Isaiah 65:11–66:16

11 “But you who aforsake the Lord,

Who forget My bholy mountain,

Who set a table for 1Fortune,

And who fill cups with mixed wine for 2Destiny,

12 I will destine you for the asword,

And all of you will bow down to the bslaughter.

Because I called, but you cdid not answer;

I spoke, but you did not hear.

And you did evil in My sight

And chose that in which I did not delight.”

13 Therefore, thus says the Lord 1God,

“Behold, My servants will aeat, but you will be bhungry.

Behold, My servants will cdrink, but you will be dthirsty.

Behold, My servants will erejoice, but you will be fput to shame.

14 “Behold, My servants will ashout joyfully with a glad heart,

But you will bcry out with a 1heavy heart,

And you will wail with a broken spirit.

15 “You will leave your name for a acurse to My chosen ones,

And the Lord 1God will slay you.

But 2My servants will be called by banother name.

16 “Because he who 1is blessed in the earth

Will 1be blessed by the aGod of truth;

And he who swears in the earth

Will bswear by the God of truth;

Because the former troubles are forgotten,

And because they are hidden from My sight!

New Heavens and a New Earth

17 “For behold, I create anew heavens and a new earth;

And the bformer things will not be remembered or come to 1mind.

18 “But be aglad and rejoice forever in what I create;

For behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing

And her people for gladness.

19 “I will also arejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in My people;

And there will no longer be heard in her

The voice of bweeping and the sound of crying.

20 “No longer will there be 1in it an infant who lives but a few days,

Or an old man who does anot 2live out his days;

For the youth will die at the age of one hundred

And the 3bone who does not reach the age of one hundred

Will be thought accursed.

21 “They will abuild houses and inhabit them;

They will also bplant vineyards and eat their fruit.

22 “They will not build and aanother inhabit,

They will not plant and another eat;

For bas the 1lifetime of a tree, so will be the days of My people,

And My chosen ones will cwear out the work of their hands.

23 “They will anot labor in vain,

Or bear children for calamity;

For they are the 1boffspring of those blessed by the Lord,

And their descendants with them.

24 “It will also come to pass that before they call, I will aanswer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear.

25 “The awolf and the lamb will graze together, and the blion will eat straw like the ox; and cdust will be the serpent’s food. They will ddo no evil or harm in all My eholy mountain,” says the Lord.

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.