Isaiah 65
65
Chapter 65
Punishment and salvation
1The Lord says,
‘I was ready to answer,
even when my people did not ask me anything.
I showed myself to people
who were not even looking for me.
I said, “Look! Here I am!” to a nation
who did not even use my name to pray.
2All the time, I have been ready to help my people,
even though they turned against me.
But they continue to live in a way that is not good.
They do whatever they want to do.
3They continue to make me angry,
as they insult me without shame.
They offer sacrifices to their idols in their gardens.
They burn incense to them
on altars that are made from bricks.
4They sit among the graves
and they hide in caves. #65:4 They probably did this to worship the spirits of dead people.
They eat meat from pigs.
They use unclean meat to make their soup.
5They say to each other,
“Keep away from me! Do not come near me!
I am too holy for you!”
These people are like smoke in my nose!
They are like a fire that burns all day.’
6The Lord says,
‘Look! I have decided what I will do,
and I have written it down:
I will not keep quiet.
I will punish them completely.
I will give them everything that they deserve,
7as punishment for their sins
and for the sins of their ancestors.
They burned incense to their idols on the mountains,
and they insulted me on the hills.
So I will punish them completely,
as much as they deserve.’
8This is what the Lord says:
‘If grapes still have some juice in them,
someone will say, “Do not destroy them.
There is some juice there that we can use.”
I will do the same thing for my servants.
I will not destroy them all.
9I will cause Jacob's family to have descendants.
There will be people of Judah's family
who will live on my mountains.
The land will belong to the people that I have chosen.
My servants will live there.
10Sharon will become a field where sheep safely eat grass.
Cows will rest in the Valley of Achor.
Those places will belong to my people,
those who want to serve me.
11But punishment will come
to those people who turn away from the Lord.
You forget to worship me on my holy mountain. #65:11 ‘holy mountain’ means Mount Zion, where Solomon built God's temple.
Instead, you prepare food and wine
to offer to your false gods called “Luck” and “Fate”.
12So this will be your fate:
a sword will kill you.
You will all bend down low for someone to kill you.
This will happen because you did not answer me
when I spoke to you.
You did not even listen to my words.
You did evil things against me.
You chose to do things that I would hate.’
13So the Almighty Lord says this:
‘Look! My servants will eat,
but you will be hungry.
Look! My servants will drink,
but you will be thirsty.
Look! My servants will be happy,
but you will be ashamed.
14Yes, my servants will sing with joy
because they are so happy.
But you will cry aloud
because you are so sad.
You will weep
because you are very upset.
15My own people will use your names when they curse others.
The Almighty Lord will kill you,
but he will give to his servants another name.
16People in the land will use the name of the true God,
when they want to say a blessing.
People in the land who want to make a strong promise
will also use the name of the true God.
I will forget the troubles that happened in past years.
I will no longer even think about them.
17Listen! I will create
new heavens and a new earth.
People will not remember what things were like before.
Those thoughts will not be in their minds at all.
18But be happy about what I will create!
Be happy for ever!
I will create Jerusalem as a happy place.
The people who live there will be full of joy.
19And Jerusalem will cause me to be happy.
My people will give me joy.
There will be no noise of people who are weeping.
People will not be sad in Jerusalem again.
20Never again will there be a baby
who only lives for a few days.
Old men will continue to live a long life.
People will live until they are 100 years old
and they will still seem young.
If anyone dies before he is 100 years old,
people will think that God has cursed him.
21My people will build houses
and they will live in them.
They will plant vineyards
and they will eat the fruit from them.
22They will no longer build houses
and then other people live in them.
They will not plant trees
and then other people to eat the fruit.
My people will have long lives,
as long as trees live.
My own people will live to enjoy the things
that they have worked hard to get.
23Their work will not be useless.
They will not give birth to children
who will live in fear.
Instead, the Lord will bless their children.
He will bless them
and their descendants with them.
24Before they call to me for help,
I will answer them.
While they are still praying,
I will hear them.
25At that time,
wolves and lambs will eat together.
Lions will eat straw like cows.
A snake's food will be dirt.
Nothing will hurt or destroy anything else
anywhere on my holy mountain.’
That is what the Lord says. #65:25 See Isaiah 11:1-9. The ‘holy mountain’ is where God rules as king.
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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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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
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