< Isaiah 65 >

1 I allowed myself to be sought by those that asked not; I let myself be found by those that sought me not: I said, Here am I, here am I, unto a nation that called itself not by my name.
I became manifest to them that asked not for me; I was found of them that sought me not: I said, Behold, I am [here], to a nation, who called not on my name.
2 I spread out my hands all the time unto a rebellious people, that walk in the way which is not good, after their own thoughts;
I have stretched forth my hands all day to a disobedient and gainsaying people, to them that walked in a way that was not good, but after their sins.
3 [To] the people that provoke me to anger to my face continually; that sacrifice in gardens and burn incense upon [altars of] brick,
This is the people that provokes me continually in my presence; they offer sacrifices in gardens, and burn incense on bricks to devils, which exist not.
4 That sit about among the graves, and lodge in the vaults, that eat the flesh of the swine, and [have] broth of abominations [in] their vessels;
They lie down to sleep in the tombs and in the caves for the sake of dreams, [even] they that eat swine's flesh, and the broth of [their] sacrifices: all their vessels are defiled:
5 That say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou. These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the time.
who say, Depart from me, draw not near to me, for I am pure. This is the smoke of my wrath, a fire burns with it continually.
6 Behold, it is written before me; I will not keep silence, till I have recompensed, yea, recompensed into their bosom.—
Behold, it is written before me: I will not be silent until I have recompensed into their bosom,
7 Your iniquities and the iniquities of your fathers together, saith the Lord, who have burnt incense upon the mountains, and upon the hills have blasphemed me: and I will measure out their work at first into their bosom.
their sins and [the sins] of their fathers, says the Lord, who have burnt incense on the mountains, and reproached me on the hills: I will recompense their works into their bosom.
8 Thus hath said the Lord, As the new wine is found in the cluster of grapes, and one saith, Destroy it not, for a blessing is in it; so will I do for the sake of my servants, that I will not destroy the whole;
Thus says the Lord, As a grape-stone shall be found in the cluster, and they shall say, Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it: so will I do for the sake of him that serves me, for his sake I will not destroy [them] all.
9 And I let come forth out of Jacob a seed, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains; and my elect shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there.
And I will lead forth the seed [that came] of Jacob and of Juda, and they shall inherit my holy mountain: and mine elect and my servants shall inherit it, and shall dwell there.
10 And Sharon shall become a fold of flocks, and the valley of 'Achor a resting-place for herds, for my people that have sought me.
And there shall be in the forest folds of flocks, and the valley of Achor [shall] be for a resting-place of herds for my people, who have sought me.
11 But ye who forsake the Lord, who forget my holy mountain, that set out a table for the god of Fortune, and that fill for Destiny the drink-offering.—
But you are they that have left me, and forget my holy mountain, and prepare a table for the devil, and fill up the drink-offering to Fortune.
12 Yea, I will destine you to the sword, and all of you shall kneel down to the slaughter; because when I called, ye did not answer; when I spoke, ye did not hear; but ye did what is evil in my eyes, and that wherein I had no delight did ye choose.
I will deliver you up to the sword, you shall all fall by slaughter: for I called you, and you listened not; I spoke, and you refused to hear; and you did evil in my sight, and chose the things wherein I delighted not.
13 Therefore thus hath said the Lord Eternal, Behold, my servants shall eat, but ye shall be hungry; behold, my servants shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty; behold, my servants shall rejoice, but ye shall be made ashamed;
Therefore thus says the Lord, Behold, my servants shall eat, but you shall hunger: behold, my servants shall drink, but you shall thirst: behold, my servants shall rejoice, but you shall be ashamed:
14 Behold, my servants shall sing for joy of heart, but ye shall cry out from pain of heart, and from a broken spirit shall ye howl;
behold, my servants shall exult with joy, but you shall cry for the sorrow of your heart, and shall howl for the vexation of your spirit.
15 And ye shall leave behind your name for an oath unto my elect ones, when the Lord Eternal will slay thee; but his servants will he call by another name.
For you shall leave your name for a loathing to my chosen, and the Lord shall destroy you: but my servants shall be called by a new name,
16 Whoever there be that blesseth himself on the earth shall bless himself by the true God; and that sweareth on the earth shall swear by the true God; because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hidden from my eyes.
which shall be blessed on the earth; for they shall bless the true God: and they that swear upon the earth shall swear by the true God; for they shall forget the former affliction, it shall not come into their mind.
17 For, behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth; and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind;
For there shall be a new heaven and a new earth: and they shall not at all remember the former, neither shall they at all come into their mind.
18 But be ye glad and rejoice unto all eternity in what I create; for, behold, I will create Jerusalem for rejoicing, and her people for gladness.
But they shall find in her joy and exultation; for, behold, I make Jerusalem a rejoicing, and my people a joy.
19 And I will rejoice over Jerusalem, and be glad in my people: and there shall not be heard in her any more the voice of weeping, nor the voice of complaint.
And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and will be glad in my people: and there shall no more be heard in her the voice of weeping, or the voice of crying.
20 There shall no more come thence an infant of few days, nor an old man that shall not have the full length of his days; for as a lad shall one die a hundred years old; and as a sinner shall be accursed he who [dieth] at a hundred years old.
Neither shall there be there any more a [child that dies] untimely, or an old man who shall not complete his time: for the youth shall be a hundred years [old], and the sinner who dies at a hundred years shall also be accursed:
21 And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat their fruit.
and they shall build houses, and themselves shall dwell in [them]; and they shall plant vineyards, and themselves shall eat the fruit thereof.
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 the work of their hands shall my elect wear out.
They shall by no means build, and others inhabit; and they shall by no means plant, and others eat: for as the days of the tree of life shall be the days of my people, they shall long enjoy the fruits of their labours.
23 They shall not toil in vain, nor bring forth unto an early death; for the seed of the blessed of the Lord are they, and their offspring with them.
My chosen shall not toil in vain, neither shall they beget children to be cursed; for they are a seed blessed of God, and their offspring with them.
24 And it shall come to pass, that before yet they call will I answer; and while they are still speaking will I hear.
And it shall come to pass, [that] before they call, I will listen to them; while they are yet speaking, I will say, What is it?
25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall like the bullock eat straw: and the serpent—dust shall be his food. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the Lord.
Then wolves and lambs shall feed together, and the lion shall eat chaff like the ox, and the serpent earth as bread. They shall not injure nor destroy in my holy mountain, says the Lord.

< Isaiah 65 >