Isaiah 66

True Worship and False

1 Thus says the Lord: Thus says the Lord: Heaven is My throne, And earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build Me? And where is the place of My rest?2 For all those things My hand has made, And all those things exist, Says the Lord. But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word.3 He who kills a bull is as if he slays a man; He who sacrifices a lamb, as if he breaks a dogs neck; He who offers a grain offering, as if he offers swines blood; He who burns incense, as if he blesses an idol. Just as they have chosen their own ways, And their soul delights in their abominations,4 So will I choose their delusions, And bring their fears on them; Because, when I called, no one answered, When I spoke they did not hear; But they did evil before My eyes, And chose that in which I do not delight.

The Lord Vindicates Zion

5 Hear the word of the Lord, You who tremble at His word: Your brethren who hated you, Who cast you out for My names sake, said, Let the Lord be glorified, That we may see your joy. But they shall be ashamed.6 The sound of noise from the city! A voice from the temple! The voice of the Lord, Who fully repays His enemies!7 Before she was in labor, she gave birth; Before her pain came, She delivered a male child.8 Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day? Or shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion was in labor, She gave birth to her children.9 Shall I bring to the time of birth, and not cause delivery? says the Lord. Shall I who cause delivery shut up the womb? says your God.10 Rejoice with Jerusalem, And be glad with her, all you who love her; Rejoice for joy with her, all you who mourn for her;11 That you may feed and be satisfied With the consolation of her bosom, That you may drink deeply and be delighted With the abundance of her glory.12 For thus says the Lord: Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, And the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream. Then you shall feed; On her sides shall you be carried, And be dandled on her knees.13 As one whom his mother comforts, So I will comfort you; And you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.

The Reign and Indignation of God

14 When you see this, your heart shall rejoice, And your bones shall flourish like grass; The hand of the Lord shall be known to His servants, And His indignation to 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 The Lord will judge all flesh; And the slain of the Lord shall be many.17 Those who sanctify themselves and purify themselves, To go to the gardens After an idol in the midst, Eating swines flesh and the abomination and the mouse, Shall be consumed together, says the Lord.18 For I know their works and their thoughts. It shall be that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come and see My glory.19 I will set a sign among them; and those among them who escape I will send to the nations: to Tarshish and Pul and Lud, who draw the bow, and Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands afar off who have not heard My fame nor seen My glory. And they shall declare My glory among the Gentiles.20 Then they shall bring all your brethren for an offering to the Lord out of all nations, on horses and in chariots and in litters, on mules and on camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem, says the Lord, as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the Lord.21 And I will also take some of them for priests and Levites, says the Lord.22 For as the new heavens and the new earth Which I will make shall remain before Me, says the Lord, So shall your descendants 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, says the Lord.24 And they shall go forth and look Upon the corpses of the men Who have transgressed against Me. For their worm does not die, And their fire is not quenched. They shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.

Jeremiah 1

1 The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin,2 to whom the word of the Lord came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.3 It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month.

The Prophet is Called

4 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying:5 Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.6 Then said I: Ah, Lord God! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth.7 But the Lord said to me: Do not say, I am a youth, For you shall go to all to whom I send you, And whatever I command you, you shall speak.8 Do not be afraid of their faces, For I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord.9 Then the Lord put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me: Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.10 See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, To root out and to pull down, To destroy and to throw down, To build and to plant.11 Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Jeremiah, what do you see? And I said, I see a branch of an almond tree.12 Then the Lord said to me, You have seen well, for I am ready to perform My word.13 And the word of the Lord came to me the second time, saying, What do you see? And I said, I see a boiling pot, and it is facing away from the north.14 Then the Lord said to me: Out of the north calamity shall break forth On all the inhabitants of the land.15 For behold, I am calling All the families of the kingdoms of the north, says the Lord; They shall come and each one set his throne At the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, Against all its walls all around, And against all the cities of Judah.16 I will utter My judgments Against them concerning all their wickedness, Because they have forsaken Me, Burned incense to other gods, And worshiped the works of their own hands.17 Therefore prepare yourself and arise, And speak to them all that I command you. Do not be dismayed before their faces, Lest I dismay you before them.18 For behold, I have made you this day A fortified city and an iron pillar, And bronze walls against the whole land Against the kings of Judah, Against its princes, Against its priests, And against the people of the land.19 They will fight against you, But they shall not prevail against you. For I am with you, says the Lord, to deliver you.

Jeremiah 2

Gods Case Against Israel

1 Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying,2 Go and cry in the hearing of Jerusalem, saying, Thus says the Lord: I remember you, The kindness of your youth, The love of your betrothal, When you went after Me in the wilderness, In a land not sown.3 Israel was holiness to the Lord, The firstfruits of His increase. All that devour him will offend; Disaster will come upon them, says the Lord.4 Hear the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob and all the families of the house of Israel.5 Thus says the Lord: What injustice have your fathers found in Me, That they have gone far from Me, Have followed idols, And have become idolaters?6 Neither did they say, Where is the Lord, Who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, Who led us through the wilderness, Through a land of deserts and pits, Through a land of drought and the shadow of death, Through a land that no one crossed And where no one dwelt?7 I brought you into a bountiful country, To eat its fruit and its goodness. But when you entered, you defiled My land And made My heritage an abomination.8 The priests did not say, Where is the Lord? And those who handle the law did not know Me; The rulers also transgressed against Me; The prophets prophesied by Baal, And walked after things that do not profit.9 Therefore I will yet bring charges against you, says the Lord, And against your childrens children I will bring charges.10 For pass beyond the coasts of Cyprus and see, Send to Kedar and consider diligently, And see if there has been such a thing. 11 Has a nation changed its gods, Which are not gods? But My people have changed their Glory For what does not profit.12 Be astonished, O heavens, at this, And be horribly afraid; Be very desolate, says the Lord.13 For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, And hewn themselves cisternsbroken cisterns that can hold no water.14  Is Israel a servant? Is he a homeborn slave? Why is he plundered?15 The young lions roared at him, and growled; They made his land waste; His cities are burned, without inhabitant.16 Also the people of Noph and Tahpanhes Have broken the crown of your head.17 Have you not brought this on yourself, In that you have forsaken the Lord your God When He led you in the way?18 And now why take the road to Egypt, To drink the waters of Sihor? Or why take the road to Assyria, To drink the waters of the River?19 Your own wickedness will correct you, And your backslidings will rebuke you. Know therefore and see that it is an evil and bitter thing That you have forsaken the Lord your God, And the fear of Me is not in you, Says the Lord God of hosts.20 For of old I have broken your yoke and burst your bonds; And you said, I will not transgress, When on every high hill and under every green tree You lay down, playing the harlot.21 Yet I had planted you a noble vine, a seed of highest quality. How then have you turned before Me Into the degenerate plant of an alien vine?22 For though you wash yourself with lye, and use much soap, Yet your iniquity is marked before Me, says the Lord God.23 How can you say, I am not polluted, I have not gone after the Baals? See your way in the valley; Know what you have done: You are a swift dromedary breaking loose in her ways,24 A wild donkey used to the wilderness, That sniffs at the wind in her desire; In her time of mating, who can turn her away? All those who seek her will not weary themselves; In her month they will find her.25 Withhold your foot from being unshod, and your throat from thirst. But you said, There is no hope. No! For I have loved aliens, and after them I will go.26 As the thief is ashamed when he is found out, So is the house of Israel ashamed; They and their kings and their princes, and their priests and their prophets,27 Saying to a tree, You are my father, And to a stone, You gave birth to me. For they have turned their back to Me, and not their face. But in the time of their trouble They will say, Arise and save us.28 But where are your gods that you have made for yourselves? Let them arise, If they can save you in the time of your trouble; For according to the number of your cities Are your gods, O Judah.29 Why will you plead with Me? You all have transgressed against Me, says the Lord.30 In vain I have chastened your children; They received no correction. Your sword has devoured your prophets Like a destroying lion.31 O generation, see the word of the Lord! Have I been a wilderness to Israel, Or a land of darkness? Why do My people say, We are lords; We will come no more to You?32 Can a virgin forget her ornaments, Or a bride her attire? Yet My people have forgotten Me days without number.33 Why do you beautify your way to seek love? Therefore you have also taught The wicked women your ways.34 Also on your skirts is found The blood of the lives of the poor innocents. I have not found it by secret search, But plainly on all these things.35 Yet you say, Because I am innocent, Surely His anger shall turn from me. Behold, I will plead My case against you, Because you say, I have not sinned.36 Why do you gad about so much to change your way? Also you shall be ashamed of Egypt as you were ashamed of Assyria.37 Indeed you will go forth from him With your hands on your head; For the Lord has rejected your trusted allies, And you will not prosper by them.