Isaiah 66

Chapter 66

1 This is what the LORD says:
“Heaven is my throne,
and the earth is my footstool.
Could you build me a temple as good as that?
Could you build me such a resting place?2 My hands have made both heaven and earth;
they and everything in them are mine.t
I, the LORD, have spoken!
“I will bless those who have humble and contrite hearts,
who tremble at my word.3 But those who choose their own ways—
delighting in their detestable sins—
will not have their offerings accepted.
When such people sacrifice a bull,
it is no more acceptable than a human sacrifice.
When they sacrifice a lamb,
it’s as though they had sacrificed a dog!
When they bring an offering of grain,
they might as well offer the blood of a pig.
When they burn frankincense,
it’s as if they had blessed an idol.4 I will send them great trouble—
all the things they feared.
For when I called, they did not answer.
When I spoke, they did not listen.
They deliberately sinned before my very eyes
and chose to do what they know I despise.”5 Hear this message from the LORD,
all you who tremble at his words:
“Your own people hate you
and throw you out for being loyal to my name.
‘Let the LORD be honored!’ they scoff.
‘Be joyful in him!’
But they will be put to shame.6 What is all the commotion in the city?
What is that terrible noise from the Temple?
It is the voice of the LORD
taking vengeance against his enemies.7 “Before the birth pains even begin,
Jerusalem gives birth to a son.8 Who has ever seen anything as strange as this?
Who ever heard of such a thing?
Has a nation ever been born in a single day?
Has a country ever come forth in a mere moment?
But by the time Jerusalem’st birth pains begin,
her children will be born.9 Would I ever bring this nation to the point of birth
and then not deliver it?” asks the LORD.
“No! I would never keep this nation from being born,”
says your God.10 “Rejoice with Jerusalem!
Be glad with her, all you who love her
and all you who mourn for her.11 Drink deeply of her glory
even as an infant drinks at its mother’s comforting breasts.”12 This is what the LORD says:
“I will give Jerusalem a river of peace and prosperity.
The wealth of the nations will flow to her.
Her children will be nursed at her breasts,
carried in her arms, and held on her lap.13 I will comfort you there in Jerusalem
as a mother comforts her child.”14 When you see these things, your heart will rejoice.
You will flourish like the grass!
Everyone will see the LORD’s hand of blessing on his servants—
and his anger against his enemies.15 See, the LORD is coming with fire,
and his swift chariots roar like a whirlwind.
He will bring punishment with the fury of his anger
and the flaming fire of his hot rebuke.16 The LORD will punish the world by fire
and by his sword.
He will judge the earth,
and many will be killed by him.

17 “Those who ‘consecrate’ and ‘purify’ themselves in a sacred garden with its idol in the center—feasting on pork and rats and other detestable meats—will come to a terrible end,” says the LORD.
18 “I can see what they are doing, and I know what they are thinking. So I will gather all nations and peoples together, and they will see my glory.19 I will perform a sign among them. And I will send those who survive to be messengers to the nations—to Tarshish, to the Libyanst and Lydianst (who are famous as archers), to Tubal and Greece,t and to all the lands beyond the sea that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory. There they will declare my glory to the nations.20 They will bring the remnant of your people back from every nation. They will bring them to my holy mountain in Jerusalem as an offering to the LORD. They will ride on horses, in chariots and wagons, and on mules and camels,” says the LORD.

21 “And I will appoint some of them to be my priests and Levites. I, the LORD, have spoken!
22 “As surely as my new heavens and earth will remain,
so will you always be my people,
with a name that will never disappear,”
says the LORD.23 “All humanity will come to worship me
from week to week
and from month to month.24 And as they go out, they will see
the dead bodies of those who have rebelled against me.
For the worms that devour them will never die,
and the fire that burns them will never go out.
All who pass by
will view them with utter horror.”

ISAIAH 66

True Worship

1  t t The [Lord] said:
Heaven is my throne;
the earth is my footstool.
What kind of house
could you build for me?
In what place will I rest?

2 I have made everything;
that's how it all came to be.t
I, the [Lord], have spoken.
The people I treasure most
are the humble—
they depend only on me
and tremble when I speak.

3 You sacrifice oxen to me,
and you commit murder;
you sacrifice lambs to me
and dogs to other gods;
you offer grain to me
and pigs' blood to idols;
you burn incense to me
and praise your idols.t
You have made your own choice
to do these disgusting things
that you enjoy so much.

4 You refused to answer
when I called out;
you paid no attention
to my instructions.
Instead, you did what I hated,
knowing it was wrong.
Now I will punisht you
in a way you dread the most.

The [Lord] Will Help //Jerusalem

5 If you tremble
when the [Lord] speaks,
listen to what he says:
“Some of your own people hate
and reject you because of me.
They make fun and say,
‘Let the [Lord] show his power!
Let us see him
make you truly happy.’t
But those who say these things
will be terribly ashamed.”

6 Do you hear that noise
in the city and those shouts
coming from the temple?
It is the [Lord] shouting
as he punishes his enemies.

7  t Have you ever heard of a woman
who gave birth to a child
before having labor pains?

8 Who ever heard of such a thing
or imagined it could happen?
Can a nation be born in a day
or come to life in a second?
Jerusalem is like a mother
who gave birth to her children
as soon as she was in labor.

9 The [Lord] is the one
who makes birth possible.
And he will see that Zion
has many more children.
The [Lord] has spoken.

10 If you love Jerusalem,
celebrate and shout!
If you were in sorrow
because of the city,
you can now be glad.

11 She will nurse and comfort you,
just like your own mother,
until you are satisfied.
You will fully enjoy
her wonderful glory.

12 The [Lord] has promised:
“I will flood Jerusalem
with the wealth of nations
and make the city prosper.
Zion will nurse you at her breast,
carry you in her arms,
and hold you in her lap.

13 I will comfort you there
like a mother
comforting her child.”

14 When you see this happen,
you will celebrate;
your strength will return
faster than grass can sprout.
Then everyone will know
that the [Lord] provides help
for his servants,
but he is angry
with his enemies.

15 The [Lord] will come down
like a whirlwind
with his flaming chariots.
He will be furiously angry
and punish his enemies
with fire.

16 The [Lord]'s fiery sword
will bring justice
everywhere on this earth
and execute many people.

A Threat and a Promise

17 Some of you get yourselves ready and go to a garden to worship a foreign goddess.t You eat the meat of pigs, lizards, and mice. But I, the [Lord], will destroy you for this.
18 I know everything you do and think! The time has now comet to bring together the people of every language and nation and to show them my glory

19 by proving what I can do.t I will send the survivors to Tarshish, Pul, t Lud, Meshech, t Tubal, Javan, t and to the distant islands. I will send them to announce my wonderful glory to nations that have never heard about me.
20 They will bring your relatives from the nations as an offering to me, the [Lord]. They will come to Jerusalem, my holy mountain, on horses, chariots, wagons, mules, and camels.t It will be like the people of Israel bringing the right offering to my temple.

21 I promise that some of them will be priests and others will be helpers in my temple. I, the [Lord], have spoken.
22  t I also promise that you will always have descendants and will never be forgotten, just as the new heavens and the new earth that I create will last forever.

23 On the first day of each month and on each Sabbath, everyone will worship me. I, the [Lord], have spoken.
24  t My people will go out and look at the dead bodies of those who turned against me. The worms there never die, the fire never stops burning, and the sight of those bodies will be disgusting to everyone.