^66:18“I hate their deeds and thoughts! So I am coming³⁴ to gather all the nations and ethnic groups;³⁵ they will come and witness my splendor. ^66:19I will perform a mighty act among them³⁶ and then send some of those who remain to the nations—to Tarshish, Pul,³⁷ Lud³⁸ (known for its archers³⁹), Tubal, Javan,⁴⁰ and to the distant coastlands⁴¹ that have not heard about me or seen my splendor. They will tell the nations of my splendor. ^66:20They will bring back all your countrymen⁴² from all the nations as an offering to the Lord. They will bring them⁴³ on horses, in chariots, in wagons, on mules, and on camels⁴⁴ to my holy hill Jerusalem,” says the Lord, “just as the Israelites bring offerings to the Lord’s temple in ritually pure containers. ^66:21And I will choose some of them as priests and Levites,” says the Lord.

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Footnotes

34 The Hebrew text reads literally “and I, their deeds and their thoughts, am coming.” The syntax here is very problematic, suggesting that the text may have suffered corruption. Some suggest that the words “their deeds and their thoughts” have been displaced from v. 17. This line presents two primary challenges. In the first place, the personal pronoun “I” has no verb after it. Most translations insert “know” for the sake of clarity (, , , ESV). The has “I, because of their actions and their imaginations …” Since God’s “knowledge” of Israel’s sin occasions judgment, the verb “hate” is an option as well (see above translation). The feminine form of the next verb (בָּאָה, ba’ah) could be understood in one of two ways. One could provide an implied noun “time” (עֵת, ’et) and render the next line “the time is coming/has come” (, ESV). One could also emend the feminine verb to the masculine בָּא (ba’) and have the “I” at the beginning of the line govern this verb as well (for the Lord is speaking here): “I am coming” (cf. , , , , ).
35 Heb “and the tongues”; , , , “and tongues.”
36 Heb “and I will set a sign among them.” The precise meaning of this statement is unclear. Elsewhere “to set a sign” means “perform a mighty act” (Ps 78:43; Jer 32:20), “make [someone] an object lesson” (Ezek 14:8), and “erect a [literal] standard” (Ps 74:4).
37 Some prefer to read “Put” (i.e., Libya).
38 That is, Lydia (in Asia Minor).
39 Heb “drawers of the bow” ( and both similar).
40 Javan is generally identified today as Greece (so , , ).
41 Or “islands” ().
42 Heb “brothers” (so ); “fellow Israelites.”
43 The words “they will bring them” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
44 The precise meaning of this word is uncertain. Some suggest it refers to “chariots.” See *כִּרְכָּרָה.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

“For I know their works and their thoughts, and the time is coming to gather all nations and tongues. And they shall come and shall see my glory, and I will set a sign among them. And from them I will send survivors to the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands far away, that have not heard my fame or seen my glory. And they shall declare my glory among the nations. And they shall bring all your brothers from all the nations as an offering to the Lord, on horses and in chariots and in litters and on mules and on dromedaries, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, says the Lord, just as the Israelites bring their grain offering in a clean vessel to the house of the Lord. And some of them also I will take for priests and for Levites, says the Lord.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

“And I, because of what they have planned and done, am about to come and gather the people of all nations and languages, and they will come and see my glory.

“I will set a sign among them, and I will send some of those who survive to the nations—to Tarshish, to the Libyans and Lydians (famous as archers), to Tubal and Greece, and to the distant islands that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory. They will proclaim my glory among the nations. And they will bring all your people, from all the nations, to my holy mountain in Jerusalem as an offering to the Lord—on horses, in chariots and wagons, and on mules and camels,” says the Lord. “They will bring them, as the Israelites bring their grain offerings, to the temple of the Lord in ceremonially clean vessels. And I will select some of them also to be priests and Levites,” says the Lord.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

“Knowing their works and their thoughts, I have come to gather all nations and languages; they will come and see my glory. I will establish a sign among them, and I will send survivors from them to the nations—to Tarshish, Put, Lud (who are archers), Tubal, Javan, and the coasts and islands far away—who have not heard about me or seen my glory. And they will proclaim my glory among the nations. They will bring all your brothers from all the nations as a gift to the Lord on horses and chariots, in litters, and on mules and camels, to my holy mountain Jerusalem,” says the Lord, “just as the Israelites bring an offering in a clean vessel to the house of the Lord. I will also take some of them as priests and Levites,” says the Lord.

NLTNew Living Translation

“I can see what they are doing, and I know what they are thinking. So I will gather all nations and peoples together, and they will see my glory. I will perform a sign among them. And I will send those who survive to be messengers to the nations—to Tarshish, to the Libyans and Lydians (who are famous as archers), to Tubal and Greece, and to all the lands beyond the sea that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory. There they will declare my glory to the nations. They will bring the remnant of your people back from every nation. They will bring them to my holy mountain in Jerusalem as an offering to the Lord. They will ride on horses, in chariots and wagons, and on mules and camels,” says the Lord. “And I will appoint some of them to be my priests and Levites. I, the Lord, have spoken!

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

“And I—their works and thoughts!—am about to come to gather all nations and tongues,

and they shall come and see my glory.

And I will set a sign among them,

and I will send survivors from them to the nations:

Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, who draw the bow;

Tubal and Javan, the faraway coastlands

that have not heard of my fame,

and have not seen my glory.

And they shall declare my glory among the nations, and bring all your countrymen from all the nations as an offering to Yahweh on horses and chariots and in litters and on mules and camels, to my holy mountain, Jerusalem,” says Yahweh, “just as the sons of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel to the house of Yahweh. And indeed, I will take some of them as priests and the Levites,” says Yahweh.

KJV 1900King James Version

For I know their works and their thoughts:

It shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues;

And they shall come, and see my glory.

And I will set a sign among them,

And I will send those that escape of them unto the nations,

To Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow,

To Tubal, and Javan, to the isles afar off,

That have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory;

And they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles.

And they shall bring all your brethren for an offering unto the Lord out of all nations

Upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules, and upon swift beasts,

To my holy mountain Jerusalem, saith the Lord,

As the children of Israel bring an offering

In a clean vessel into the house of the Lord.

And I will also take of them for priests and for Levites, saith the Lord.

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