The Lord’s Response

65 “I was sought by those who did not ask;
I was found by those who did not seek me.
I said, ‘Here I am, here I am,’
to a nation that did not call on[a] my name.(A)
I spread out my hands all day long
to a rebellious people(B)
who walk in the path that is not good,
following their own thoughts.
These people continually anger me
to my face,
sacrificing in gardens,(C)
burning incense on bricks,
sitting among the graves,
spending nights in secret places,
eating the meat of pigs,(D)
and putting polluted broth in their bowls.[b]
They say, ‘Keep to yourself,
don’t come near me, for I am too holy for you!’
These practices are smoke in my nostrils,
a fire that burns all day long.
Look, it is written in front of me:
I will not keep silent,(E) but I will repay;(F)
I will repay them fully[c]
for your iniquities and the iniquities(G)
of your[d] ancestors together,”
says the Lord.
“Because they burned incense on the mountains
and reproached me on the hills,(H)
I will reward them fully[e]
for their former deeds.”

The Lord says this:

“As the new wine is found in a bunch of grapes,
and one says, ‘Don’t destroy it,
for there’s some good[f] in it,’
so I will act because of my servants
and not destroy them all.
I will produce descendants from Jacob,(I)
and heirs to my mountains from Judah;
my chosen(J) ones will possess it,
and my servants will dwell there.(K)
10 Sharon will be a pasture for flocks,(L)
and the Valley of Achor a place for herds to lie down,(M)
for my people who have sought me.(N)
11 But you who abandon the Lord,
who forget my holy mountain,
who prepare a table for Fortune
and fill bowls of mixed wine for Destiny,[g]
12 I will destine you for the sword,
and all of you will kneel down to be slaughtered,
because I called and you did not answer,
I spoke and you did not hear;
you did what was evil in my sight
and chose what I did not delight in.”(O)

13 Therefore, this is what the Lord God says:

“Look! My servants will eat,
but you will be hungry.
Look! My servants will drink,
but you will be thirsty.
Look! My servants will rejoice,
but you will be put to shame.
14 Look! My servants will shout for joy from a glad heart,
but you will cry out from an anguished heart,
and you will lament out of a broken spirit.
15 You will leave your name behind
as a curse for my chosen ones,(P)
and the Lord God will kill you;
but he will give his servants another name.(Q)
16 Whoever asks for a blessing in the land
will ask for a blessing by the God of truth,(R)
and whoever swears in the land
will swear by the God of truth.
For the former troubles will be forgotten
and hidden from my sight.

A New Creation

17 “For I will create new heavens and a new earth;(S)
the past events will not be remembered or come to mind.
18 Then be glad and rejoice forever
in what I am creating;
for I will create Jerusalem to be a joy
and its people to be a delight.
19 I will rejoice in Jerusalem
and be glad in my people.
The sound of weeping and crying
will no longer be heard in her.(T)
20 In her, a nursing infant will no longer live
only a few days,[h]
or an old man not live out his days.
Indeed, the one who dies at a hundred years old
will be mourned as a young man,[i]
and the one who misses a hundred years
will be considered cursed.(U)
21 People will build houses and live in them;
they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.(V)
22 They will not build and others live in them;
they will not plant and others eat.
For my people’s lives will be
like the lifetime of a tree.(W)
My chosen ones will fully enjoy
the work of their hands.
23 They will not labor without success(X)
or bear children destined for disaster,
for they will be a people blessed by the Lord
along with their descendants.(Y)
24 Even before they call, I will answer;(Z)
while they are still speaking, I will hear.
25 The wolf and the lamb will feed together,[j]
and the lion will eat straw like cattle,(AA)
but the serpent’s food will be dust!(AB)
They will not do what is evil or destroy
on my entire holy mountain,”(AC)
says the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. 65:1 Or that was not called by
  2. 65:3–4 These vv. describe pagan worship.
  3. 65:6 Lit repay into their lap
  4. 65:7 LXX, Syr read for their iniquities and the iniquities of their
  5. 65:7 Lit reward into their lap
  6. 65:8 Or there’s a blessing
  7. 65:11 Pagan gods
  8. 65:20 Lit her, no longer infant of days
  9. 65:20 Lit the youth of a hundred years will die
  10. 65:25 Lit as one

A Rebellious People

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.
(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,
A people who continually (F)provoke Me to My face,
Offering sacrifices in (G)gardens and (H)burning incense on bricks;
Who sit among graves and spend the night in secret places;
Who (I)eat swine’s flesh,
And the broth of unclean meat is in their pots.
“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.
“Behold, it is written before Me,
I will (K)not keep silent, but (L)I will repay;
I will even repay into their bosom,
Both [c]their own (M)iniquities and the iniquities of their fathers together,” says the Lord.
“Because they have (N)burned incense on the mountains
And (O)scorned Me on the hills,
Therefore I will (P)measure their former work into their bosom.”

Thus says the Lord,

“As the new wine is found in the cluster,
And one says, ‘Do not destroy it, for there is [d]benefit in it,’
So I will act on behalf of My servants
In order (Q)not to destroy [e]all of them.
“I will bring forth (R)offspring from Jacob,
And an (S)heir of My mountains from Judah;
Even (T)My chosen ones shall inherit it,
And (U)My servants 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 the Lord,
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 evil in My sight
And chose that in which I did not delight.”

13 Therefore, thus says the Lord [h]God,

“Behold, My servants will (AD)eat, but you will be (AE)hungry.
Behold, My servants will (AF)drink, but you will be (AG)thirsty.
Behold, My servants will (AH)rejoice, but you will be (AI)put to shame.
14 “Behold, My servants will (AJ)shout joyfully with a glad heart,
But you will (AK)cry out with a [i]heavy heart,
And you will wail with a broken spirit.
15 “You will leave your name for a (AL)curse to My chosen ones,
And the Lord [j]God will slay you.
But [k]My servants will be called by (AM)another name.
16 “Because he who [l]is blessed in the earth
Will [m]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 troubles are forgotten,
And because they are hidden from My sight!

New Heavens and a New Earth

17 “For behold, I create (AP)new heavens and a new earth;
And the (AQ)former things will not be remembered or come to [n]mind.
18 “But be (AR)glad and rejoice forever in what I create;
For behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing
And her people for gladness.
19 “I will also (AS)rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in My people;
And there will no longer be heard in her
The voice of (AT)weeping and the sound of crying.
20 “No longer will there be [o]in it an infant who lives but a few days,
Or an old man who does (AU)not [p]live out his days;
For the youth will die at the age of one hundred
And the [q](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 [r]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 calamity;
For they are the [s](BC)offspring of those blessed by the Lord,
And their descendants with them.

24 It will also come to pass 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 or harm in all My (BI)holy mountain,” says the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 65:2 Lit after
  2. Isaiah 65:5 Lit nose
  3. Isaiah 65:7 Lit your
  4. Isaiah 65:8 Lit blessing
  5. Isaiah 65:8 Lit the whole
  6. Isaiah 65:11 Heb Gad
  7. Isaiah 65:11 Heb Meni
  8. Isaiah 65:13 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  9. Isaiah 65:14 Lit pain of
  10. Isaiah 65:15 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  11. Isaiah 65:15 So with Gr; Heb He will call His servants
  12. Isaiah 65:16 Or bless(es) himself
  13. Isaiah 65:16 Or bless(es) himself
  14. Isaiah 65:17 Lit heart
  15. Isaiah 65:20 Lit from there
  16. Isaiah 65:20 Lit fill out
  17. Isaiah 65:20 Lit one who misses the mark
  18. Isaiah 65:22 Lit days
  19. Isaiah 65:23 Lit seed