Chapter 66

Heaven Is God’s Throne

1 Thus says the Lord,

“aHeaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool.

Where then is a bhouse you could build for Me?

And where is a place that 1I may rest?

2 “For aMy hand made all these things,

Thus all these things came into being,” declares the Lord.

“But to this one I will look,

To him who is humble and bcontrite of spirit, and who ctrembles at My word.

Hypocrisy Rebuked

3 “But he who kills an ox is like one who slays a man;

He who sacrifices a lamb is like the one who breaks a dog’s neck;

He who offers a grain offering is like one who offers aswine’s blood;

He who 1bburns incense is like the one who blesses an idol.

As they have chosen their cown ways,

And their soul delights in their dabominations,

4 So I will achoose their 1punishments

And will bbring on them what they dread.

Because I called, but cno one answered;

I spoke, but they did not listen.

And they did devil in My sight

And chose that in which I did not delight.”

5 Hear the word of the Lord, you who atremble at His word:

“Your brothers who bhate you, who cexclude you for My name’s sake,

Have said, ‘Let the Lord be glorified, that we may see your joy.’

But dthey will be put to shame.

6 “A voice of uproar from the city, a voice from the temple,

The voice of the Lord who is arendering recompense to His enemies.

7 “Before she travailed, ashe brought forth;

Before her pain came, bshe gave birth to a boy.

8 “aWho has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things?

Can a land be 1born in one day?

Can a nation be brought forth all at once?

As soon as Zion travailed, she also brought forth her sons.

9 “Shall I bring to the point of birth and anot give delivery?” says the Lord.

“Or shall I who gives delivery shut the womb?” says your God.

Joy in Jerusalem’s Future

10 “Be ajoyful with Jerusalem and rejoice for her, all you who blove her;

Be exceedingly cglad with her, all you who mourn over her,

11 That you may nurse and abe satisfied with her comforting breasts,

That you may suck and be delighted with her bbountiful bosom.”

12 For thus says the Lord, “Behold, I extend apeace to her like a river,

And the bglory of the nations like an overflowing stream;

And you will 1be nursed, you will be ccarried on the 2hip and fondled on the knees.

13 “As one whom his mother comforts, so I will acomfort you;

And you will be comforted in Jerusalem.”

14 Then you will asee this, and your bheart will be glad,

And your cbones will flourish like the new grass;

And the dhand of the Lord will be made known to His servants,

But He will be eindignant toward His enemies.

15 For behold, the Lord will come in afire

And His bchariots like the whirlwind,

To render His anger with fury,

And His rebuke with flames of fire.

16 For the Lord will execute judgment by afire

And by His bsword on all flesh,

And those slain by the Lord will be many.

17 “Those who sanctify and purify themselves to go to the agardens,

1Following one in the center,

Who eat bswine’s flesh, detestable things and mice,

Will ccome to an end altogether,” declares the Lord.

18 “For I 1know their works and their athoughts; 2the time is coming to bgather all nations and tongues. And they shall come and see My glory.

19 “I will set a asign among them and will send survivors from them to the nations: bTarshish, 1Put, cLud, 2Meshech, dTubal and 3Javan, to the distant ecoastlands that have neither heard My fame nor seen My glory. And they will fdeclare My glory among the nations.

20 “Then they shall abring all your brethren from all the nations as a grain offering to the Lord, on horses, in chariots, in litters, on mules and on camels, to My bholy mountain Jerusalem,” says the Lord, “just as the sons of Israel bring their grain offering in a cclean vessel to the house of the Lord.

21 “I will also take some of them for apriests and for Levites,” says the Lord.

22 “For just as the anew heavens and the new earth

Which I make will endure before Me,” declares the Lord,

“So your boffspring and your cname will endure.

23 “And it shall be from anew moon to new moon

And from sabbath to sabbath,

All 1mankind will come to bbow down before Me,” says the Lord.

24 “Then they will go forth and look

On the acorpses of the men

Who have 1btransgressed against Me.

For their cworm will not die

dAnd their fire will not be quenched;

And they will be an eabhorrence to all 2mankind.”