Isaiah 65
New International Reader's Version
The Lord Judges and Saves
65 The Lord says, “I made myself known to those who were not asking for me.
I was found by those who were not trying to find me.
I spoke to a nation that did not pray to me.
‘Here I am,’ I said. ‘Here I am.’
2 All day long I have held out my hands
to welcome a stubborn nation.
They lead sinful lives.
They go where their evil thoughts take them.
3 They are always making me very angry.
They do it right in front of me.
They offer sacrifices in the gardens of other gods.
They burn incense on altars that are made out of bricks.
4 They sit among the graves.
They spend their nights talking to the spirits of the dead.
They eat the meat of pigs.
Their cooking pots hold soup that has ‘unclean’ meat in it.
5 They say, ‘Keep away! Don’t come near us!
We are too sacred for you!’
Those people are like smoke in my nose.
They are like a fire that keeps burning all day.
6 “I will judge them. I have even written it down.
I will not keep silent.
Instead, I will pay them back for all their sins.
7 I will punish them for their sins.
I will also punish them for the sins of their people before them.”
This is what the Lord says.
“They burned sacrifices on the mountains.
They disobeyed me by worshiping other gods on the hills.
So I will make sure they are fully punished
for all the sins they have committed.”
8 The Lord says,
“Sometimes juice is still left in grapes that have been crushed.
So people say, ‘Don’t destroy them.’
They are still of some benefit.”
That is what I will do for the good of those who serve me.
I will not destroy all my people.
9 I will give children
to the families of Jacob and Judah.
They will possess my entire land.
My chosen people will be given all of it.
Those who serve me will live there.
10 Their flocks will eat in the rich grasslands of Sharon.
Their herds will rest in the Valley of Achor.
That is what I will do for my people who follow me.
11 “But some of you have deserted me.
You no longer worship on my holy mountain of Zion.
You spread a table for the god called Good Fortune.
You offer bowls of mixed wine to the god named Fate.
12 So I will make it your fate to be killed by swords.
All of you will die in the battle.
That’s because I called out to you, but you did not answer me.
I spoke to you, but you did not listen.
You did what is evil in my sight.
You chose to do what does not please me.”
13 So the Lord and King says,
“Those who serve me will have food to eat.
But you will be hungry.
My servants will have plenty to drink.
But you will be thirsty.
Those who serve me will be full of joy.
But you will be put to shame.
14 My servants will sing
with joy in their hearts.
But you will cry out
because of the great pain in your hearts.
You will cry because your spirits are sad.
15 My chosen ones will use your names
when they curse others.
I am your Lord and King.
I will put you to death.
But I will give new names to those who serve me.
16 They will ask me to bless their land.
They will do it in my name.
I am the one true God.
They will make promises in their land.
They will do it in my name.
I am the one true God.
The troubles of the past will be forgotten.
They will be hidden from my eyes.
The Lord Will Create New Heavens and a New Earth
17 “I will create new heavens and a new earth.
The things that have happened before will not be remembered.
They will not even enter your minds.
18 So be glad and full of joy forever
because of what I will create.
I will cause others to take delight in Jerusalem.
They will be filled with joy
when they see its people.
19 And I will be full of joy because of Jerusalem.
I will take delight in my people.
Weeping and crying
will not be heard there anymore.
20 “Babies in Jerusalem will no longer
live only a few days.
Old people will not fail
to live for a very long time.
Those who live to the age of 100
will be thought of as mere children when they die.
Those who die before they are 100
will be considered as having been under God’s curse.
21 My people will build houses and live in them.
They will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
22 They will no longer build houses
only to have others live in them.
They will no longer plant crops
only to have others eat them.
My people will live to be as old as trees.
My chosen ones will enjoy for a long time
the things they have worked for.
23 Their work will not be worthless anymore.
They will not have children who are sure to face sudden terror.
Instead, I will bless them.
I will also bless their children after them.
24 Even before they call out to me, I will answer them.
While they are still speaking, I will hear them.
25 Wolves and lambs will eat together.
Lions will eat straw like oxen.
Serpents will eat nothing but dust.
None of those animals will harm or destroy
anything or anyone on my holy mountain of Zion,”
says the Lord.
Isaiah 65
Legacy Standard Bible
Judgment and Salvation
65 “I permitted Myself to be sought by (A)those who did not ask for Me;
I permitted Myself to be found by those who did not seek Me.
I said, ‘Here am I, here am I,’
To a nation which (B)did not call on My name.
2 (C)I have spread out My hands all day long to a (D)rebellious people,
Who walk in the way which is not good, [a]following their own (E)thoughts,
3 A people who continually (F)provoke Me to My face,
Offering sacrifices in (G)gardens and (H)burning incense on bricks,
4 Who sit among graves and spend the night in secret places,
Who (I)eat swine’s flesh,
And the broth of offensive meat is in their pots,
5 Who say, ‘(J)Keep to yourself, do not come near me,
For I am holier than you!’
These are smoke in My [b]nostrils,
A fire that burns all the day.
6 Behold, it is written before Me:
I will (K)not keep silent, but (L)I will repay;
I will even repay into their bosom,
7 Both [c]their own (M)iniquities and the iniquities of their fathers together,” says Yahweh.
“Because they have (N)burned incense on the mountains
And (O)reproached Me on the hills,
Therefore I will (P)measure their former work into their bosom.”
8 Thus says Yahweh,
“As the new wine is found in the cluster,
And one says, ‘Do not make it a ruin, for there is [d]benefit in it,’
So I will act on behalf of My slaves
In order (Q)not to make [e]all of them a ruin.
9 I will bring forth a (R)seed from Jacob,
And a (S)possessor of My mountains from Judah;
Even (T)My chosen ones shall possess it,
And (U)My slaves will dwell there.
10 (V)Sharon will be a pasture land for flocks,
And the (W)valley of Achor a resting place for herds,
For My people who (X)seek Me.
11 But you who (Y)forsake Yahweh,
Who forget My (Z)holy mountain,
Who set a table for [f]Fortune,
And who fill cups with mixed wine for [g]Destiny,
12 I will destine you for the (AA)sword,
And all of you will bow down to the (AB)slaughter,
Because I called, but you (AC)did not answer;
I spoke, but you did not hear.
And you did what was evil in My eyes
And chose that in which I was not pleased.”
13 Therefore, thus says Lord Yahweh,
“Behold, My slaves will (AD)eat, but you will be (AE)hungry.
Behold, My slaves will (AF)drink, but you will be (AG)thirsty.
Behold, My slaves will (AH)be glad, but you will be (AI)put to shame.
14 Behold, My slaves will (AJ)shout joyfully with a merry heart,
But you will (AK)cry out with a pained heart,
And you will wail with a broken spirit.
15 You will leave your name for a [h](AL)curse to My chosen ones,
And Lord Yahweh will put you to death.
But [i]My slaves will be called by (AM)another name,
16 Because he who [j]is blessed in the earth
Will [k]be blessed by the (AN)God of truth,
And he who swears in the earth
Will (AO)swear by the God of truth;
Because the former distresses are forgotten,
And because they are hidden from My sight!
New Heavens and a New Earth
17 “For behold, I am creating a (AP)new heavens and a new earth;
And the (AQ)former things will not be remembered or come upon the heart.
18 But be (AR)joyful and rejoice forever in what I create;
For behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing
And her people for joy.
19 I will also (AS)rejoice in Jerusalem and be joyful in My people;
And there will no longer be heard in her
The voice of (AT)weeping and the voice of crying.
20 No longer will there be [l]in it an infant who lives but a few days,
Or an old man who does (AU)not fulfill his days;
For the youth will die at the age of one hundred,
And the [m](AV)one who does not reach the age of one hundred
Will be thought accursed.
21 They will (AW)build houses and inhabit them;
They will also (AX)plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
22 They will not build and (AY)another inhabit;
They will not plant and another eat;
For (AZ)as the [n]lifetime of a tree, so will be the days of My people,
And My chosen ones will (BA)wear out the work of their hands.
23 They will (BB)not labor in vain,
Or bear children for terror;
For they are the (BC)seed of those blessed by Yahweh,
And their offspring with them.
24 And it will be that before they call, I will (BD)answer, and while they are still speaking, I will hear. 25 The (BE)wolf and the lamb will graze together, and the (BF)lion will eat straw like the ox; and (BG)dust will be the serpent’s food. They will (BH)do no evil nor act corruptly in all My (BI)holy mountain,” says Yahweh.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 65:2 Lit after
- Isaiah 65:5 Lit nose
- Isaiah 65:7 Lit your
- Isaiah 65:8 Lit blessing
- Isaiah 65:8 Lit the whole
- Isaiah 65:11 Heb Gad
- Isaiah 65:11 Heb Meni
- Isaiah 65:15 Lit oath
- Isaiah 65:15 As in Gr; Heb He will call His slaves
- Isaiah 65:16 Or experience(s) blessing repeatedly, bless(es) himself
- Isaiah 65:16 Or experience(s) blessing repeatedly, bless(es) himself
- Isaiah 65:20 Lit from there
- Isaiah 65:20 Lit one who misses the mark
- Isaiah 65:22 Lit days
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