The Humble and Contrite in Spirit

66 (A)Thus says the Lord:
(B)“Heaven is my throne,
    and the earth is my footstool;
what is the house that you would build for me,
    and what is the place of my rest?
(C)All these things my hand has made,
    and so all these things came to be,
declares the Lord.
(D)But this is the one to whom I will look:
    he who is humble and contrite in spirit
    and trembles at my word.

(E)“He who slaughters an ox is like one who kills a man;
    he who sacrifices a lamb, like one who breaks a dog's neck;
he who presents a grain offering, like one who offers (F)pig's blood;
    he who makes a memorial offering of frankincense, like one who blesses an idol.
(G)These have chosen their own ways,
    and their soul delights in their abominations;
(H)I also will choose harsh treatment for them
    and bring (I)their fears upon them,
(J)because when I called, no one answered,
    when I spoke, they did not listen;
(K)but they did what was evil in my eyes
    and chose that in which I did not delight.”

Hear the word of the Lord,
    you who tremble at his word:
“Your brothers who hate you
    and cast you out for my name's sake
have said, (L)‘Let the Lord be glorified,
    that we may see your joy’;
    but it is they who shall be put to shame.

“The sound of an uproar from the city!
    A sound from the temple!
The sound of the Lord,
    (M)rendering recompense to his enemies!

Rejoice with Jerusalem

(N)“Before she was in labor
    she gave birth;
before her pain came upon her
    she delivered a son.
Who has heard such a thing?
    Who has seen such things?
Shall a land be born in one day?
    Shall a nation be brought forth in one moment?
For (O)as soon as Zion was in labor
    she brought forth her children.
Shall I bring to the point of birth and not cause to bring forth?”
    says the Lord;
“shall I, who cause to bring forth, shut the womb?”
    says your God.

10 (P)“Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her,
    all you who love her;
rejoice with her in joy,
    all you who mourn over her;
11 that you may nurse and be satisfied
    from her consoling breast;
that you may drink deeply with delight
    from her glorious abundance.”[a]

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 66:11 Or breast

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)

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