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Isaiah 66
International Children’s Bible
Isaiah 66
International Children’s Bible
God Will Judge All Nations
66 This is what the Lord says:
“The skies are my throne.
The earth is my footstool.
So do you think you can build a house for me?
There is no place where I need to rest.
2 My hand made all things.
All things are here because I made them,”
says the Lord.
“These are the people I am pleased with.
They are those who are not proud or stubborn.
They fear me and obey me.
3 But those people who kill bulls as a sacrifice to me
are like those who kill men.
Those who kill sheep as a sacrifice to me
are like those who break the necks of dogs.
Those who give me grain offerings
are like those who offer me the blood of pigs.[a]
Those who burn incense
are like those who worship idols.
These people choose their own ways—not mine.
They love the terrible things they do.
4 So I will punish them.
I will punish them using what they fear most.
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.”
5 You people who obey the words of the Lord,
listen to what he says:
“Your brothers hated you.
They turned against you because you followed me.
Your brothers said, ‘When the Lord is honored,
we will come back and rejoice with you.’
But they will be punished.
6 Listen to the loud noise coming from the city.
Hear the noise from the Temple.
It is the Lord punishing his enemies.
He is giving them the punishment they should have.
7 “A woman does not give birth before she feels the pain.
She does not give birth to a son before she feels the pain of birth.
8 No one has ever heard of that happening.
No one has ever seen that happen.
In the same way no one ever saw a country begin in one day.
No one has ever heard of a new nation beginning in one day.
But Jerusalem will give birth to her children
just as soon as she feels the birth pains.
9 In the same way I will not cause pain
without allowing something new to be born,” says the Lord.
“If I cause you the pain,
I will not stop you from giving birth to your new nation,” says your God.
10 “Jerusalem, rejoice.
All you people who love Jerusalem, be happy.
Those of you who felt sad for Jerusalem
should now feel happy with her.
11 You will enjoy her good things and be satisfied
as a child is nursed by its mother.
You will receive her good things
and enjoy her wealth.”
12 This is what the Lord says:
“I will give her peace that will flow to her like a river.
The wealth of the nations will come flowing to her.
Like babies you will be nursed and held in my arms.
You will be bounced on my 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 will be happy.
You will grow like the grass.
The Lord’s servants will see his power.
But the Lord’s enemies will see his anger.
15 Look, the Lord is coming with fire.
The Lord’s armies are coming with clouds of dust.
He will punish those people with his anger.
He will punish them with flames of fire.
16 The Lord will judge the people with fire.
He will destroy many people with his sword.
He will kill many people.
17 “These people make themselves holy and pure to go to worship their false gods in their gardens. They follow each other into their special gardens. They eat the meat of pigs and rats and other hated things. But they will all be destroyed together,” says the Lord.
18 “I know they have evil thoughts and do evil things. So I am coming to punish them. I will gather all nations and all people. All people will come together and see my glory.
19 “I will put a mark on some of the people. And I will send some of these saved people to the nations. I will send them to Tarshish, Libya, Lud (the land of archers), Tubal, Greece and all the faraway lands. These people have never heard about what I have done. They have never seen my glory. So the saved people will tell the nations about my glory. 20 And they will bring all your fellow Israelites from all nations. They will bring them to my holy mountain in Jerusalem. Your fellow Israelites will come on horses, donkeys, camels and in chariots and wagons. They will be like the grain offerings that the people bring in clean containers to the Temple,” says the Lord. 21 “And I will choose some of these people to be priests and Levites,” says the Lord.
22 “I will make new heavens and the new earth. And they will last forever,” says the Lord. “In the same way, your names and your children will always be with me. 23 All people will come to worship me. They 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 against me. The worms that eat them will never die. The fires that burn them will never stop. And everyone will hate to see those bodies.”
Footnotes
- 66:3 dogs . . . pigs God did not want his people to offer dogs and pigs as sacrifices because they were unclean animals.
Isaiah 66
New International Version
Isaiah 66
New International Version
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?
2 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)
3 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)
4 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)
5 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)
6 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.
7 “Before she goes into labor,(U)
she gives birth;
before the pains come upon her,
she delivers a son.(V)
8 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)
9 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
- Isaiah 66:18 The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain.
- Isaiah 66:19 Some Septuagint manuscripts Put (Libyans); Hebrew Pul
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