Isaiah 66

1 Thus says the Lord: Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What is this house that you would build for me? And what is this 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 My hand has made all these things, and all these things have been made, says the Lord. But upon whom will I look with favor, except upon a poor little one, who is contrite in spirit, and who 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 Whoever immolates an ox, it is as if he slaughters a man. Whoever sacrifices a sheep, it is as if he is smashing the head of a dog. Whoever offers an oblation, it is as if he is offering swine’s blood. Whoever makes remembrance with incense, it is as if he is blessing an idol. All these things, they have chosen according to their own ways, and their soul has taken delight in their own 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 Therefore, I also will choose their illusions, and I will lead over them the things that they feared. For I called, and there was no one who would respond. I have spoken, and they have not listened. And they have done evil in my eyes; and what I did not will, they have chosen.

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 Listen to the word of the Lord, you who tremble at his word. Your brothers, who hate you and who cast you out because of my name, have said: “Let the Lord be glorified, and we will see by your rejoicing.” But they themselves will be confounded.

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 the people from the city! A voice from the temple! The voice of the Lord repaying retribution to his enemies!

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 was in labor, she gave birth. Before her time arrived for delivery, she gave birth to a male child.

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

8 Who has ever heard of such a thing? And who has seen anything like this? Will the earth give birth in one day? Or will a nation be born all at once? For Zion has been in labor, and she has given birth to her sons.

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 Will I, who causes others to give birth, not also give birth myself, says the Lord? Will I, who bestows generation upon others, be barren myself, says the Lord your 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 with Jerusalem, and exult in her, all you who love her! Rejoice greatly with her, all you who 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 So may you nurse and be filled, from the breasts of her consolations. So may you receive milk and overflow with delights, from every portion 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 says the Lord: Behold, I will turn a river of peace toward her, with an inundating torrent: the glory of the Gentiles, from which you will nurse. You will be carried at the breasts, and they will caress you upon 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 In the manner of one whom a mother caresses, so will I console you. And you will be consoled in Jerusalem.

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

14 You will see, and your heart will be glad, and your bones will flourish like a plant, and the hand of the Lord will be known to his servants, and he will be angry with his enemies.

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 arrive with fire, and his four-horse chariots will be like a whirlwind: to render his wrath with indignation, and his rebuke with flames 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 the Lord will divide with fire, and with his sword among all flesh, and those slain by the Lord will be many.

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

17 Those who were sanctified, who thought themselves to be clean in the gardens behind the inner gate, who were eating swine’s flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse: they will be consumed all at once, says 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 But I know their works and their thoughts. I am arriving, so that I may gather them together with all nations and languages. And they will approach, and they will 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 set a sign among them. And I will send some of those who will have been saved to the Gentiles in the sea, to Africa, and to those who draw the bow in Lydia, to Italy and Greece, to islands far away, to those who have not heard of me, and to those who have not seen my glory. And they will announce my glory to 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 will lead all of your brothers from all of the Gentiles as a gift to the Lord, on horses, and in four-horse chariots, and on stretchers, and on mules, and in coaches, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, says the Lord, in the same manner that the sons of Israel would carry an offering in a pure vessel 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 from them to be priests and Levites, says the Lord.

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

22 For in like manner as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will cause to stand before me, says the Lord, so will your offspring and your name stand.

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 there will be month after month, and Sabbath after Sabbath. And all flesh will approach, so as to adore before my face, says 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 will go out, and they will view the carcasses of the men who have transgressed against me. Their worm will not die, and their fire will not be extinguished. And they will be a sight to all flesh even unto revulsion.

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.”