Isaiah 66
66
1This is what the Lord says: Heaven is my throne, and the earth is where I place my feet. So where will this house be that you're going to build for me? Where will I lie down to rest? 2I made everything; that's how it all came into existence, says the Lord. Those I look favorably on are humble and repentant, and they tremble when I speak.
3When someone sacrifices a bull it's like human sacrifice, and when someone sacrifices a lamb, it's like breaking the neck of a dog.#66:3. A dog was considered both unclean and a low form of animal life. When they present a grain offering it's like presenting pig's blood, and when they burn incense it's like worshiping an idol. Since they have chosen to act like this and to love such disgusting things, 4I will also choose to punish them severely and to terrify them, because I called out to them but no one answered; I spoke to them, but no one listened. Instead they did what's evil in my sight, choosing to do what I hate.
5Listen to what the Lord has to say, those of you who tremble when he speaks.#66:5. Referring back to verse 2. This is what some of your people who hate you and throw you out have said: “Let the Lord be glorified, so we can see how happy you are!”#66:5. Clearly said with sarcasm. but it's them who are going to be humiliated. 6Hear all the shouting from the city! Hear all the noise from the Temple! It's the sound of the Lord giving his enemies back what they deserve.
7She#66:7. Referring to Jerusalem as a woman. gave birth before she went into labor, she delivered a boy before the pains came. 8Who has ever heard of anything like this? Who has seen this kind of thing before? Can a country be delivered in a day, can a nation be born in a moment? Yet as soon as Zion went into labor, she gave birth to her children. 9Would I bring a baby to the point of birth and then not deliver it? the Lord asks. Would I who deliver the baby stop it from being born? the Lord asks again.
10Celebrate with Jerusalem and be happy for her, everyone who loves her; celebrate with her and sing for joy, everyone who mourns over her. 11Like a baby you can nurse at her breasts that bring comfort, drinking deeply and being satisfied by all she has to give.
12This is what the Lord says: Watch! I'm going to give her peace and prosperity like a flowing river, the wealth of nations like an overflowing stream. You will nurse and be carried on her hip and played with on her knees. 13Like a mother comforting her child, I will comfort you. You will be comforted in Jerusalem.
14When you see this happening, you'll be happy deep inside, and you'll prosper like growing grass. The Lord's power will be recognized as blessing his servants and cursing his enemies. 15Look! The Lord is coming surrounded by fire, his chariots whirling like the wind, to express his anger with fury, to give his reprimand in flames of fire. 16The Lord will execute judgment on everyone by fire and by his sword. There will be many killed by the Lord.
17Those who dedicate themselves and make themselves pure in order#66:17. “Dedicate themselves and make themselves pure”: this is referring to pagan practice, not to the worship of the true God. to enter the sacred gardens, to worship the idol placed in the center, and to eat pork and vermin and rats and other disgusting things—they will all die together, says the Lord. 18I know#66:18. “Know”: Septuagint reading. what they're doing and what they're thinking. I will soon come to gather all nations and peoples of different languages. They will come and see my glory. 19I will give them a sign, and I will send some who survive to the nations. They will go to Tarshish, to the Libyans and Lydians#66:19. “Libyans and Lydians”: literally “Pul and Lud.” (who are famous as archers), to Tubal and Greece, and to the distant lands that haven't heard about me or seen my glory. They will announce my glory among the nations. 20They will bring back all your people from every nation to my holy mountain in Jerusalem as an offering to the Lord. They will come on horses, in chariots and wagons, and on mules and camels, says the Lord. They will bring them in the same way the Israelites bring their grain offerings to the Lord's Temple using vessels that are ceremonially clean. 21I will choose some of them as priests and Levites, says the Lord.
22As the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, will last forever, so your descendants and your reputation will also last forever, says the Lord. 23Everyone will come and worship me, from one New Moon to the next, and from one Sabbath to the next, says the Lord. 24They will go out and see the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me. The worms that eat them won't die, the fire that burns them won't go out, and everyone who sees them will be horrified.
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com
Isaiah 66
66
The Lord Will Judge All Nations
1This 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?
2My 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.
3But 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.
Those who burn incense
are like those who worship idols.
These people choose their own ways, not mine,
and they love the terrible things they do.
4So 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.”
5You 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.
6Listen 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.
8No 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.
9In 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.
11You 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.”
12This 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.
13I will comfort you
as a mother comforts her child.
You will be comforted in Jerusalem.”
14When 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.
15Look, 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.
16The 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. 20And 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. 23All 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.”
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The Holy Bible, New Century Version, Copyright © 2005 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.