< Isaiah 66 >

1 Thus hath said the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is there a house that ye can build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?
Thus says the Lord, Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: what kind of a house will you build me? and of what kind [is to be] the place of my rest?
2 For all these things hath my hand made, that all these things came into being, saith the Lord; but upon such a one will I look, upon the poor, and him who is of a contrite spirit, and who trembleth at my word.
For all these things are mine, says the Lord: and to whom will I have respect, but to the humble and meek, and the [man] that trembles [at] my words?
3 He that slaughtereth the ox, slayeth a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, breaketh the neck of a dog; he that offereth a meat-offering, [offereth] swine's blood; he that burneth incense, blesseth an idol: yea, they have made choice of their own ways, and in their abominations doth their soul delight.
But the transgressor that sacrifices a calf to me, is as he that kills a dog; and he that offers fine flour, as [one that offers] swine's blood; he that gives frankincense for a memorial, is as a blasphemer. Yet they have chosen their own ways, and their soul has delighted in their abominations.
4 So will I also make choice of their misfortune, and what they dread will I bring upon them; because I called, and none did answer; I spoke, and they did not hear; and they did what is evil in my eyes, and that in which I delighted not did they choose.
I also will choose their mockeries, and will recompense their sins upon them; because I called them, and they did not listen to me; I spoke, and they heard not: and they did evil before me, and chose the things wherein I delighted not.
5 Hear the word of the Lord, ye that tremble at his word: Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for the sake of my name, said, “Let the Lord be glorified;” but he will appear to your joy, and they shall be made ashamed.
Hear the words of the Lord, you that tremble at his word; speak you, our brethren, to them that hate you and abominate you, that the name of the Lord may be glorified, and may appear their joy; but they shall be ashamed.
6 [There is] a voice of tumult from the city, a voice from the temple, the voice of the Lord who rendereth recompense to his enemies.
A voice of a cry from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of the Lord rendering recompence to [his] adversaries.
7 Before she had travailed she brought forth; before yet her pain was come, she was delivered of a man-child.
Before she that travailed brought forth, before the travail-pain came on, she escaped [it] and brought forth a male.
8 Who hath heard the like? who hath seen such things? shall a land be made to travail in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? that Zion hath travailed, also brought forth her children?
Who has heard such a thing? and who has seen after this manner? Has the earth travailed in one day? or has even a nation been born at once, that Sion has travailed, and brought forth her children?
9 Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the Lord; or shall I who cause to bring forth, now prevent it? saith thy God.
But I have raised this expectation, yet you have not remembered me, says the Lord: behold, have not I made the bearing and barren woman? says your God.
10 Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be delighted over her, all ye that love her; be highly glad with her, all ye that mourn for her.
Rejoice, O Jerusalem, and all you that love her hold in her a general assembly: rejoice greatly with her, all that [now] mourn over her:
11 In order that ye may suck, and be satisfied with the breast of her consolations; in order that ye may sip, and find pleasure from the abundance of her glory.
that you may suck, and be satisfied with the breast of her consolation; that you may milk out, and delight yourselves with the influx of her glory.
12 For thus hath said the Lord, Behold, I will extend to her peace like a river, and like a rapid stream the glory of nations, that ye may suck: upon the arm shall ye be borne, and upon knees shall ye be dandled.
For thus says the Lord, Behold, I turn towards them as a river of peace, and as a torrent bringing upon them in a flood the glory of the Gentiles: their children shall be borne upon the shoulders, and comforted on the knees.
13 As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and in Jerusalem shall ye be comforted.
As if his mother should comfort one, so will I also comfort you; and you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.
14 And ye shall see this, and your heart shall be glad, and your bones shall flourish like the grass; and then will be known the hand of the Lord on his servants, and he will be indignant toward his enemies.
And you shall see, and your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall thrive like grass: and the hand of the Lord shall be known to them that fear him, and he shall threaten the disobedient.
15 For, behold, the Lord will come with fire, and his chariots will be like the storm-wind, to send forth his anger with fury, and his threatening with flames of fire.
For, behold, the Lord will come as fire, and his chariots as a storm, to render his vengeance with wrath, and his rebuke with a flame of fire.
16 For by fire will the Lord judge, and by his sword against all flesh: and many shall be the slain of the Lord.
For with the fire of the Lord all the earth shall be judged, and all flesh with his sword: many shall be slain by the Lord.
17 They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves for the gardens, behind one tree in the midst, they who eat the flesh of the swine, and the abomination, and the mouse, together shall they perish, saith the Lord.
They that sanctify themselves and purify themselves in the gardens, and eat swine's flesh in the porches, and the abominations, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, says the Lord.
18 And I, because of their works and their thoughts, will let it come to pass to gather all the nations and tongues; and they shall come, and shall see my glory.
And I [know] their works and their imagination. I am going to gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory.
19 And I will display a sign on them, and I will send from them those that escape unto the nations, Tharshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow, Thubal, and Javan, the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, and have not seen my glory; and they shall proclaim my glory among the nations.
And I will leave a sign upon them, and I will send forth them that have escaped of them to the nations, to Tharsis, and Phud, and Lud, and Mosoch, and to Thobel, and to Greece, and to the isles afar off, to those who have not heard my name, nor seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory amongst the Gentiles.
20 And they shall bring all your brethren out of all nations as an offering unto the Lord, upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules, and upon dromedaries, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, saith the Lord, as the children of Israel bring the offering in a clean vessel into the house of the Lord.
And they shall bring your brethren out of all nations for a gift to the Lord with horses, and chariots, in litters [drawn by] mules with awnings, to the holy city Jerusalem, said the Lord, as though the children of Israel should bring their sacrifices to me with psalms into the house of the Lord.
21 And of them also will I take for priests and for Levites, saith the Lord.
And I will take of them priests and Levites, says the Lord.
22 For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall have permanence before me, saith the Lord, so shall exist permanently your seed and your name.
For as the new heaven and the new earth, which I make, remain before me, says the Lord, so shall your seed and your name continue.
23 And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to the other new moon, and from one sabbath to the other sabbath, shall all flesh come to prostrate themselves before me, saith the Lord.
And it shall come to pass from month to month, and from sabbath to sabbath, [that] all flesh shall come to worship before me in Jerusalem, says the Lord.
24 And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcasses of the men that have transgressed against me; for their worm shall not die, nor shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorrence unto all flesh.
And they shall go forth, and see the carcasses of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, and their fire shall not be quenched; and they shall be a spectacle to all flesh.

< Isaiah 66 >