Isaiah 65
1 I let myself be consulted by people who weren't even asking me questions; I let myself be found by people who weren't even looking for me. To a nation that wasn't even calling for me, I said, “I'm here, I'm here!”
I have let myself be consulted by them who had not asked, I have suffered myself to be found by them who had not sought me, —I have said, Here I am! Here I am! Unto a nation that had not been called by my name,
2 I spread out my hands all day long, pleading with a stubborn people who follow bad ways, doing whatever they choose.
I have spread out my hands all the day, Unto a rebellious people, —Who walk In the way that is not good, After their own devices.
3 These people are always making me angry, because they present sacrifices to idols in their sacred gardens, and offer incense on pagan altars made of brick.
The people who are provoking me to anger to my face continually, —Sacrificing in gardens, and Burning incense upon bricks;
4 They spend the night among the graves and in caves, eating pork and cooking other unclean meats.
Who tarry among graves, And in the secret places, do lodge, Who eat the flesh of swine, And the broth of refuse things is in their vessels, —
5 They tell others, “Keep your distance! Don't come close to me as I'm too holy to be touched by you!” These people are like smoke in my nostrils, a stink burning all day long!
Who say—Draw near by thyself, Do not approach with me, For I am holier than thou! These, are A smoke in my nostrils, A fire, burning all the day.
6 Look—it's all written down right in front of me! I'm not going to keep quiet. I'm going to pay them back by throwing their punishment into their laps.
Lo! it is written before me, —I will not keep silence, But I have recompensed, and will recompense into their bosom:
7 I'm going to pay you back for both your own sins and the sins of your forefathers, says the Lord, because they burned incense on the mountains and ridiculed me on the hills. I'm going to measure into their laps full payment for what they've done.
Your own iniquities, And the, iniquities of your fathers together, Saith Yahweh, Who have burned incense upon the mountains, And upon the hills, have reproached me, —Therefore will I measure their former work into their bosom.
8 This is what the Lord says: It's like when there's a bit of juice left in a bunch of grapes and people say, “Don't get rid of it all; there's still some good in it,” I'll do the same for my servants—I won't destroy them all.
Thus, saith Yahweh—As, new wine, is found, in the cluster, And one saith, Do not destroy it, for a blessing is in it, So, will I do for the sake of my servants, That I may not destroy the whole [nation];
9 I will make sure Jacob has descendants, and people from Judah who can take ownership of my mountain. My chosen ones, my servants, will own the land and live there.
Therefore will I bring forth Out of Jacob, a seed, and Out of Judah, an inheritor of my mountains, That my chosen ones may inherit it, And, my servants, dwell there;
10 Sharon will become a pasture for flocks, and the Valley of Achor a place for herds to rest, for my people who follow me.
Then shall, Sharon, become, a fold for flocks, And the vale of Achor for the lying down of herds, —For my people who have sought me.
11 But those of you who desert the Lord and forget about my holy mountain, who prepare feasts for the god of good luck, who fill jugs of mixed wine for the god of destiny,
But, ye are they—Who forsake Yahweh Who forget my holy mountain—Who prepare, for Fortune, a table and Who fill for Destiny, mixed wine;
12 I will make sure your destiny is to be killed by the sword. All of you will bow down to be slaughtered, because I called out to you but you didn't answer; I spoke to you, but you didn't listen. Instead you did what's evil in my sight, choosing to do what I hate.
Therefore will I destine you to the sword, And, ye all, to the slaughter, shall bow down. Because I called and ye answered not, I spake, and ye hearkened not, —But did that which was wicked in mine eyes, And of that wherein I delighted not, ye made choice,
13 So this is what the Lord says, My servants will eat, but you will go hungry. My servants will drink, but you will go thirsty. My servants will celebrate, but you will feel ashamed.
Therefore, Thus, saith My Lord, Yahweh, —Lo! my servants, shall eat but, ye, shall be famished, Lo! my servants, shall drink but, ye shall be thirsty, —Lo! my servants, shall rejoice but ye, shall turn pale;
14 Listen! My servants will shout because they're so happy inside, but you will cry out in deepest pain, howling because your spirit is broken.
Lo! my servants, shall shout in triumph for mirth of heart But, ye, shall make outcry, for pain of heart, And for a breaking of spirit, shall ye howl.
15 Your name will only be used as a curse by my chosen ones, for the Lord God will kill you and give his servants another name.
So shall ye leave your name for an oath, to my chosen ones, —So then My Lord Yahweh, will slay thee, —And his servants, will he, call by another name:
16 Whoever asks a blessing or takes an oath in the land will do so by the one true God, for I have forgotten the troubles of the past—I don't look on them anymore.
So that he who blesseth himself in the earth, Will bless himself in the God of faithfulness, And he who sweareth in the earth Will swear by the God of faithfulness—Because the former troubles have been forgotten, and Because they are hid from mine eyes.
17 Look! I'm going to create new heavens and a new earth. The former things won't be remembered—they won't cross anyone's mind!
For, behold me! Creating new heavens, and a new earth, —And the former shall not be mentioned, neither shall they come up on the heart,
18 Be glad, and be happy forever and ever in what I'm going to create, for I will make Jerusalem a delightful place, and its people a real joy.
But joy ye and exult, perpetually, in what I am about to create, —For, behold me! Creating Jerusalem an exultation and Her People a joy;
19 I will be so happy over Jerusalem; I will celebrate among my people. The sound of weeping and cries for help won't ever be heard there again.
Therefore will I Exult in Jerusalem, and Joy in my People, —And there shall be heard in her, no more The sound of weeping, or the sound of a cry:
20 No babies will die after just a few days, and no adults will die without having lived a long life. Those who reach a hundred will be thought of as just a child, and anyone who doesn't reach a hundred will be seen as being under a curse.
There shall be thenceforward, no more, A suckling of a few days, or an elder Who filleth not up his days, —But, a youth a hundred years old, may die, Yea a sinner a hundred years old, shall be accursed,
21 They will build houses and live in them; they will eat the fruit of the vineyards they themselves planted.
Then shall they build houses and dwell in them, —And plant vineyards and eat the fruit of them;
22 No longer will they build houses for others to live in; no longer will they plant for others to eat. For my people will live as long as trees do; my chosen ones will live long enough to enjoy all they've worked for.
They shall not build, and another, dwell, They shall not plant, and, another, eat, —For as the days of a tree, shall be the days of my people, And, the work of their own hands, shall my chosen ones, use to the full:
23 They won't work for nothing, and they won't have children destined for disaster. For they are people living under the blessing of the Lord, and their children will be too.
They shall not labour in vain, Nor have children for terror, —For the seed of the blessed ones of Yahweh, shall they be, And their offspring, with them.
24 I will reply even before they ask me. While they are still speaking, I will answer them!
And it shall come to pass—That before they call, I, will answer, And while yet they are speaking, I, will hear.
25 The wolf and the lamb will eat together. The lion will eat straw like the ox. The snakes will eat dust. Nothing will cause any harm or damage anywhere on my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord in the same way that water fills the sea.
The wolf and the lamb, shall feed, in unity, And, the lion, as an ox, shall eat straw; But as for the serpent, dust, shall be his food: They shall not harm—Nor shall they destroy, In all my holy mountain, saith Yahweh.
