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All People Will Learn About God

65 The Lord says, “I ·made myself known to people [L allowed myself to be sought by those] who were not looking for me.
    I was found by those who were not asking me for help.
I said, ‘Here I am. Here I am,’
    to a nation that ·was not praying to me [did not call on my name; or called by my name].
All day long I ·stood ready to accept [L stretched out my hands to a]
    people who ·turned [rebelled] against me,
but the way they continue to ·live [walk] is not good;
    ·they do anything they want to do [following their own thoughts/schemes].
·Right in front of me [To my face]
    they continue to do things that make me angry.
    They offer sacrifices to their gods in their gardens [1:29],
    and they burn incense on altars of brick.
They sit among the graves
    and spend their nights ·waiting to get messages from the dead [or keeping vigil; or in secret places].
They eat the ·meat [flesh] of pigs [C unclean animal; Lev. 11:7; Deut. 14:8],
    and their pots are full of soup made from ·meat that is wrong to eat [defiled/polluted things].
But they tell others, ‘Stay away, and don’t come near me.
    I am too holy for you.’
These ·people [or practices] are like smoke in my ·nose [nostrils].
    Like a fire that burns all ·the time [day long; C their sin never ceases and God’s anger grows].

“Look, it is written here before me.
    I will not ·be quiet [keep silent]; instead, I will repay you in full.
    I will ·punish you for what you have done [L pay it back into their laps/bosom].
I will punish you for your sins and your ·ancestors’ [fathers’] sins,”
    says the Lord.
“They burned incense ·to gods on [L on] the mountains
    and ·shamed [insulted; defied] me on those hills.
So I will ·punish them as they should be punished
    for what they did [L measure into their laps/bosoms payment for their former deeds].”

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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 pig’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 [c]into their laps,
Both your own (M)wrongdoings and the wrongdoings of your 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 [d]into their laps.”

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 65:2 Lit after
  2. Isaiah 65:5 Lit nose
  3. Isaiah 65:6 I.e., individually and fully
  4. Isaiah 65:7 I.e., individually and fully