Isaiah 65:1–9

The Lord Answers His People’s Prayer

¹I was ready to answer those who didn’t ask. 

I was found by those who weren’t looking for me. 

I said, “Here I am! Here I am!” 

to a nation that didn’t worship me. 

²I stretched out my hands all day long to stubborn people. 

They chose to go the wrong direction. 

They followed their own plans. 

³These people constantly and openly provoked me. 

They offered sacrifices in gardens 

and burnt incense on brick altars. 

⁴They sat among the graves and spent their nights in caves. 

They ate pork and in their pots made broth from unclean foods. 

⁵They said, “Stay away! Don’t touch me! 

I’m holier than you are.” 

They have become like smoke in my nose, 

like a smoldering fire all day long. 

⁶“Look! It is written in front of me. 

I will not be silent, but I will repay. 

I will repay you in full. 

⁷I will repay you for your sins 

and for the sins of your ancestors,” says the Lord. 

They burnt incense on the mountains and slandered me on the hills, 

so I will be the first to pay them back in full. 

⁸This is what the Lord says: 

When someone finds juice for new wine in a cluster of grapes, 

another person will say, 

“Don’t destroy it, because there’s a blessing in it.” 

In the same way, I will do this for my servants: 

I will not destroy everything. 

⁹I will bring ⸤with me⸥ Jacob’s descendant, 

one who will inherit my mountains from Judah. 

My chosen ones will inherit them. 

My servants will live there.