Old/New Testament
Judgment and Salvation
65 I was sought by those who did not ask for Me;
I was found of those who did not seek Me.
I said, “Here I am, here I am,”
to a nation that did not call on My name.
2 I have spread out My hands all day
to a rebellious people
who walk in a way that was not good,
after their own thoughts;
3 a people who provoke Me continually
to My face,
presenting sacrifices in gardens
and burning incense on altars of brick;
4 who sit among the graves
and lodge in the monuments;
who eat swine’s flesh,
and the broth of abominable things is in their vessels;
5 who say, “Stand by yourself; do not come near to me,
for I am holier than you!”
These are smoke in My nose,
a fire that burns all day.
6 See, it is written before Me:
I will not keep silent, but I will recompense,
even recompense into their bosom,
7 your iniquities and the iniquities of your fathers together,
says the Lord;
because they have burned incense on the mountains
and blasphemed Me on the hills,
therefore, I will measure their former work
into their bosom.
8 Thus says the Lord:
As the new wine is found in the cluster,
and one says, “Do not destroy it
for a blessing is in it,”
so I will do for the sake of My servants
that I may not destroy them all.
9 I will bring forth descendants from Jacob,
and out of Judah an inheritor of My mountains;
and My chosen ones shall inherit it,
and My servants shall dwell there.
10 Sharon shall be a fold of flocks,
and the Valley of Achor a place for the herds to lie down in,
for My people who seek Me.
11 But you are those who forsake the Lord,
who forget My holy mountain,
who prepare a table for Fortune,
and who furnish the drink offering for Destiny.
12 I will destine you for the sword,
and you all shall bow down to the slaughter;
because when I called, you did not answer;
when I spoke, you did not hear
but did evil before My eyes
and chose that in which I did not delight.
13 Therefore, thus says the Lord God:
My servants shall eat,
but you shall be hungry;
My servants shall drink,
but you shall be thirsty;
My servants shall rejoice,
but you shall be ashamed;
14 My servants shall sing for joy
with a glad heart,
but you shall cry
with a heavy heart
and shall wail with grief of spirit.
15 You shall leave your name
for a curse to My chosen ones;
for the Lord God shall slay you,
but My servants shall be called by another name;
16 because he who is blessed in the earth
shall bless himself in the God of truth;
and he who swears in the earth
shall swear by the God of truth;
because the former troubles are forgotten
and because they are hidden from My eyes.
The New Creation
17 For I create
new heavens and a new earth;
the former things shall not be remembered
or come to mind.
18 But be glad and rejoice forever
in that which I create;
for I create Jerusalem for rejoicing
and her people for joy.
19 I will rejoice in Jerusalem
and be glad in My people;
and the voice of weeping shall no longer be heard in her,
nor the voice of crying.
20 There shall no longer be
an infant who lives only a few days
nor an old man who has not filled out his days.
For the child shall die
a hundred years old,
but the sinner being a hundred years old
shall be accursed.
21 They shall build houses and inhabit them;
and they shall plant vineyards and eat the fruit of them.
22 They shall not build and another inhabit;
they shall not plant and another eat;
for as the days of a tree
are the days of My people,
and My chosen ones shall long enjoy
the work of their hands.
23 They shall not labor in vain
nor bring forth children for trouble;
for they are the descendants of the blessed of the Lord
and their offspring with them.
24 Before they call, I will answer;
and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.
25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together,
and the lion shall eat straw like the bull,
and dust shall be the serpent’s food.
They shall not hurt nor destroy
in all My holy mountain,
says the Lord.
True Worship
66 Thus says the Lord:
Heaven is My throne,
and the earth is My footstool.
Where then is the house that you could build for Me?
And where is the place of My rest?
2 For My hand made all those things,
thus all those things have come to be,
says the Lord.
But to this man I will look,
even to him who is poor and of a contrite spirit,
and trembles at My word.
3 He who kills a bull
is as if he kills a man;
he who sacrifices a lamb,
as if he breaks a dog’s neck;
he who offers a grain offering,
as if he offers swine’s blood;
he who burns incense,
as if he blesses an idol.
They have chosen their own ways,
and their soul delights in their abominations;
4 I also will choose their punishments
and will bring their fears on them,
because when I called, no one answered;
when I spoke, they did not listen;
but they did evil before My eyes
and chose that in which I did not delight.
The Vindication of Zion
5 Hear the word of the Lord,
you who tremble at His word:
Your brothers who hate you,
who cast you out for My name’s sake, said,
“Let the Lord be glorified
that we may see your joy.”
Yet they shall be ashamed.
6 A voice of noise from the city,
a voice from the temple,
the voice of the Lord
who renders recompense to His enemies.
7 Before she was in labor,
she gave birth;
before her pain came,
she delivered a son.
8 Who has heard such a thing?
Who has seen such things?
Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day?
Shall a nation be born at once?
For as soon as Zion was in labor,
she brought forth her sons.
9 Shall I bring to the point of birth
and not cause delivery? says the Lord.
Shall I who cause delivery
shut the womb? says your God.
10 Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad for her,
all you who love her;
rejoice exceedingly with her,
all you who mourn for her,
11 that you may feed and be satisfied
with her consoling breasts,
that you may feed
and be delighted with the abundance of her bosom.
12 For thus says the Lord:
I will extend peace to her like a river
and the glory of the nations like a flowing stream.
Then you shall nurse, you shall be carried on her sides,
and dandled on her knees.
13 As one whom his mother comforts,
so I will comfort you;
and you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.
God’s Reign and Final Judgment
14 Then you shall see this, and your heart shall rejoice,
and your bones shall flourish like an herb;
and the hand of the Lord shall be known toward His servants,
and His indignation toward His enemies.
15 For the Lord shall come with fire
and with His chariots like a whirlwind,
to render His anger with fury
and His rebuke with flames of fire.
16 For by fire and by His sword on all flesh,
the Lord shall execute judgment;
and the slain of the Lord shall be many.
17 Those who sanctify themselves and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine’s flesh, and abominable things, and mice shall be consumed together, says the Lord.
18 For I know their works and their thoughts. The time shall come to gather all nations and tongues. And they shall come and see My glory.
19 I will set a sign among them, and send from them survivors to the nations: to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud—who draw the bow—to Tubal, and Javan, to the coastlands afar off who have not heard My fame nor seen My glory. And they shall declare My glory among the nations. 20 They shall bring all your brothers out of all nations as an offering to the Lord on horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and on mules, and on swift beasts to My holy mountain Jerusalem, says the Lord, as the sons of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the Lord. 21 I will also take some of them for priests and for Levites, says the Lord.
22 For as the new heavens and the new earth which I will make shall remain before Me, says the Lord, so shall your descendants and your name remain. 23 From one New Moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, all flesh shall come to worship before Me, says the Lord. 24 And they shall go forth and look on the corpses of the men who have transgressed against Me. For their worm shall not die, nor shall their fire be quenched. And they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.
Instructions Concerning Prayer
2 Therefore I exhort first of all that you make supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings for everyone, 2 for kings and for all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceful life in all godliness and honesty, 3 for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself as a ransom for all. This was the testimony given at the proper time. 7 For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I speak the truth in Christ and do not lie), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
8 Therefore I desire that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath or contentiousness. 9 In like manner also, that women clothe themselves in modest clothing, with decency and self-control, not with braided hair, gold, pearls, or expensive clothing, 10 but with good works, which is proper for women professing godliness.
11 Let a woman learn in silence with all obedience. 12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to usurp authority over a man, but to be silent. 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve. 14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman, being deceived, fell into sin. 15 Yet she will be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control.
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.