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?

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.

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.

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.”

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.”

6 A voice of noise from the city, A voice from the temple, The voice of YHWH, Giving repayment to His enemies.

7 “Before she is pained she has brought forth, Before a pang comes to her, She has delivered a male.

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.

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.

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,

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.”

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.

13 As one whom his mother comforts, so do I comfort you, Indeed, you are 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.

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.

16 For by fire and by His sword, YHWH does judgment with all flesh. And many have been YHWH’s pierced ones.

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.

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.

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.

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.

21 And I also take of them for priests, For Levites,” said YHWH.

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.

23 And it has been from month to month, And from Sabbath to Sabbath, All flesh come to bow themselves before Me,” said YHWH.

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!”