Isaiah 66

Final Judgment and Joyous Restoration

1 This is what the Lord says:

Heaven is My throne,
and earth is My footstool.
What house could you possibly build for Me?
And what place could be My home?
2 My hand made all these things,
and so they all came into being.
[This is] the Lord's declaration.
I will look favorably on this kind of person:
one who is humble, submissive in spirit,
and trembles at My word.
3 One slaughters an ox, one kills a man;
one sacrifices a lamb, one breaks a dog's neck;
one offers a grain offering, one offers pig's blood;
one offers incense, one praises an idol-
all these have chosen their ways
and delight in their detestable practices.

4 So I will choose their punishment,
and I will bring on them what they dread
because I called and no one answered;
I spoke and they didn't hear;
they did what was evil in My sight
and chose what I didn't delight in.

5 You who tremble at His word,
hear the word of the Lord:
"Your brothers who hate and exclude you
because of Me have said,
'Let the Lord be glorified
so that we can see your joy!'
But they will be put to shame."

6 A sound of uproar from the city!
A voice from the temple-
the voice of the Lord,
paying back His enemies what they deserve!

7 Before Zion was in labor, she gave birth;
before she was in pain, she delivered a boy.
8 Who has heard of such a thing?
Who has seen such things?
Can a land be born in one day
or a nation be delivered in an instant?
Yet as soon as Zion was in labor,
she gave birth to her sons.
9 "Will I bring a baby to the point of birth
and not deliver [it]?"
says the Lord;
"or will I who deliver, close [the womb]?"
says your God.
10 Be glad for Jerusalem and rejoice over her,
all who love her.
Rejoice greatly with her,
all who mourn over her-

11 so that you may nurse and be satisfied
from her comforting breast
and drink deeply and delight yourselves
from her glorious breasts.

12 For this is what the Lord says:

I will make peace flow to her like a river,
and the wealth of nations like a flood;
you will nurse and be carried on [her] hip
and bounced on [her] lap.

13 As a mother comforts her son,
so I will comfort you,
and you will be comforted in Jerusalem.

14 You will see, you will rejoice,
and you will flourish like grass;
then the Lord's power will be revealed to His servants,
but He will show His wrath against His enemies.
15 Look, the Lord will come with fire-
His chariots are like the whirlwind-
to execute His anger with fury
and His rebuke with flames of fire.

16 For the Lord will execute judgment
on all flesh with His fiery sword,
and many will be slain by the Lord.

17 "Those who dedicate and purify themselves to [enter] the groves following their leader, eating meat from pigs, vermin, and rats, will perish together."
[This is] the Lord's declaration.
18 "Knowing their works and their thoughts, I have come to gather all nations and languages; they will come and see My glory. 19 I will establish a sign among them, and I will send survivors from them to the nations-to Tarshish, Put, Lud (who are archers), Tubal, Javan, and the islands far away-who have not heard of My fame or seen My glory. And they will proclaim My glory among the nations. 20 They will bring all your brothers from all the nations as a gift to the Lord on horses and chariots, in litters, and on mules and camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem," says the Lord, "just as the Israelites bring an offering in a clean vessel to the house of the Lord.

21 I will also take some of them as priests and Levites," says the Lord.

22 "For just as the new heavens and the new earth,
which I will make,
will endure before Me"-
[this is] the Lord's declaration-
"so your offspring and your name will endure.

23 All mankind will come to worship Me
from one New Moon to another
and from one Sabbath to another,"
says the Lord.
24 "As they leave, they will see the dead bodies of the men who have rebelled against Me; for their worm will never die, their fire will never go out, and they will be a horror to all mankind."

Isaiah 66

1 This is what the Lord says:
“The heavens are my throne
and the earth is my footstool.
Where then is the house you will build for me?
Where is the place where I will rest?

2 My hand made them;t
that is how they came to be,”t says the Lord.
I show special favort to the humble and contrite,
who respect what I have to say.t

3 The one who slaughters a bull also strikes down a man;t
the one who sacrifices a lamb also breaks a dog’s neck;ts
the one who presents an offering includes pig’s blood with it;t
the one who offers incense also praises an idol.t
They have decided to behave this way;t
they enjoy these disgusting practices.t

4 So I will choose severe punishmentt for them;
I will bring on them what they dread,
because I called, and no one responded,
I spoke and they did not listen.
They did evil before me;t
they chose to do what displeases me.”

5 Hear the word of the Lord,
you who respect what he has to say!t
Your countrymen,t who hate you
and exclude you, supposedly for the sake of my name,
say, “May the Lord be glorified,
then we will witness your joy.”t
But they will be put to shame.

6 The sound of battle comes from the city;
the sound comes from the temple!
It is the sound of the Lord paying back his enemies.

7 Before she goes into labor, she gives birth!
Before her contractions begin, she delivers a boy!

8 Who has ever heard of such a thing?
Who has ever seen this?
Can a countryt be brought forth in one day?
Can a nation be born in a single moment?
Yet as soon as Zion goes into labor she gives birth to sons!

9 “Do I bring a baby to the birth opening and then not deliver it?”
asks the Lord.
“Or do I bring a baby to the point of delivery and then hold it back?”
asks your God.s

10 Be happy for Jerusalem
and rejoice with her, all you who love her!
Share in her great joy,
all you who have mourned over her!

11 Fort you will nurse from her satisfying breasts and be nourished;t
you will feed with joy from her milk-filled breasts.ts

12 For this is what the Lord says:
“Look, I am ready to extend to her prosperity that will flow like a river,
the riches of nations will flow into her like a stream that floods its banks.t
You will nurse from her breastt and be carried at her side;
you will play on her knees.

13 As a mother consoles a child,t
so I will console you,
and you will be consoled over Jerusalem.”

14 When you see this, you will be happy,t
and you will be revived.t
The Lord will reveal his power to his servants
and his anger to his enemies.t

15 For look, the Lord comes with fire,
his chariots come like a windstorm,s
to reveal his raging anger,
his battle cry, and his flaming arrows.t

16 For the Lord judges all humanityt
with fire and his sword;
the Lord will kill many.t
17 “As for those who consecrate and ritually purify themselves so they can follow their leader and worship in the sacred orchards,t those who eat the flesh of pigs and other disgusting creatures, like micet – they will all be destroyed together,”t says the Lord.18 “I hate their deeds and thoughts! So I am comings to gather all the nations and ethnic groups;t they will come and witness my splendor.19 I will perform a mighty act among themt and then send some of those who remain to the nations – to Tarshish, Pul,t Luds (known for its archerst), Tubal, Javan,s and to the distant coastlandst that have not heard about me or seen my splendor. They will tell the nations of my splendor.20 They will bring back all your countryment from all the nations as an offering to the Lord. They will bring themt on horses, in chariots, in wagons, on mules, and on camelst to my holy hill Jerusalem,” says the Lord, “just as the Israelites bring offerings to the Lord’s temple in ritually pure containers.21 And I will choose some of them as priests and Levites,” says the Lord.22 “For just as the new heavens and the new earth I am about to make will remain standing before me,” says the Lord, “so your descendants and your name will remain.23 From one montht to the next and from one Sabbath to the next, all peoplet will come to worship me,”t says the Lord.

24 “They will go out and observe the corpses of those who rebelled against me, for the maggots that eat them will not die,t and the fire that consumes them will not die out.t All people will find the sight abhorrent.”ts