Isaiah 65
1 I have bene sought of them that asked not: I was found of them that sought me not: I sayd, Beholde me, beholde me, vnto a nation that called not vpon my Name.
I have been ready to give an answer to those who did not make prayer to me; I have been offering myself to those who were not searching for me; I said, Here am I, here am I, to a nation which gave no respect to my name.
2 I haue spred out mine handes all the day vnto a rebellious people, which walked in a way that was not good, euen after their owne imaginations:
All day my hands have been stretched out to an uncontrolled people, who go in an evil way, after the purposes of their hearts;
3 A people that prouoked me euer vnto my face: that sacrificeth in gardens, and burneth incense vpon brickes.
A people who make me angry every day, making offerings in gardens, and burning perfumes on bricks.
4 Which remaine among the graues, and lodge in the desarts, which eate swines flesh, and the broth of things polluted are in their vessels.
Who are seated in the resting-places of the dead, and by night are in the secret places; who take pig's flesh for food, and have the liquid of disgusting things in their vessels.
5 Which say, Stand apart, come not neere to me: for I am holier then thou: these are a smoke in my wrath and a fire that burneth all the day.
Who say, Keep away, do not come near me, for fear that I make you holy: these are a smoke in my nose, a fire burning all day.
6 Beholde, it is written before me: I wil not keepe silence, but will render it and recompense it into their bosome.
See, it is recorded before me, says the Lord: I will not keep back my hand, till I have sent punishment,
7 Your iniquities and the iniquities of your fathers shalbe together (sayth the Lord) which haue burnt incense vpon the mountaines, and blasphemed me vpon the hilles: therefore wil I measure their olde worke into their bosome.
For their sins and the sins of their fathers, who were burning perfumes on the mountains, and saying evil things against me on the hills: so I will take the measure of their sins, and will send the punishment for them into their breast.
8 Thus sayth the Lord, As the wine is found in the cluster, and one sayth, Destroy it not, for a blessing is in it, so will I doe for my seruants sakes, that I may not destroy them whole.
This is the word of the Lord: As the new wine is seen in the grapes, and they say, Do not send destruction on it, for a blessing is in it: so will I do for my servants, in order that I may not put an end to them all.
9 But I will bring a seede out of Iaakob, and out of Iudah, that shall inherit my mountaine: and mine elect shall inherit it, and my seruants shall dwell there.
And I will take a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah one who will have my mountains for a heritage: and the people I have taken to be mine will have it for themselves, and my servants will have their resting-place there.
10 And Sharon shalbe a sheepefolde, and the valley of Achor shalbe a resting place for the cattell of my people, that haue sought me.
And Sharon will be a grass-land for the flocks, and the valley of Achor a resting-place for the herds: for my people whose hearts have been turned back to me.
11 But ye are they that haue forsaken the Lord and forgotten mine holy Mountaine, and haue prepared a table for the multitude, and furnish the drinke offerings vnto the number.
But as for you who have given up the Lord, who have no care for my holy mountain, who get ready a table for Chance, and make offerings of mixed wine to Fate;
12 Therefore wil I number you to the sword, and all you shall bowe downe to the slaughter, because I called, and ye did not answere: I spake, and ye heard not, but did euil in my sight, and did chuse that thing which I would not.
Your fate will be the sword, and you will all go down to death: because when my voice came to you, you made no answer; you did not give ear to my word; but you did what was evil in my eyes, desiring what was not pleasing to me.
13 Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Beholde, my seruants shall eate, and ye shalbe hungrie: beholde, my seruants shall drinke, and ye shall be thirstie: beholde, my seruants shall reioyce, and ye shalbe ashamed.
For this cause says the Lord God, My servants will have food, but you will be in need of food: my servants will have drink, but you will be dry: my servants will have joy, but you will be shamed:
14 Beholde, my seruants shall sing for ioye of heart, and ye shall crye for sorow of heart, and shall howle for vexation of minde.
My servants will make songs in the joy of their hearts, but you will be crying for sorrow, and making sounds of grief from a broken spirit.
15 And ye shall leaue your name as a curse vnto my chosen: for the Lord God shall slay you and call his seruants by another name.
And your name will become a curse to my people, and the Lord God will put you to death, and give his servants another name:
16 He that shall blesse in the earth, shall blesse himselfe in the true God, and he that sweareth in the earth, shall sweare by the true God: for the former troubles are forgotten, and shall surely hide themselues from mine eyes.
So that he who is requesting a blessing will make use of the name of the true God, and he who takes an oath will do so by the true God; because the past troubles are gone out of mind, and because they are covered from my eyes.
17 For lo, I will create newe heauens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembred nor come into minde.
For see, I am making a new heaven and a new earth: and the past things will be gone completely out of mind.
18 But be you glad and reioyce for euer in the things that I shall create: for beholde, I will create Ierusalem, as a reioycing and her people as a ioye,
But men will be glad and have joy for ever in what I am making; for I am making Jerusalem a delight, and her people a joy.
19 And I wil reioyce in Ierusalem, and ioye in my people, and the voyce of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voyce of crying.
And I will be glad over Jerusalem, and have joy in my people: and the voice of weeping will no longer be sounding in her, or the voice of grief.
20 There shall be no more there a childe of yeeres, nor an olde man that hath not filled his dayes: for he that shall be an hundreth yeeres old, shall dye as a yong man: but the sinner being an hundreth yeeres olde shall be accursed.
No longer will there be there a child whose days are cut short, or an old man whose days have not come to their full measure: for the young man at his death will be a hundred years old, and he whose life is shorter than a hundred years will seem as one cursed.
21 And they shall build houses and inhabite them, and they shall plant vineyards, and eate the fruite of them.
And they will be building houses and living in them; planting vine-gardens and getting the fruit of them.
22 They shall not build, and another inhabite: they shall not plant, and another eate: for as the dayes of the tree are the dayes of my people, and mine elect shall inioye in olde age the worke of their handes.
They will no longer be building for the use of others, or planting for others to have the fruit: for the days of my people will be like the days of a tree, and my loved ones will have joy in full measure in the work of their hands.
23 They shall not labour in vaine, nor bring forth in feare: for they are the seede of the blessed of the Lord, and their buds with them.
Their work will not be for nothing, and they will not give birth to children for destruction; for they are a seed to whom the Lord has given his blessing, and their offspring will be with them.
24 Yea, before they call, I will answere, and whiles they speake, I will heare.
And before they make their request I will give an answer, and while they are still making prayer to me, I will give ear.
25 The wolfe and the lambe shall feede together, and the lyon shall eate strawe like the bullocke: and to the serpent dust shall be his meate. They shall no more hurt nor destroy in all mine holy Mountaine, saith the Lord.
The wolf and the lamb will take their food together, and the lion will make a meal of grass like the ox: but dust will be the snake's food. There will be no cause of pain or destruction in all my holy mountain, says the Lord.
