Isaiah 65:1-7
New English Translation
The Lord Will Distinguish Between Sinners and the Godly
65 “I made myself available to those who did not ask for me;[a]
I appeared to those who did not look for me.[b]
I said, ‘Here I am! Here I am!’
to a nation that did not invoke[c] my name.
2 I spread out my hands all day long
to my rebellious people,
who lived in a way that is morally unacceptable,
and who did what they desired.[d]
3 These people continually and blatantly offend me[e]
as they sacrifice in their sacred orchards[f]
and burn incense on brick altars.[g]
4 They sit among the tombs[h]
and keep watch all night long.[i]
They eat pork,[j]
and broth[k] from unclean sacrificial meat is in their pans.
5 They say, ‘Keep to yourself!
Don’t get near me, for I am holier than you!’
These people are like smoke in my nostrils,
like a fire that keeps burning all day long.
6 Look, I have decreed:[l]
I will not keep silent, but will pay them back;
I will pay them back exactly what they deserve,[m]
7 for your sins and your ancestors’ sins,”[n] says the Lord.
“Because they burned incense on the mountains
and offended[o] me on the hills,
I will punish them in full measure.”[p]
Footnotes
- Isaiah 65:1 tn Heb “I allowed myself to be sought by those who did not ask.”
- Isaiah 65:1 tn Heb “I allowed myself to be found by those who did not seek.”
- Isaiah 65:1 tn Heb “call out in”; NASB, NIV, NRSV “call on.”
- Isaiah 65:2 tn Heb “who walked [in] the way that is not good, after their thoughts.”
- Isaiah 65:3 tn Heb “the people who provoke me to anger to my face continually.”
- Isaiah 65:3 tn Or “gardens” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
- Isaiah 65:3 tn Or perhaps, “on tiles.”
- Isaiah 65:4 sn Perhaps the worship of underworld deities or dead spirits is in view.
- Isaiah 65:4 tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “and in the watches they spend the night.” Some understand נְּצוּרִים (netsurim) as referring to “secret places” or “caves,” while others emend the text to וּבֵין צוּרִים (uven tsurim, “between the rocky cliffs”).
- Isaiah 65:4 tn Heb “the flesh of the pig”; KJV, NAB, NASB “swine’s flesh.”
- Isaiah 65:4 tc The marginal reading (Qere), supported by the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa, reads מְרַק (meraq, “broth”), while the consonantal text (Kethib) has פְרַק (feraq, “fragment”).
- Isaiah 65:6 tn Heb “Look, it is written before me.”
- Isaiah 65:6 tn Heb “I will pay back into their lap.”
- Isaiah 65:7 tn Heb “the iniquities of your fathers.”
- Isaiah 65:7 tn Or perhaps, “taunted”; KJV “blasphemed”; NAB “disgraced”; NASB “scorned”; NIV “defied”; NRSV “reviled.”
- Isaiah 65:7 tn Heb “I will measure out their pay [from the] beginning into their lap,” i.e., he will give them everything they have earned.
Isaiah 65:1-7
International Standard Version
God’s Response
65 “I let myself be sought by those who didn’t ask for me;[a]
I let myself be found by those who didn’t seek me.
I said, ‘Here I am! Here I am!’
to a nation that didn’t call on my name.
2 I held out my hands all day long
to a disobedient[b] people,
who walk in a way that isn’t good,
following their own inclinations—
3 a people who continually provoke me to my face;
they[c] keep sacrificing in gardens
and waving their hands[d] over stone[e] altars;
4 who sit among graves,
and spend the night in secret places;
who eat pigs’ meat,
with the broth[f] of detestable things in[g] their pots;
5 who say, ‘Keep to yourself!’
‘Don’t touch[h] me!’ and ‘I am[i] too holy for you!’
“Such people are smoke in my nostrils,
a fire that keeps burning all day long.
6 Watch out! It stands written before me:
‘I won’t keep silent, but I will pay back in full;
I’ll indeed repay into[j] their laps
7 both your iniquities and your ancestors’[k] iniquities together,’’
says the Lord.
“Because they offered incense on the mountains
and insulted me on hills,[l]
I’ll measure into[m] their laps
full payment for their earlier actions.”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 65:1 So 1QIsaa LXX; MT reads ask
- Isaiah 65:2 So 1QIsaa; MT reads an obstinate
- Isaiah 65:3 So 1QIsaa LXX; MT reads who
- Isaiah 65:3 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX read and offering incense
- Isaiah 65:3 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX read brick
- Isaiah 65:4 So 1QIsaa MTqere LXX Targ Vulg; MT reads violence; or crumbs
- Isaiah 65:4 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX lack in
- Isaiah 65:5 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX read come near to
- Isaiah 65:5 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX read for I am
- Isaiah 65:6 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX read upon
- Isaiah 65:7 So 1QIsaa MT; LXX Syr read both their iniquities and their
- Isaiah 65:7 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX read the hills
- Isaiah 65:7 So 1QIsaa MTqere; MT LXX read upon
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