Isaiah 66:1-9

English Standard Version

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?
²^(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.

³^(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;
⁴^(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.”

⁵Hear 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.

⁶“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

⁷^(N)“Before she was in labor
    she gave birth;
before her pain came upon her
    she delivered a son.
⁸Who 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.
⁹Shall 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.