Isaiah 65:1–7

I was ready to be sought by those who did not ask for me;

I was ready to be found by those who did not seek me.

I said, “Here I am, here I am,”

to a nation that was not called by my name.

I spread out my hands all the day

to a rebellious people,

who walk in a way that is not good,

following their own devices;

a people who provoke me

to my face continually,

sacrificing in gardens

and making offerings on bricks;

who sit in tombs,

and spend the night in secret places;

who eat pig’s flesh,

and broth of tainted meat is in their vessels;

who say, “Keep to yourself,

do not come near me, for I am too holy for you.”

These are a smoke in my nostrils,

a fire that burns all the day.

Behold, it is written before me:

“I will not keep silent, but I will repay;

I will indeed repay into their lap

both your iniquities and your fathers’ iniquities together,

says the Lord;

because they made offerings on the mountains

and insulted me on the hills,

I will measure into their lap

payment for their former deeds.”

“I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me;

I was found by those who did not seek me.

To a nation that did not call on my name,

I said, ‘Here am I, here am I.’

All day long I have held out my hands

to an obstinate people,

who walk in ways not good,

pursuing their own imaginations—

a people who continually provoke me

to my very face,

offering sacrifices in gardens

and burning incense on altars of brick;

who sit among the graves

and spend their nights keeping secret vigil;

who eat the flesh of pigs,

and whose pots hold broth of impure meat;

who say, ‘Keep away; don’t come near me,

for I am too sacred for you!’

Such people are smoke in my nostrils,

a fire that keeps burning all day.

“See, it stands written before me:

I will not keep silent but will pay back in full;

I will pay it back into their laps—

both your sins and the sins of your ancestors,”

says the Lord.

“Because they burned sacrifices on the mountains

and defied me on the hills,

I will measure into their laps

the full payment for their former deeds.”

The 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.

All day long I opened my arms to a rebellious people.

But they follow their own evil paths

and their own crooked schemes.

All day long they insult me to my face

by worshiping idols in their sacred gardens.

They burn incense on pagan altars.

At night they go out among the graves,

worshiping the dead.

They eat the flesh of pigs

and make stews with other forbidden foods.

Yet 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.

“Look, my decree is written out in front of me:

I will not stand silent;

I will repay them in full!

Yes, I will repay them—

both 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!

“I let myself be sought by those who did not ask;

I let myself be found by those who did not seek me.

I said, ‘Here I am; here I am!’ to a nation that did not call on my name;

I spread out my hands all day to a stubborn people,

those who walk after their thoughts in the way that is not good,

the people who provoke me to anger continually to my face,

slaughtering for sacrifices in the garden,

and making smoke offerings on bricks,

who sit in graves

and spend the night in secret places,

who eat the flesh of swine

with a fragment of impurity in their vessels,

who say, “Keep to yourself!

You must not come near me, for I am too holy for you!”

These are a smoke in my nostrils,

a fire burning all day.

Look! It is written before me: I will not be silent, but I will repay;

and I will repay in the fold of their garment

your iniquities and the iniquities of your ancestors together, says Yahweh,

because they made smoke offerings on the mountains

and they taunted me on the hills,

I will measure their punishment from the beginning into the fold of their garment.”

I am sought of them that asked not for me;

I am found of them that sought me not:

I said, Behold me, behold me,

Unto a nation that was not called by my name.

I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people,

Which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts;

A people that provoketh me to anger continually to my face;

That sacrificeth in gardens, and burneth incense upon altars of brick;

Which remain among the graves,

And lodge in the monuments,

Which eat swine’s flesh,

And broth of abominable things is in their vessels;

Which say, Stand by thyself,

Come not near to me; for I am holier than thou.

These are a smoke in my nose,

A fire that burneth all the day.

Behold, it is written before me:

I will not keep silence, but will recompense,

Even recompense into their bosom,

Your iniquities, and the iniquities of your fathers together, saith the Lord,

Which have burned incense upon the mountains,

And blasphemed me upon the hills:

Therefore will I measure their former work into their bosom.