Isaiah 65
65
God’s Righteous Judgment
1“I revealed myself to those
who didn’t even ask to know me.
Those who did not seek me found me. # 65:1 See Rom. 10:20–21.
I said to a nation that did not call on my name, # 65:1 See Matt. 21:42–43; 1 Peter 2:1–10.
‘Here I am! Here I am! I will help you!’
2Day after day I have graciously outstretched my hands # 65:2 There is at least a hint here of the outstretched hands of Jesus on the cross.
to a people who turned their backs to me,
whose way of life is corrupt,
who insist on going their own way. # 65:2 Or “after their own thoughts.” See Judg. 21:25; 2 Cor. 10:3–6.
3They are a people who continually insult me to my face.
They openly and defiantly offer sacrifices to their gods
in their sacred groves
and burn incense on pagan altars. # 65:3 Or “altars of bricks” or “[roof] tiles,” i.e., rooftops. See 2 Kings 23:12; Jer. 19:13; 32:29; Zeph. 1:5.
4They sit inside tombs
and spend the night in secret caves. # 65:4 Possibly to receive messages from the dead. The Hebrew meaning is uncertain.
They eat pork # 65:4 Pork was considered unclean according to Jewish dietary laws.
and their pots are polluted with the broth of unclean meat.
5They tell others,
‘Stay away! Don’t come near; I’m too holy for you to touch.’
These people are like a stench in my nostrils,
a smoldering fire that doesn’t go out!
6Their verdict is determined before me,
and I will not keep silent:
‘I will repay them for what they have done;
I will pay them back for what their sins deserve, # 65:6 Or “I will repay them into their laps.”
7for both their sins and the sins of their fathers.
Because they burned incense on the high places
and blasphemed me on the hills,
I will punish them severely, as their actions deserve,’ ”
says Yahweh.
A Chosen Remnant
8Here is what Yahweh says:
“As new wine is found in the cluster,
and someone says,
‘Don’t destroy it, for there is a blessing in it,’
that’s what I will do for my servants’ # 65:8 The “Servant” of the Lord is now plural “servants,” a term that is mentioned seven times in this chapter (vv. 8, 9, 13 [three times], 14, 15). One has become many (see Rom. 8:29; 1 Cor. 12:12–14; Heb. 2:6–13). sake.
I will not destroy them all.
9I will raise up offspring from Jacob
and from my chosen ones of Judah
to possess my mountains,
and my servants will settle there.
10For my people who seek me,
I will make the Plain of Sharon # 65:10 The Plain of Sharon extends north of the city of Joppa.
a pasture for flocks in the east,
and in the west, the Valley of Trouble # 65:10 Or “Valley of Achor,” commonly identified as Wadi el-Kelt, a deep ravine south of Jericho.
will be a resting place for cattle,
for my people who seek me and no other god.
11“But you who forsake Yahweh
and ignore my holy mountain,
who celebrate a feast for the goddess called Lady Luck # 65:11 Or “Gad,” the name of the Babylonian god of Fortune (Luck).
and fill cups of wine to toast the god Destiny, # 65:11 Or “Meni,” the name of the Babylonian god of Destiny.
know this: your luck has run out.
12For I will destine you for the sword!
You will all kneel down to be slaughtered like sheep
because when I called, you did not answer,
and when I spoke, you did not listen! # 65:12 See Prov. 1:24–33; Heb. 4:12–13.
You did evil before me and chose what I despise.”
13Therefore, this is what the Lord God says:
“My servants will eat,
but you will go hungry.
My servants will drink,
but you will go thirsty.
My servants will rejoice,
but you will be put to shame.
14My servants will sing joyfully with hearts of gladness,
but you will cry out from the pain deep inside,
and wail from a broken heart.
15When you die, your name will become a curse
used by my chosen ones.
The Lord God will put you to death,
but his godly servants
will leave behind the legacy of an honorable name.
16For whoever pronounces a blessing on the earth
will do so in the name of the God of Faithfulness. # 65:16 Or “the God of Truth” or “the God of Amen.” See Gen. 12:2–3.
And whoever swears by an oath on the earth
will invoke the name of the God of Faithfulness.
The failures # 65:16 Or “troubles,” “emotional pain,” “guilt,” “anxieties,” “hardships,” “distresses,” or “tribulations.” of the past
will be forgotten;
they will be hidden from my eyes.”
The Kingdom of God
17“Look! I am creating
entirely new heavens and a new earth! # 65:17 See Isa. 66:22; 2 Peter 3:12–13; Rev. 21:1.
They will be so wonderful
that no one will even think about the old ones anymore!
18As you wait for the reality of what I am creating,
be filled with joy and unending gladness!
Look! I am ready to create Jerusalem
as a source of sheer joy,
and her people, an absolute delight!
19I will rejoice in this new Jerusalem
and find great delight in my people.
You will no longer hear
the sound of weeping or cries of distress.
20No baby will die in infancy there,
and everyone will live out their full lifespan. # 65:20 See Pss. 21:4; 91:16; Prov. 3:1–14.
For when centenarians die,
they will be considered youngsters,
and anyone who dies earlier
will be considered of no account.
21-22People will build their own houses to live in,
and they will not be taken over by someone else.
They will plant their own vineyards to enjoy, # 65:21–22 Or “eat [drink] their fruit.” The implication of these two verses is that foreign invaders will not take over the land.
and they will not be confiscated by someone else.
They will live long lives, like age-old trees, # 65:21–22 See Rev. 22:2.
and my chosen ones will enjoy to the fullest
the work of their hands throughout their lives.
23They will neither work in vain for someone else,
nor will their children face disaster
for they will be children # 65:23 Or “seed.” See Isa. 53:10. and grandchildren # 65:23 Or “descendants.”
who are blessed by Yahweh.
24Before they even call out to me,
I will answer them; # 65:24 See Isa. 30:19; Jer. 33:3; Matt. 6:8; John 16:23–24.
before they’ve finished telling me what they need,
I’ll have already heard.
25The wolf and the lamb will graze side by side, # 65:25 See Isa. 11:6.
and the lion will eat straw like the ox, # 65:25 See Isa. 11:7.
and the serpent’s food will be dust. # 65:25 See Gen. 3:14; 1 Cor. 15:47–49. Man was made from dust. The serpent feeds on whatever we withhold from God. The devil’s dining room is the fallen human nature and the minds of men who are not yielded to God. Over time, the serpent feeds and grows into the great dragon (see Rev. 12:9).
There will be neither violence nor murder
on my entire holy mountain of Zion,” says Yahweh.
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Isaiah 65: TPT
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Learn More About The Passion TranslationIsaiah 65
65
Judgment and Final Salvation
1The Lord says,
“I was ready to respond, but no one asked for help.
I was ready to be found, but no one was looking for me.
I said, ‘Here I am, here I am!’
to a nation that did not call on my name.#65:1 Or to a nation that did not bear my name.
2All day long I opened my arms to a rebellious people.#65:1-2 Greek version reads I was found by people who were not looking for me. / I showed myself to those who were not asking for me. / All day long I opened my arms to them, / but they were disobedient and rebellious. Compare Rom 10:20-21.
But they follow their own evil paths
and their own crooked schemes.
3All day long they insult me to my face
by worshiping idols in their sacred gardens.
They burn incense on pagan altars.
4At night they go out among the graves,
worshiping the dead.
They eat the flesh of pigs
and make stews with other forbidden foods.
5Yet they say to each other,
‘Don’t come too close or you will defile me!
I am holier than you!’
These people are a stench in my nostrils,
an acrid smell that never goes away.
6“Look, my decree is written out#65:6 Or their sins are written out; Hebrew reads it stands written. in front of me:
I will not stand silent;
I will repay them in full!
Yes, I will repay them—
7both for their own sins
and for those of their ancestors,”
says the Lord.
“For they also burned incense on the mountains
and insulted me on the hills.
I will pay them back in full!
8“But I will not destroy them all,”
says the Lord.
“For just as good grapes are found among a cluster of bad ones
(and someone will say, ‘Don’t throw them all away—
some of those grapes are good!’),
so I will not destroy all Israel.
For I still have true servants there.
9I will preserve a remnant of the people of Israel#65:9 Hebrew remnant of Jacob. See note on 14:1.
and of Judah to possess my land.
Those I choose will inherit it,
and my servants will live there.
10The plain of Sharon will again be filled with flocks
for my people who have searched for me,
and the valley of Achor will be a place to pasture herds.
11“But because the rest of you have forsaken the Lord
and have forgotten his Temple,
and because you have prepared feasts to honor the god of Fate
and have offered mixed wine to the god of Destiny,
12now I will ‘destine’ you for the sword.
All of you will bow down before the executioner.
For when I called, you did not answer.
When I spoke, you did not listen.
You deliberately sinned—before my very eyes—
and chose to do what you know I despise.”
13Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“My servants will eat,
but you will starve.
My servants will drink,
but you will be thirsty.
My servants will rejoice,
but you will be sad and ashamed.
14My servants will sing for joy,
but you will cry in sorrow and despair.
15Your name will be a curse word among my people,
for the Sovereign Lord will destroy you
and will call his true servants by another name.
16All who invoke a blessing or take an oath
will do so by the God of truth.
For I will put aside my anger
and forget the evil of earlier days.
17“Look! I am creating new heavens and a new earth,
and no one will even think about the old ones anymore.
18Be glad; rejoice forever in my creation!
And look! I will create Jerusalem as a place of happiness.
Her people will be a source of joy.
19I will rejoice over Jerusalem
and delight in my people.
And the sound of weeping and crying
will be heard in it no more.
20“No longer will babies die when only a few days old.
No longer will adults die before they have lived a full life.
No longer will people be considered old at one hundred!
Only the cursed will die that young!
21In those days people will live in the houses they build
and eat the fruit of their own vineyards.
22Unlike the past, invaders will not take their houses
and confiscate their vineyards.
For my people will live as long as trees,
and my chosen ones will have time to enjoy their hard-won gains.
23They will not work in vain,
and their children will not be doomed to misfortune.
For they are people blessed by the Lord,
and their children, too, will be blessed.
24I will answer them before they even call to me.
While they are still talking about their needs,
I will go ahead and answer their prayers!
25The wolf and the lamb will feed together.
The lion will eat hay like a cow.
But the snakes will eat dust.
In those days no one will be hurt or destroyed on my holy mountain.
I, the Lord, have spoken!”
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