Isaiah 65

Judgment and Salvation

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

I was found by those who did not seek me.^a

To a nation^b that did not call on my name,^c

I said, ‘Here am I, here am I.’

All day long I have held out my hands

to an obstinate people,^d

who walk in ways not good,

pursuing their own imaginations^e—

a people who continually provoke me

to my very face,^f

offering sacrifices in gardens^g

and burning incense^h on altars of brick;

who sit among the gravesⁱ

and spend their nights keeping secret vigil;

who eat the flesh of pigs,^j

and whose pots hold broth of impure meat;

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

for I am too sacred^k for you!’

Such people are smoke^l in my nostrils,

a fire that keeps burning all day.

“See, it stands written before me:

I will not keep silent^m but will pay backⁿ in full;

I will pay it back into their laps^o—

both your sins^p and the sins of your ancestors,”^q

says the Lord.

“Because they burned sacrifices on the mountains

and defied me on the hills,^r

I will measure into their laps

the full payment^s for their former deeds.”

This is what the Lord says:

“As when juice is still found in a cluster of grapes^t

and people say, ‘Don’t destroy it,

there is still a blessing in it,’

so will I do in behalf of my servants;^u

I will not destroy them all.

I will bring forth descendants^v from Jacob,

and from Judah those who will possess^w my mountains;

my chosen^x people will inherit them,

and there will my servants live.^y

Sharon^z will become a pasture for flocks,^a

and the Valley of Achor^b a resting place for herds,

for my people who seek^c me.

“But as for you who forsake^d the Lord

and forget my holy mountain,^e

who spread a table for Fortune

and fill bowls of mixed wine^f for Destiny,

I will destine you for the sword,^g

and all of you will fall in the slaughter;^h

for I called but you did not answer,ⁱ

I spoke but you did not listen.^j

You did evil in my sight

and chose what displeases me.”^k

Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“My servants will eat,^l

but you will go hungry;^m

my servants will drink,ⁿ

but you will go thirsty;^o

my servants will rejoice,^p

but you will be put to shame.^q

My servants will sing^r

out of the joy of their hearts,

but you will cry out^s

from anguish of heart

and wail in brokenness of spirit.

You will leave your name

for my chosen ones to use in their curses;^t

the Sovereign Lord will put you to death,

but to his servants he will give another name.^u

Whoever invokes a blessing^v in the land

will do so by the one true God;^w

whoever takes an oath in the land

will swear^x by the one true God.

For the past troubles^y will be forgotten

and hidden from my eyes.

New Heavens and a New Earth

“See, I will create

new heavens and a new earth.^a

The former things will not be remembered,^b

nor will they come to mind.

But be glad and rejoice^c forever

in what I will create,

for I will create Jerusalem^d to be a delight

and its people a joy.

I will rejoice^e over Jerusalem

and take delight^f in my people;

the sound of weeping and of crying^g

will be heard in it no more.

“Never again will there be in it

infants^h who live but a few days,

or older people who do not live out their years;ⁱ

those who die at a hundred

will be thought mere youths;

those who fail to reach a hundred

will be considered accursed.

They will build houses^j and dwell in them;

they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.^k

No longer will they build houses and others live in them,^l

or plant and others eat.

For as the days of a tree,^m

so will be the daysⁿ of my people;

my chosen^o ones will long enjoy

the work of their hands.

They will not labor in vain,^p

nor will they bear children doomed to misfortune;^q

for they will be a people blessed^r by the Lord,

they and their descendants^s with them.

Before they call^t I will answer;^u

while they are still speaking^v I will hear.

The wolf and the lamb^w will feed together,

and the lion will eat straw like the ox,^x

but dust will be the serpent’s^y food.

They will neither harm nor destroy

on all my holy mountain,”^z

says the Lord.