65 I was [ready to be] inquired of by those who asked not; I was [ready to be] found by those who sought Me not. I said, Here I am, here I am [says I Am] to a nation [Israel] that has not called on My name.^(A)

² I have spread out My hands all the day long to a rebellious people, who walk in a way that is not good, after their own thoughts—

³ A people who provoke Me to My face continually, sacrificing [to idols] in gardens and burning incense upon bricks [instead of at God’s prescribed altar];

⁴ Who sit among the graves [trying to talk with the dead] and lodge among the secret places [or caves where familiar spirits were thought to dwell]; who eat swine’s flesh, and the broth of abominable and loathsome things is in their vessels;

⁵ Who say, Keep to yourself; do not come near me, for I am set apart from you [and lest I sanctify you]! These are smoke in My nostrils, a fire that burns all the day.

⁶ Behold, it is written before Me: I will not keep silence but will repay; yes, I will repay into their bosom

⁷ Both your own iniquities and the iniquities of your fathers, says the Lord. Because they too burned incense upon the mountains and reviled and blasphemed Me upon the hills, therefore will I measure and stretch out their former doings into their own bosom.

⁸ Thus says the Lord: As the juice [of the grape] is found in the cluster, and one says, Do not destroy it, for there is a blessing in it, so will I do for My servants’ sake, that I may not destroy them all.

⁹ And I will bring forth an offspring from Jacob, and from Judah an inheritor of My mountains; My chosen and elect will inherit it, and My servants will dwell there.

¹⁰ And [the plain of] Sharon shall be a pasture and fold for flocks, and the Valley of Achor a place for herds to lie down, for My people who seek Me, inquire of Me, and require Me [by right of their necessity and by right of My invitation].

¹¹ But you who forsake the Lord, who forget and ignore My holy Mount [Zion], who prepare a table for Gad [the Babylonian god of fortune] and who furnish mixed drinks for Meni [the god of destiny]—

¹² I will destine you [says the Lord] for the sword, and you shall all bow down to the slaughter, because when I called, you did not answer; when I spoke, you did not listen or obey. But you did what was evil in My eyes, and you chose that in which I did not delight.

¹³ Therefore thus says the Lord God: Behold, My servants shall eat, but you shall be hungry; behold, My servants shall drink, but you shall be thirsty; behold, My servants shall rejoice, but you shall be put to shame.

¹⁴ Behold, My servants shall sing for joy of heart, but you shall cry out for pain and sorrow of heart and shall wail and howl for anguish, vexation, and breaking of spirit.

¹⁵ And you will leave your name to My chosen [to those who will use it] for a curse; and the Lord God will slay you, but He will call His servants by another name [as much greater than the former name as the name Israel was greater than the name Jacob].^(B)

¹⁶ So [it shall be] that he who invokes a blessing on himself in the land shall do so by saying, May the God of truth and fidelity [the Amen] bless me; and he who takes an oath in the land shall swear by the God of truth and faithfulness to His promises [the Amen], because the former troubles are forgotten and because they are hidden from My eyes.^(C)

¹⁷ For behold, I create ^[a]new heavens and a new earth. And the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind.^(D)

¹⁸ But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a rejoicing and her people a joy.

¹⁹ And I will rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in My people; and the sound of weeping will no more be heard in it, nor the cry of distress.

²⁰ There shall no more be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who dies prematurely; for the child shall die a hundred years old, and the sinner who dies when only a hundred years old shall be [thought only a child, cut off because he is] accursed.

²¹ They shall build houses and inhabit them, and they shall plant vineyards and eat the fruit of them.

²² They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat [the fruit]. For as the days of a tree, so shall be the days of My people, and My chosen and elect shall long make use of and enjoy the work of their hands.

²³ They shall not labor in vain or bring forth [children] for sudden terror or calamity; for they shall be the descendants of the blessed of the Lord, and their offspring with them.

²⁴ And it shall be that before they call I will answer; and while they are yet speaking I will hear.^(E)

²⁵ The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox; and dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall not hurt or destroy in all My holy Mount [Zion], says the Lord.

42 Then all the captains of the forces, and Johanan son of Kareah and Jezaniah [Azariah] son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least even to the greatest came near

² And said to Jeremiah the prophet, We beseech you that you will let our supplication be presented before you and that you will pray to the Lord your God for us, even for all this remnant [of the people of Judah]; for whereas we were once many, there are but a few of us left, as you see with your [own] eyes.

³ [Pray] that the Lord your God may show us the way in which we should walk and the thing that we should do.

⁴ Then Jeremiah the prophet said to them, I have heard you. Behold, I will pray to the Lord your God according to your words; and it will be that whatever thing the Lord will answer you, I will declare it to you; I will keep nothing back from you.

⁵ Then they said to Jeremiah, May the Lord be a true and faithful witness against us if we fail to do according to all the things that the Lord your God sends you to tell us.

⁶ Whether it is good or evil, we will obey the voice of the Lord our God, to Whom we are sending you [to inquire], that it may be well with us when we obey the voice of the Lord our God.

⁷ And after ten days the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah.

⁸ Then he called Johanan son of Kareah and all the captains of the forces that were with him and all the people from the least even to the greatest,

⁹ And said to them, Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, to Whom you sent me to present your supplication before Him:

¹⁰ If you will remain in this land, then I will build you up and not pull you down, and I will plant you and not pull you up; for I will relent and comfort and ease Myself concerning the evil that [in chastisement] I have done to you [and I will substitute mercy and loving-kindness for judgment].^(A)

¹¹ Be not afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom you are fearful [with the profound and reverent dread inspired by deity]; be not afraid of him, says the Lord, for [he is a mere man, while I am the all-wise, all-powerful, and ever-present God] I [the Lord] am with you to save you and to deliver you from his hand.

¹² And I will grant mercy to you, that he may have mercy on you and permit you to remain in your own land.

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19 And [Jesus] entered Jericho and was passing through it.

² And there was a man called Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector, and [he was] rich.

³ And he was trying to see Jesus, which One He was, but he could not on account of the crowd, because he was small in stature.

⁴ So he ran on ahead and climbed up in a sycamore tree in order to see Him, for He was about to pass that way.

⁵ And when Jesus reached the place, He looked up and said to him, Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today.

⁶ So he hurried and came down, and he received and welcomed Him joyfully.

⁷ And when the people saw it, they all ^[a]muttered among themselves and indignantly complained, He has gone in to be the guest of and lodge with a man who is devoted to sin and preeminently a sinner.

⁸ So then Zacchaeus stood up and solemnly declared to the Lord, See, Lord, the half of my goods I [now] give [by way of restoration] to the poor, and if I have cheated anyone out of anything, I [now] restore four times as much.^(A)

⁹ And Jesus said to him, Today is [^[b]Messianic and spiritual] salvation come to [all the members of] this household, since Zacchaeus too is a [real spiritual] son of Abraham;

¹⁰ For the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost.

¹¹ Now as they were listening to these things, He proceeded to tell a parable, because He was approaching Jerusalem and because they thought that the kingdom of God was going to be brought to light and shown forth immediately.

¹² He therefore said, A certain nobleman went into a distant country to obtain for himself a kingdom and then to return.

¹³ Calling ten of his [own] bond servants, he gave them ten minas [each equal to about one hundred days’ wages or nearly twenty dollars] and said to them, ^[c]Buy and sell with these ^[d]while I go and then return.

¹⁴ But his citizens detested him and sent an embassy after him to say, We do not want this man to become ruler over us.

¹⁵ When he returned after having received the kingdom, he ordered these bond servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know how much each one had made by ^[e]buying and selling.

¹⁶ The first one came before him, and he said, Lord, your mina has made ten [additional] minas.

¹⁷ And he said to him, Well done, excellent bond servant! Because you have been faithful and trustworthy in a very little [thing], you shall have authority over ten cities.

¹⁸ The second one also came and said, Lord, your mina has made five more minas.

¹⁹ And he said also to him, And you will take charge over five cities.

²⁰ Then another came and said, Lord, here is your mina, which I have kept laid up in a ^[f]handkerchief.

²¹ For I was [constantly] afraid of you, because you are a stern (hard, severe) man; you pick up what you did not lay down, and you reap what you did not sow.

²² He said to the servant, I will judge and condemn you out of your own mouth, you wicked slave! You knew [did you] that I was a stern (hard, severe) man, picking up what I did not lay down, and reaping what I did not sow?

²³ Then why did you not put my money in a bank, so that on my return, I might have collected it with interest?

²⁴ And he said to the bystanders, Take the mina away from him and give it to him who has the ten minas.

²⁵ And they said to him, Lord, he has ten minas [already]!

²⁶ And [said Jesus,] I tell you that to everyone who gets and has will more be given, but from the man who does not get and does not have, even what he has will be taken away.

²⁷ [The indignant king ended by saying] But as for these enemies of mine who did not want me to reign over them—bring them here and ^[g]slaughter them in my presence!

²⁸ And after saying these things, Jesus went on ahead of them, going up to Jerusalem.

²⁹ When He came near Bethphage and Bethany at the mount called [the Mount of] Olives, He sent two of His disciples,

³⁰ Telling [them], Go into the village yonder; there, as you go in, you will find a donkey’s colt tied, on which no man has ever yet sat. Loose it and bring [it here].

³¹ If anybody asks you, Why are you untying [it]? you shall say this: Because the Lord has need of it.

³² So those who were sent went away and found it [just] as He had told them.

³³ And as they were loosening the colt, its owners said to them, Why are you untying the colt?

³⁴ And they said, The Lord has need of it.

³⁵ And they brought it to Jesus; then they threw their garments over the colt and set Jesus upon it.^(B)

³⁶ And as He rode along, the people kept spreading their garments on the road.^(C)

³⁷ As He was approaching [the city], at the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of the disciples began to rejoice and to praise God [extolling Him exultantly and] loudly for all the mighty miracles and works of power that they had witnessed,

³⁸ Crying, Blessed (celebrated with praises) is the King Who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven [^[h]freedom there from all the distresses that are experienced as the result of sin] and glory (majesty and splendor) in the highest [heaven]!^(D)

³⁹ And some of the Pharisees from the throng said to Jesus, Teacher, reprove Your disciples!

⁴⁰ He replied, I tell you that if these keep silent, the very stones will cry out.^(E)

⁴¹ And as He approached, He saw the city, and He wept [^[i]audibly] over it,

⁴² Exclaiming, Would that you had known personally, even at least in this your day, the things that make for peace (for ^[j]freedom from all the distresses that are experienced as the result of sin and upon which your peace—your ^[k]security, safety, prosperity, and happiness—depends)! But now they are hidden from your eyes.

⁴³ For a time is coming upon you when your enemies will throw up a ^[l]bank [with pointed stakes] about you and surround you and shut you in on every side.^(F)

⁴⁴ And they will dash you down to the ground, you [Jerusalem] and your children within you; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, [all] because you did not come progressively to recognize and know and understand [from observation and experience] the time of your visitation [that is, when God was visiting you, the time ^[m]in which God showed Himself gracious toward you and offered you salvation through Christ].

⁴⁵ Then He went into the temple [^[n]enclosure] and began to drive out those who were selling,

⁴⁶ Telling them, It is written, My house shall be a house of prayer; but you have made it a ^[o]cave of robbers.^(G)

⁴⁷ And He continued to teach day after day in the temple [^[p]porches and courts]. The chief priests and scribes and the leading men of the people were seeking to put Him to death,

⁴⁸ But they did not discover anything they could do, for all the people hung upon His words and ^[q]stuck by Him.

24 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, [the women] went to the tomb, taking the spices which they had made ready.

² And they found the stone rolled back from the tomb,

³ But when they went inside, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.

⁴ And while they were perplexed and wondering what to do about this, behold, two men in dazzling raiment suddenly stood beside them.

⁵ And as [the women] were frightened and were bowing their faces to the ground, the men said to them, Why do you look for the living among [those who are] dead?

⁶ He is not here, but has risen! Remember how He told you while He was still in Galilee

⁷ That the Son of Man must be given over into the hands of sinful men (men ^[a]whose way or nature is to act in opposition to God) and be crucified and on the third day rise [^[b]from death].^(A)

⁸ And they remembered His words.

⁹ And having returned from the tomb, they reported all these things [taken together] to the eleven apostles and to all the rest.

¹⁰ Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them, who reported these things to the apostles.

¹¹ But these reports seemed to the men an idle tale (^[c]madness, ^[d]feigned things, ^[e]nonsense), and they did not believe the women.

¹² But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; and stooping down and looking in, he saw the linen cloths alone by themselves, and he went away, wondering about and marveling at what had happened.

¹³ And behold, that very day two of [the disciples] were going to a village called Emmaus, [which is] about seven miles from Jerusalem.

¹⁴ And they were talking with each other about all these things that had occurred.

¹⁵ And while they were conversing and discussing together, Jesus Himself caught up with them and was already accompanying them.

¹⁶ But their eyes were held, so that they did not recognize Him.

¹⁷ And He said to them, What is this discussion that you are exchanging (^[f]throwing back and forth) between yourselves as you walk along? And they stood still, looking sad and downcast.

¹⁸ Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered Him, Do you alone dwell as a stranger in Jerusalem and not know the things that have occurred there in these days?

¹⁹ And He said to them, What [kind of] things? And they said to Him, About Jesus of Nazareth, Who was a Prophet mighty in work and word before God and all the people—

²⁰ And how our chief priests and rulers gave Him up to be sentenced to death, and crucified Him.

²¹ But we were hoping that it was He Who would redeem and set Israel free. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things occurred.

²² And moreover, some women of our company astounded us and ^[g]drove us out of our senses. They were at the tomb early [in the morning]

²³ But did not find His body; and they returned saying that they had [even] seen a vision of angels, who said that He was alive!

²⁴ So some of those [who were] with us went to the tomb and they found it just as the women had said, but Him they did not see.

²⁵ And [Jesus] said to them, O foolish ones [sluggish in mind, dull of perception] and slow of heart to believe (adhere to and trust in and rely on) everything that the prophets have spoken!

²⁶ Was it not necessary and ^[h]essentially fitting that the Christ (the Messiah) should suffer all these things before entering into His glory (His majesty and splendor)?

²⁷ Then beginning with Moses and [throughout] all the Prophets, He went on explaining and interpreting to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning and referring to Himself.

²⁸ Then they drew near the village to which they were going, and He acted as if He would go further.

²⁹ But they urged and insisted, saying to Him, Remain with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is now far spent. So He went in to stay with them.

³⁰ And it occurred that as He reclined at table with them, He took [a loaf of] bread and praised [God] and gave thanks and asked a blessing, and then broke it and was giving it to them

³¹ When their eyes were [instantly] opened and they [clearly] recognized Him, and He vanished (^[i]departed invisibly).

³² And they said to one another, Were not our hearts greatly moved and burning within us while He was talking with us on the road and as He opened and explained to us [the sense of] the Scriptures?

³³ And rising up that very hour, they went back to Jerusalem, where they found the Eleven [apostles] gathered together and those who were with them,

³⁴ Who said, The Lord really has risen and has appeared to Simon (Peter)!

³⁵ Then they [themselves] ^[j]related [in full] what had happened on the road, and how He was known and recognized by them in the breaking of bread.

³⁶ Now while they were talking about this, Jesus Himself took His stand among them and said to them, Peace (^[k]freedom from all the distresses that are experienced as the result of sin) be to you!

³⁷ But they were so startled and terrified that they thought they saw a spirit.

³⁸ And He said to them, Why are you disturbed and troubled, and why do such doubts and questionings arise in your hearts?

³⁹ See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself! Feel and handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones, as you see that I have.

⁴⁰ And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet.

⁴¹ And while [since] they still could not believe it for sheer joy and marveled, He said to them, Have you anything here to eat?

⁴² They gave Him a piece of broiled fish,

⁴³ And He took [it] and ate [it] before them.

⁴⁴ Then He said to them, This is what I told you while I was still with you: everything which is written concerning Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.

⁴⁵ Then He [thoroughly] opened up their minds to understand the Scriptures,

⁴⁶ And said to them, Thus it is written that the Christ (the Messiah) should suffer and on the third day rise from (^[l] among) the dead,^(B)

⁴⁷ And that repentance [with a view to and as the condition of] forgiveness of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

⁴⁸ You are witnesses of these things.

⁴⁹ And behold, I will send forth upon you what My Father has promised; but remain in the city [Jerusalem] until you are clothed with power from on high.

⁵⁰ Then He conducted them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up His hands, He invoked a blessing on them.

⁵¹ And it occurred that while He was blessing them, He parted from them and was taken up into heaven.

⁵² And they, worshiping Him, went back to Jerusalem with great joy;

⁵³ And they were continually in the temple celebrating with praises and blessing and extolling God. Amen (so be it).