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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.”

The Worship God Demands

66 Thus says the Lord:
Heaven is my throne,
    and the earth is my footstool;
so what kind of house could you build for me,
    what sort of place for me to rest?(A)
All these things my hand has made,
    so all these things are mine,[a]
            says the Lord.
But this is the one to whom I will look,
    to the humble and contrite in spirit
    who trembles at my word.(B)

Whoever slaughters an ox is like one who kills a human,
    whoever sacrifices a lamb like one who breaks a dog’s neck,
whoever presents a grain offering like one who offers pig’s blood,
    whoever makes a memorial offering of frankincense like one who blesses an idol.
Just as these have chosen their own ways
    and in their abominations they take delight,(C)
so I will choose their punishments
    and bring upon them what they fear,
because, when I called, no one answered,
    when I spoke, they did not listen,
but they did what was evil in my sight
    and chose what did not please me.(D)

The Lord Vindicates Zion

Hear the word of the Lord,
    you who tremble at his word:
Your own people who hate you
    and reject you for my name’s sake
have said, “Let the Lord be glorified,
    so that we may see your joy,”
    but it is they who shall be put to shame.(E)

Listen, a roar from the city!
    A voice from the temple!
The voice of the Lord,
    dealing retribution to his enemies!(F)

Before she was in labor
    she gave birth;
before her pain came upon her
    she delivered a son.(G)
Who has heard of such a thing?
    Who has seen such things?
Shall a land be born in one day?
    Shall a nation be delivered in one moment?
Yet as soon as Zion was in labor
    she delivered her children.(H)
Shall I open the womb and not deliver?
    says the Lord;
shall I, the one who delivers, shut the womb?
    says your God.

10 Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her,
    all you who love her;
rejoice with her in joy,
    all you who mourn over her—(I)
11 that you may nurse and be satisfied
    from her consoling breast,
that you may drink deeply with delight
    from her glorious bosom.(J)

12 For thus says the Lord:
I will extend prosperity to her like a river
    and the wealth of the nations like an overflowing stream,
and you shall nurse and be carried on her arm
    and bounced on her knees.(K)
13 As a mother comforts her child,
    so I will comfort you;
    you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.(L)

The Reign and Indignation of God

14 You shall see, and your heart shall rejoice;
    your bodies[b] shall flourish like the grass,
and it shall be known that the power of the Lord is with his servants,
    and his indignation is against his enemies.(M)
15 For the Lord will come in fire
    and his chariots in a whirlwind,[c]
to vent his anger in fury
    and his rebuke in flames of fire.(N)
16 For by fire will the Lord execute judgment,
    and by his sword on all flesh;
    and those slain by the Lord shall be many.(O)

17 Those who sanctify and purify themselves to go into the gardens, following the one in the center, eating the flesh of pigs, vermin, and rodents, shall come to an end together, says the Lord,(P) 18 for I know[d] their works and their thoughts.

I am[e] coming to gather all nations and tongues, and they shall come and shall see my glory,(Q) 19 and I will set a sign among them. From them I will send survivors to the nations, to Tarshish, Put,[f] and Lud, to Meshech,[g] Tubal, and Javan, to the coastlands far away that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory, and they shall declare my glory among the nations.(R) 20 They shall bring all your kindred from all the nations as an offering to the Lord, on horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and on mules, and on dromedaries, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, says the Lord, just as the Israelites bring a grain offering in a clean vessel to the house of the Lord.(S) 21 And I will also take some of them as priests and as Levites, says the Lord.(T)

22 For as the new heavens and the new earth,
    which I will make,
shall remain before me, says the Lord,
    so shall your descendants and your name remain.(U)
23 From new moon to new moon
    and from Sabbath to Sabbath,
all flesh shall come to worship before me,
says the Lord.(V)

24 And they shall go out and look at the dead bodies of the people who have rebelled against me, for their worm shall not die, their fire shall not be quenched, and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.(W)

Footnotes

  1. 66.2 Gk Syr: Heb these things came to be
  2. 66.14 Heb bones
  3. 66.15 Q ms: MT like a whirlwind
  4. 66.18 Gk Syr: Heb lacks know
  5. 66.18 Gk Syr Vg Tg: Heb it is
  6. 66.19 Gk: Heb Pul
  7. 66.19 Gk: Heb those drawing the bow