Isaiah 65
65
The Lord Will Distinguish Between Sinners and the Godly
1 “I made myself available to those who did not ask for me;#tn Heb “I allowed myself to be sought by those who did not ask.”
I appeared to those who did not look for me.#tn Heb “I allowed myself to be found by those who did not seek.”
I said, ‘Here I am! Here I am!’
to a nation that did not invoke#tn Heb “call out in”; NASB, NIV, NRSV “call on.” my name.
2 I spread out my hands all day long
to my rebellious people,
who lived in a way that is morally unacceptable,
and who did what they desired.#tn Heb “who walked [in] the way that is not good, after their thoughts.”
3 These people continually and blatantly offend me#tn Heb “the people who provoke me to anger to my face continually.”
as they sacrifice in their sacred orchards#tn Or “gardens” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
and burn incense on brick altars.#tn Or perhaps, “on tiles.”
4 They sit among the tombs#sn Perhaps the worship of underworld deities or dead spirits is in view.
and keep watch all night long.#tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “and in the watches they spend the night.” Some understand נְּצוּרִים (nÿtsurim) as referring to “secret places” or “caves,” while others emend the text to וּבֵין צוּרִים (uven tsurim, “between the rocky cliffs”).
They eat pork,#tn Heb “the flesh of the pig”; KJV, NAB, NASB “swine’s flesh.”
and broth#tc The marginal reading (Qere), supported by the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa, reads מְרַק (mÿraq, “broth”), while the consonantal text (Kethib) has פְרַק (feraq, “fragment”). from unclean sacrificial meat is in their pans.
5 They say, ‘Keep to yourself!
Don’t get near me, for I am holier than you!’
These people are like smoke in my nostrils,
like a fire that keeps burning all day long.
6 Look, I have decreed:#tn Heb “Look, it is written before me.”
I will not keep silent, but will pay them back;
I will pay them back exactly what they deserve,#tn Heb “I will pay back into their lap.”
7 for your sins and your ancestors’ sins,”#tn Heb “the iniquities of your fathers.” says the Lord.
“Because they burned incense on the mountains
and offended#tn Or perhaps, “taunted”; KJV “blasphemed”; NAB “disgraced”; NASB “scorned”; NIV “defied”; NRSV “reviled.” me on the hills,
I will punish them in full measure.”#tn Heb “I will measure out their pay [from the] beginning into their lap,” i.e., he will give them everything they have earned.
8 This is what the Lord says:
“When#tn Heb “just as.” In the Hebrew text the statement is one long sentence, “Just as…, so I will do….” juice is discovered in a cluster of grapes,
someone says, ‘Don’t destroy it, for it contains juice.’#tn Heb “for a blessing is in it.”
So I will do for the sake of my servants –
I will not destroy everyone.#tn Heb “by not destroying everyone.”
9 I will bring forth descendants from Jacob,
and from Judah people to take possession of my mountains.
My chosen ones will take possession of the land;#tn Heb “it.” The third feminine singular pronominal suffix probably refers to the land which contains the aforementioned mountains.
my servants will live there.
10 Sharon#sn Sharon was a plain located to the west, along the Mediterranean coast north of Joppa and south of Carmel. will become a pasture for sheep,
and the Valley of Achor#sn The Valley of Achor (“Achor” means “trouble” in Hebrew) was the site of Achan’s execution. It was located to the east, near Jericho. a place where cattle graze;#tn Heb “a resting place for cattle”; NASB, NIV “for herds.”
they will belong to my people, who seek me.#tn Heb “for my people who seek me.”
11 But as for you who abandon the Lord
and forget about worshiping at#tn The Hebrew text has simply, “forget.” The words “about worshiping at” are supplied in the translation for clarification. my holy mountain,
who prepare a feast for the god called ‘Fortune,’#tn The Hebrew has לַגַּד (laggad, “for Gad”), the name of a pagan deity. See HALOT 176 s.v. II גַּד 2.
and fill up wine jugs for the god called ‘Destiny’#tn The Hebrew has לַמְנִי (lamni, “for Meni”), the name of a pagan deity. See HALOT 602 s.v. מְגִי. –
12 I predestine you to die by the sword,#tn Heb “I assign you to the sword.” Some emend the Qal verb form מָנִיתִי (maniti, “I assign”) to the Piel מִנִּיתִי (minniti, “ I ordain”). The verb sounds like the name of the god Meni (מְנִי, mÿni, “Destiny, Fate”). The sound play draws attention to the irony of the statement. The sinners among God’s people worship the god Meni, apparently in an effort to ensure a bright destiny for themselves. But the Lord is the one who really determines their destiny and he has decreed their demise.
all of you will kneel down at the slaughtering block,#tn Or “at the slaughter”; NIV “for the slaughter”; NLT “before the executioner.”
because I called to you, and you did not respond,
I spoke and you did not listen.
You did evil before me;#tn Heb “that which is evil in my eyes.”
you chose to do what displeases me.”
13 So this is what the sovereign Lord says:
“Look, my servants will eat, but you will be hungry!
Look, my servants will drink, but you will be thirsty!
Look, my servants will rejoice, but you will be humiliated!
14 Look, my servants will shout for joy as happiness fills their hearts!#tn Heb “from the good of the heart.”
But you will cry out as sorrow fills your hearts;#tn Heb “from the pain of the heart.”
you will wail because your spirits will be crushed.#tn Heb “from the breaking of the spirit.”
15 Your names will live on in the curse formulas of my chosen ones.#tn Heb “you will leave your name for an oath to my chosen ones.”sn For an example of such a curse formula see Jer 29:22.
The sovereign Lord will kill you,
but he will give his servants another name.
16 Whoever pronounces a blessing in the earth#tn Or “in the land” (NIV, NCV, NRSV). The same phrase occurs again later in this verse, with the same options.
will do so in the name of the faithful God;#tn Heb “will pronounce a blessing by the God of truth.”
whoever makes an oath in the earth
will do so in the name of the faithful God.#tn Heb “will take an oath by the God of truth.”
For past problems will be forgotten;
I will no longer think about them.#tn Heb “for the former distresses will be forgotten, and they will be hidden from my eyes.”
17 For look, I am ready to create
new heavens and a new earth!#sn This hyperbolic statement likens the coming transformation of Jerusalem (see vv. 18-19) to a new creation of the cosmos.
The former ones#tn Or perhaps, “the former things” (so ASV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); TEV “The events of the past.” will not be remembered;
no one will think about them anymore.#tn Heb “and they will not come up on the mind.”
18 But be happy and rejoice forevermore
over what I am about to create!
For look, I am ready to create Jerusalem#map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4. to be a source of joy,#tn Heb “Jerusalem, joy.” The next verse suggests the meaning: The Lord will create Jerusalem to be a source of joy to himself.
and her people to be a source of happiness.#tn Heb “her people, happiness.” See the preceding note.
19 Jerusalem will bring me joy,
and my people will bring me happiness.#tn Heb “and I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and be happy in my people.”
The sound of weeping or cries of sorrow
will never be heard in her again.
20 Never again will one of her infants live just a few days#tn Heb “and there will not be from there again a nursing infant of days,” i.e., one that lives just a few days.
or an old man die before his time.#tn Heb “or an old [man] who does not fill out his days.”
Indeed, no one will die before the age of a hundred,#tn Heb “for the child as a son of one hundred years will die.” The point seems to be that those who die at the age of a hundred will be considered children, for the average life span will be much longer than that. The category “child” will be redefined in light of the expanded life spans that will characterize this new era.
anyone who fails to reach#tn Heb “the one who misses.” חָטָא (khata’) is used here in its basic sense of “miss the mark.” See HALOT 305 s.v. חטא. Another option is to translate, “and the sinner who reaches the age of a hundred will be cursed.” the age of a hundred will be considered cursed.
21 They will build houses and live in them;
they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
22 No longer will they build a house only to have another live in it,#tn Heb “they will not build, and another live [in it].”
or plant a vineyard only to have another eat its fruit,#tn Heb “they will not plant, and another eat.”
for my people will live as long as trees,#tn Heb “for like the days of the tree [will be] the days of my people.”
and my chosen ones will enjoy to the fullest what they have produced.#tn Heb “the work of their hands” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “their hard-won gains.”
23 They will not work in vain,
or give birth to children that will experience disaster.#tn Heb “and they will not give birth to horror.”
For the Lord will bless their children
and their descendants.#tn Heb “for offspring blessed by the Lord they [will be], and their descendants along with them.”
24 Before they even call out,#tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2. I will respond;
while they are still speaking, I will hear.
25 A wolf and a lamb will graze together;#sn A similar statement appears in 11:6.
a lion, like an ox, will eat straw,#sn These words also appear in 11:7.
and a snake’s food will be dirt.#sn Some see an allusion to Gen 3:14 (note “you will eat dirt”). The point would be that even in this new era the snake (often taken as a symbol of Satan) remains under God’s curse. However, it is unlikely that such an allusion exists. Even if there is an echo of Gen 3:14, the primary allusion is to 11:8, where snakes are pictured as no longer dangerous. They will no longer attack other living creatures, but will be content to crawl along the ground. (The statement “you will eat dirt” in Gen 3:14 means “you will crawl on the ground.” In the same way the statement “dirt will be its food” in Isa 65:25 means “it will crawl on the ground.”)
They will no longer injure or destroy
on my entire royal mountain,”#tn Heb “in all my holy mountain.” These same words appear in 11:9. See the note there.sn As in 11:1-9 the prophet anticipates a time when the categories predator-prey no longer exist. See the note at the end of 11:8. says the Lord.
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Isaiah 65
65
Judgment and Salvation
1“I let myself be sought by those who did not ask;
I let myself be found by those who did not seek me.
I said, ‘Here I am; here I am!’ to a nation that did not call on my name;
2I spread out my hands all day to a stubborn people,
those who walk after their thoughts in the way that is not good,
3the people who provoke#Literally “provoking” me to anger continually to my face,
slaughtering for sacrifices in the garden,
and making smoke offerings on bricks,
4who sit#Literally “sitting” in graves
and spend the night in secret places,#Literally “watches”
who eat#Literally “eating” the flesh of swine
with#Or “and” a fragment#The reading tradition (Qere) has “broth” of impurity in their vessels,
5who say,#Literally “saying” “Keep to yourself!#Literally “Come near to you”
You must not come near me, for I am too holy for you!”
These are a smoke in my nostrils,#Literally “nose”
a fire burning all day.
6Look! It is written before me: I will not be silent, but I will repay;
and I will repay in#Or “on” the fold of their garment
7your iniquities and the iniquities of your ancestors#Or “fathers” together, says Yahweh,
because they made smoke offerings on the mountains
and they taunted me on the hills,
I will measure their punishment from the beginning into the fold of their garment.”
8Thus says Yahweh: “Just as the new wine is found in the cluster, and they say ‘You must not destroy it, for there is a blessing in it,’ so I will do for the sake of my servants by#Literally “to” not destroying everyone.#Literally “all”
9And I will bring descendant s#Hebrew “descendant” out from Jacob,
and a people#Literally “man” from Judah to take possession of my mountain,
and my chosen ones shall inherit it,
and my servants shall settle there.
10And Sharon shall become a pasture for#Literally “of” flocks,#Hebrew “flock”
and the valley of Achor a resting place for#Or “of” herds#Hebrew “herd”
for my people who have sought me.
11But#Or “and” you who forsake#Literally “forsaking” Yahweh,
forgetting my holy mountain,#Literally “the mountain of my holiness”
who set a table for Fortune,
and who pour out#Literally “fill” a jug of mixed wine for Destiny,
12and I will remit you to the sword,
and all of you shall bow down to the slaughter,
because I called, but#Or “and” you did not answer;
I spoke, but#Or “and” you did not listen,
but#Or “and” you did the evil in my eyes,
and you chose that in which I do not delight.”
13Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh:
“Look! My servants shall eat but#Or “and” you, you shall be hungry.
Look! My servants shall drink but#Or “and” you, you shall be thirsty.
Look! My servants shall rejoice but#Or “and” you, you shall be ashamed.
14Look! My servants shall shout for joy,#Literally “from goodness of heart” but#Or “and” you, you shall cry out for pain#Literally “from pain of heart” and howl for sadness.#Literally “from a breaking of the spirit”
15And you shall leave your name to my chosen ones as a curse,
and the Lord Yahweh will kill you, and he will give#Literally “call” his servants another name.
16Whoever blesses himself in the land shall bless himself by the God of trustworthiness,
and the one who swears an oath in the land shall swear by the God of trustworthiness,
because the former troubles are forgotten,
and they are hidden from my eyes.
New Creation
17For look! I am about to create new heavens and a new earth,
and the former things shall not be remembered,
and they shall not come to mind.#Literally “go up to heart”
18But rejoice and shout in exultation forever and ever over what I am about to create!
For look! I am about to create Jerusalem as a source of rejoicing,
and her people as a source of joy.
19And I will shout in exultation over Jerusalem,
and I will rejoice over my people,
and the sound of weeping shall no longer be heard in it,
or#Or “and” the sound of a cry for help.
20There will no longer be a nursing infant who lives only a few#Literally “of” days,
or#Or “and” an old man who does not fill his days,
for the boy will die a hundred years old,#Literally “a son of a hundred year”
and the one who fails to reach#Literally “misses” a hundred years#Literally “a son of a hundred year” will be considered#Literally “treated” accursed.
21And they shall build houses and inhabit them,
and they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
22They shall not build and another inhabit;
they shall not plant and another eat.
For the days of my people shall be like the days of a tree,
and my chosen ones shall enjoy the work of their hands.
23They shall not labor for nothing,
and they shall not give birth to horror,
for they shall be offspring blessed by#Literally “the offspring of the blessing of” Yahweh,
and their descendants with them.
24And this will happen: before they call, I myself will answer;
while still they are speaking, I myself will hear.
25The wolf and the lamb shall feed like one,
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox,
but#Or “and” dust shall be the serpent’s food.
They shall do no evil,
and they shall not destroy on all my holy mountain,”#Literally “the mountain of my holiness” says Yahweh.
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