Isaiah 66 1 Thus says the LORD, "Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; what house will you build for me? And what is the place of my rest? 2 For all these things my hand has made, and so they have come into being," says the LORD. "But this is the man I will look on [favorably]: he who is of a humble and contrite spirit, and trembles at my word. 3 "He who sacrifices an ox [to an idol], as if he slew a man; he who sacrifices a lamb, as if he cut off a dog's neck; he who offers a grain offering, as if he offered swine's blood; he who burns incense, as if he worshiped an idol. Yes, since they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delights in their abominations, 4 So I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, no one answered; when I spoke, they did not hear; but they did evil before my eyes and chose that in which I did not delight." 5 Hear the word of the LORD, you who tremble at his word, "Your brothers who hate you, who exclude you for my name's sake, have said, 'Let the LORD be glorified, that we may see your joy,' but they shall be put to shame." 6 A sound of noise from the city! A voice from the temple! A voice of the LORD who renders recompense to his enemies. 7 "Before she travailed, she gave birth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child. 8 Who has heard of such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? Or shall a nation be born all at once? For as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children. 9 Shall I bring to the moment of birth, and not cause delivery?" says the LORD. "Shall I who causes delivery, shut the womb?" says your God. 10 "Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad with her, all you who love her; rejoice for joy with her, all you who mourn for her; 11 That you may nurse and be satisfied from her consoling breasts; that you may drink deeply, and be delighted with the abundance of her glory." 12 For thus says the LORD, "Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream; then you shall nurse, and be carried on her hip and dandled on her knees. 13 As one whom his mother comforts, so will I comfort you; and you shall be comforted in Jerusalem." 14 And when you see this, your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall flourish like grass; the hand of the LORD shall be known to his servants, and his indignation toward his enemies. 15 For, behold, the LORD will come with fire and 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 "Those who sanctify and purify themselves to go into the [idol's] gardens behind one tree [idol] in the middle, eating swine's flesh and the abomination and the mouse, shall be consumed together," says the LORD. 18 "For I know their works and their thoughts. It shall be that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come and see my glory. 19 And I will set up a sign among them, and I will send those who escape from them to the nations: to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, (who draws the bow), to Tubal, and Javan, to the islands far off who have not heard of my fame nor seen my glory. And they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles. 20 And they shall bring all your brothers for an offering to the LORD out of all nations, upon horses and in chariots and in litters, and on mules and swift beasts, to my holy mountain Jerusalem," says 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 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 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, all flesh shall come to worship before me," says the LORD. 24 "And they shall go forth and look upon the carcases 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." Previous Chapter |