Add parallel Print Page Options

True Worship

66 Thus says the Lord:

Heaven is My throne,
    and the earth is My footstool.
Where then is the house that you could build for Me?
    And where is the place of My rest?
For My hand made all those things,
    thus all those things have come to be,
    says the Lord.

But to this man I will look,
    even to him who is poor and of a contrite spirit,
    and trembles at My word.
He who kills a bull
    is as if he kills a man;
he who sacrifices a lamb,
    as if he breaks a dog’s neck;
he who offers a grain offering,
    as if he offers swine’s blood;
he who burns incense,
    as if he blesses an idol.
They have chosen their own ways,
    and their soul delights in their abominations;
I also will choose their punishments
    and will bring their fears on them,
because when I called, no one answered;
    when I spoke, they did not listen;
but they did evil before My eyes
    and chose that in which I did not delight.

The Vindication of Zion

Hear the word of the Lord,
    you who tremble at His word:
Your brothers who hate you,
    who cast you out for My name’s sake, said,
“Let the Lord be glorified
    that we may see your joy.”
    Yet they shall be ashamed.
A voice of noise from the city,
    a voice from the temple,
the voice of the Lord
    who renders recompense to His enemies.

Before she was in labor,
    she gave birth;
before her pain came,
    she delivered a son.
Who has heard such a thing?
    Who has seen such things?
Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day?
    Shall a nation be born at once?
For as soon as Zion was in labor,
    she brought forth her sons.
Shall I bring to the point of birth
    and not cause delivery? says the Lord.
Shall I who cause delivery
    shut the womb? says your God.
10 Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad for her,
    all you who love her;
rejoice exceedingly with her,
    all you who mourn for her,
11 that you may feed and be satisfied
    with her consoling breasts,
that you may feed
    and be delighted with the abundance of her bosom.

12 For thus says the Lord:

I will extend peace to her like a river
    and the glory of the nations like a flowing stream.
Then you shall nurse, you shall be carried on her sides,
    and dandled on her knees.
13 As one whom his mother comforts,
    so I will comfort you;
    and you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.

God’s Reign and Final Judgment

14 Then you shall see this, and 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 the Lord shall 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 on all flesh,
    the Lord shall execute judgment;
    and the slain of the Lord shall be many.

17 Those who sanctify themselves and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine’s flesh, and abominable things, and mice shall be consumed together, says the Lord.

18 For I know their works and their thoughts. The time shall come to gather all nations and tongues. And they shall come and see My glory.

19 I will set a sign among them, and send from them survivors to the nations: to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud—who draw the bow—to Tubal, and Javan, to the coastlands afar off who have not heard My fame nor seen My glory. And they shall declare My glory among the nations. 20 They shall bring all your brothers out of all nations as an offering to the Lord on horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and on mules, and on swift beasts to My holy mountain Jerusalem, says the Lord, as the sons of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the Lord. 21 I will also take some of them for priests and for Levites, says the Lord.

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. 23 From one New Moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, all flesh shall come to worship before Me, says the Lord. 24 And they shall go forth and look on the corpses of the men who have transgressed against Me. For their worm shall not die, nor shall their fire be quenched. And they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.

Judgment and Hope

66 This is what the Lord says:

“Heaven is my throne,(A)
    and the earth is my footstool.(B)
Where is the house(C) you will build for me?
    Where will my resting place be?
Has not my hand made all these things,(D)
    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,(E)
    and who tremble at my word.(F)
But whoever sacrifices a bull(G)
    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(H) blood,
and whoever burns memorial incense(I)
    is like one who worships an idol.
They have chosen their own ways,(J)
    and they delight in their abominations;(K)
so I also will choose harsh treatment for them
    and will bring on them what they dread.(L)
For when I called, no one answered,(M)
    when I spoke, no one listened.
They did evil(N) in my sight
    and chose what displeases me.”(O)

Hear the word of the Lord,
    you who tremble at his word:(P)
“Your own people who hate(Q) 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.(R)
Hear that uproar from the city,
    hear that noise from the temple!
It is the sound(S) of the Lord
    repaying(T) his enemies all they deserve.

“Before she goes into labor,(U)
    she gives birth;
before the pains come upon her,
    she delivers a son.(V)
Who has ever heard of such things?
    Who has ever seen(W) things like this?
Can a country be born in a day(X)
    or a nation be brought forth in a moment?
Yet no sooner is Zion in labor
    than she gives birth to her children.(Y)
Do I bring to the moment of birth(Z)
    and not give delivery?” says the Lord.
“Do I close up the womb
    when I bring to delivery?” says your God.
10 “Rejoice(AA) with Jerusalem and be glad for her,
    all you who love(AB) her;
rejoice greatly with her,
    all you who mourn(AC) over her.
11 For you will nurse(AD) and be satisfied
    at her comforting breasts;(AE)
you will drink deeply
    and delight in her overflowing abundance.”(AF)

12 For this is what the Lord says:

“I will extend peace(AG) to her like a river,(AH)
    and the wealth(AI) of nations like a flooding stream;
you will nurse and be carried(AJ) on her arm
    and dandled on her knees.
13 As a mother comforts her child,(AK)
    so will I comfort(AL) you;
    and you will be comforted over Jerusalem.”

14 When you see this, your heart will rejoice(AM)
    and you will flourish(AN) like grass;
the hand(AO) of the Lord will be made known to his servants,(AP)
    but his fury(AQ) will be shown to his foes.
15 See, the Lord is coming with fire,(AR)
    and his chariots(AS) are like a whirlwind;(AT)
he will bring down his anger with fury,
    and his rebuke(AU) with flames of fire.
16 For with fire(AV) and with his sword(AW)
    the Lord will execute judgment(AX) on all people,
    and many will be those slain(AY) by the Lord.

17 “Those who consecrate and purify themselves to go into the gardens,(AZ) following one who is among those who eat the flesh of pigs,(BA) rats(BB) and other unclean things—they will meet their end(BC) together with the one they follow,” declares the Lord.

18 “And I, because of what they have planned and done,(BD) am about to come[a] and gather the people of all nations(BE) and languages, and they will come and see my glory.(BF)

19 “I will set a sign(BG) among them, and I will send some of those who survive(BH) to the nations—to Tarshish,(BI) to the Libyans[b] and Lydians(BJ) (famous as archers), to Tubal(BK) and Greece,(BL) and to the distant islands(BM) that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory.(BN) They will proclaim my glory among the nations. 20 And they will bring(BO) all your people, from all the nations, to my holy mountain(BP) in Jerusalem as an offering to the Lord—on horses, in chariots and wagons, and on mules and camels,”(BQ) says the Lord. “They will bring them, as the Israelites bring their grain offerings, to the temple of the Lord in ceremonially clean vessels.(BR) 21 And I will select some of them also to be priests(BS) and Levites,” says the Lord.

22 “As the new heavens and the new earth(BT) that I make will endure before me,” declares the Lord, “so will your name and descendants endure.(BU) 23 From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath(BV) to another, all mankind will come and bow down(BW) before me,” says the Lord. 24 “And they will go out and look on the dead bodies(BX) of those who rebelled(BY) against me; the worms(BZ) that eat them will not die, the fire that burns them will not be quenched,(CA) and they will be loathsome to all mankind.”

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 66:18 The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain.
  2. Isaiah 66:19 Some Septuagint manuscripts Put (Libyans); Hebrew Pul