Isaiah 66

Heaven Is God's Throne

1 Thus says the LORD,
"Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool.
Where then is a house you could build for Me?
And where is a place that I may rest?

2 "For My hand made all these things,
Thus all these things came into being," declares the LORD.
"But to this one I will look,
To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.

Hypocrisy Rebuked

3 " But he who kills an ox is like one who slays a man;
He who sacrifices a lamb is like the one who breaks a dog's neck;
He who offers a grain offering is like one who offers swine's blood;
He who burns incense is like the one who blesses an idol.
As they have chosen their own ways,
And their soul delights in their abominations,

4 So I will choose their punishments
And will bring on them what they dread.
Because I called, but no one answered;
I spoke, but they did not listen.
And they did evil in My sight
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 will be put to shame.

6 "A voice of uproar from the city, a voice from the temple,
The voice of the LORD who is rendering recompense to His enemies.

7 "Before she travailed, she brought forth;
Before her pain came, she gave birth to a boy.

8 "Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things?
Can a land be born in one day?
Can a nation be brought forth all at once?
As soon as Zion travailed, she also brought forth her sons.

9 "Shall I bring to the point of birth and not give delivery?" says the LORD.
"Or shall I who gives delivery shut the womb? " says your God.

Joy in Jerusalem's Future

10 "Be joyful with Jerusalem and rejoice for her, all you who love her;
Be exceedingly glad with her, all you who mourn over her,

11 That you may nurse and be satisfied with her comforting breasts,
That you may suck and be delighted with her bountiful bosom."

12 For thus says the LORD, "Behold, I extend peace to her like a river,
And the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream;
And you will be nursed, you will be carried on the hip and fondled on the knees.

13 "As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you;
And you will be comforted in Jerusalem."

14 Then you will see this, and your heart will be glad,
And your bones will flourish like the new grass;
And the hand of the LORD will be made known to His servants,
But He will be indignant toward His enemies.

15 For behold, the LORD will come in fire
And His chariots like the whirlwind,
To render His anger with fury,
And His rebuke with flames of fire.

16 For the LORD will execute judgment by fire
And by His sword on all flesh,
And those slain by the LORD will be many.

17 "Those who sanctify and purify themselves to go to the gardens,
Following one in the center,
Who eat swine's flesh, detestable things and mice,
Will come to an end altogether," declares the LORD.

18 "For I know their works and their thoughts; the time is coming to gather all nations and tongues. And they shall come and see My glory.19 I will set a sign among them and will send survivors from them to the nations: Tarshish, Put, Lud, Meshech, Tubal and Javan, to the distant coastlands that have neither heard My fame nor seen My glory. And they will declare My glory among the nations.20 Then they shall bring all your brethren from all the nations as a grain offering to the LORD, on horses, in chariots, in litters, on mules and on camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem," says the LORD, "just as the sons of Israel bring their grain offering in a clean vessel to the house of the LORD.21 I will also take some of them for priests and for Levites," says the LORD.

22 "For just as the new heavens and the new earth
Which I make will endure before Me," declares the LORD,
"So your offspring and your name will endure.

23 "And it shall be from new moon to new moon
And from sabbath to sabbath,
All mankind will come to bow down before Me," says the LORD.

24 "Then they will go forth and look
On the corpses of the men
Who have transgressed against Me.
For their worm will not die
And their fire will not be quenched;
And they will be an abhorrence 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