Isaiah 66
Expanded Bible
The Lord Will Judge All Nations
66 This is what the Lord says:
“Heaven is my throne,
and the earth is my footstool.
So ·do you think you can build a house for me [L where is this house you would build for me]?
·Do I need a place to rest [Where is my resting place]?
2 [L Hasn’t…?] My hand made all things.
All things are here because I made them,”
says the Lord.
“These are the people ·I am pleased with [L upon whom I look]:
those who are ·not proud or stubborn [humble and contrite in spirit]
and who ·fear [tremble at] my word.
3 But those people who kill bulls as a sacrifice to me
are like those who kill people.
Those who kill sheep as a sacrifice
are like those who break the necks of dogs.
Those who give me ·grain [L gift; tribute] offerings [Lev. 2:1]
are like those who offer me the blood of pigs [C dogs and pigs were ritually unclean animals and were forbidden as sacrifices].
Those who burn incense
are like those who worship idols [C their rituals were no better than pagan worship because their hearts were not right with God].
These people choose their own ways, not mine,
and they ·love [delight in] ·the terrible things they do [their abominations].
4 So I will choose ·their punishments [harsh treatment for them],
and I will punish them with what they fear most.
This is because I called to them, but they did not listen.
I spoke to them, but they did not hear me.
They did things I said were evil;
they chose to do things I did not ·like [delight in].”
5 You people who ·obey the words of the Lord [L tremble at his word],
listen to what he says:
“Your brothers hated you
and ·turned against [excluded; cast out] you because ·you followed me [L of my name].
Your brothers said, ‘Let the Lord be ·honored [glorified]
so we may see ·you rejoice [your joy],’
but they will be ·punished [L put to shame].
6 ·Listen to the loud noise coming [L A sound of uproar…!] from the city;
hear the ·noise [or voice] from the Temple.
It is the [L voice/sound of the] Lord ·punishing [repaying] his enemies,
giving them the punishment they deserve.
7 “·A woman does not give birth [L She gives birth; C alluding to Jerusalem/Zion; v. 8] before she ·feels the pain [goes into labor];
she ·does not give birth to a son [delivers a son/child] before the pain starts.
8 ·No one has ever [L Who has…?] heard of that happening;
·no one has ever [L Who has…?] seen that happen.
·In the same way no one ever saw [L Can…?] a country ·begin [be born] in one day;
·no one has ever heard of a new nation beginning [L can a nation be brought forth…?] in one moment.
But ·Jerusalem [L Zion; C the location of the Temple] will give birth to her children
just as soon as she feels the birth pains [C the rebirth of the nation will be sudden and unexpected].
9 ·In the same way I will not cause pain [L Will I bring one to the moment of birth…?]
without allowing something new to be born,” says the Lord.
“If I cause you ·the pain [to deliver],
·I will not stop you from giving birth to your new nation [L will I (now) close the womb?],” says your God.
10 “·Jerusalem, rejoice [or Rejoice with Jerusalem].
All you people who love Jerusalem, be ·happy [glad for/with her].
Those of you who ·felt sad [mourned] for Jerusalem
should now ·feel happy [L rejoice with joy] with her.
11 You will ·take comfort from her [L nurse] and be satisfied,
·as a child is nursed by its mother [L at her comforting breasts].
You will ·receive her good things [L drink deeply]
·and enjoy her wealth [from her glorious abundance].”
12 This is what the Lord says:
“I will give her peace that will flow to her like a river.
The ·wealth [glory] of the nations will come to her like a ·river overflowing its banks [flood].
·Like babies you will [L You will] be nursed and held in ·my [L her] arms
and bounced on ·my [L her] knees.
13 I will comfort you
as a mother comforts her child.
You will be comforted in Jerusalem.”
14 When you see these things, ·you [L your heart] will ·be happy [rejoice],
and ·you [or your bones] will ·grow [flourish] like the grass.
The Lord’s servants will see his ·power [L hand],
but his enemies will see his ·anger [wrath].
15 Look, the Lord is coming with fire
and his ·armies [L chariots] with ·clouds of dust [a whirlwind].
He will ·punish those people with his anger [L satisfy/render his anger with fury/wrath];
he will ·punish them [L satisfy/render his rebuke] with flames of fire.
16 The Lord will judge the people with fire,
and he will ·destroy many people [judge all people] with his sword;
·he will kill many people [L many will be slain by the Lord].
17 “These people ·make themselves holy and pure [sanctify/consecrate and purify themselves] to go ·to worship their gods in their [L into] gardens [C pagan worship sites; 1:29]. Following ·each other [or their leader; L one], they eat the meat of pigs and rats and other ·hateful [detestable; abominable] things. But they will ·all be destroyed [perish] together,” says the Lord.
18 “I know ·they have evil thoughts and do evil things [L their deeds and thoughts], so I am ·coming to punish them [L coming]. I will gather all nations and all ·people [L languages; tongues], and they will come together and see my glory.
19 “I will put a ·mark [sign] ·on some of the people [L among them], and I will send ·some of these saved people [or those who survive] to the nations: to Tarshish [2:16], ·Libya [L Pul], Lud (·the land of archers [L who draw the bow]), Tubal, ·Greece [L Javan], and all the faraway ·lands [or islands; or coastlands]. These people have never heard about ·what I have done [my fame] nor seen my glory. So ·the saved people [L they] will tell the nations about my glory. 20 And they will bring all your ·fellow Israelites [L brothers] from all nations to my holy mountain in Jerusalem as an offering to the Lord. ·Your fellow Israelites [L They] will come on horses, donkeys, and camels and in chariots and wagons. They will be like the grain offerings that the people bring in ·clean [pure; undefiled] ·containers [vessels] to the Temple,” says the Lord. 21 “And I will ·choose [take] even some of these people to be priests and Levites,” says the Lord.
22 “I will make new heavens and the new earth, which will ·last forever [endure before me],” says the Lord. “In the same way, your name and your ·children [descendants; offspring; seed] will ·always be with me [remain; endure]. 23 All ·people [flesh] will come to worship me every Sabbath and every New Moon,” says the Lord. 24 “They will go out and see the dead bodies of the people who ·sinned [rebelled] against me. The worms that eat them will never die, and the fires that burn them will never ·stop [be quenched], and ·everyone will hate to see those bodies [L they will be a horror/abhorrence to all flesh].”
Isaiah 66
King James Version
66 Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?
2 For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the Lord: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.
3 He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog's neck; he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine's blood; he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations.
4 I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not.
5 Hear the word of the Lord, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name's sake, said, Let the Lord be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed.
6 A voice of noise from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of the Lord that rendereth recompence to his enemies.
7 Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child.
8 Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.
9 Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the Lord: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? saith thy God.
10 Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her: rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her:
11 That ye may suck, and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations; that ye may milk out, and be delighted with the abundance of her glory.
12 For thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream: then shall ye suck, ye shall be borne upon her sides, and be dandled upon her knees.
13 As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem.
14 And when ye see this, your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall flourish like an herb: and the hand of the Lord shall be known toward his servants, and his indignation toward his enemies.
15 For, behold, the Lord will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.
16 For by fire and by his sword will the Lord plead with all flesh: and the slain of the Lord shall be many.
17 They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine's flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the Lord.
18 For I know their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory.
19 And I will set a sign among them, and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow, to Tubal, and Javan, to the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles.
20 And they shall bring all your brethren for an offering unto the Lord out of all nations upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules, and upon swift beasts, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, saith the Lord, as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the Lord.
21 And I will also take of them for priests and for Levites, saith the Lord.
22 For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain.
23 And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord.
24 And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.
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