Isaiæ 66
1 Hæc dicit Dominus: Cælum sedes mea, terra autem scabellum pedum meorum: quæ est ista Domus, quam ædificabitis mihi? et quis est iste locus quietis meæ?
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 Omnia hæc manus mea fecit, et facta sunt universa ista, dicit Dominus. ad quem autem respiciam, nisi ad pauperculum, et contritum spiritu, et trementem sermones meos?
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 Qui immolat bovem, quasi qui interficiat virum: qui mactat pecus, quasi qui excerebret canem: qui offert oblationem, quasi qui sanguinem suillum offerat: qui recordatur thuris, quasi qui benedicat idolo. Hæc omnia elegerunt in viis suis, et in abominationibus suis anima eorum delectata est.
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 Unde et ego eligam illusiones eorum: et quæ timebant, adducam eis: quia vocavi, et non erat qui responderet: locutus sum, et non audierunt: feceruntque malum in oculis meis, et quæ nolui elegerunt.
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 Audite verbum Domini, qui tremitis ad verbum eius: dixerunt fratres vestri odientes vos, et abiicientes propter nomen meum: glorificetur Dominus, et videbimus in lætitia vestra: ipsi autem confundentur.
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 Vox populi de civitate, vox de templo, vox Domini reddentis retributionem inimicis suis.
[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 Antequam parturiret peperit: antequam veniret partus eius, peperit masculum.
No one [RHQ] ever heard that a woman gave birth to a baby when she was just starting to have birth pains.
8 Quis audivit umquam tale? et quis vidit huic simile? numquid parturiet terra in die una? aut parietur gens simul, quia parturivit et peperit Sion filios suos?
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 Numquid ego, qui alios parere facio, ipse non pariam, dicit Dominus? si ego, qui generationem ceteris tribuo, sterilis ero, ait Dominus Deus tuus?
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 Lætamini cum Ierusalem, et exultate in ea, omnes qui diligitis eam: gaudete cum ea gaudio universi, qui lugetis super eam
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 ut sugatis, et repleamini ab ubere consolationis eius: ut mulgeatis, et deliciis affluatis ab omnimoda gloria eius.
[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 Quia hæc dicit Dominus: Ecce ego declinabo super eam quasi fluvium pacis, et quasi torrentem inundantem gloriam Gentium, quam sugetis: ad ubera portabimini, et super genua blandientur vobis.
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 Quomodo si cui mater blandiatur, ita ego consolabor vos, et in Ierusalem consolabimini.
I will comfort you people in Jerusalem like [MET] mothers comfort their children.”
14 Videbitis, et gaudebit cor vestrum, et ossa vestra quasi herba germinabunt, et cognoscetur manus Domini servis eius, et indignabitur inimicis suis.
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 Quia ecce Dominus in igne veniet, et quasi turbo quadrigæ eius: reddere in indignatione furorem suum, et increpationem suam in flamma ignis:
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 quia in igne Dominus diiudicabit, et in gladio suo ad omnem carnem, et multiplicabuntur interfecti a Domino,
[It is as though] [MET] Yahweh has a [big] sword, and he will judge and execute many people.
17 qui sanctificabantur, et mundos se putabant in hortis post ianuam intrinsecus, qui comedebant carnem suillam, et abominationem et murem: simul consumentur, dicit Dominus.
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 Ego autem opera eorum, et cogitationes eorum: venio ut congregem cum omnibus gentibus et linguis: et venient et videbunt gloriam meam.
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 Et ponam in eis signum, et mittam ex eis, qui salvati fuerint, ad Gentes in mare, in Africam, et Lydiam tendentes sagittam: in Italiam et Græciam, ad insulas longe, ad eos, qui non audierunt de me, et non viderunt gloriam meam. Et annunciabunt gloriam meam Gentibus,
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 et adducent omnes fratres vestros de cunctis Gentibus donum Domino in equis, et in quadrigis, et in lecticis, et in mulis, et in carrucis, ad montem sanctum meum Ierusalem, dicit Dominus, quomodo si inferant filii Israel munus in vase mundo in domum Domini.
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 Et assumam ex eis in sacerdotes, et levitas, dicit Dominus:
[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 Quia sicut cæli novi, et terra nova, quæ ego facio stare coram me, dicit Dominus: sic stabit semen vestrum, et nomen vestrum.
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 Et erit mensis ex mense, et sabbatum ex sabbato: veniet omnis caro ut adoret coram facie mea, dicit Dominus.
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 Et egredientur, et videbunt cadavera virorum, qui prævaricati sunt in me: vermis eorum non morietur, et ignis eorum non extinguetur: et erunt usque ad satietatem visionis omni carni.
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.”
