Isaiah 66
66
Isaiah 66
The Worship God Demands
1 #
1 Kings 8.27; 2 Chr 6.18; Jer 7.4; Mt 5.34, 35; Acts 7.49, 50 Thus says the Lord:
Heaven is my throne,
and the earth is my footstool;
so what kind of house could you build for me,
what sort of place for me to rest?
2 #
v 5
; Isa 40.26; 57.15; Mt 5.3, 4All these things my hand has made,
so all these things are mine,#66.2 Gk Syr: Heb these things came to be says the Lord.
But this is the one to whom I will look,
to the humble and contrite in spirit
who trembles at my word.
3 #
Isa 1.11, 13; 65.2, 4 Whoever slaughters an ox is like one who kills a human,
whoever sacrifices a lamb like one who breaks a dog’s neck,
whoever presents a grain offering like one who offers pig’s blood,
whoever makes a memorial offering of frankincense like one who blesses an idol.
Just as these have chosen their own ways
and in their abominations they take delight,
4 #
Prov 1.24; Isa 65.12; Jer 7.13 so I will choose their punishments
and bring upon them what they fear,
because, when I called, no one answered,
when I spoke, they did not listen,
but they did what was evil in my sight
and chose what did not please me.
The Lord Vindicates Zion
5 #
v 2
; Isa 60.15; Mt 5.10–12; Lk 13.17Hear the word of the Lord,
you who tremble at his word:
Your own people who hate you
and reject you for my name’s sake
have said, “Let the Lord be glorified,
so that we may see your joy,”
but it is they who shall be put to shame.
6 #
Isa 6.1, 8; 65.6 Listen, a roar from the city!
A voice from the temple!
The voice of the Lord,
dealing retribution to his enemies!
7 #
Isa 37.3
Before she was in labor
she gave birth;
before her pain came upon her
she delivered a son.
8 #
Isa 64.4
Who has heard of such a thing?
Who has seen such things?
Shall a land be born in one day?
Shall a nation be delivered in one moment?
Yet as soon as Zion was in labor
she delivered her children.
9Shall I open the womb and not deliver?
says the Lord;
shall I, the one who delivers, shut the womb?
says your God.
10 #
Ps 26.8; 137.6; Isa 65.18 Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her,
all you who love her;
rejoice with her in joy,
all you who mourn over her—
11 #
Isa 60.16
that you may nurse and be satisfied
from her consoling breast,
that you may drink deeply with delight
from her glorious bosom.
12 #
Isa 48.18; 60.4, 5 For thus says the Lord:
I will extend prosperity to her like a river
and the wealth of the nations like an overflowing stream,
and you shall nurse and be carried on her arm
and bounced on her knees.
13 #
2 Cor 1.3, 4 As a mother comforts her child,
so I will comfort you;
you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.
The Reign and Indignation of God
14 #
Ezra 7.9; Isa 33.20; 34.2; 58.11; Zech 10.7 You shall see, and your heart shall rejoice;
your bodies#66.14 Heb bones shall flourish like the grass,
and it shall be known that the power of the Lord is with his servants,
and his indignation is against his enemies.
15 #
Ps 68.17; Isa 31.9; 2 Thess 1.8 For the Lord will come in fire
and his chariots in a whirlwind,#66.15 Q ms: MT like a whirlwind
to vent his anger in fury
and his rebuke in flames of fire.
16 #
Isa 30.30; 34.3; 65.12 For by fire will the Lord execute judgment,
and by his sword on all flesh;
and those slain by the Lord shall be many.
17 #
Ps 37.20; Isa 65.3, 4 Those who sanctify and purify themselves to go into the gardens, following the one in the center, eating the flesh of pigs, vermin, and rodents, shall come to an end together, says the Lord, 18#Isa 45.22–25; 59.7for I know#66.18 Gk Syr: Heb lacks know their works and their thoughts. I am#66.18 Gk Syr Vg Tg: Heb it is coming to gather all nations and tongues, and they shall come and shall see my glory, 19#Isa 42.12; 62.10and I will set a sign among them. From them I will send survivors to the nations, to Tarshish, Put,#66.19 Gk: Heb Pul and Lud, to Meshech,#66.19 Gk: Heb those drawing the bow Tubal, and Javan, to the coastlands far away that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory, and they shall declare my glory among the nations. 20#Isa 52.11; 60.4; 65.11, 25They shall bring all your kindred from all the nations as an offering to the Lord, on horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and on mules, and on dromedaries, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, says the Lord, just as the Israelites bring a grain offering in a clean vessel to the house of the Lord. 21#Isa 61.6; 1 Pet 2.5, 9And I will also take some of them as priests and as Levites, says the Lord.
22 #
Isa 56.5; 65.17, 22, 23; 2 Pet 3.13; Rev 21.1 For as the new heavens and the new earth,
which I will make,
shall remain before me, says the Lord,
so shall your descendants and your name remain.
23 #
Isa 1.13, 14; 49.7 From new moon to new moon
and from Sabbath to Sabbath,
all flesh shall come to worship before me, says the Lord.
24 #
Isa 1.31; 5.25; 24.20; Dan 12.2; Mk 9.48 And they shall go out and look at the dead bodies of the people who have rebelled against me, for their worm shall not die, their fire shall not be quenched, and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.
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Isaiah 66: NRSVUE
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New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition, copyright © 2021 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Isaiah 66
66
LXVI
1Thus saith Jehovah:
The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my foot-stool;
Where is the house that ye could build unto me?
And where is the place of my rest?
2For all these things hath mine hand made;
And all these things have been, saith Jehovah:
But to this man will I look,
To him that is humble and of a contrite spirit,
And that trembleth at my word.
3He that slayeth an ox, killeth a man;
He that sacrificeth a lamb, beheadeth a dog;
He that offereth an oblation, offereth swine’s blood;
He that burneth incense, blesseth an idol.
Yea, they have chosen their own ways,
And their soul delighteth in their abominations.
4I will also choose their calamities,
And what they dread will I bring upon them;
Because, when I called, none did answer;
When I spake, they did not hearken;
But they did that which was evil in my sight,
And chose that in which I delighted not.
5Hear ye the word of Jehovah,
Ye that tremble at his word;
Your brethren who hate you,
Who cast you out for my name’s sake, have said,
Let Jehovah be glorified that we may see your joy!
But they shall be ashamed.
6A voice of tumult from the city!
A voice from the temple!
The voice of Jehovah! rendering recompense to his enemies.
7Before she was in travail, she brought forth;
Before her pangs came, she was delivered of a man child.
8Who hath heard such a thing?
Who hath seen the like of these things?
Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day?
Or shall a nation be born at once?
For no sooner was Zion in travail, than she brought forth her children.
9Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith Jehovah:
Shall I, who beget, restrain the birth? saith your God.
10Rejoice ye with Jerusalem,
And exult on her account, all ye that love her;
Joy with her exceedingly,
All ye that mourn over her;
11That ye may suck, and be satisfied, from the breast of her consolations;
That ye may press out, and be delighted with the abundant splendour of her glory.
12For thus saith Jehovah:
Behold! I will extend peace to her like a river,
And the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream;
And ye shall suck:
Ye shall be carried at the side;
And on the knees shall ye be dandled.
13As one whom his mother comforteth,
So will I comfort you;
And in Jerusalem shall ye be comforted.
14And ye shall see it, and your heart shall rejoice;
And your bones shall flourish, like the green herb:
And the hand of Jehovah shall be known to be with his servants;
And He will be moved with indignation against his enemies.
15For, behold! Jehovah shall come with fire,
And his chariots shall be like the whirlwind,
To render his anger with a burning heat,
And his rebuke with flames of fire.
16For with fire shall Jehovah contend,
And with his sword, with all flesh;
And the slain of Jehovah shall be many.
17They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves
In the gardens, one after another openly,
Eating swine’s flesh, and what is abomination, and the mouse,
Shall perish together, saith Jehovah.
18For I know their works and their thoughts:
It shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues;
And they shall come, and see my glory.
19And I will set a sign among them,
And I will send those that escape of them, unto the nations;
To Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, who draw the bow,
To Tubal and Javan, to the isles afar off,
That have not heard my fame,
Neither have seen my glory;
And they shall declare my glory among the nations.
20And they shall bring all your brethren,
From all the nations, for an oblation to Jehovah,
Upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters,
Upon mules, and upon dromedaries,
To my holy mountain Jerusalem, saith Jehovah,
As the children of Israel bring the oblation
In a clean vessel to the house of Jehovah.
21And I will also take of them
For priests, and for Levites, saith Jehovah.
22For as the new heavens,
And the new earth which I will make,
Shall remain before me, saith Jehovah;
So shall your seed, and your name remain.
23And it shall be, that from new moon to new moon,
And from sabbath to sabbath,
Shall all flesh come to worship before me,
Saith Jehovah.
24And they shall go forth, and shall see
The carcases of those men, who have rebelled against me:
For their worm shall not die,
Neither shall their fire be quenched;
And they shall be an abhorrence unto all flesh.
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Translated by Rev John Jones (Ioan Tegid).Published at Oxford in 1830, second edition 1842.