:24 Lit flesh

although (A)I myself could boast as having confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he is confident in the flesh, I have more reason: (B)circumcised the eighth day, of the (C)nation of Israel, of the (D)tribe of Benjamin, a (E)Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, (F)a Pharisee; as to zeal, (G)a persecutor of the church; as to the (H)righteousness which is in the Law, found (I)blameless.

But (J)whatever things were gain to me, these things I have counted as loss because of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss [a]in view of the surpassing value of [b](K)knowing (L)Christ Jesus my Lord, [c]for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them mere rubbish, so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having (M)a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, (N)the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, 10 that I may (O)know Him and (P)the power of His resurrection and [d](Q)the fellowship of His sufferings, being (R)conformed to His death; 11 if somehow I may (S)attain to the resurrection from the dead.

12 Not that I have already [e](T)grasped it all or have already (U)become perfect, but I press on if I may also (V)take hold of that [f]for which I (W)was even taken hold of by (X)Christ Jesus. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not regard myself as having taken hold of it yet; but one thing I do: (Y)forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, 14 I (Z)press on toward the goal for the prize of the (AA)upward call of God in (AB)Christ Jesus. 15 Therefore, all who are [g](AC)mature, let’s have this attitude; and if in anything you have a (AD)different attitude, (AE)God will reveal that to you as well; 16 however, let’s keep [h](AF)living by that same standard to which we have attained.

17 Brothers and sisters, (AG)join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the (AH)pattern you have in us. 18 For (AI)many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even as I (AJ)weep, that they are the enemies of (AK)the cross of Christ, 19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their [i](AL)appetite, and whose (AM)glory is in their shame, who (AN)have their minds on earthly things. 20 For (AO)our [j]citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly (AP)wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; 21 who will (AQ)transform the body of our lowly condition into (AR)conformity with [k]His (AS)glorious body, (AT)by the exertion of the power that He has even to (AU)subject all things to Himself.

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Footnotes

  1. Philippians 3:8 Lit because of
  2. Philippians 3:8 Lit the knowledge of
  3. Philippians 3:8 Lit because of
  4. Philippians 3:10 Or participation in
  5. Philippians 3:12 Or obtained
  6. Philippians 3:12 Or because also
  7. Philippians 3:15 Or perfect
  8. Philippians 3:16 Lit following in line
  9. Philippians 3:19 Lit belly
  10. Philippians 3:20 Lit commonwealth
  11. Philippians 3:21 Lit the body of His glory

An Appeal against the Devastation of the Land by the Enemy.

A [a]Maskil of Asaph.

74 God, why have You (A)rejected us forever?
Why does Your anger (B)smoke against the (C)sheep of Your [b]pasture?
Remember Your congregation, which You (D)purchased of old,
Which You have (E)redeemed to be the (F)tribe of Your inheritance;
And this Mount (G)Zion, where You have dwelt.
[c]Step toward the [d](H)irreparable ruins;
The enemy (I)has damaged everything in the sanctuary.
Your adversaries have (J)roared in the midst of Your meeting place;
They have set up their (K)own signs as (L)signs.
It [e]seems like one bringing up
His (M)axe into a [f]forest of trees.
And now they break down [g]all its (N)carved work
With axe and hammers.
They have [h](O)burned Your sanctuary [i]to the ground;
They have (P)defiled the dwelling place of Your name.
They (Q)said in their heart, “Let’s [j]completely [k]subdue them.”
They have burned all the meeting places of God in the land.
We do not see our (R)signs;
There is (S)no longer any prophet,
Nor is there anyone among us who knows (T)how long.
10 How long, God, will the enemy (U)taunt You?
Shall the enemy (V)treat Your name disrespectfully forever?
11 Why (W)do You withdraw Your hand, even Your right hand?
Extend it from Your chest and (X)destroy them!

12 Yet God is (Y)my King from long ago,
Who performs acts of salvation in the midst of the earth.
13 [l]You (Z)divided the sea by Your strength;
[m]You (AA)broke the heads of the (AB)sea monsters [n]in the waters.
14 [o]You crushed the heads of [p](AC)Leviathan;
You gave him as food for the [q]creatures (AD)of the wilderness.
15 [r]You (AE)broke open springs and torrents;
[s]You (AF)dried up ever-flowing streams.
16 Yours is the day, Yours also is the night;
[t]You have (AG)prepared the [u]light and the sun.
17 [v]You have (AH)established all the boundaries of the earth;
[w]You have [x]created (AI)summer and winter.

18 Remember this, [y]Lord, that the enemy has (AJ)taunted You,
And a (AK)foolish people has treated Your name disrespectfully.
19 Do not give the soul of Your (AL)turtledove to the wild animal;
(AM)Do not forget the life of Your afflicted forever.
20 Consider the (AN)covenant;
For the (AO)dark places of the land are full of the places of violence.
21 May the (AP)oppressed person not return dishonored;
May the (AQ)afflicted and the needy praise Your name.

22 Arise, God, and (AR)plead Your own cause;
Remember [z]how the (AS)foolish person taunts You all day long.
23 Do not forget the voice of Your (AT)adversaries,
The (AU)uproar of those who rise against You, which ascends continually.

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 74 Title Possibly, Contemplative; or Didactic; or Skillful Psalm
  2. Psalm 74:1 Or pasturing
  3. Psalm 74:3 Lit Lift Your footsteps
  4. Psalm 74:3 Lit ruins ruined for all time
  5. Psalm 74:5 Lit is known as
  6. Psalm 74:5 Lit thicket
  7. Psalm 74:6 Lit altogether
  8. Psalm 74:7 Lit set on fire
  9. Psalm 74:7 Or To the ground they...
  10. Psalm 74:8 Lit altogether
  11. Psalm 74:8 Or oppress
  12. Psalm 74:13 Or You Yourself
  13. Psalm 74:13 Or You Yourself
  14. Psalm 74:13 Lit on
  15. Psalm 74:14 Or You Yourself
  16. Psalm 74:14 Or sea monster
  17. Psalm 74:14 Lit people
  18. Psalm 74:15 Or You Yourself
  19. Psalm 74:15 Or You Yourself
  20. Psalm 74:16 Or You Yourself
  21. Psalm 74:16 Or luminary
  22. Psalm 74:17 Or You Yourself
  23. Psalm 74:17 Or You Yourself
  24. Psalm 74:17 Or formed
  25. Psalm 74:18 Or that the enemy has taunted the Lord
  26. Psalm 74:22 Lit Your reproach from the foolish man

15 (A)Do not lie in ambush, you wicked person, against the home of the righteous;
Do not destroy his resting place;
16 For a (B)righteous person falls seven times and rises again,
But the (C)wicked stumble in time of disaster.

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