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Isaiah 66
The Voice
Isaiah 66
The Voice
The creation the prophet sees—the new earth—is radically different from the one everyone knows. At some deep level, everyone recognizes that the everyday world is not the world as God intends it; things are not the way they are supposed to be. But God will make everything new again. In that day, the painful past will recede and vanish. Unbridled joy and celebration will eclipse grief and sorrow. Jerusalem, the holy city, will become the center of the world. Long lives will be the norm. Peace will be secure without exception. God’s blessing will settle over all creation. Creation itself, with all its complexities, will be made new. No predator. No prey. Just peace and harmony throughout. This is a world only God can create when He creates it anew.
66 Eternal One: Heaven is My throne, and earth is where I rest My feet.
So what kind of structure would you build Me?
What man-made space could provide Me a resting place?
2 Everything is the product of My hand—My being and My doing—
that’s how all you see came to be; I made it all.[a]
Nevertheless, I am interested in and concerned about even just one person
who is humble and downhearted and trembles at my word.
If we could see things as they truly are, we’d see the universe as one giant temple founded and perfected by God’s hand. But even the universe with its staggering dimensions—dimensions that stretch the imagination—cannot contain its Maker. God is greater still. So how could some house made for Him on earth ever be grand enough, glorious enough, great enough? It could not; but with all His greatness and power, God still has His eye on us. What does God want from us if not the best building we can build, and also the most and best sacrifices and rituals that we can possibly perform? Simply put, God is looking for people who are humble, broken, and ready to follow what He says.
3 Eternal One: Whoever slaughters an ox without humility is no better
than one who kills a man;
Whoever sacrifices a lamb without brokenness is no different
than one who breaks a dog’s neck;
Whoever presents a grain offering without fear is no different
than one who offers pig’s blood;
Whoever burns incense without obedience is no better
than one who worships an idol.
They’ve made their own choices
and seem happy enough with their detestable practices.
4 But I have a choice, too, and I choose to punish them;
I will bring on them what they fear most.
For when I called, no one answered;
when I spoke, they refused to listen.
Instead they did all the wrong things and made terrible choices—
what I expressly said that I hate.
God desires to bring people like these close and make them safe, but He cannot if they refuse. His loving purpose is for them to live well, to be well, but He cannot make it so if they choose badly and do what He hates.
5 So, if you are one who trembles at His word,
listen closely to what the Eternal One has to say:
Eternal One: I know that some people, even your own family,
reject you because you accept Me,
And they’re saying, “Let the Eternal receive the honor He deserves,
so that we, too, can know your joy.” But they’ll only know sorrow and shame.
6 Can you hear it? There’s a commotion in the city,
great rumbling coming from the temple area!
Ah, it is the Eternal thundering in to take on His foes.
7-8 Have you ever heard of a woman who gave birth before she went into labor?
Have you ever seen a woman who delivered a son without feeling a thing?
Do you think it’s possible for the land to go through labor in an instant,
or to bear a nation, to be new and strong, in a single day?
Nevertheless, Zion suffered only a moment
before she gave birth to her children!
9 Will I open the womb and not deliver?
I have made this place labor in terrible pain,
But do you think I won’t help it give birth?
That is what I, the Eternal One have to say.
The prophet reflects on the mystery of birth. Jerusalem, the mother, is about to give birth to a new nation. God, the midwife, is there to make sure the birth goes well. Throughout Isaiah’s prophecy it is clear that God has initiated all the things that have happened to Israel and Judah. The destruction of Jerusalem and her glorious temple, the decades of exile in a foreign land, and now the return and restoration of Jerusalem are God’s work, pure and simple. Now all of these events and judgments point to a single moment when Jerusalem will resume its place as God’s chosen city and will open its gates to believing pilgrims. The prophet asks: will God prevent this new birth from happening? After having brought His people this far, it is unthinkable that God would turn back now.
10 Eternal One: So be happy for Jerusalem;
give her hearty congratulations, whoever holds her dear.
Take part in this joyous celebration, especially if you remember her grief.
11 For you are her children, and she is giving you the milk of comfort and peace.
Drink at her comforting breasts with satisfaction that all will be well.
12 I will rain down prosperity on Jerusalem, peace abundant on Zion,
and flood her with wealth from all over the world.
Like a thundering river, the riches will come down.
Like a toddler, you’ll be held, carried, nourished, and comforted.
13 As a mother soothes her child, so I will comfort you.
And Jerusalem will be so nice, feel so good and safe to you.
14 When you see what I have in store, it will ease your mind and lift your heart;
you will flourish like the grass!
Now is the time for Jerusalem to rejoice. Mourning the fate of Israel and Judah has been a Jewish preoccupation for a long time. Ever since Assyria came down and took the northern territory captive, the people have been grief-stricken. But now that God has announced the good news, mourning is no longer appropriate; it indicates a lack of faith in His plans. After enduring so many years of grief and desolation, can God’s covenant people now turn and trust Him to deliver this baby overnight? Trust and joy belong together. Zion is like a fertile young woman; she will have all the children that God wills and she desires. Be happy, the prophet says, and let the celebrations begin.
The Eternal’s power will be clearly evident to His servants;
but His rage will be unleashed against His enemies.
15 Look now, the Eternal is coming with a vengeance
that scorches all His foes with flames of fire;
Whooshing like a whirlwind, His chariots rush with punishing fury.
16 God comes with fiery anger and flashing sword.
The Eternal One will execute His judgment,
And many people will die on that day.
Eternal One: 17 Those who perform sanctifying and purifying rituals to serve false gods in gardens, and then proceed to do whatever they see the leader do—eating impure things such as pigs, snakes, and rats—won’t live to do it again. This is My word to you.
18 Because I know what and why they do what they do, the time is coming when I will bring people together from all over the world. Everyone will come here and have a chance to see and know who I am, in all My weighty significance and splendor. 19 I will put a sign among them and send the survivors of My people to Tarshish, Put, and Lud (where those great archers live), from Tubal east of Lud, and Javan, which is near it. I’ll bring them here from places so far away that they’ve never heard My name, much less had a chance to see My glory. But they’ll hear about Me, far and wide among the nations. 20 And they will bring the surviving members of your family back as if they are a grain offering from all the nations. They’ll come by every conceivable means—on horse, camel, donkey, or mule, in wagons or litters—they’ll come to Jerusalem, My holy mountain. They will be delivered just as the Israelites bring their grain offerings to Me in a clean container at the temple. 21 And out of those who return, I will make priests and Levites. This is My word to you.
22 Because just as the new heavens and the new earth that I am making
will go on by My enduring will,
So your name and the people
who come from you will go on as well.
23 From one month to the next, on Sabbath after Sabbath,
everyone, every living thing, will come to this holy place
To honor Me as God of all.
This is My word to you.
24 They’ll visit the site where the people who rejected Me lie rotting on the ground,
crawling with worms that never die on a fire that just keeps smoldering.[b]
All who see it will recoil at the horrible sight.
Footnotes
Isaiah 66
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Isaiah 66
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Final Judgment and Joyous Restoration
66 This is what the Lord says:
Heaven(A) is My throne,(B)
and earth is My footstool.(C)
What house could you possibly build for Me?
And what place could be My home?(D)
2 My hand made all these things,
and so they all came into being.
This is the Lord’s declaration.
I will look favorably on this kind of person:
one who is humble,(E) submissive[a] in spirit,(F)
and trembles at My word.
3 One slaughters an ox, one kills a man;
one sacrifices a lamb, one breaks a dog’s neck;
one offers a grain offering, one offers pig’s blood;
one offers incense, one praises an idol—
all these have chosen their ways
and delight in their detestable practices.(G)
4 So I will choose their punishment,
and I will bring on them what they dread
because I called and no one answered;
I spoke and they didn’t hear;
they did what was evil in My sight
and chose what I didn’t delight in.(H)
5 You who tremble at His word,(I)
hear the word of the Lord:(J)
“Your brothers who hate and exclude you
because of Me have said,(K)
‘Let the Lord be glorified
so that we can see your joy!’
But they will be put to shame.”(L)
6 A sound of uproar from the city!
A voice from the temple—
the voice of the Lord,
paying back His enemies what they deserve!(M)
7 Before Zion was in labor, she gave birth;
before she was in pain, she delivered a boy.
8 Who has heard of such a thing?
Who has seen such things?
Can a land be born in one day
or a nation be delivered in an instant?
Yet as soon as Zion was in labor,
she gave birth to her sons.
9 “Will I bring a baby to the point of birth
and not deliver it?”
says the Lord;
“or will I who deliver, close the womb?”
says your God.
10 Be glad for Jerusalem and rejoice over her,
all who love her.(N)
Rejoice greatly with her,
all who mourn over her—
11 so that you may nurse and be satisfied
from her comforting breast
and drink deeply and delight yourselves
from her glorious breasts.
12 For this is what the Lord says:
I will make peace flow to her like a river,(O)
and the wealth[b] of nations like a flood;(P)
you will nurse and be carried on her hip(Q)
and bounced on her lap.
13 As a mother comforts her son,
so I will comfort you,(R)
and you will be comforted in Jerusalem.
14 You will see, you will rejoice,
and you[c] will flourish like grass;(S)
then the Lord’s power will be revealed to His servants,
but He will show His wrath against His enemies.
15 Look, the Lord will come with fire(T)—
His chariots are like the whirlwind(U)—
to execute His anger with fury
and His rebuke with flames of fire.
16 For the Lord will execute judgment
on all flesh(V) with His fiery sword,
and many will be slain by the Lord.
17 “Those who dedicate and purify themselves to enter the groves(W) following their leader,[d] eating meat from pigs, vermin, and rats, will perish together.”
This is the Lord’s declaration.
18 “Knowing[e] their works and their thoughts, I have come to gather all nations and languages;(X) they will come and see My glory. 19 I will establish a sign among them, and I will send survivors from them to the nations—to Tarshish, Put,[f] Lud (who are archers), Tubal, Javan,(Y) and the islands far away—who have not heard of My fame or seen My glory. And they will proclaim My glory among the nations.(Z) 20 They will bring all your brothers from all the nations as a gift to the Lord on horses and chariots, in litters, and on mules and camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem,”(AA) says the Lord, “just as the Israelites bring an offering in a clean vessel to the house of the Lord. 21 I will also take some of them as priests and Levites,”(AB) says the Lord.
22 “For just as the new heavens and the new earth,(AC)
which I will make,
will endure before Me”—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
“so your offspring and your name will endure.
23 All mankind will come to worship Me
from one New Moon to another
and from one Sabbath to another,”
says the Lord.
24 “As they leave, they will see the dead bodies of the men who have rebelled against Me;(AD) for their worm(AE) will never die, their fire will never go out,(AF) and they will be a horror to all mankind.”(AG)
Footnotes
- Isaiah 66:2 Lit broken
- Isaiah 66:12 Or glory
- Isaiah 66:14 Lit your bones
- Isaiah 66:17 Hb obscure
- Isaiah 66:18 LXX, Syr; MT omits Knowing
- Isaiah 66:19 LXX; MT reads Pul
Isaiah 66
New International Version
Isaiah 66
New International Version
Judgment and Hope
66 This is what the Lord says:
“Heaven is my throne,(A)
and the earth is my footstool.(B)
Where is the house(C) you will build for me?
Where will my resting place be?
2 Has not my hand made all these things,(D)
and so they came into being?”
declares the Lord.
“These are the ones I look on with favor:
those who are humble and contrite in spirit,(E)
and who tremble at my word.(F)
3 But whoever sacrifices a bull(G)
is like one who kills a person,
and whoever offers a lamb
is like one who breaks a dog’s neck;
whoever makes a grain offering
is like one who presents pig’s(H) blood,
and whoever burns memorial incense(I)
is like one who worships an idol.
They have chosen their own ways,(J)
and they delight in their abominations;(K)
4 so I also will choose harsh treatment for them
and will bring on them what they dread.(L)
For when I called, no one answered,(M)
when I spoke, no one listened.
They did evil(N) in my sight
and chose what displeases me.”(O)
5 Hear the word of the Lord,
you who tremble at his word:(P)
“Your own people who hate(Q) you,
and exclude you because of my name, have said,
‘Let the Lord be glorified,
that we may see your joy!’
Yet they will be put to shame.(R)
6 Hear that uproar from the city,
hear that noise from the temple!
It is the sound(S) of the Lord
repaying(T) his enemies all they deserve.
7 “Before she goes into labor,(U)
she gives birth;
before the pains come upon her,
she delivers a son.(V)
8 Who has ever heard of such things?
Who has ever seen(W) things like this?
Can a country be born in a day(X)
or a nation be brought forth in a moment?
Yet no sooner is Zion in labor
than she gives birth to her children.(Y)
9 Do I bring to the moment of birth(Z)
and not give delivery?” says the Lord.
“Do I close up the womb
when I bring to delivery?” says your God.
10 “Rejoice(AA) with Jerusalem and be glad for her,
all you who love(AB) her;
rejoice greatly with her,
all you who mourn(AC) over her.
11 For you will nurse(AD) and be satisfied
at her comforting breasts;(AE)
you will drink deeply
and delight in her overflowing abundance.”(AF)
12 For this is what the Lord says:
“I will extend peace(AG) to her like a river,(AH)
and the wealth(AI) of nations like a flooding stream;
you will nurse and be carried(AJ) on her arm
and dandled on her knees.
13 As a mother comforts her child,(AK)
so will I comfort(AL) you;
and you will be comforted over Jerusalem.”
14 When you see this, your heart will rejoice(AM)
and you will flourish(AN) like grass;
the hand(AO) of the Lord will be made known to his servants,(AP)
but his fury(AQ) will be shown to his foes.
15 See, the Lord is coming with fire,(AR)
and his chariots(AS) are like a whirlwind;(AT)
he will bring down his anger with fury,
and his rebuke(AU) with flames of fire.
16 For with fire(AV) and with his sword(AW)
the Lord will execute judgment(AX) on all people,
and many will be those slain(AY) by the Lord.
17 “Those who consecrate and purify themselves to go into the gardens,(AZ) following one who is among those who eat the flesh of pigs,(BA) rats(BB) and other unclean things—they will meet their end(BC) together with the one they follow,” declares the Lord.
18 “And I, because of what they have planned and done,(BD) am about to come[a] and gather the people of all nations(BE) and languages, and they will come and see my glory.(BF)
19 “I will set a sign(BG) among them, and I will send some of those who survive(BH) to the nations—to Tarshish,(BI) to the Libyans[b] and Lydians(BJ) (famous as archers), to Tubal(BK) and Greece,(BL) and to the distant islands(BM) that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory.(BN) They will proclaim my glory among the nations. 20 And they will bring(BO) all your people, from all the nations, to my holy mountain(BP) in Jerusalem as an offering to the Lord—on horses, in chariots and wagons, and on mules and camels,”(BQ) says the Lord. “They will bring them, as the Israelites bring their grain offerings, to the temple of the Lord in ceremonially clean vessels.(BR) 21 And I will select some of them also to be priests(BS) and Levites,” says the Lord.
22 “As the new heavens and the new earth(BT) that I make will endure before me,” declares the Lord, “so will your name and descendants endure.(BU) 23 From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath(BV) to another, all mankind will come and bow down(BW) before me,” says the Lord. 24 “And they will go out and look on the dead bodies(BX) of those who rebelled(BY) against me; the worms(BZ) that eat them will not die, the fire that burns them will not be quenched,(CA) and they will be loathsome to all mankind.”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 66:18 The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain.
- Isaiah 66:19 Some Septuagint manuscripts Put (Libyans); Hebrew Pul
The Voice (VOICE)
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