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?
Yahweh [also] said this: “[All of] heaven is [like] my throne, and the whole earth is [like] my footstool. So you could certainly not [RHQ] build a house [that would be adequate] for me to live in and 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.
I [MTY] have created everything; all things exist because I made them. [That is true because I], Yahweh, have said it. The people I am [most] pleased with are those who are humble, who [patiently endure it when they] (suffer/are afflicted), and who tremble when they hear me [rebuking them].
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.
You have enjoyed [continually] doing the things that you want to do: [Some of] you slaughter oxen [to sacrifice them to me], but you also bring human sacrifices [to your idols]! You sacrifice lambs [to me], but you kill dogs [to offer them to your gods]. You offer grain to me, but you also bring pigs’ blood [to your idols]. You burn incense [to me], but you also praise your idols. You enjoy doing those disgusting things.
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.
When I called [out to you], you did not answer. When I spoke, you did not pay attention. You did [many] things that I say are evil; you chose [to do] things that I did not like. So [now] I will punish you by causing you to experience the things that you are [very] afraid of.”
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.
But you people who tremble when you hear what Yahweh says, listen to what he says [now]: “Some of your people hate you and reject you because you belong to me. They make fun of you, and they say, ‘Yahweh should show his glorious power! We want to see him [do something to cause] you to be truly happy.’ But [some day] those people will be [very] disgraced.”
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.
[At that time], you will listen to the noise in the city. You will hear the shouting in the temple. It will be the sound of Yahweh shouting while he is punishing his enemies!
7 Before she had travailed she brought forth; before yet her pain was come, she was delivered of a man-child.
No one [RHQ] ever heard that a woman gave birth to a baby when she was just starting to have birth pains.
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?
Certainly no one [RHQ] ever heard about such a thing happening, and no one has ever seen it happen. [Similarly], no one ever [RHQ] heard that a nation was created in one instant, not even in one day. But Jerusalem is like [MET] [a woman who] gives birth to children as soon as she starts to have birth pains.
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.
Women certainly do not [RHQ] bring infants to the time when they are ready to be born and then do not allow them to be born. [Similarly, he will do for Jerusalem] [MET] [what he has promised to do]: [He will cause Jerusalem to be full of people again]. [That will happen because] Yahweh has said it.
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.
You people in [APO] Jerusalem, rejoice! And all you people who love Jerusalem should also be happy. You people who were sad because of [what happened to Jerusalem], you should now be glad.
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.
[You people in Jerusalem] will [have everything that you need] like [MET] a baby that gets all it needs from its mother’s breasts. You will enjoy all the abundant and glorious things [MET] in the city.
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.
Yahweh has promised, “I will cause Jerusalem to be full of valuable things that come from other nations; those things will pour into Jerusalem; it will be like [SIM] a big flood. I will take care of the people of Jerusalem like women care for the babies that they nurse.
13 As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and in Jerusalem shall ye be comforted.
I will comfort you people in Jerusalem like [MET] mothers comfort their children.”
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.
When you see [those things happen], you [SYN] will rejoice. Your [old] bones will become strong [again] like [SIM] grass [that grows quickly/well in the springtime]. [When that happens, everyone] will know that Yahweh has power [MTY] to help those who worship and obey him, but that he is angry with his enemies.
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.
Yahweh will come down with flames of fire, and his chariots [will come down] like [SIM] a whirlwind; he will be extremely angry, and he will punish [his enemies] by burning them in a 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.
[It is as though] [MET] Yahweh has a [big] sword, and he will judge and execute many people.
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.
Yahweh says, “Some of you people purify/bathe yourselves and [then] go to a garden to worship your gods. You eat the meat of pigs and lizards and mice, [and other things that I have forbidden you to eat]. So I will get rid of you [for doing that].
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.
I know [all] the [evil] things that you think and do. [It is now time] for me to gather together the people who live in all nations and who speak all languages, and to show them that I am very great.
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.
I will put a mark on them, and those whom I have spared will go to various [distant] countries: to Tarshish, Put, Lud, Meshech, Tubal, Javan, and to distant islands. I will send them to proclaim to nations that have never heard about me that I am very great and glorious.
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.
Then they will bring back here your relatives [who have been (exiled/forced to go to other countries)], to be like [SIM] an offering to me. They will come on horses, in chariots, on mules, and on camels. They will come to [Zion, ] my sacred hill in Jerusalem. That will be like [SIM] the offerings that [my] Israeli people used to bring in the correct manner to the temple.
21 And of them also will I take for priests and for Levites, saith the Lord.
[I solemnly promise that] I will appoint some of them to be priests, and others to do other work in my temple. [That will surely happen because I], Yahweh, have said it.
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.
I [also] promise that just like the new heaven and the new earth will last forever, you will always have descendants, and you [MTY] will always be honored.
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.
At every festival to celebrate the Sabbath [each week] and the new moon [each month], everyone will [come and] worship me. [That will surely happen because] I, Yahweh, have said it.
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.
Then they will go out [of Jerusalem] and look at the corpses of those who rebelled against me. The maggots in those corpses will never die, the fire will never stop burning them, and everyone [who sees their corpses] will detest them.”
