Isaiah 66

The Lord Will Judge All Nations

1 This is what the Lord says:
“Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool.
So do you think you can build a house for me? Do I need a place 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: those who are not proud or stubborn and who fear my word.

3 But those people who kill bulls as a sacrifice to me are like those who kill people.
Those who kill sheep as a sacrifice 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. 

4 So I will choose their punishments, and I will punish them with what they fear most.
This is because 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 and turned against you because you followed me.
Your brothers said, ‘Let the Lord be honored so we may see you rejoice,’ 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, 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 the pain starts.

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 moment.
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 take comfort from her 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 to her like a river overflowing its banks.
Like babies you will be nursed and held in my arms and 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, and you will grow like the grass.
The Lord’s servants will see his power, but his enemies will see his anger.

15 Look, the Lord is coming with fire and his armies 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, and 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 gods in their gardens. Following each other into their special gardens, they eat the meat of pigs and rats and other hateful 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, and they 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: 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 nor 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 to my holy mountain in Jerusalem. Your fellow Israelites will come on horses, donkeys, and 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 even some of these people to be priests and Levites,” says the Lord.
22 “I will make new heavens and the new earth, which 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 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, and the fires that burn them will never stop, and everyone will hate to see those bodies.”

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