Isaiah 65
65
The Righteousness of God’s Judgment
1“I was #Rom. 9:24; 10:20sought by those who did not ask for Me;
I was found by those who did not seek Me.
I said, ‘Here I am, here I am,’
To a nation that #Is. 63:19was not called by My name.
2#Rom. 10:21I have stretched out My hands all day long to a #Is. 1:2, 23rebellious people,
Who #Is. 42:24walk in a way that is not good,
According to their own thoughts;
3A people #Deut. 32:21who provoke Me to anger continually to My face;
#Is. 1:29Who sacrifice in gardens,
And burn incense on altars of brick;
4#Deut. 18:11Who sit among the graves,
And spend the night in the tombs;
#Lev. 11:7; Is. 66:17Who eat swine’s flesh,
And the broth of abominable things is in their vessels;
5#Matt. 9:11; Luke 7:39; 18:9–12Who say, ‘Keep to yourself,
Do not come near me,
For I am holier than you!’
These are smoke in My nostrils,
A fire that burns all the day.
6“Behold, #Deut. 32:34it is written before Me:
#Ps. 50:3I will not keep silence, #Ps. 79:12but will repay—
Even repay into their bosom—
7Your iniquities and #Ex. 20:5the iniquities of your fathers together,”
Says the Lord,
#Ezek. 18:6“Who have burned incense on the mountains
#Is. 57:7; Ezek. 20:27, 28And blasphemed Me on the hills;
Therefore I will measure their former work into their bosom.”
8Thus says the Lord:
“As the new wine is found in the cluster,
And one says, ‘Do not destroy it,
For #Joel 2:14a blessing is in it,’
So will I do for My servants’ sake,
That I may not destroy them #Is. 1:9; Amos 9:8, 9all.
9I will bring forth descendants from Jacob,
And from Judah an heir of My mountains;
My #Matt. 24:22elect shall inherit it,
And My servants shall dwell there.
10#Is. 33:9Sharon shall be a fold of flocks,
And #Josh. 7:24; Hos. 2:15the Valley of Achor a place for herds to lie down,
For My people who have #Is. 55:6sought Me.
11“But you are those who forsake the Lord,
Who forget #Is. 56:7My holy mountain,
Who prepare #Ezek. 23:41; (1 Cor. 10:21)a table for Gad,
And who furnish a drink offering for Meni.
12Therefore I will number you for the sword,
And you shall all bow down to the slaughter;
#2 Chr. 36:15, 16; Prov. 1:24; Is. 41:28; 50:2; 66:4; Jer. 7:13Because, when I called, you did not answer;
When I spoke, you did not hear,
But did evil before My eyes,
And chose that in which I do not delight.”
13Therefore thus says the Lord God:
“Behold, My servants shall eat,
But you shall be hungry;
Behold, My servants shall drink,
But you shall be thirsty;
Behold, My servants shall rejoice,
But you shall be ashamed;
14Behold, My servants shall sing for joy of heart,
But you shall cry for sorrow of heart,
And #Matt. 8:12; Luke 13:28wail for grief of spirit.
15You shall leave your name #Jer. 29:22; Zech. 8:13as a curse to #Is. 65:9, 22My chosen;
For the Lord God will slay you,
And #(Acts 11:26)call His servants by another name;
16#Ps. 72:17; Jer. 4:2So that he who blesses himself in the earth
Shall bless himself in the God of truth;
And #Deut. 6:13; Zeph. 1:5he who swears in the earth
Shall swear by the God of truth;
Because the former troubles are forgotten,
And because they are hidden from My eyes.
The Glorious New Creation
17“For behold, I create #Is. 51:16; 66:22; (2 Pet. 3:13); Rev. 21:1new heavens and a new earth;
And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind.
18But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create;
For behold, I create Jerusalem as a rejoicing,
And her people a joy.
19#Is. 62:4, 5I will rejoice in Jerusalem,
And joy in My people;
The #Is. 35:10; 51:11; Rev. 7:17; 21:4voice of weeping shall no longer be heard in her,
Nor the voice of crying.
20“No more shall an infant from there live but a few days,
Nor an old man who has not fulfilled his days;
For the child shall die one hundred years old,
#Eccl. 8:12, 13; Is. 3:11; 22:14But the sinner being one hundred years old shall be accursed.
21#Ezek. 28:26; 45:4; Hos. 11:11; Amos 9:14They shall build houses and inhabit them;
They shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
22They shall not build and another inhabit;
They shall not plant and #Is. 62:8, 9another eat;
For #Ps. 92:12as the days of a tree, so shall be the days of My people,
And #Is. 65:9, 15My elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
23They shall not labor in vain,
#Hos. 9:12Nor bring forth children for trouble;
For #Is. 61:9; (Jer. 32:38, 39; Acts 2:39)they shall be the descendants of the blessed of the Lord,
And their offspring with them.
24“It shall come to pass
That #Ps. 91:15; Is. 58:9before they call, I will answer;
And while they are still speaking, I will #Is. 30:19; Dan. 9:20–23hear.
25The #Is. 11:6–9wolf and the lamb shall feed together,
The lion shall eat straw like the ox,
#Gen. 3:14; Mic. 7:17And dust shall be the serpent’s food.
They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain,”
Says the Lord.
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Isaiah 65: NKJV
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The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Isaiah 65
65
The Lord Will Punish the Guilty
1 #
Ro 10.20. I, the Lord, was ready
to answer even those
who were not asking
and to be found by those
who were not searching.
To a nation that refused
to worship me,#65.1 refused … me: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
I said, “Here I am!”
2 #
Ro 10.21. All day long I have reached out
to stubborn and sinful people
going their own way.
3They keep making me angry
by sneering at me,
while offering sacrifices
to idols in gardens
and burning incense
to them on bricks.
4They spend their nights
hiding in burial caves;
they eat the meat of pigs,#65.4 burial … pigs: Coming in contact with the dead or eating the meat of pigs made a person unacceptable to God.
cooked in sauces
made of stuff unfit to eat.
5And then they say to others,
“Don't come near us!
We're dedicated to God.”
Such people are like smoke,
irritating my nose all day.
6I have written this down;
I won't keep silent.
I'll pay them back
just as their sins deserve.
7I, the Lord, will make them pay
for their sins and for those
of their ancestors—
they have disgraced me
by burning incense
on mountains.
8Here is what the Lord says:
A cluster of grapes
that produces wine
is worth keeping!
So, because of my servants,
I won't destroy everyone.
9I have chosen the people
of Israel and Judah,
and I will bless them
with many descendants.
They will settle here
in this land of mountains,
and it will be theirs.
10 #
Js 7.24-26. My people will worship me.
Then the coastlands of Sharon
and the land as far
as Achor Valley#65.10 coastlands of Sharon … Achor Valley: Sharon is the coastal plain on the west, and Achor Valley is in the east near Jericho. These two places stand for the whole country.
will turn into pastureland
where cattle and sheep
will feed and rest.
11What will I, the Lord, do
if any of you reject me
and my holy mountain?
What will happen to you
for offering food and wine
to the gods you call
“Good Luck” and “Fate”?
12Your luck will end!
I will see to it that you
are slaughtered with swords.
You refused to answer
when I called out;
you paid no attention
to my instructions.
Instead, you did what I hated,
knowing it was wrong.
13I, the Lord God, will give
food and drink to my servants,
and they will celebrate.
But all of you sinners
will go hungry and thirsty,
overcome with disgrace.
14My servants will laugh and sing,
but you will be sad
and cry out in pain.
15I, the Lord God, promise
to see that you are killed
and that my chosen servants use
your names as curse words.
But I will give new names#65.15 new names: The giving of a new name suggests the beginning of a new life.
to my servants.#65.15 But I … servants: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
16I am God! I can be trusted.
Your past troubles are gone;
I no longer think of them.
When you pray for someone
to receive a blessing,
or when you make a promise,
you must do it in my name.
I alone am the God
who can be trusted.
The Lord's New Creation
17 #
Is 66.22; 2 P 3.13; Rev 21.1. I am creating new heavens
and a new earth;
everything of the past
will be forgotten.
18Celebrate and be glad forever!
I am creating a Jerusalem,
full of happy people.
19 #
Rev 21.4. I will celebrate with Jerusalem
and all its people;
there will be no more crying
or sorrow in that city.
20No child will die in infancy;
everyone will live
a very long life.
Anyone a hundred years old
will be considered young,
and to die younger than that
will be considered a curse.
21My people will live
in the houses they build;
they will enjoy grapes
from their own vineyards.
22No one will take away
their homes or vineyards.
My chosen people will live
to be as old as trees,
and they will enjoy
what they have earned.
23Their work won't be wasted,
and their children won't die
of dreadful diseases.#65.23 their children … diseases: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
I will bless their children
and their grandchildren.
24I will answer their prayers
before they finish praying.
25 #
Is 11.6-9. Wolves and lambs
will graze together;
lions and oxen
will feed on straw.
Snakes will eat only dirt!
They won't bite or harm anyone
on my holy mountain.
I, the Lord, have spoken!
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© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.