Esias 66

1 Thus saith the Lord, Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: what kind of a house will ye build me? and of what kind [is to be] the place of my rest?

This is what Yahweh says, “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where then is the house you will build for me? Where is the place where I may rest?

2 For all these things are mine, saith the Lord: and to whom will I have respect, but to the humble and meek, and the [man] that trembles [at] my words?

My hand has made all these things; that is how these things came to be—this is Yahweh's declaration. This is the man of whom I approve, the broken and contrite in spirit, and who trembles at my word.

3 But the transgressor that sacrifices a calf to me, is as he that kills a dog; and he that offers fine flour, as [one that offers] swine's blood; he that gives frankincense for a memorial, is as a blasphemer. Yet they have chosen their own ways, and their soul has delighted in their abominations.

He who slaughters an ox also murders a man; he who sacrifices a lamb also breaks a dog's neck; he who offers a grain offering offers swine's blood; he who offers a memorial of incense also blesses wickedness. They have chosen their own ways, and they take pleasure in their abominations.

4 I also will choose their mockeries, and will recompense their sins upon them; because I called them, and they did not hearken to me; I spoke, and they heard not: and they did evil before me, and chose the things wherein I delighted not.

In the same way I will choose their own punishment; I will bring on them what they fear, because when I called, no one answered; when I spoke, no one listened. They did what was evil in my sight, and chose to do what displeases me.”

5 Hear the words of the Lord, ye that tremble at his word; speak ye, our brethren, to them that hate you and abominate you, that the name of the Lord may be glorified, and may appear their joy; but they shall be ashamed.

Hear the word of Yahweh, you who tremble at his word, “Your brothers who hate and exclude you for my name's sake have said, 'May Yahweh be glorified, then we will see your joy,' but they will be put to shame.

6 A voice of a cry from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of the Lord rendering recompence to [his] adversaries.

A sound of battle tumult comes from the city, a sound from the temple, the sound of Yahweh paying back his enemies.

7 Before she that travailed brought forth, before the travail-pain came on, she escaped [it] and brought forth a male.

Before she goes into labor, she gives birth; before pain is upon her, she gave birth to a son.

8 Who has heard such a thing? and who has seen after this manner? Has the earth travailed in one day? or has even a nation been born at once, that Sion has travailed, and brought forth her children?

Who has heard of such a thing? Who has seen such things? Will a land be born in one day? Can a nation be established in one moment? Yet as soon as Zion goes into labor, she gives birth to her children.

9 But I have raised this expectation, yet thou hast not remembered me, saith the Lord: behold, have not I made the bearing and barren woman? saith thy God.

Do I bring a baby to the birth opening and not permit the child to be born?—asks Yahweh. Or do I bring a child to moment of delivery and then hold it back?—asks your God.”

10 Rejoice, O Jerusalem, and all ye that love her hold in her a general assembly: rejoice greatly with her, all that [now] mourn over her:

Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad for her, all you who love her; rejoice with her, all you who mourned over her!

11 that ye may suck, and be satisfied with the breast of her consolation; that ye may milk out, and delight yourselves with the influx of her glory.

For you will nurse and be satisfied; with her breasts you will be comforted; for you will drink them to the full and be delighted with the abundance of her glory.

12 For thus saith the Lord, Behold, I turn toward them as a river of peace, and as a torrent bringing upon them in a flood the glory of the Gentiles: their children shall be borne upon the shoulders, and comforted on the knees.

This is what Yahweh says, “I am about to spread prosperity over her like a river, and the riches of the nations like an overflowing stream. You will nurse at her side, be carried in her arms, and be dandled on her knees.

13 As if his mother should comfort one, so will I also comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem.

As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you, and you will be comforted in Jerusalem.”

14 And ye shall see, and your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall thrive like grass: and the hand of the Lord shall be known to them that fear him, and he shall threaten the disobedient.

You will see this, and your heart will rejoice, and your bones will sprout like the tender grass. The hand of Yahweh will be made known to his servants, but he will show his anger against his enemies.

15 For, behold, the Lord will come as fire, and his chariots as a storm, to render his vengeance with wrath, and his rebuke with a flame of fire.

For look, Yahweh is coming with fire, and his chariots are coming like the windstorm to bring the heat of his anger and his rebuke with flames of fire.

16 For with the fire of the Lord all the earth shall be judged, and all flesh with his sword: many shall be slain by the Lord.

For Yahweh executes judgment on mankind by fire and with his sword. Those killed by Yahweh will be many.

17 They that sanctify themselves and purify themselves in the gardens, and eat swine's flesh in the porches, and the abominations, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the Lord.

They consecrate themselves and make themselves pure, so they may enter the gardens, following the one in the middle of those who eat the flesh of pig and abominable things like mice. “They will come to an end—this is Yahweh's declaration.

18 And I [know] their works and their imagination. I am going to gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory.

For I know their deeds and their thoughts. The time is coming when I will gather all nations and languages. They will come and will see my glory.

19 And I will leave a sign upon them, and I will send forth them that have escaped of them to the nations, to Tharsis, and Phud, and Lud, and Mosoch, and to Thobel, and to Greece, and to the isles afar off, to those who have not heard my name, nor seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles.

I will set a mighty sign among them. Then I will send survivors from them to the nations: To Tarshish, Put, and Lud, archers who draw their bows, to Tubal, Javan, and to the distant coastlands where they have not heard about me nor seen my glory. They will proclaim my glory among the nations.

20 And they shall bring your brethren out of all nations for a gift to the Lord with horses, and chariots, in litters [drawn by] mules with awnings, to the holy city Jerusalem, said the Lord, as though the children of Israel should bring their sacrifices to me with psalms into the house of the Lord.

They will bring back all your brothers out of all the nations, as an offering to Yahweh. They will come on horses, and in chariots, in wagons, on mules, and on camels, to my holy mountain Jerusalem—says Yahweh. For the people of Israel will bring a grain offering in a clean vessel into the house of Yahweh.

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

Some of these I will even choose as priests and Levites—says Yahweh.

22 For as the new heaven and the new earth, which I make, remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name continue.

For just as the new heavens and the new earth that I will make will remain before me—this is Yahweh's declaration—so your descendants will remain, and your name will remain.

23 And it shall come to pass from month to month, and from sabbath to sabbath, [that] all flesh shall come to worship before me in Jerusalem, saith the Lord.

From one month to the next, and from one Sabbath to the next, all people will come to bow down to me—says Yahweh.

24 And they shall go forth, and see the carcasses of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, and their fire shall not be quenched; and they shall be a spectacle to all flesh.

They will go out and see the dead bodies of the men who have rebelled against me, for the worms that eat them will not die, and the fire that consumes them will not be quenched; and it will be an abhorrence to all flesh.”