Add parallel Print Page Options

66 Yahweh says,

“Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool.
    What kind of house will you build to me?
    Where will I rest?
For my hand has made all these things,
    and so all these things came to be,” says Yahweh:
“but I will look to this man,
    even to he who is poor and of a contrite spirit,
    and who trembles at my word.
He who kills an ox is as he who kills a man;
    he who sacrifices a lamb, as he who breaks a dog’s neck;
    he who offers an offering, as he who offers pig’s blood;
    he who burns frankincense, as he who blesses an idol.
Yes, they have chosen their own ways,
    and their soul delights in their abominations:
I also will choose their delusions,
    and will bring their fears on them;
because when I called, no one answered;
    when I spoke, they didn’t listen;
but they did that which was evil in my eyes,
    and chose that in which I didn’t delight.”

Hear Yahweh’s word,
    you who tremble at his word:
“Your brothers who hate you,
    who cast you out for my name’s sake, have said,
‘Let Yahweh be glorified,
    that we may see your joy;’
    but it is those who shall be disappointed.
A voice of tumult from the city,
    a voice from the temple,
    a voice of Yahweh that repays his enemies what they deserve.

“Before she travailed, she gave birth.
    Before her pain came, she delivered a son.
Who has heard of such a thing?
    Who has seen such things?
Shall a land be born in one day?
    Shall a nation be born at once?
For as soon as Zion travailed,
    she gave birth to her children.
Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to be delivered?” says Yahweh.
    “Shall I who cause to give birth shut the womb?” says your God.

10 “Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her, all you who love her.
    Rejoice for joy with her, all you who mourn over her;
11 that you may nurse and be satisfied at the comforting breasts;
    that you may drink deeply,
    and be delighted with the abundance of her glory.”

12 For Yahweh says, “Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river,
    and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream;
    and you will nurse.
You will be carried on her side,
    and will be dandled on her knees.
13 As one whom his mother comforts,
    so I will comfort you.
    You will be comforted in Jerusalem.”

14 You will see it, and your heart shall rejoice,
    and your bones will flourish like the tender grass.
Yahweh’s hand will be known among his servants;
    and he will have indignation against his enemies.

15 For, behold, Yahweh will come with fire,
    and his chariots will be like the whirlwind;
to render his anger with fierceness,
    and his rebuke with flames of fire.
16 For Yahweh will execute judgment by fire and by his sword on all flesh;
    and those slain by Yahweh will be many.

17 “Those who sanctify themselves and purify themselves to go to the gardens, behind one in the middle, eating pig’s meat, abominable things, and the mouse, they shall come to an end together,” says Yahweh.

18 “For I know their works and their thoughts. The time comes that I will gather all nations and languages, and they will come, and will see my glory.

19 “I will set a sign among them, and I will send those who escape of them to the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to far-away islands, who have not heard my fame, nor have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the nations. 20 They shall bring all your brothers out of all the nations for an offering to Yahweh, on horses, in chariots, in litters, on mules, and on camels, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, says Yahweh, as the children of Israel bring their offering in a clean vessel into Yahweh’s house. 21 Of them I will also select priests and Levites,” says Yahweh.

22 “For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me,” says Yahweh, “so your offspring and your name shall remain. 23 It shall happen that from one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, all flesh will come to worship before me,” says Yahweh. 24 “They will go out, and look at the dead bodies of the men who have transgressed against me; for their worm will not die, nor will their fire be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind.”

Where God may be found

66 The Lord says:
Heaven is my throne,
    and earth is my footstool.
So where could you build a house for me,
    and where could my resting place be?
My hand made all these things
    and brought them into being, says the Lord.
But here is where I will look:
    to the humble and contrite in spirit,
    who tremble at my word.

The one who slaughters an ox kills a person;
    the one who sacrifices a sheep breaks a dog’s neck;
    the one who makes a grain offering offers swine’s blood;
    the one who burns incense blesses an idol.
    All these have chosen their own ways,
    and prefer their detestable things.
So I too will choose to punish them,
    to bring horrors upon them,
    since I called and no one answered.
    I spoke and no one heard,
        but they did evil in my eyes.
    What I didn’t want, they chose.

Listen to the Lord’s word,
    you who tremble at his word:
Your family members, those who hate and exclude you because of my name,
    have said, “Let the Lord be glorified;
    let’s see your joy.”
    But they will be ashamed.
The sound of an uproar from the city! A sound from the temple!
    The sound of the Lord repaying his enemies what they have earned.

Mother Zion

Before she was in labor, she gave birth.
    Before her pangs came upon her, she delivered a boy.
Whoever heard of such a thing?
    Whoever saw such things as these?
Can a land come to birth in one day?
    Can a nation be born all at once?
Yet as soon as birth pangs came,
    Zion bore her children.
Will I open the womb and not bring to birth? says the Lord.
    Will I, who create life, close the womb? says your God.
10 Celebrate with Jerusalem; be happy with her,
    all you who love her!
Rejoice with her in joy,
    all you who mourn over her,
11     so that you may nurse and be satisfied
    from her comforting breasts,
    that you may drink and be refreshed
    from her full breasts.
12 The Lord says:
    Look, I’m extending prosperity to her like a river,
    and the wealth of nations like an overflowing stream.
You will nurse and be carried on the hip
    and bounced upon the knee.

13 As a mother comforts her child,
    so I will comfort you;
    in Jerusalem you will be comforted.
14 When you see this, your heart will rejoice;
    your entire being will flourish like grass.
The Lord’s power will be known among his servants,
    but his fury among his enemies.
15 The Lord will come with fire,
    God’s chariots like a windstorm,
    to repay in hot anger,
    to rebuke with fiery flames.
16 With fire and with sword the Lord will judge all humanity;
    many will be slain by the Lord.

17 Those who became holy and purify themselves, following their leader into the gardens,[a] who eat pork, detestable animals, and mice, will meet their end together, says the Lord.

Worshippers gathered from the nations

18 Because of their actions and thoughts, I’m coming to gather all nations and cultures. They will come to see my glory. 19 I will put a sign on them, by sending out some of the survivors to the nations, to Tarshish, Libya, and Lydia, and to the archers of Cilicia and Greece—distant coastlands that haven’t heard of my fame or seen my glory. They will declare my glory among the nations. 20 They will bring your family members from all nations as an offering to the Lord—on horses, in chariots, in wagons, on mules, and on camels—to my holy mountain Jerusalem, says the Lord, like Israelites bringing an offering in purified containers to the Lord’s house. 21 I will select some of them as priests and Levites, says the Lord.

22 As the new heavens and the new earth that I’m making will endure before me, says the Lord,
    so your descendants and your name will endure.
23 From month to month and from Sabbath to Sabbath,
    all humanity will come to worship me, says the Lord.
24 They will go out and see the corpses
    of the people who rebelled against me,
    where their worm never dies, where their fire is never extinguished.
        They will be a horror to everyone.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 66:17 Heb uncertain