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66 ¶ Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where shall remain this house that ye built unto me? and where shall remain this place of my rest?

For all these things my hand has made, by my hand has these things been, said the LORD; but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit and trembles at my word.

He that kills an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrifices a lamb as if he cut off a dog’s neck; he that offers an oblation as if he offered swine’s blood; he that burns incense as if he blessed iniquity. They have chosen their own ways, and their soul delights in their abominations.

I also will choose their delusions and will bring their fears upon them because I called, and no one answered; I spoke, and they did not hear: but they did evil before my eyes and chose that which displeased me.

¶ Hear the word of the LORD, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hate you, that deny you for my name’s sake, said, Let the LORD be glorified; but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed.

A voice of noise from the city, a voice of the temple, a voice of the LORD that renders recompense to his enemies.

Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child.

Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall the earth bring forth in one day? Shall an entire nation be born at once? that Zion travailed, and shall bring forth her sons together?

I, who make births to happen, shall I not be with child? saith the LORD; I, who causes conception, shall I be stopped? saith thy God.

10 Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her: be filled with 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 splendour 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 a man child whom his mother comforts, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem.

14 And ye shall see, your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall flourish like grass; and the hand of the LORD shall be known toward his slaves 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 judge all flesh; and the slain of the LORD shall be multiplied.

17 Those that sanctify themselves and purify themselves in the gardens, one behind another; those that eat swine’s flesh and abomination, and the mouse shall be cut off together, saith the LORD.

18 For I understand their works and their thoughts. The time shall come to gather all the Gentiles 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 Gentiles, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow, to Tubal, and Javan, to the isles afar off, that have never heard my name, nor 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 from among all the Gentiles, upon horses and in chariots and in litters and upon mules and upon camels to my holy mountain of Jerusalem, saith the LORD, so that the sons of Israel bring the offering in clean vessels to 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 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 all flesh shall come to worship before me, said the LORD.

24 And they shall go forth and look upon the carcasses of the men that rebelled against me; for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto 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