< Isaiah 66 >
1 Thus said YHWH: “The heavens [are] My throne, And the earth My footstool, Where [is] this—the house that you build for Me? And where [is] this—the place—My rest?
This is what Yahweh says, “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where then is the house you will build for me? Where is the place where I may rest?
2 And My hand has made all these, And all these things are,” A declaration of YHWH! “And to this one I look attentively, To the humble and bruised in spirit, And who is trembling at My word.
My hand has made all these things; that is how these things came to be—this is Yahweh's declaration. This is the man of whom I approve, the broken and contrite in spirit, and who trembles at my word.
3 Whoever slaughters the ox strikes a man, Whoever sacrifices the lamb beheads a dog, Whoever is bringing up a present—The blood of a sow, Whoever is making mention of frankincense, Is blessing iniquity. Indeed, they have fixed on their own ways, And their soul has delighted in their abominations.
He who slaughters an ox also murders a man; he who sacrifices a lamb also breaks a dog's neck; he who offers a grain offering offers swine's blood; he who offers a memorial of incense also blesses wickedness. They have chosen their own ways, and they take pleasure in their abominations.
4 I also—I fix on their distress, And I bring in their fears to them, Because I have called, and there is none answering, I spoke, and they have not listened, And they do evil in My eyes, And on that which I did not desire—fixed.”
In the same way I will choose their own punishment; I will bring on them what they fear, because when I called, no one answered; when I spoke, no one listened. They did what was evil in my sight, and chose to do what displeases me.”
5 Hear a word of YHWH, You who are trembling at His word: “Your brothers who are hating you, Who are driving you out for My Name’s sake, have said, YHWH is honored, and we look on your joy, But they are ashamed.”
Hear the word of Yahweh, you who tremble at his word, “Your brothers who hate and exclude you for my name's sake have said, 'May Yahweh be glorified, then we will see your joy,' but they will be put to shame.
6 A voice of noise from the city, A voice from the temple, The voice of YHWH, Giving repayment to His enemies.
A sound of battle tumult comes from the city, a sound from the temple, the sound of Yahweh paying back his enemies.
7 “Before she is pained she has brought forth, Before a pang comes to her, She has delivered a male.
Before she goes into labor, she gives birth; before pain is upon her, she gave birth to a son.
8 Who has heard anything like this? Who has seen anything like these? Is earth caused to bring forth in one day? Is a nation born at once? For she has been pained, Zion has also borne her sons.
Who has heard of such a thing? Who has seen such things? Will a land be born in one day? Can a nation be established in one moment? Yet as soon as Zion goes into labor, she gives birth to her children.
9 Do I bring to the birth, And not cause to bring forth?” says YHWH, “Am I not He who is causing to beget? I have also restrained,” said your God.
Do I bring a baby to the birth opening and not permit the child to be born?—asks Yahweh. Or do I bring a child to moment of delivery and then hold it back?—asks your God.”
10 “Rejoice with Jerusalem, And be glad in her, all you loving her, Rejoice with her for joy, All you who are mourning for her,
Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad for her, all you who love her; rejoice with her, all you who mourned over her!
11 So that you suckle, and have been satisfied, From the breast of her consolations, So that you wring out, and have delighted yourselves From the abundance of her glory.”
For you will nurse and be satisfied; with her breasts you will be comforted; for you will drink them to the full and be delighted with the abundance of her glory.
12 For thus said YHWH: “Behold, I am stretching out to her peace as a river, And the glory of nations as an overflowing stream, And you have sucked, You are carried on the side, And you are dandled on the knees.
This is what Yahweh says, “I am about to spread prosperity over her like a river, and the riches of the nations like an overflowing stream. You will nurse at her side, be carried in her arms, and be dandled on her knees.
13 As one whom his mother comforts, so do I comfort you, Indeed, you are comforted in Jerusalem.”
As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you, and you will be comforted in Jerusalem.”
14 And you have seen, and your heart has rejoiced, And your bones flourish as tender grass, And the hand of YHWH has been known to His servants, And He has been indignant with His enemies.
You will see this, and your heart will rejoice, and your bones will sprout like the tender grass. The hand of Yahweh will be made known to his servants, but he will show his anger against his enemies.
15 For behold, YHWH comes in fire, And His chariots as a windstorm, To refresh His anger in fury, And His rebuke in flames of fire.
For look, Yahweh is coming with fire, and his chariots are coming like the windstorm to bring the heat of his anger and his rebuke with flames of fire.
16 For by fire and by His sword, YHWH does judgment with all flesh. And many have been YHWH’s pierced ones.
For Yahweh executes judgment on mankind by fire and with his sword. Those killed by Yahweh will be many.
17 “Those sanctifying and cleansing themselves [to go] to the gardens, One after another in the midst, Eating flesh of the sow, And of the abomination, and of the muroid, Are consumed together,” A declaration of YHWH.
They consecrate themselves and make themselves pure, so they may enter the gardens, following the one in the middle of those who eat the flesh of pig and abominable things like mice. “They will come to an end—this is Yahweh's declaration.
18 “And I—their works and their thoughts, I come to gather all the nations and tongues, And they have come and seen My glory.
For I know their deeds and their thoughts. The time is coming when I will gather all nations and languages. They will come and will see my glory.
19 And I have set a sign among them, And have sent out of them those escaping to the nations (Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, drawing bow, Tubal and Javan, the islands that are far off), Who have not heard My fame, nor seen My glory, And they have declared My glory among nations.
I will set a mighty sign among them. Then I will send survivors from them to the nations: To Tarshish, Put, and Lud, archers who draw their bows, to Tubal, Javan, and to the distant coastlands where they have not heard about me nor seen my glory. They will proclaim my glory among the nations.
20 And they have brought all your brothers out of all the nations, A present to YHWH, On horses, and on chariot, and on litters, And on mules, and on dromedaries, To My holy mountain Jerusalem,” said YHWH, “As the sons of Israel bring the present in a clean vessel, Into the house of YHWH.
They will bring back all your brothers out of all the nations, as an offering to Yahweh. They will come on horses, and in chariots, in wagons, on mules, and on camels, to my holy mountain Jerusalem—says Yahweh. For the people of Israel will bring a grain offering in a clean vessel into the house of Yahweh.
21 And I also take of them for priests, For Levites,” said YHWH.
Some of these I will even choose as priests and Levites—says Yahweh.
22 “For as the new heavens and the new earth that I am making, Are standing before Me,” A declaration of YHWH, “So your seed and your name remain.
For just as the new heavens and the new earth that I will make will remain before me—this is Yahweh's declaration—so your descendants will remain, and your name will remain.
23 And it has been from month to month, And from Sabbath to Sabbath, All flesh come to bow themselves before Me,” said YHWH.
From one month to the next, and from one Sabbath to the next, all people will come to bow down to me—says Yahweh.
24 “And they have gone forth, And looked on the carcasses of the men Who are transgressing against Me, For their worm does not die, And their fire is not quenched, And they have been an abhorrence to all flesh!”
They will go out and see the dead bodies of the men who have rebelled against me, for the worms that eat them will not die, and the fire that consumes them will not be quenched; and it will be an abhorrence to all flesh.”