< Isaiah 66 >

1 This is what the LORD says: “Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool. What kind of house will you build for Me? Or where will My place of repose be?
Thus saith Jehovah: Heaven is my throne, And the earth my footstool; Where is the house that ye can build me, And where is the place of my rest?
2 Has not My hand made all these things? And so they came into being,” declares the LORD. “This is the one I will esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, who trembles at My word.
For all these things hath my hand made; By it do all these things exist, saith Jehovah. But to this man will I look, Even to him who is humble and of a contrite spirit, And who trembleth at my word.
3 Whoever slaughters an ox is like one who slays a man; whoever sacrifices a lamb is like one who breaks a dog’s neck; whoever presents a grain offering is like one who offers pig’s blood; whoever offers frankincense is like one who blesses an idol. Indeed, they have chosen their own ways and delighted in their abominations.
He that slayeth an ox killeth a man; He that sacrificeth a lamb beheadeth a dog; He that maketh an oblation offereth swine's blood; He that burneth incense blesseth an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, And in their abominations their souls delight.
4 So I will choose their punishment and I will bring terror upon them, because I called and no one answered, I spoke and no one listened. But they did evil in My sight and chose that in which I did not delight.”
I also will choose their calamities; What they dread I will bring upon them; Because I called, and no one answered, I spake, and they did not hear; But they did what is evil in my sight, And chose that in which I have no delight.
5 You who tremble at His word, hear the word of the LORD: “Your brothers who hate you and exclude you because of My name have said, ‘Let the LORD be glorified that we may see your joy!’ But they will be put to shame.”
Hear the word of Jehovah, Ye that tremble at his word! “Your brethren that hate you, And thrust you out for my name's sake, have said, “May Jehovah be glorified, that we may see your joy!” But they shall be confounded.
6 Hear the uproar from the city; listen to the voice from the temple! It is the voice of the LORD, repaying His enemies what they deserve!
A voice of tumult from the city! A voice from the temple! The voice of Jehovah, rendering recompense to his enemies!
7 “Before she was in labor, she gave birth; before she was in pain, she delivered a boy.
Before she was in travail, she brought forth, Before her pangs came, she was delivered of a son.
8 Who has heard of such as this? Who has seen such things? Can a country be born in a day or a nation be delivered in an instant? Yet as soon as Zion was in labor, she gave birth to her children.
Who hath heard such a thing? Who hath seen such things? Is a country brought forth in a day? Is a nation born at once? For as soon as Zion was in travail, she brought forth her children.
9 Shall 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.
Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth, saith Jehovah; Shall I, who beget, restrain the birth? saith thy God.
10 Be glad for Jerusalem and rejoice over her, all who love her. Rejoice greatly with her, all who mourn over her,
Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, And exult for her, all ye that love her! Be very joyful with her, all ye that mourn for her!
11 so that you may nurse and be satisfied at her comforting breasts; you may drink deeply and delight yourselves in her glorious abundance.
That ye may suck, and be satisfied, from the breast of her consolations, That ye may suck and be delighted with the fulness of her glory.
12 For this is what the LORD says: “I will extend peace to her like a river, and the wealth of nations like a flowing stream; you will nurse and be carried on her arm, and bounced upon her knees.
For thus saith Jehovah: Behold, I will bring prosperity to her like a river, And the wealth of the nations like an overflowing stream; Ye shall suck at the breast, Ye shall be carried on the arm, And on the knees shall ye be dandled.
13 As a mother comforts her son, so will I comfort you, and you will be consoled over Jerusalem.”
As one whom his mother comforteth, So will I comfort you; And in Jerusalem shall ye be comforted.
14 When you see, you will rejoice, and you will flourish like grass; then the hand of the LORD will be revealed to His servants, but His wrath will be shown to His enemies.
Ye shall see, and your heart shall rejoice, And your bones shall flourish like a green plant, And the hand of Jehovah shall be manifested to his servants, And be moved with indignation against his enemies.
15 For behold, the LORD will come with fire— His chariots are like a whirlwind— to execute His anger with fury and His rebuke with flames of fire.
For behold, Jehovah cometh with fire, Like a whirlwind are his chariots, To breathe forth his anger in a glowing heat, And his rebuke in flames of fire.
16 For by fire and by His sword, the LORD will execute judgment on all flesh, and many will be slain by the LORD.
For with fire will Jehovah contend, And with his sword, with all flesh, And many shall be the slain of Jehovah.
17 “Those who consecrate and purify themselves to enter the groves—to follow one in the center of those who eat the flesh of swine and vermin and rats—will perish together,” declares the LORD.
They who sanctify and purify themselves in the groves, Following one in the midst, Who eat swine's flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse. They shall all perish together, saith Jehovah.
18 “And I, knowing their deeds and thoughts, am coming to gather all nations and tongues, and they will come and see My glory.
For I know their works, and their thoughts; The time cometh to gather all nations and tongues together; They shall come, and behold my glory.
19 I will establish a sign among them, and I will send survivors from among them to the nations—to Tarshish, Put, and the archers of Lud; to Tubal, Javan, and the islands far away who have not heard of My fame or seen My glory. So they will proclaim My glory among the nations.
And I will give a sign among them, And of those that escape I will send to the nations, To Tarshish, Phul, and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, To the distant coasts, who never heard my name, And who never saw my glory; And they shall declare my glory among the nations.
20 And they will bring all your brothers from all the nations as a gift to the LORD on horses and chariots and wagons, on mules and camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem,” says the LORD, “just as the Israelites bring an offering in a clean vessel to the house of the LORD.”
And they shall bring all your brethren From all the nations, an offering to Jehovah, Upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules and dromedaries, To my holy mountain, Jerusalem, saith Jehovah, As the sons of Israel bring their gifts In pure vessels to the house of Jehovah.
21 “And I will select some of them as priests and Levites,” says the LORD.
And of them will I also take For priests and for Levites, saith Jehovah.
22 “For just as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, will endure before Me,” declares the LORD, “so your descendants and your name will endure.
For as the new heavens, And the new earth, which I make, Endure before me, saith Jehovah, So shall your race and your name endure.
23 From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come to worship before Me,” says the LORD.
And it shall be, from new moon to new moon, And from sabbath to sabbath, That all flesh shall come and worship before me, saith Jehovah.
24 “As they go forth, they will see the corpses of the men who have rebelled against Me; for their worm will never die, their fire will never be quenched, and they will be a horror to all mankind.”
Then shall they go forth and see The dead bodies of the men that rebelled against me! For their worm shall not die, And their fire shall not be quenched, And they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.

< Isaiah 66 >