Font Size
Isaiah 56-66
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Isaiah 56-66
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
The Covenant Extended to All Who Obey
56 Thus says the Lord:
Maintain justice, and do what is right,
for soon my salvation will come
and my deliverance be revealed.(A)
2 Happy is the mortal who does this,
the one who holds it fast,
who keeps the Sabbath, not profaning it,
and refrains from doing any evil.(B)
3 Do not let the foreigner joined to the Lord say,
“The Lord will surely separate me from his people,”
and do not let the eunuch say,
“I am just a dry tree.”(C)
4 For thus says the Lord:
To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths,
who choose the things that please me
and hold fast my covenant,(D)
5 I will give, in my house and within my walls,
a monument and a name
better than sons and daughters;
I will give them an everlasting name
that shall not be cut off.(E)
6 And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord,
to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord,
and to be his servants,
all who keep the Sabbath and do not profane it
and hold fast my covenant—(F)
7 these I will bring to my holy mountain
and make them joyful in my house of prayer;
their burnt offerings and their sacrifices
will be accepted on my altar,
for my house shall be called a house of prayer
for all peoples.(G)
8 Thus says the Lord God,
who gathers the outcasts of Israel:
I will gather others to them
besides those already gathered.[a](H)
The Corruption of Israel’s Rulers
9 All you wild animals,
all you wild animals in the forest, come to devour!(I)
10 Israel’s[b] sentinels are blind;
they are all without knowledge;
they are all silent dogs
that cannot bark,
dreaming, lying down,
loving to slumber.(J)
11 The dogs have a mighty appetite;
they never have enough.
The shepherds also have no understanding;
they have all turned to their own way,
to their own gain, one and all.
12 “Come,” they say, “let us[c] get wine;
let us fill ourselves with strong drink.
And tomorrow will be like today,
great beyond measure.”
Israel’s Futile Idolatry
57 The righteous perish,
and no one considers why;
the devout are taken away,
while no one understands
that it is due to evil that the righteous are taken away.(K)
2 Those who walk uprightly enter into peace
and rest on their couches.(L)
3 But as for you, come here,
you children of a sorceress,
you offspring of an adulterer and a prostitute.[d](M)
4 Whom are you mocking?
Against whom do you open your mouth wide
and stick out your tongue?
Are you not children of transgression,
the offspring of deceit—(N)
5 you who burn with lust among the oaks,
under every green tree;
you who slaughter your children in the valleys,
under the clefts of the rocks?(O)
6 Among the smooth stones of the valley is your portion;
it is they who are your lot;
to them you have poured out a drink offering;
you have brought a grain offering.
Should these acts cause me to relent?(P)
7 Upon a high and lofty mountain
you have set your bed,
and there you went up to offer sacrifice.(Q)
8 Behind the door and the doorpost
you have set up your symbol,
for in deserting me[e] you have uncovered your bed;
you have gone up to it;
you have made it wide;
and you have made a bargain for yourself with them;
you have loved their bed;
you have gazed on their nakedness.[f](R)
9 You journeyed to Molech[g] with oil
and multiplied your perfumes;
you sent your envoys far away
and sent them down to Sheol.(S)
10 You grew weary from your many wanderings,
but you did not say, “It is no use!”
You found your desire rekindled,
and so you did not weaken.(T)
11 Whom did you dread and fear
so that you lied
and did not remember me
or give me a thought?
Have I not kept silent and closed my eyes,[h]
and so you do not fear me?(U)
12 I will announce your verdict,
and the objects you made will not help you.
13 When you cry out, let your collection of idols deliver you!
The wind will carry them off;
a breath will take them away.
But whoever takes refuge in me shall possess the land
and inherit my holy mountain.(V)
A Promise of Help and Healing
14 It shall be said,
“Build up, build up, prepare the way;
remove every obstruction from my people’s way.”(W)
15 For thus says the high and lofty one
who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:
I dwell in the high and holy place
and also with those who are contrite and humble in spirit,
to revive the spirit of the humble
and to revive the heart of the contrite.(X)
16 For I will not continually accuse,
nor will I always be angry,
for then the spirits would grow faint before me,
even the souls that I have made.(Y)
17 Because of their wicked covetousness I was angry;
I struck them; I hid and was angry,
but they kept turning back to their own ways.(Z)
18 I have seen their ways, but I will heal them;
I will lead them and repay them with comfort,
19 creating for their mourners the fruit of the lips.[i]
Peace, peace, to the far and the near, says the Lord,
and I will heal them.(AA)
20 But the wicked are like the tossing sea
that cannot keep still;
its waters toss up mire and mud.(AB)
21 There is no peace, says my God, for the wicked.(AC)
False and True Worship
58 Shout out; do not hold back!
Lift up your voice like a trumpet!
Announce to my people their rebellion,
to the house of Jacob their sins.(AD)
2 Yet day after day they seek me
and delight to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that practiced righteousness
and did not forsake the ordinance of their God;
they ask of me righteous judgments;
they want God on their side.[j](AE)
3 “Why do we fast, but you do not see?
Why humble ourselves, but you do not notice?”
Look, you serve your own interest on your fast day
and oppress all your workers.(AF)
4 You fast only to quarrel and to fight
and to strike with a wicked fist.
Such fasting as you do today
will not make your voice heard on high.(AG)
5 Is such the fast that I choose,
a day to humble oneself?
Is it to bow down the head like a bulrush
and to lie in sackcloth and ashes?
Will you call this a fast,
a day acceptable to the Lord?(AH)
6 Is not this the fast that I choose:
to loose the bonds of injustice,
to undo the straps of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke?(AI)
7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry
and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover them
and not to hide yourself from your own kin?(AJ)
8 Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your healing shall spring up quickly;
your vindicator[k] shall go before you;
the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.(AK)
9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;
you shall cry for help, and he will say, “Here I am.”
If you remove the yoke from among you,
the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil,(AL)
10 if you offer your food to the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the afflicted,
then your light shall rise in the darkness
and your gloom be like the noonday.(AM)
11 The Lord will guide you continually
and satisfy your needs in parched places
and make your bones strong,
and you shall be like a watered garden,
like a spring of water
whose waters never fail.(AN)
12 Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt;
you shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
you shall be called the repairer of the breach,
the restorer of streets to live in.(AO)
13 If you refrain from trampling the Sabbath,
from pursuing your own interests on my holy day;
if you call the Sabbath a delight
and the holy day of the Lord honorable;
if you honor it, not going your own ways,
serving your own interests or pursuing your own affairs;(AP)
14 then you shall take delight in the Lord,
and I will make you ride upon the heights of the earth;
I will feed you with the heritage of your ancestor Jacob,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.(AQ)
Injustice and Oppression to Be Punished
59 See, the Lord’s arm is not too short to save,
nor his ear too dull to hear.(AR)
2 Rather, your iniquities have been barriers
between you and your God,
and your sins have hidden his face from you
so that he does not hear.(AS)
3 For your hands are defiled with blood
and your fingers with iniquity;
your lips have spoken lies;
your tongue mutters wickedness.(AT)
4 No one brings suit justly;
no one goes to law honestly;
they rely on empty pleas; they speak lies,
conceiving mischief and bearing iniquity.(AU)
5 They hatch adders’ eggs
and weave the spider’s web;
whoever eats their eggs dies,
and the crushed egg hatches out a viper.(AV)
6 Their webs cannot serve as clothing;
they cannot cover themselves with what they make.
Their works are works of iniquity,
and deeds of violence are in their hands.(AW)
7 Their feet run to evil,
and they rush to shed innocent blood;
their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity;
desolation and destruction are in their highways.(AX)
8 The way of peace they do not know,
and there is no justice in their ways.
Their roads they have made crooked;
no one who walks in them knows peace.(AY)
9 Therefore justice is far from us,
and deliverance does not reach us;
we wait for light, but there is only darkness;
and for brightness, but we walk in gloom.(AZ)
10 We grope like the blind along a wall,
groping like those who have no eyes;
we stumble at noon as in the twilight,
among the vigorous[l] as though we were dead.(BA)
11 We all growl like bears;
like doves we moan mournfully.
We wait for justice, but there is none;
for salvation, but it is far from us.(BB)
12 For our transgressions before you are many,
and our sins testify against us.
Our transgressions indeed are with us,
and we know our iniquities:(BC)
13 transgressing and denying the Lord
and turning away from following our God,
talking oppression and revolt,
conceiving lying words and uttering them from the heart.(BD)
14 Justice is turned back,
and deliverance stands at a distance,
for truth stumbles in the public square,
and uprightness cannot enter.(BE)
15 Truth is lacking,
and whoever turns from evil is despoiled.
The Lord saw it, and it displeased him
that there was no justice.(BF)
16 He saw that there was no one
and was appalled that there was no one to intervene,
so his own arm brought him victory,
and his righteousness upheld him.(BG)
17 He put on righteousness like a breastplate
and a helmet of salvation on his head;
he put on garments of vengeance for clothing
and wrapped himself in fury as in a mantle.(BH)
18 According to their deeds, so will he repay
wrath to his adversaries, requital to his enemies;
to the coastlands he will render requital.(BI)
19 So those in the west shall fear the name of the Lord,
and those in the east, his glory,
for he will come like a pent-up stream
that the wind of the Lord drives on.(BJ)
20 And he will come to Zion as Redeemer,
to those in Jacob who turn from transgression, says the Lord.(BK)
21 And as for me, this is my covenant with them, says the Lord: my spirit that is upon you and my words that I have put in your mouth shall not depart out of your mouth or out of the mouths of your children or out of the mouths of your children’s children, says the Lord, from now on and forever.(BL)
The Ingathering of the Dispersed
60 Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.(BM)
2 For darkness shall cover the earth
and thick darkness the peoples,
but the Lord will arise upon you,
and his glory will appear over you.(BN)
3 Nations shall come to your light
and kings to the brightness of your dawn.(BO)
4 Lift up your eyes and look around;
they all gather together; they come to you;
your sons shall come from far away,
and your daughters shall be carried in their nurses’ arms.(BP)
5 Then you shall see and be radiant;
your heart shall thrill and rejoice,[m]
because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you;
the wealth of the nations shall come to you.(BQ)
6 A multitude of camels shall cover you,
the young camels of Midian and Ephah;
all those from Sheba shall come.
They shall bring gold and frankincense
and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord.(BR)
7 All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered to you;
the rams of Nebaioth shall minister to you;
they shall be acceptable on my altar,[n]
and I will glorify my glorious house.(BS)
8 Who are these that fly like a cloud
and like doves to their windows?
9 For the coastlands shall wait for me,
the ships of Tarshish first,
to bring your children from far away,
their silver and gold with them,
for the name of the Lord your God
and for the Holy One of Israel,
because he has glorified you.(BT)
10 Foreigners shall build up your walls,
and their kings shall minister to you,
for in my wrath I struck you down,
but in my favor I have had mercy on you.(BU)
11 Your gates shall always be open;
day and night they shall not be shut,
so that nations shall bring you their wealth,
with their kings led in procession.(BV)
12 For the nation and kingdom
that will not serve you shall perish;
those nations shall be utterly laid waste.(BW)
13 The glory of Lebanon shall come to you,
the cypress, the plane, and the pine,
to beautify the place of my sanctuary,
and I will glorify where my feet rest.(BX)
14 The descendants of those who oppressed you
shall come bending low to you,
and all who despised you
shall bow down at your feet;
they shall call you the City of the Lord,
the Zion of the Holy One of Israel.(BY)
15 Whereas you have been forsaken and hated,
with no one passing through,
I will make you majestic forever,
a joy from age to age.(BZ)
16 You shall suck the milk of nations;
you shall suck the breasts of kings,
and you shall know that I, the Lord, am your Savior
and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.(CA)
17 Instead of bronze I will bring gold;
instead of iron I will bring silver;
instead of wood, bronze;
instead of stones, iron.
I will appoint Peace as your overseer
and Righteousness as your taskmaster.
18 Violence shall no more be heard in your land,
devastation or destruction within your borders;
you shall call your walls Salvation
and your gates Praise.(CB)
God the Glory of Zion
19 The sun shall no longer be
your light by day,
nor for brightness shall the moon
give light to you by night,[o]
but the Lord will be your everlasting light,
and your God will be your glory.(CC)
20 Your sun shall no more go down
or your moon withdraw itself,
for the Lord will be your everlasting light,
and your days of mourning shall be ended.(CD)
21 Your people shall all be righteous;
they shall possess the land forever.
They are the shoot that I planted, the work of my hands,
so that I might be glorified.(CE)
22 The least of them shall become a clan
and the smallest one a mighty nation;
I am the Lord;
in its time I will accomplish it quickly.(CF)
The Good News of Deliverance
61 The spirit of the Lord God is upon me
because the Lord has anointed me;
he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed,
to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives
and release to the prisoners,(CG)
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,(CH)
3 to provide for those who mourn in Zion—
to give them a garland instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, to display his glory.(CI)
4 They shall build up the ancient ruins;
they shall raise up the former devastations;
they shall repair the ruined cities,
the devastations of many generations.(CJ)
5 Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks;
foreigners shall till your land and dress your vines,(CK)
6 but you shall be called priests of the Lord;
you shall be named ministers of our God;
you shall enjoy the wealth of the nations,
and in their riches you shall glory.(CL)
7 Because their[p] shame was double
and dishonor was proclaimed as their lot,
therefore in their land they shall possess a double portion;
everlasting joy shall be theirs.(CM)
8 For I, the Lord, love justice,
I hate robbery and wrongdoing;[q]
I will faithfully give them their recompense,
and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.(CN)
9 Their descendants shall be known among the nations
and their offspring among the peoples;
all who see them shall acknowledge
that they are a people whom the Lord has blessed.(CO)
10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord;
my whole being shall exult in my God,
for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation;
he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.(CP)
11 For as the earth brings forth its shoots
and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up,
so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise
to spring up before all the nations.(CQ)
The Vindication and Salvation of Zion
62 For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,
and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest,
until her vindication shines out like the dawn
and her salvation like a burning torch.(CR)
2 The nations shall see your vindication
and all the kings your glory,
and you shall be called by a new name
that the mouth of the Lord will give.(CS)
3 You shall be a beautiful crown in the hand of the Lord
and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.(CT)
4 You shall no more be termed Forsaken,
and your land shall no more be termed Desolate,
but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her
and your land Married,
for the Lord delights in you,
and your land shall be married.(CU)
5 For as a young man marries a young woman,
so shall your builder[r] marry you,
and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
so shall your God rejoice over you.(CV)
6 Upon your walls, O Jerusalem,
I have posted sentinels;
all day and all night
they shall never be silent.
You who remind the Lord,
take no rest,(CW)
7 and give him no rest
until he establishes Jerusalem
and makes it renowned throughout the earth.(CX)
8 The Lord has sworn by his right hand
and by his mighty arm:
I will not again give your grain
to be food for your enemies,
and foreigners shall not drink the wine
for which you have labored,(CY)
9 but those who harvest it shall eat it
and praise the Lord,
and those who gather it shall drink it
in my holy courts.(CZ)
10 Go through, go through the gates;
prepare the way for the people;
build up, build up the highway;
clear it of stones;
lift up an ensign over the peoples.(DA)
11 The Lord has proclaimed
to the end of the earth:
Say to daughter Zion,
“Look, your savior comes;
his reward is with him
and his recompense before him.”(DB)
12 They shall be called, “The Holy People,
The Redeemed of the Lord,”
and you shall be called, “Sought Out,
A City Not Forsaken.”(DC)
Vengeance on Edom
63 “Who is this coming from Edom,
from Bozrah in garments stained crimson?
Who is this so splendidly robed,
marching in his great might?”
“It is I, announcing vindication,
mighty to save.”(DD)
2 “Why are your robes red
and your garments like theirs who tread the winepress?”(DE)
3 “I have trodden the winepress alone,
and from the peoples no one was with me;
I trod them in my anger
and trampled them in my wrath;
their juice spattered on my garments,
and I stained all my robes.(DF)
4 For the day of vengeance was in my mind,
and the year for my redeeming work had come.(DG)
5 I looked, but there was no helper;
I was abandoned, and there was no one to sustain me,
so my own arm brought me victory,
and my wrath sustained me.(DH)
6 I trampled down peoples in my anger;
I crushed them[s] in my wrath,
and I poured out their lifeblood on the earth.”(DI)
God’s Mercy Remembered
7 I will recount the gracious deeds of the Lord,
the praiseworthy acts of the Lord,
because of all that the Lord has done for us
and the great favor to the house of Israel
that he has shown them according to his mercy,
according to the abundance of his steadfast love.(DJ)
8 For he said, “Surely they are my people,
children who will not act deceitfully,”
and he became their savior
9 in all their distress.
It was no messenger or angel
but his presence that saved them;
in his love and pity it was he who redeemed them;
he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.(DK)
10 But they rebelled
and grieved his holy spirit;
therefore he became their enemy;
he himself fought against them.(DL)
11 Then they[t] remembered the days of old,
of Moses his servant.[u]
Where is the one who brought them up out of the sea
with the shepherds of his flock?
Where is the one who put within them
his holy spirit,(DM)
12 who caused his glorious arm
to march at the right hand of Moses,
who divided the waters before them
to make for himself an everlasting name,(DN)
13 who led them through the depths?
Like a horse in the desert,
they did not stumble.(DO)
14 Like cattle that go down into the valley,
the spirit of the Lord gave them rest.
Thus you led your people,
to make for yourself a glorious name.(DP)
A Prayer of Penitence
15 Look down from heaven and see,
from your holy and glorious habitation.
Where are your zeal and your might?
Your great pity and your compassion are withheld from me.(DQ)
16 For you are our father,
though Abraham does not know us
and Israel does not acknowledge us;
you, O Lord, are our father;
our Redeemer from of old is your name.(DR)
17 Why, O Lord, do you let us stray from your ways
and let our heart harden, so that we do not fear you?
Turn back for the sake of your servants,
the tribes that are your heritage.(DS)
18 Your holy people took possession for a little while,
but now our adversaries have trampled down your sanctuary.(DT)
19 We have long been like those whom you do not rule,
like those not called by your name.(DU)
64 O that you would tear open the heavens and come down,
so that the mountains would quake at your presence—(DV)
2 [v]as when fire kindles brushwood
and the fire causes water to boil—
to make your name known to your adversaries,
so that the nations might tremble at your presence!(DW)
3 When you did awesome deeds that we did not expect,
you came down; the mountains quaked at your presence.(DX)
4 From ages past no one has heard,
no ear has perceived,
no eye has seen any God besides you,
who works for those who wait for him.(DY)
5 You meet those who gladly do right,
those who remember you in your ways.
But you were angry, and we sinned;
because you hid yourself we transgressed.[w](DZ)
6 We have all become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth.
We all fade like a leaf,
and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.(EA)
7 There is no one who calls on your name
or attempts to take hold of you,
for you have hidden your face from us
and have delivered[x] us into the hand of our iniquity.(EB)
8 Yet, O Lord, you are our Father;
we are the clay, and you are our potter;
we are all the work of your hand.(EC)
9 Do not be exceedingly angry, O Lord,
and do not remember iniquity forever.
Now consider, we are all your people.(ED)
10 Your holy cities have become a wilderness;
Zion has become a wilderness,
Jerusalem a desolation.(EE)
11 Our holy and beautiful house,
where our ancestors praised you,
has been burned by fire,
and all our pleasant places have become ruins.(EF)
12 After all this, will you restrain yourself, O Lord?
Will you keep silent and punish us so severely?(EG)
The Righteousness of God’s Judgment
65 I was ready to be sought out by those who did not ask,
to be found by those who did not seek me.
I said, “Here I am, here I am,”
to a nation that did not call on my name.(EH)
2 I held out my hands all day long
to a rebellious people,
who walk in a way that is not good,
following their own devices;(EI)
3 a people who provoke me
to my face continually,
sacrificing in gardens
and offering incense on bricks;(EJ)
4 who sit inside tombs
and spend the night in secret places;
who eat the flesh of pigs,
with broth of abominable things in their vessels;(EK)
5 who say, “Keep to yourself;
do not come near me, for I am too holy for you.”
These are a smoke in my nostrils,
a fire that burns all day long.(EL)
6 See, it is written before me:
I will not keep silent, but I will repay;
I will indeed repay into their laps(EM)
7 their[y] iniquities and their[z] ancestors’ iniquities together,
says the Lord;
because they offered incense on the mountains
and reviled me on the hills,
I will measure into their laps
full payment for their actions.(EN)
8 Thus says the Lord:
As the wine is found in the cluster,
and they say, “Do not destroy it,
for there is a blessing in it,”
so I will do for my servants’ sake
and not destroy them all.
9 I will bring forth descendants from Jacob
and from Judah inheritors of my mountains;
my chosen shall inherit it,
and my servants shall settle there.(EO)
10 Sharon shall become a pasture for flocks
and the Valley of Achor a place for herds to lie down,
for my people who have sought me.(EP)
11 But you who forsake the Lord,
who forget my holy mountain,
who set a table for Fortune
and fill cups of mixed wine for Destiny,(EQ)
12 I will destine you to the sword,
and all of you shall bow down to the slaughter;
because, when I called, you did not answer,
when I spoke, you did not listen,
but you did what was evil in my sight
and chose what I did not delight in.(ER)
13 Therefore thus says the Lord God:
My servants shall eat,
but you shall be hungry;
my servants shall drink,
but you shall be thirsty;
my servants shall rejoice,
but you shall be put to shame;(ES)
14 my servants shall sing with gladness of heart,
but you shall cry out in pain of heart
and shall wail in anguish of spirit.(ET)
15 You shall leave your name to my chosen to use as a curse,
and the Lord God will put you to death,
but to his servants he will give a different name.(EU)
16 Then whoever invokes a blessing in the land
shall bless by the God of faithfulness,
and whoever takes an oath in the land
shall swear by the God of faithfulness,
because the former troubles are forgotten
and are hidden from my sight.(EV)
The Glorious New Creation
17 For I am about to create new heavens
and a new earth;
the former things shall not be remembered
or come to mind.(EW)
18 But be glad and rejoice forever
in what I am creating,
for I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy
and its people as a delight.(EX)
19 I will rejoice in Jerusalem
and delight in my people;
no more shall the sound of weeping be heard in it
or the cry of distress.(EY)
20 No more shall there be in it
an infant who lives but a few days
or an old person who does not live out a lifetime,
for one who dies at a hundred years will be considered a youth,
and one who falls short of a hundred will be considered accursed.(EZ)
21 They shall build houses and inhabit them;
they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.(FA)
22 They shall not build and another inhabit;
they shall not plant and another eat,
for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be,
and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands.(FB)
23 They shall not labor in vain
or bear children for calamity,[aa]
for they shall be offspring blessed by the Lord—
and their descendants as well.(FC)
24 Before they call I will answer,
while they are yet speaking I will hear.(FD)
25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together;
the lion shall eat straw like the ox,
but the serpent—its food shall be dust!
They shall not hurt or destroy
on all my holy mountain,
says the Lord.(FE)
The Worship God Demands
66 Thus says the Lord:
Heaven is my throne,
and the earth is my footstool;
so what kind of house could you build for me,
what sort of place for me to rest?(FF)
2 All these things my hand has made,
so all these things are mine,[ab]
says the Lord.
But this is the one to whom I will look,
to the humble and contrite in spirit
who trembles at my word.(FG)
3 Whoever slaughters an ox is like one who kills a human,
whoever sacrifices a lamb like one who breaks a dog’s neck,
whoever presents a grain offering like one who offers pig’s blood,
whoever makes a memorial offering of frankincense like one who blesses an idol.
Just as these have chosen their own ways
and in their abominations they take delight,(FH)
4 so I will choose their punishments
and bring upon them what they fear,
because, when I called, no one answered,
when I spoke, they did not listen,
but they did what was evil in my sight
and chose what did not please me.(FI)
The Lord Vindicates Zion
5 Hear the word of the Lord,
you who tremble at his word:
Your own people who hate you
and reject you for my name’s sake
have said, “Let the Lord be glorified,
so that we may see your joy,”
but it is they who shall be put to shame.(FJ)
6 Listen, a roar from the city!
A voice from the temple!
The voice of the Lord,
dealing retribution to his enemies!(FK)
7 Before she was in labor
she gave birth;
before her pain came upon her
she delivered a son.(FL)
8 Who has heard of such a thing?
Who has seen such things?
Shall a land be born in one day?
Shall a nation be delivered in one moment?
Yet as soon as Zion was in labor
she delivered her children.(FM)
9 Shall I open the womb and not deliver?
says the Lord;
shall I, the one who delivers, shut the womb?
says your God.
10 Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her,
all you who love her;
rejoice with her in joy,
all you who mourn over her—(FN)
11 that you may nurse and be satisfied
from her consoling breast,
that you may drink deeply with delight
from her glorious bosom.(FO)
12 For thus says the Lord:
I will extend prosperity to her like a river
and the wealth of the nations like an overflowing stream,
and you shall nurse and be carried on her arm
and bounced on her knees.(FP)
13 As a mother comforts her child,
so I will comfort you;
you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.(FQ)
The Reign and Indignation of God
14 You shall see, and your heart shall rejoice;
your bodies[ac] shall flourish like the grass,
and it shall be known that the power of the Lord is with his servants,
and his indignation is against his enemies.(FR)
15 For the Lord will come in fire
and his chariots in a whirlwind,[ad]
to vent his anger in fury
and his rebuke in flames of fire.(FS)
16 For by fire will the Lord execute judgment,
and by his sword on all flesh;
and those slain by the Lord shall be many.(FT)
17 Those who sanctify and purify themselves to go into the gardens, following the one in the center, eating the flesh of pigs, vermin, and rodents, shall come to an end together, says the Lord,(FU) 18 for I know[ae] their works and their thoughts.
I am[af] coming to gather all nations and tongues, and they shall come and shall see my glory,(FV) 19 and I will set a sign among them. From them I will send survivors to the nations, to Tarshish, Put,[ag] and Lud, to Meshech,[ah] Tubal, and Javan, to the coastlands far away that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory, and they shall declare my glory among the nations.(FW) 20 They shall bring all your kindred from all the nations as an offering to the Lord, on horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and on mules, and on dromedaries, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, says the Lord, just as the Israelites bring a grain offering in a clean vessel to the house of the Lord.(FX) 21 And I will also take some of them as priests and as Levites, says the Lord.(FY)
22 For as the new heavens and the new earth,
which I will make,
shall remain before me, says the Lord,
so shall your descendants and your name remain.(FZ)
23 From new moon to new moon
and from Sabbath to Sabbath,
all flesh shall come to worship before me,
says the Lord.(GA)
24 And they shall go out and look at the dead bodies of the people who have rebelled against me, for their worm shall not die, their fire shall not be quenched, and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.(GB)
Footnotes
- 56.8 Heb besides his gathered ones
- 56.10 Heb His
- 56.12 Q ms Syr Vg Tg: MT me
- 57.3 Heb an adulterer and she prostitutes herself
- 57.8 Meaning of Heb uncertain
- 57.8 Or phallus; Heb hand
- 57.9 Or the king
- 57.11 Gk Vg: Heb silent even for a long time
- 57.19 Meaning of Heb uncertain
- 58.2 Or they delight to draw near to God
- 58.8 Or vindication
- 59.10 Meaning of Heb uncertain
- 60.5 Heb be enlarged
- 60.7 Q ms Heb mss Gk Syr Tg: MT will ascend on the favor of my altar
- 60.19 Q ms Gk OL Tg: MT lacks by night
- 61.7 Heb your
- 61.8 Or robbery with a burnt offering
- 62.5 Cn: Heb your sons
- 63.6 Heb mss: MT I made them drunk
- 63.11 Heb he
- 63.11 Cn: Heb his people
- 64.2 64.1 in Heb
- 64.5 Meaning of Heb uncertain
- 64.7 Gk Syr OL Tg: Heb melted
- 65.7 Gk Syr: Heb your
- 65.7 Gk Syr: Heb your
- 65.23 Or sudden terror
- 66.2 Gk Syr: Heb these things came to be
- 66.14 Heb bones
- 66.15 Q ms: MT like a whirlwind
- 66.18 Gk Syr: Heb lacks know
- 66.18 Gk Syr Vg Tg: Heb it is
- 66.19 Gk: Heb Pul
- 66.19 Gk: Heb those drawing the bow
Isaiah 56-66
New International Version
Isaiah 56-66
New International Version
Salvation for Others
56 This is what the Lord says:
“Maintain justice(A)
and do what is right,(B)
for my salvation(C) is close at hand
and my righteousness(D) will soon be revealed.
2 Blessed(E) is the one who does this—
the person who holds it fast,
who keeps the Sabbath(F) without desecrating it,
and keeps their hands from doing any evil.”
3 Let no foreigner(G) who is bound to the Lord say,
“The Lord will surely exclude me from his people.”(H)
And let no eunuch(I) complain,
“I am only a dry tree.”
4 For this is what the Lord says:
“To the eunuchs(J) who keep my Sabbaths,
who choose what pleases me
and hold fast to my covenant(K)—
5 to them I will give within my temple and its walls(L)
a memorial(M) and a name
better than sons and daughters;
I will give them an everlasting name(N)
that will endure forever.(O)
6 And foreigners(P) who bind themselves to the Lord
to minister(Q) to him,
to love the name(R) of the Lord,
and to be his servants,
all who keep the Sabbath(S) without desecrating it
and who hold fast to my covenant—
7 these I will bring to my holy mountain(T)
and give them joy in my house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and sacrifices(U)
will be accepted on my altar;
for my house will be called
a house of prayer for all nations.(V)”(W)
8 The Sovereign Lord declares—
he who gathers the exiles of Israel:
“I will gather(X) still others to them
besides those already gathered.”
God’s Accusation Against the Wicked
9 Come, all you beasts of the field,(Y)
come and devour, all you beasts of the forest!
10 Israel’s watchmen(Z) are blind,
they all lack knowledge;(AA)
they are all mute dogs,
they cannot bark;
they lie around and dream,
they love to sleep.(AB)
11 They are dogs with mighty appetites;
they never have enough.
They are shepherds(AC) who lack understanding;(AD)
they all turn to their own way,(AE)
they seek their own gain.(AF)
12 “Come,” each one cries, “let me get wine!(AG)
Let us drink our fill of beer!
And tomorrow will be like today,
or even far better.”(AH)
57 The righteous perish,(AI)
and no one takes it to heart;(AJ)
the devout are taken away,
and no one understands
that the righteous are taken away
to be spared from evil.(AK)
2 Those who walk uprightly(AL)
enter into peace;
they find rest(AM) as they lie in death.
3 “But you—come here, you children of a sorceress,(AN)
you offspring of adulterers(AO) and prostitutes!(AP)
4 Who are you mocking?
At whom do you sneer
and stick out your tongue?
Are you not a brood of rebels,(AQ)
the offspring of liars?
5 You burn with lust among the oaks(AR)
and under every spreading tree;(AS)
you sacrifice your children(AT) in the ravines
and under the overhanging crags.
6 The idols(AU) among the smooth stones of the ravines are your portion;
indeed, they are your lot.
Yes, to them you have poured out drink offerings(AV)
and offered grain offerings.
In view of all this, should I relent?(AW)
7 You have made your bed on a high and lofty hill;(AX)
there you went up to offer your sacrifices.(AY)
8 Behind your doors and your doorposts
you have put your pagan symbols.
Forsaking me, you uncovered your bed,
you climbed into it and opened it wide;
you made a pact with those whose beds you love,(AZ)
and you looked with lust on their naked bodies.(BA)
9 You went to Molek[a](BB) with olive oil
and increased your perfumes.(BC)
You sent your ambassadors[b](BD) far away;
you descended to the very realm of the dead!(BE)
10 You wearied(BF) yourself by such going about,
but you would not say, ‘It is hopeless.’(BG)
You found renewal of your strength,(BH)
and so you did not faint.
11 “Whom have you so dreaded and feared(BI)
that you have not been true to me,
and have neither remembered(BJ) me
nor taken this to heart?(BK)
Is it not because I have long been silent(BL)
that you do not fear me?
12 I will expose your righteousness and your works,(BM)
and they will not benefit you.
13 When you cry out(BN) for help,
let your collection of idols save(BO) you!
The wind will carry all of them off,
a mere breath will blow(BP) them away.
But whoever takes refuge(BQ) in me
will inherit the land(BR)
and possess my holy mountain.”(BS)
Comfort for the Contrite
14 And it will be said:
“Build up, build up, prepare the road!(BT)
Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people.”(BU)
15 For this is what the high and exalted(BV) One says—
he who lives forever,(BW) whose name is holy:
“I live in a high(BX) and holy place,
but also with the one who is contrite(BY) and lowly in spirit,(BZ)
to revive the spirit of the lowly
and to revive the heart of the contrite.(CA)
16 I will not accuse(CB) them forever,
nor will I always be angry,(CC)
for then they would faint away because of me—
the very people(CD) I have created.
17 I was enraged by their sinful greed;(CE)
I punished them, and hid(CF) my face in anger,
yet they kept on in their willful ways.(CG)
18 I have seen their ways, but I will heal(CH) them;
I will guide(CI) them and restore comfort(CJ) to Israel’s mourners,
19 creating praise on their lips.(CK)
Peace, peace,(CL) to those far and near,”(CM)
says the Lord. “And I will heal them.”
20 But the wicked(CN) are like the tossing sea,(CO)
which cannot rest,
whose waves cast up mire(CP) and mud.
21 “There is no peace,”(CQ) says my God, “for the wicked.”(CR)
True Fasting
58 “Shout it aloud,(CS) do not hold back.
Raise your voice like a trumpet.(CT)
Declare to my people their rebellion(CU)
and to the descendants of Jacob their sins.(CV)
2 For day after day they seek(CW) me out;
they seem eager to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that does what is right
and has not forsaken(CX) the commands of its God.
They ask me for just decisions
and seem eager for God to come near(CY) them.
3 ‘Why have we fasted,’(CZ) they say,
‘and you have not seen it?
Why have we humbled(DA) ourselves,
and you have not noticed?’(DB)
“Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please(DC)
and exploit all your workers.
4 Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife,(DD)
and in striking each other with wicked fists.
You cannot fast as you do today
and expect your voice to be heard(DE) on high.
5 Is this the kind of fast(DF) I have chosen,
only a day for people to humble(DG) themselves?
Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed(DH)
and for lying in sackcloth and ashes?(DI)
Is that what you call a fast,
a day acceptable to the Lord?
6 “Is not this the kind of fasting(DJ) I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice(DK)
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed(DL) free
and break every yoke?(DM)
7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry(DN)
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter(DO)—
when you see the naked, to clothe(DP) them,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?(DQ)
8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,(DR)
and your healing(DS) will quickly appear;
then your righteousness[c](DT) will go before you,
and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.(DU)
9 Then you will call,(DV) and the Lord will answer;(DW)
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
“If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger(DX) and malicious talk,(DY)
10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,(DZ)
then your light(EA) will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.(EB)
11 The Lord will guide(EC) you always;
he will satisfy your needs(ED) in a sun-scorched land(EE)
and will strengthen(EF) your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,(EG)
like a spring(EH) whose waters never fail.
12 Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins(EI)
and will raise up the age-old foundations;(EJ)
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,(EK)
Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.
13 “If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath(EL)
and from doing as you please on my holy day,
if you call the Sabbath a delight(EM)
and the Lord’s holy day honorable,
and if you honor it by not going your own way
and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,(EN)
14 then you will find your joy(EO) in the Lord,
and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights(EP) of the land
and to feast on the inheritance(EQ) of your father Jacob.”
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.(ER)
Sin, Confession and Redemption
59 Surely the arm(ES) of the Lord is not too short(ET) to save,
nor his ear too dull to hear.(EU)
2 But your iniquities have separated(EV)
you from your God;
your sins have hidden his face from you,
so that he will not hear.(EW)
3 For your hands are stained with blood,(EX)
your fingers with guilt.(EY)
Your lips have spoken falsely,(EZ)
and your tongue mutters wicked things.
4 No one calls for justice;(FA)
no one pleads a case with integrity.
They rely(FB) on empty arguments, they utter lies;(FC)
they conceive trouble and give birth to evil.(FD)
5 They hatch the eggs of vipers(FE)
and spin a spider’s web.(FF)
Whoever eats their eggs will die,
and when one is broken, an adder is hatched.
6 Their cobwebs are useless for clothing;
they cannot cover themselves with what they make.(FG)
Their deeds are evil deeds,
and acts of violence(FH) are in their hands.
7 Their feet rush into sin;
they are swift to shed innocent blood.(FI)
They pursue evil schemes;(FJ)
acts of violence mark their ways.(FK)
8 The way of peace they do not know;(FL)
there is no justice in their paths.
They have turned them into crooked roads;(FM)
no one who walks along them will know peace.(FN)
9 So justice is far from us,
and righteousness does not reach us.
We look for light, but all is darkness;(FO)
for brightness, but we walk in deep shadows.
10 Like the blind(FP) we grope along the wall,
feeling our way like people without eyes.
At midday we stumble(FQ) as if it were twilight;
among the strong, we are like the dead.(FR)
11 We all growl like bears;
we moan mournfully like doves.(FS)
We look for justice, but find none;
for deliverance, but it is far away.
12 For our offenses(FT) are many in your sight,
and our sins testify(FU) against us.
Our offenses are ever with us,
and we acknowledge our iniquities:(FV)
13 rebellion(FW) and treachery against the Lord,
turning our backs(FX) on our God,
inciting revolt and oppression,(FY)
uttering lies(FZ) our hearts have conceived.
14 So justice(GA) is driven back,
and righteousness(GB) stands at a distance;
truth(GC) has stumbled in the streets,
honesty cannot enter.
15 Truth(GD) is nowhere to be found,
and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey.
The Lord looked and was displeased
that there was no justice.(GE)
16 He saw that there was no one,(GF)
he was appalled that there was no one to intervene;(GG)
so his own arm achieved salvation(GH) for him,
and his own righteousness(GI) sustained him.
17 He put on righteousness as his breastplate,(GJ)
and the helmet(GK) of salvation on his head;
he put on the garments(GL) of vengeance(GM)
and wrapped himself in zeal(GN) as in a cloak.
18 According to what they have done,
so will he repay(GO)
wrath to his enemies
and retribution to his foes;
he will repay the islands(GP) their due.
19 From the west,(GQ) people will fear the name of the Lord,
and from the rising of the sun,(GR) they will revere his glory.(GS)
For he will come like a pent-up flood
that the breath(GT) of the Lord drives along.[d]
20 “The Redeemer(GU) will come to Zion,(GV)
to those in Jacob who repent of their sins,”(GW)
declares the Lord.
21 “As for me, this is my covenant(GX) with them,” says the Lord. “My Spirit,(GY) who is on you, will not depart from you,(GZ) and my words that I have put in your mouth(HA) will always be on your lips, on the lips of your children and on the lips of their descendants—from this time on and forever,” says the Lord.
The Glory of Zion
60 “Arise,(HB) shine, for your light(HC) has come,
and the glory(HD) of the Lord rises upon you.
2 See, darkness(HE) covers the earth
and thick darkness(HF) is over the peoples,
but the Lord rises upon you
and his glory appears over you.
3 Nations(HG) will come to your light,(HH)
and kings(HI) to the brightness of your dawn.
4 “Lift up your eyes and look about you:
All assemble(HJ) and come to you;
your sons come from afar,(HK)
and your daughters(HL) are carried on the hip.(HM)
5 Then you will look and be radiant,(HN)
your heart will throb and swell with joy;(HO)
the wealth(HP) on the seas will be brought to you,
to you the riches of the nations will come.
6 Herds of camels(HQ) will cover your land,
young camels of Midian(HR) and Ephah.(HS)
And all from Sheba(HT) will come,
bearing gold and incense(HU)
and proclaiming the praise(HV) of the Lord.
7 All Kedar’s(HW) flocks will be gathered to you,
the rams of Nebaioth will serve you;
they will be accepted as offerings(HX) on my altar,(HY)
and I will adorn my glorious temple.(HZ)
8 “Who are these(IA) that fly along like clouds,(IB)
like doves to their nests?
9 Surely the islands(IC) look to me;
in the lead are the ships of Tarshish,[e](ID)
bringing(IE) your children from afar,
with their silver and gold,(IF)
to the honor(IG) of the Lord your God,
the Holy One(IH) of Israel,
for he has endowed you with splendor.(II)
10 “Foreigners(IJ) will rebuild your walls,
and their kings(IK) will serve you.
Though in anger I struck you,
in favor(IL) I will show you compassion.(IM)
11 Your gates(IN) will always stand open,
they will never be shut, day or night,
so that people may bring you the wealth of the nations(IO)—
their kings(IP) led in triumphal procession.
12 For the nation or kingdom that will not serve(IQ) you will perish;
it will be utterly ruined.(IR)
13 “The glory of Lebanon(IS) will come to you,
the juniper, the fir and the cypress together,(IT)
to adorn my sanctuary;(IU)
and I will glorify the place for my feet.(IV)
14 The children of your oppressors(IW) will come bowing before you;
all who despise you will bow down(IX) at your feet
and will call you the City(IY) of the Lord,
Zion(IZ) of the Holy One(JA) of Israel.
15 “Although you have been forsaken(JB) and hated,
with no one traveling(JC) through,
I will make you the everlasting pride(JD)
and the joy(JE) of all generations.
16 You will drink the milk of nations
and be nursed(JF) at royal breasts.
Then you will know(JG) that I, the Lord, am your Savior,(JH)
your Redeemer,(JI) the Mighty One of Jacob.(JJ)
17 Instead of bronze I will bring you gold,(JK)
and silver in place of iron.
Instead of wood I will bring you bronze,
and iron in place of stones.
I will make peace(JL) your governor
and well-being your ruler.(JM)
18 No longer will violence(JN) be heard in your land,
nor ruin or destruction(JO) within your borders,
but you will call your walls Salvation(JP)
and your gates Praise.(JQ)
19 The sun will no more be your light by day,
nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you,
for the Lord will be your everlasting light,(JR)
and your God will be your glory.(JS)
20 Your sun(JT) will never set again,
and your moon will wane no more;
the Lord will be your everlasting light,
and your days of sorrow(JU) will end.
21 Then all your people will be righteous(JV)
and they will possess(JW) the land forever.
They are the shoot I have planted,(JX)
the work of my hands,(JY)
for the display of my splendor.(JZ)
22 The least of you will become a thousand,
the smallest a mighty nation.(KA)
I am the Lord;
in its time I will do this swiftly.”(KB)
The Year of the Lord’s Favor
61 The Spirit(KC) of the Sovereign Lord(KD) is on me,
because the Lord has anointed(KE) me
to proclaim good news(KF) to the poor.(KG)
He has sent me to bind up(KH) the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom(KI) for the captives(KJ)
and release from darkness for the prisoners,[f]
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor(KK)
and the day of vengeance(KL) of our God,
to comfort(KM) all who mourn,(KN)
3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown(KO) of beauty
instead of ashes,(KP)
the oil(KQ) of joy
instead of mourning,(KR)
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting(KS) of the Lord
for the display of his splendor.(KT)
4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins(KU)
and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
that have been devastated for generations.
5 Strangers(KV) will shepherd your flocks;
foreigners will work your fields and vineyards.
6 And you will be called priests(KW) of the Lord,
you will be named ministers of our God.
You will feed on the wealth(KX) of nations,
and in their riches you will boast.
7 Instead of your shame(KY)
you will receive a double(KZ) portion,
and instead of disgrace
you will rejoice in your inheritance.
And so you will inherit(LA) a double portion in your land,
and everlasting joy(LB) will be yours.
8 “For I, the Lord, love justice;(LC)
I hate robbery and wrongdoing.
In my faithfulness I will reward my people
and make an everlasting covenant(LD) with them.
9 Their descendants(LE) will be known among the nations
and their offspring among the peoples.
All who see them will acknowledge
that they are a people the Lord has blessed.”(LF)
10 I delight greatly in the Lord;
my soul rejoices(LG) in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation
and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness,(LH)
as a bridegroom adorns his head(LI) like a priest,
and as a bride(LJ) adorns herself with her jewels.
11 For as the soil makes the sprout come up
and a garden(LK) causes seeds to grow,
so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness(LL)
and praise spring up before all nations.
Zion’s New Name
62 For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,(LM)
for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet,
till her vindication(LN) shines out like the dawn,(LO)
her salvation(LP) like a blazing torch.
2 The nations(LQ) will see your vindication,
and all kings your glory;
you will be called by a new name(LR)
that the mouth of the Lord will bestow.
3 You will be a crown(LS) of splendor in the Lord’s hand,
a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
4 No longer will they call you Deserted,(LT)
or name your land Desolate.(LU)
But you will be called Hephzibah,[g](LV)
and your land Beulah[h];
for the Lord will take delight(LW) in you,
and your land will be married.(LX)
5 As a young man marries a young woman,
so will your Builder marry you;
as a bridegroom(LY) rejoices over his bride,
so will your God rejoice(LZ) over you.
6 I have posted watchmen(MA) on your walls, Jerusalem;
they will never be silent day or night.
You who call on the Lord,
give yourselves no rest,(MB)
7 and give him no rest(MC) till he establishes Jerusalem
and makes her the praise(MD) of the earth.
8 The Lord has sworn(ME) by his right hand
and by his mighty arm:
“Never again will I give your grain(MF)
as food for your enemies,
and never again will foreigners drink the new wine
for which you have toiled;
9 but those who harvest it will eat(MG) it
and praise the Lord,(MH)
and those who gather the grapes will drink it
in the courts of my sanctuary.”(MI)
10 Pass through, pass through the gates!(MJ)
Prepare the way for the people.
Build up, build up the highway!(MK)
Remove the stones.
Raise a banner(ML) for the nations.
11 The Lord has made proclamation
to the ends of the earth:(MM)
“Say to Daughter Zion,(MN)
‘See, your Savior comes!(MO)
See, his reward is with him,
and his recompense accompanies him.’”(MP)
12 They will be called(MQ) the Holy People,(MR)
the Redeemed(MS) of the Lord;
and you will be called Sought After,
the City No Longer Deserted.(MT)
God’s Day of Vengeance and Redemption
63 Who is this coming from Edom,(MU)
from Bozrah,(MV) with his garments stained crimson?(MW)
Who is this, robed in splendor,
striding forward in the greatness of his strength?(MX)
“It is I, proclaiming victory,
mighty to save.”(MY)
2 Why are your garments red,
like those of one treading the winepress?(MZ)
3 “I have trodden the winepress(NA) alone;
from the nations no one was with me.
I trampled(NB) them in my anger
and trod them down in my wrath;(NC)
their blood spattered my garments,(ND)
and I stained all my clothing.
4 It was for me the day of vengeance;(NE)
the year for me to redeem had come.
5 I looked, but there was no one(NF) to help,
I was appalled that no one gave support;
so my own arm(NG) achieved salvation for me,
and my own wrath sustained me.(NH)
6 I trampled(NI) the nations in my anger;
in my wrath I made them drunk(NJ)
and poured their blood(NK) on the ground.”
Praise and Prayer
7 I will tell of the kindnesses(NL) of the Lord,
the deeds for which he is to be praised,
according to all the Lord has done for us—
yes, the many good things(NM)
he has done for Israel,
according to his compassion(NN) and many kindnesses.
8 He said, “Surely they are my people,(NO)
children who will be true to me”;
and so he became their Savior.(NP)
9 In all their distress he too was distressed,
and the angel(NQ) of his presence(NR) saved them.[i]
In his love and mercy he redeemed(NS) them;
he lifted them up and carried(NT) them
all the days of old.(NU)
10 Yet they rebelled(NV)
and grieved his Holy Spirit.(NW)
So he turned and became their enemy(NX)
and he himself fought(NY) against them.
11 Then his people recalled[j] the days of old,
the days of Moses and his people—
where is he who brought them through the sea,(NZ)
with the shepherd of his flock?(OA)
Where is he who set
his Holy Spirit(OB) among them,
12 who sent his glorious arm(OC) of power
to be at Moses’ right hand,
who divided the waters(OD) before them,
to gain for himself everlasting renown,(OE)
13 who led(OF) them through the depths?(OG)
Like a horse in open country,
they did not stumble;(OH)
14 like cattle that go down to the plain,
they were given rest(OI) by the Spirit of the Lord.
This is how you guided your people
to make for yourself a glorious name.
15 Look down from heaven(OJ) and see,
from your lofty throne,(OK) holy and glorious.
Where are your zeal(OL) and your might?
Your tenderness and compassion(OM) are withheld(ON) from us.
16 But you are our Father,(OO)
though Abraham does not know us
or Israel acknowledge(OP) us;
you, Lord, are our Father,
our Redeemer(OQ) from of old is your name.
17 Why, Lord, do you make us wander(OR) from your ways
and harden our hearts(OS) so we do not revere(OT) you?
Return(OU) for the sake of your servants,
the tribes that are your inheritance.(OV)
18 For a little while(OW) your people possessed your holy place,
but now our enemies have trampled(OX) down your sanctuary.(OY)
19 We are yours from of old;
but you have not ruled over them,
they have not been called[k] by your name.(OZ)
64 [l]Oh, that you would rend the heavens(PA) and come down,(PB)
that the mountains(PC) would tremble before you!
2 As when fire sets twigs ablaze
and causes water to boil,
come down to make your name(PD) known to your enemies
and cause the nations to quake(PE) before you!
3 For when you did awesome(PF) things that we did not expect,
you came down, and the mountains trembled(PG) before you.
4 Since ancient times no one has heard,
no ear has perceived,
no eye has seen any God besides you,(PH)
who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.(PI)
5 You come to the help of those who gladly do right,(PJ)
who remember your ways.
But when we continued to sin against them,
you were angry.(PK)
How then can we be saved?
6 All of us have become like one who is unclean,(PL)
and all our righteous(PM) acts are like filthy rags;
we all shrivel up like a leaf,(PN)
and like the wind our sins sweep us away.(PO)
7 No one(PP) calls on your name(PQ)
or strives to lay hold of you;
for you have hidden(PR) your face from us
and have given us over(PS) to[m] our sins.
8 Yet you, Lord, are our Father.(PT)
We are the clay, you are the potter;(PU)
we are all the work of your hand.(PV)
9 Do not be angry(PW) beyond measure, Lord;
do not remember our sins(PX) forever.
Oh, look on us, we pray,
for we are all your people.(PY)
10 Your sacred cities(PZ) have become a wasteland;
even Zion is a wasteland, Jerusalem a desolation.(QA)
11 Our holy and glorious temple,(QB) where our ancestors praised you,
has been burned with fire,
and all that we treasured(QC) lies in ruins.
12 After all this, Lord, will you hold yourself back?(QD)
Will you keep silent(QE) and punish us beyond measure?
Judgment and Salvation
65 “I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me;
I was found by those who did not seek me.(QF)
To a nation(QG) that did not call on my name,(QH)
I said, ‘Here am I, here am I.’
2 All day long I have held out my hands
to an obstinate people,(QI)
who walk in ways not good,
pursuing their own imaginations(QJ)—
3 a people who continually provoke me
to my very face,(QK)
offering sacrifices in gardens(QL)
and burning incense(QM) on altars of brick;
4 who sit among the graves(QN)
and spend their nights keeping secret vigil;
who eat the flesh of pigs,(QO)
and whose pots hold broth of impure meat;
5 who say, ‘Keep away; don’t come near me,
for I am too sacred(QP) for you!’
Such people are smoke(QQ) in my nostrils,
a fire that keeps burning all day.
6 “See, it stands written before me:
I will not keep silent(QR) but will pay back(QS) in full;
I will pay it back into their laps(QT)—
7 both your sins(QU) and the sins of your ancestors,”(QV)
says the Lord.
“Because they burned sacrifices on the mountains
and defied me on the hills,(QW)
I will measure into their laps
the full payment(QX) for their former deeds.”
8 This is what the Lord says:
“As when juice is still found in a cluster of grapes(QY)
and people say, ‘Don’t destroy it,
there is still a blessing in it,’
so will I do in behalf of my servants;(QZ)
I will not destroy them all.
9 I will bring forth descendants(RA) from Jacob,
and from Judah those who will possess(RB) my mountains;
my chosen(RC) people will inherit them,
and there will my servants live.(RD)
10 Sharon(RE) will become a pasture for flocks,(RF)
and the Valley of Achor(RG) a resting place for herds,
for my people who seek(RH) me.
11 “But as for you who forsake(RI) the Lord
and forget my holy mountain,(RJ)
who spread a table for Fortune
and fill bowls of mixed wine(RK) for Destiny,
12 I will destine you for the sword,(RL)
and all of you will fall in the slaughter;(RM)
for I called but you did not answer,(RN)
I spoke but you did not listen.(RO)
You did evil in my sight
and chose what displeases me.”(RP)
13 Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“My servants will eat,(RQ)
but you will go hungry;(RR)
my servants will drink,(RS)
but you will go thirsty;(RT)
my servants will rejoice,(RU)
but you will be put to shame.(RV)
14 My servants will sing(RW)
out of the joy of their hearts,
but you will cry out(RX)
from anguish of heart
and wail in brokenness of spirit.
15 You will leave your name
for my chosen ones to use in their curses;(RY)
the Sovereign Lord will put you to death,
but to his servants he will give another name.(RZ)
16 Whoever invokes a blessing(SA) in the land
will do so by the one true God;(SB)
whoever takes an oath in the land
will swear(SC) by the one true God.
For the past troubles(SD) will be forgotten
and hidden from my eyes.
New Heavens and a New Earth
17 “See, I will create
new heavens and a new earth.(SE)
The former things will not be remembered,(SF)
nor will they come to mind.
18 But be glad and rejoice(SG) forever
in what I will create,
for I will create Jerusalem(SH) to be a delight
and its people a joy.
19 I will rejoice(SI) over Jerusalem
and take delight(SJ) in my people;
the sound of weeping and of crying(SK)
will be heard in it no more.
20 “Never again will there be in it
an infant(SL) who lives but a few days,
or an old man who does not live out his years;(SM)
the one who dies at a hundred
will be thought a mere child;
the one who fails to reach[n] a hundred
will be considered accursed.
21 They will build houses(SN) and dwell in them;
they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.(SO)
22 No longer will they build houses and others live in them,(SP)
or plant and others eat.
For as the days of a tree,(SQ)
so will be the days(SR) of my people;
my chosen(SS) ones will long enjoy
the work of their hands.
23 They will not labor in vain,(ST)
nor will they bear children doomed to misfortune;(SU)
for they will be a people blessed(SV) by the Lord,
they and their descendants(SW) with them.
24 Before they call(SX) I will answer;(SY)
while they are still speaking(SZ) I will hear.
25 The wolf and the lamb(TA) will feed together,
and the lion will eat straw like the ox,(TB)
and dust will be the serpent’s(TC) food.
They will neither harm nor destroy
on all my holy mountain,”(TD)
says the Lord.
Judgment and Hope
66 This is what the Lord says:
“Heaven is my throne,(TE)
and the earth is my footstool.(TF)
Where is the house(TG) you will build for me?
Where will my resting place be?
2 Has not my hand made all these things,(TH)
and so they came into being?”
declares the Lord.
“These are the ones I look on with favor:
those who are humble and contrite in spirit,(TI)
and who tremble at my word.(TJ)
3 But whoever sacrifices a bull(TK)
is like one who kills a person,
and whoever offers a lamb
is like one who breaks a dog’s neck;
whoever makes a grain offering
is like one who presents pig’s(TL) blood,
and whoever burns memorial incense(TM)
is like one who worships an idol.
They have chosen their own ways,(TN)
and they delight in their abominations;(TO)
4 so I also will choose harsh treatment for them
and will bring on them what they dread.(TP)
For when I called, no one answered,(TQ)
when I spoke, no one listened.
They did evil(TR) in my sight
and chose what displeases me.”(TS)
5 Hear the word of the Lord,
you who tremble at his word:(TT)
“Your own people who hate(TU) you,
and exclude you because of my name, have said,
‘Let the Lord be glorified,
that we may see your joy!’
Yet they will be put to shame.(TV)
6 Hear that uproar from the city,
hear that noise from the temple!
It is the sound(TW) of the Lord
repaying(TX) his enemies all they deserve.
7 “Before she goes into labor,(TY)
she gives birth;
before the pains come upon her,
she delivers a son.(TZ)
8 Who has ever heard of such things?
Who has ever seen(UA) things like this?
Can a country be born in a day(UB)
or a nation be brought forth in a moment?
Yet no sooner is Zion in labor
than she gives birth to her children.(UC)
9 Do I bring to the moment of birth(UD)
and not give delivery?” says the Lord.
“Do I close up the womb
when I bring to delivery?” says your God.
10 “Rejoice(UE) with Jerusalem and be glad for her,
all you who love(UF) her;
rejoice greatly with her,
all you who mourn(UG) over her.
11 For you will nurse(UH) and be satisfied
at her comforting breasts;(UI)
you will drink deeply
and delight in her overflowing abundance.”(UJ)
12 For this is what the Lord says:
“I will extend peace(UK) to her like a river,(UL)
and the wealth(UM) of nations like a flooding stream;
you will nurse and be carried(UN) on her arm
and dandled on her knees.
13 As a mother comforts her child,(UO)
so will I comfort(UP) you;
and you will be comforted over Jerusalem.”
14 When you see this, your heart will rejoice(UQ)
and you will flourish(UR) like grass;
the hand(US) of the Lord will be made known to his servants,(UT)
but his fury(UU) will be shown to his foes.
15 See, the Lord is coming with fire,(UV)
and his chariots(UW) are like a whirlwind;(UX)
he will bring down his anger with fury,
and his rebuke(UY) with flames of fire.
16 For with fire(UZ) and with his sword(VA)
the Lord will execute judgment(VB) on all people,
and many will be those slain(VC) by the Lord.
17 “Those who consecrate and purify themselves to go into the gardens,(VD) following one who is among those who eat the flesh of pigs,(VE) rats(VF) and other unclean things—they will meet their end(VG) together with the one they follow,” declares the Lord.
18 “And I, because of what they have planned and done,(VH) am about to come[o] and gather the people of all nations(VI) and languages, and they will come and see my glory.(VJ)
19 “I will set a sign(VK) among them, and I will send some of those who survive(VL) to the nations—to Tarshish,(VM) to the Libyans[p] and Lydians(VN) (famous as archers), to Tubal(VO) and Greece,(VP) and to the distant islands(VQ) that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory.(VR) They will proclaim my glory among the nations. 20 And they will bring(VS) all your people, from all the nations, to my holy mountain(VT) in Jerusalem as an offering to the Lord—on horses, in chariots and wagons, and on mules and camels,”(VU) says the Lord. “They will bring them, as the Israelites bring their grain offerings, to the temple of the Lord in ceremonially clean vessels.(VV) 21 And I will select some of them also to be priests(VW) and Levites,” says the Lord.
22 “As the new heavens and the new earth(VX) that I make will endure before me,” declares the Lord, “so will your name and descendants endure.(VY) 23 From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath(VZ) to another, all mankind will come and bow down(WA) before me,” says the Lord. 24 “And they will go out and look on the dead bodies(WB) of those who rebelled(WC) against me; the worms(WD) that eat them will not die, the fire that burns them will not be quenched,(WE) and they will be loathsome to all mankind.”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 57:9 Or to the king
- Isaiah 57:9 Or idols
- Isaiah 58:8 Or your righteous One
- Isaiah 59:19 Or When enemies come in like a flood, / the Spirit of the Lord will put them to flight
- Isaiah 60:9 Or the trading ships
- Isaiah 61:1 Hebrew; Septuagint the blind
- Isaiah 62:4 Hephzibah means my delight is in her.
- Isaiah 62:4 Beulah means married.
- Isaiah 63:9 Or Savior 9 in their distress. / It was no envoy or angel / but his own presence that saved them
- Isaiah 63:11 Or But may he recall
- Isaiah 63:19 Or We are like those you have never ruled, / like those never called
- Isaiah 64:1 In Hebrew texts 64:1 is numbered 63:19b, and 64:2-12 is numbered 64:1-11.
- Isaiah 64:7 Septuagint, Syriac and Targum; Hebrew have made us melt because of
- Isaiah 65:20 Or the sinner who reaches
- Isaiah 66:18 The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain.
- Isaiah 66:19 Some Septuagint manuscripts Put (Libyans); Hebrew Pul
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition (NRSVUE)
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.