< 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 have shown myself to those who did not ask for me. I was found by 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 spread out my hands all the time unto a rebellious people, that walk in the way which is not good, after their own thoughts;
All day long I have stretched out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people, who walk in a way that is not good, following their own thoughts;
3 [To] the people that provoke me to anger to my face continually; that sacrifice in gardens and burn incense upon [altars of] brick,
a people who provoke me to my face continually as they sacrifice in gardens and burn incense on bricks;
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;
who sit among the graves, and lodge in the secret places; who eat pig's flesh, and the broth of abominable things is in their vessels;
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, 'Keep your distance, do not come near to me, for I am holier than you.' These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burns all the day.
6 Behold, it is written before me; I will not keep silence, till I have recompensed, yea, recompensed into their bosom.—
"Look, it is written before me: I will not keep silence, but will recompense, yes, I will recompense 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.
your own iniquities, and the iniquities of your fathers together," says the LORD, "who have burned incense on the mountains, and blasphemed me on the hills; therefore I will first measure their work 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 the new wine is found in the cluster, and one says, 'Do not destroy it, for a blessing is in it:' so will I do for my servants' sake, that I may 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 bring forth offspring from Jacob, and from Judah they shall inherit my mountains; and my chosen shall inherit it, and my servants 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.
Sharon shall be a fold of flocks, and the Valley of Achor a place for herds to lie down in, 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 who forsake the LORD, who forget my holy mountain, who prepare a table for Fortune, and who fill up mixed wine to Destiny;
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 destine you to the sword, and you shall all bow down to the slaughter; because when I called, you did not answer; when I spoke, you did not listen; but you did that which was evil in my eyes, and chose that in which I did not delight."
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, "Look, my servants shall eat, but you shall be hungry; look, my servants shall drink, but you shall be thirsty; look, my servants shall rejoice, but you shall be disappointed;
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;
look, my servants shall sing in gladness of heart, but you shall cry for sorrow of heart, and shall wail for anguish of 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.
You shall leave your name for a curse to my chosen; and the LORD will kill you; but he will call his servants by another 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.
so that he who blesses himself 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.
17 For, behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth; and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind;
"For, look, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former things shall not be remembered, nor come into 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 be you glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for, look, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her 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.
I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people; and there shall be heard in her no more the voice of weeping and 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.
"There shall be no more there an infant of days, nor an old man who has not filled his days; for the child shall die one hundred years old, and the sinner being one hundred years old shall be accursed.
21 And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat their fruit.
They shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat their fruit.
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 not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree shall be the days of my people, and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
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.
They shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth for calamity; for they are the descendants of the blessed of the LORD, 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.
It shall happen that, 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 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.
The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox; and dust shall be the serpent's food. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain," says the LORD.

< Isaiah 65 >