Isaiah 65:1–9

THE LORD’S RESPONSE

65“I was sought by those who did not ask;

I was found by those who did not seek me.

I said, ‘Here I am, here I am,’

to a nation that did not call on^B my name.^b

²I spread out my hands all day long

to a rebellious people^c

who walk in the path that is not good,

following their own thoughts.

³These people continually anger me

to my face,

sacrificing in gardens,^d

burning incense on bricks,

⁴sitting among the graves,

spending nights in secret places,

eating the meat of pigs,^e

and putting polluted broth in their bowls.^C

⁵They say, ‘Keep to yourself,

don’t come near me, for I am too holy for you!’

These practices are smoke in my nostrils,

a fire that burns all day long.

⁶Look, it is written in front of me:

I will not keep silent,^f but I will repay;^g

I will repay them fully^D

⁷for your iniquities and the iniquities^h

of your^E ancestors together,”

says the Lord.

“Because they burned incense on the mountains

and reproached me on the hills,ⁱ

I will reward them fully^F

for their former deeds.”

⁸The Lord says this:

“As the new wine is found in a bunch of grapes,

and one says, ‘Don’t destroy it,

for there’s some good^G in it,’

so I will act because of my servants

and not destroy them all.

⁹I will produce descendants from Jacob,^j

and heirs to my mountains from Judah;

my chosen^k ones will possess it,

and my servants will dwell there.^l