Isaiah 66
Expanded Bible
The Lord Will Judge All Nations
66 This is what the Lord says:
“Heaven is my throne,
and the earth is my footstool.
So ·do you think you can build a house for me [L where is this house you would build for me]?
·Do I need a place to rest [Where is my resting place]?
2 [L Hasn’t…?] My hand made all things.
All things are here because I made them,”
says the Lord.
“These are the people ·I am pleased with [L upon whom I look]:
those who are ·not proud or stubborn [humble and contrite in spirit]
and who ·fear [tremble at] my word.
3 But those people who kill bulls as a sacrifice to me
are like those who kill people.
Those who kill sheep as a sacrifice
are like those who break the necks of dogs.
Those who give me ·grain [L gift; tribute] offerings [Lev. 2:1]
are like those who offer me the blood of pigs [C dogs and pigs were ritually unclean animals and were forbidden as sacrifices].
Those who burn incense
are like those who worship idols [C their rituals were no better than pagan worship because their hearts were not right with God].
These people choose their own ways, not mine,
and they ·love [delight in] ·the terrible things they do [their abominations].
4 So I will choose ·their punishments [harsh treatment for them],
and I will punish them with what they fear most.
This is because I called to them, but they did not listen.
I spoke to them, but they did not hear me.
They did things I said were evil;
they chose to do things I did not ·like [delight in].”
5 You people who ·obey the words of the Lord [L tremble at his word],
listen to what he says:
“Your brothers hated you
and ·turned against [excluded; cast out] you because ·you followed me [L of my name].
Your brothers said, ‘Let the Lord be ·honored [glorified]
so we may see ·you rejoice [your joy],’
but they will be ·punished [L put to shame].
6 ·Listen to the loud noise coming [L A sound of uproar…!] from the city;
hear the ·noise [or voice] from the Temple.
It is the [L voice/sound of the] Lord ·punishing [repaying] his enemies,
giving them the punishment they deserve.
7 “·A woman does not give birth [L She gives birth; C alluding to Jerusalem/Zion; v. 8] before she ·feels the pain [goes into labor];
she ·does not give birth to a son [delivers a son/child] before the pain starts.
8 ·No one has ever [L Who has…?] heard of that happening;
·no one has ever [L Who has…?] seen that happen.
·In the same way no one ever saw [L Can…?] a country ·begin [be born] in one day;
·no one has ever heard of a new nation beginning [L can a nation be brought forth…?] in one moment.
But ·Jerusalem [L Zion; C the location of the Temple] will give birth to her children
just as soon as she feels the birth pains [C the rebirth of the nation will be sudden and unexpected].
9 ·In the same way I will not cause pain [L Will I bring one to the moment of birth…?]
without allowing something new to be born,” says the Lord.
“If I cause you ·the pain [to deliver],
·I will not stop you from giving birth to your new nation [L will I (now) close the womb?],” says your God.
10 “·Jerusalem, rejoice [or Rejoice with Jerusalem].
All you people who love Jerusalem, be ·happy [glad for/with her].
Those of you who ·felt sad [mourned] for Jerusalem
should now ·feel happy [L rejoice with joy] with her.
11 You will ·take comfort from her [L nurse] and be satisfied,
·as a child is nursed by its mother [L at her comforting breasts].
You will ·receive her good things [L drink deeply]
·and enjoy her wealth [from her glorious abundance].”
12 This is what the Lord says:
“I will give her peace that will flow to her like a river.
The ·wealth [glory] of the nations will come to her like a ·river overflowing its banks [flood].
·Like babies you will [L You will] be nursed and held in ·my [L her] arms
and bounced on ·my [L her] knees.
13 I will comfort you
as a mother comforts her child.
You will be comforted in Jerusalem.”
14 When you see these things, ·you [L your heart] will ·be happy [rejoice],
and ·you [or your bones] will ·grow [flourish] like the grass.
The Lord’s servants will see his ·power [L hand],
but his enemies will see his ·anger [wrath].
15 Look, the Lord is coming with fire
and his ·armies [L chariots] with ·clouds of dust [a whirlwind].
He will ·punish those people with his anger [L satisfy/render his anger with fury/wrath];
he will ·punish them [L satisfy/render his rebuke] with flames of fire.
16 The Lord will judge the people with fire,
and he will ·destroy many people [judge all people] with his sword;
·he will kill many people [L many will be slain by the Lord].
17 “These people ·make themselves holy and pure [sanctify/consecrate and purify themselves] to go ·to worship their gods in their [L into] gardens [C pagan worship sites; 1:29]. Following ·each other [or their leader; L one], they eat the meat of pigs and rats and other ·hateful [detestable; abominable] things. But they will ·all be destroyed [perish] together,” says the Lord.
18 “I know ·they have evil thoughts and do evil things [L their deeds and thoughts], so I am ·coming to punish them [L coming]. I will gather all nations and all ·people [L languages; tongues], and they will come together and see my glory.
19 “I will put a ·mark [sign] ·on some of the people [L among them], and I will send ·some of these saved people [or those who survive] to the nations: to Tarshish [2:16], ·Libya [L Pul], Lud (·the land of archers [L who draw the bow]), Tubal, ·Greece [L Javan], and all the faraway ·lands [or islands; or coastlands]. These people have never heard about ·what I have done [my fame] nor seen my glory. So ·the saved people [L they] will tell the nations about my glory. 20 And they will bring all your ·fellow Israelites [L brothers] from all nations to my holy mountain in Jerusalem as an offering to the Lord. ·Your fellow Israelites [L They] will come on horses, donkeys, and camels and in chariots and wagons. They will be like the grain offerings that the people bring in ·clean [pure; undefiled] ·containers [vessels] to the Temple,” says the Lord. 21 “And I will ·choose [take] even some of these people to be priests and Levites,” says the Lord.
22 “I will make new heavens and the new earth, which will ·last forever [endure before me],” says the Lord. “In the same way, your name and your ·children [descendants; offspring; seed] will ·always be with me [remain; endure]. 23 All ·people [flesh] will come to worship me every Sabbath and every New Moon,” says the Lord. 24 “They will go out and see the dead bodies of the people who ·sinned [rebelled] against me. The worms that eat them will never die, and the fires that burn them will never ·stop [be quenched], and ·everyone will hate to see those bodies [L they will be a horror/abhorrence to all flesh].”
Isaiah 66
New American Standard Bible
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?
2 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
3 “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,
4 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.”
5 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.
6 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.
7 “Before she was in labor, (S)she delivered;
Before her pain came, (T)she gave birth to a boy.
8 (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.
9 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.”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 66:1 Lit is My resting place?
- Isaiah 66:3 Lit offers a memorial of incense
- Isaiah 66:4 Lit ill treatments
- Isaiah 66:8 Lit born through labor-pains
- Isaiah 66:12 Lit nurse
- Isaiah 66:12 Lit side
- Isaiah 66:16 Lit all flesh
- Isaiah 66:17 Lit After
- Isaiah 66:18 As in LXX; know not found in MT
- Isaiah 66:18 Lit it is coming
- Isaiah 66:19 As in LXX; MT Pul
- Isaiah 66:19 As in LXX; MT those who draw the bow
- Isaiah 66:19 I.e., Greece
- Isaiah 66:23 Lit flesh
- Isaiah 66:24 Lit flesh
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New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
