Isaiah 66

1 Thus said Jehovah: The heavens [are] My throne, And the earth My footstool, Where [is] this — the house that ye build for Me? And where [is] this — the place — 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 And all these My hand hath made, And all these things are, An affirmation of Jehovah! And unto this one I look attentively, Unto the humble and bruised in spirit, And who is trembling 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 Whoso slaughtereth the ox smiteth a man, Whoso sacrificeth the lamb beheadeth a dog, Whoso is bringing up a present — The blood of a sow, Whoso is making mention of frankincense, Is blessing iniquity. Yea, they have fixed on their own ways, And in their abominations their soul hath delighted.

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 I also — I fix on their vexations, And their fears I bring in to them, Because I have called, and there is none answering, I spake, and they have not hearkened, And they do the evil things in Mine eyes, And on that which I desired not — fixed.

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 a word of Jehovah, Ye who are trembling unto His word, Said have your brethren who are hating you, Who are driving you out, for My name's sake: 'Honoured is Jehovah, and we look on your joy,' But they are 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 A voice of noise [is] from the city, a voice from the temple, The voice of Jehovah, giving recompence 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 is pained she hath brought forth, Before a pang cometh to her, She hath delivered a male.

Before she that travailed brought forth, before the travail-pain came on, she escaped [it] and brought forth a male.

8 Who hath heard anything like this? Who hath seen anything like these? Is earth caused to bring forth in one day? Born is a nation at once? For she hath been pained, Zion also hath borne her sons.

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 'Do I bring to the birth, And not cause to bring forth?' saith Jehovah, 'Am not I He who is causing to beget? I have also restrained,' said 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 glad in her, all ye loving her, Rejoice ye with her for joy, All ye are mourning 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 So that ye suck, and have been satisfied, From the breast of her consolations, So that ye wring out, and have delighted yourselves From the abundance of her honour.

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 said Jehovah: 'Lo, I am stretching out to her peace as a river, And as an overflowing stream the honour of nations, And ye have sucked, on the side ye are carried, And on the knees ye are 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 do I comfort you, Yea, in Jerusalem ye are comforted.

As if his mother should comfort one, so will I also comfort you; and you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.

14 And ye have seen, and rejoiced hath your heart, And your bones as tender grass do flourish, And the hand of Jehovah hath been known unto His servants, And He hath been indignant with 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, lo, Jehovah in fire cometh, And as a hurricane His chariots, To refresh in fury His anger, And His rebuke in 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 and by His sword, Doth Jehovah do judgment with all flesh. And many have been Jehovah's pierced ones.'

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 Those sanctifying and cleansing themselves at the gardens, After Ahad in the midst, Eating flesh of the sow, And of the abomination, and of the mouse, Together are consumed, An affirmation of Jehovah.

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 — their works and their thoughts, I come to gather all the nations and tongues, And they have come and seen My honour.

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 have set among them a sign, And have sent out of them those escaping unto the nations, (Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, drawing bow, Tubal and Javan, the isles that are far off, ) Who have not heard My fame, nor seen Mine honour, And they have declared Mine honour among 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 have brought all your brethren out of all the nations, A present to Jehovah, On horses, and on chariot, and on litters, And on mules, and on dromedaries, Unto My holy mountain Jerusalem, said Jehovah, As the sons of Israel bring the present in a clean vessel, Into the house of Jehovah.

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 also of them I take for priests, For Levites, said Jehovah.

And I will take of them priests and Levites, says the Lord.

22 For, as the new heavens and the new earth that I am making, Are standing before Me, An affirmation of Jehovah! So remain doth 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 hath been from month to month, And from sabbath to sabbath, Come do all flesh to bow themselves before Me, Said Jehovah.

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 have gone forth, And looked on the carcases of the men Who are transgressing against me, For their worm dieth not, And their fire is not quenched, And they have been an abhorrence to 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.