Esias 65

1 I became manifest to them that asked not for me; I was found of them that sought me not: I said, Behold, I am [here], to a nation, who called not on my name.

I have been ready to give an answer to those who did not make prayer to me; I have been offering myself to those who were not searching for me; I said, Here am I, here am I, to a nation which gave no respect to my name.

2 I have stretched forth my hands all day to a disobedient and gainsaying people, to them that walked in a way that was not good, but after their sins.

All day my hands have been stretched out to an uncontrolled people, who go in an evil way, after the purposes of their hearts;

3 This is the people that provokes me continually in my presence; they offer sacrifices in gardens, and burn incense on bricks to devils, which exist not.

A people who make me angry every day, making offerings in gardens, and burning perfumes on bricks.

4 They lie down to sleep in the tombs and in the caves for the sake of dreams, [even] they that eat swine's flesh, and the broth of [their] sacrifices: all their vessels are defiled:

Who are seated in the resting-places of the dead, and by night are in the secret places; who take pig's flesh for food, and have the liquid of disgusting things in their vessels.

5 who say, Depart from me, draw not near to me, for I am pure. This is the smoke of my wrath, a fire burns with it continually.

Who say, Keep away, do not come near me, for fear that I make you holy: these are a smoke in my nose, a fire burning all day.

6 Behold, it is written before me: I will not be silent until I have recompensed into their bosom,

See, it is recorded before me, says the Lord: I will not keep back my hand, till I have sent punishment,

7 their sins and [the sins] of their fathers, says the Lord, who have burnt incense on the mountains, and reproached me on the hills: I will recompense their works into their bosom.

For their sins and the sins of their fathers, who were burning perfumes on the mountains, and saying evil things against me on the hills: so I will take the measure of their sins, and will send the punishment for them into their breast.

8 Thus says the Lord, As a grape-stone shall be found in the cluster, and they shall say, Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it: so will I do for the sake of him that serves me, for his sake I will not destroy [them] all.

This is the word of the Lord: As the new wine is seen in the grapes, and they say, Do not send destruction on it, for a blessing is in it: so will I do for my servants, in order that I may not put an end to them all.

9 And I will lead forth the seed [that came] of Jacob and of Juda, and they shall inherit my holy mountain: and mine elect and my servants shall inherit it, and shall dwell there.

And I will take a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah one who will have my mountains for a heritage: and the people I have taken to be mine will have it for themselves, and my servants will have their resting-place there.

10 And there shall be in the forest folds of flocks, and the valley of Achor [shall] be for a resting-place of herds for my people, who have sought me.

And Sharon will be a grass-land for the flocks, and the valley of Achor a resting-place for the herds: for my people whose hearts have been turned back to me.

11 But you are they that have left me, and forget my holy mountain, and prepare a table for the devil, and fill up the drink-offering to Fortune.

But as for you who have given up the Lord, who have no care for my holy mountain, who get ready a table for Chance, and make offerings of mixed wine to Fate;

12 I will deliver you up to the sword, you shall all fall by slaughter: for I called you, and you listened not; I spoke, and you refused to hear; and you did evil in my sight, and chose the things wherein I delighted not.

Your fate will be the sword, and you will all go down to death: because when my voice came to you, you made no answer; you did not give ear to my word; but you did what was evil in my eyes, desiring what was not pleasing to me.

13 Therefore thus says the Lord, Behold, my servants shall eat, but you shall hunger: behold, my servants shall drink, but you shall thirst: behold, my servants shall rejoice, but you shall be ashamed:

For this cause says the Lord God, My servants will have food, but you will be in need of food: my servants will have drink, but you will be dry: my servants will have joy, but you will be shamed:

14 behold, my servants shall exult with joy, but you shall cry for the sorrow of your heart, and shall howl for the vexation of your spirit.

My servants will make songs in the joy of their hearts, but you will be crying for sorrow, and making sounds of grief from a broken spirit.

15 For you shall leave your name for a loathing to my chosen, and the Lord shall destroy you: but my servants shall be called by a new name,

And your name will become a curse to my people, and the Lord God will put you to death, and give his servants another name:

16 which shall be blessed on the earth; for they shall bless the true God: and they that swear upon the earth shall swear by the true God; for they shall forget the former affliction, it shall not come into their mind.

So that he who is requesting a blessing will make use of the name of the true God, and he who takes an oath will do so by the true God; because the past troubles are gone out of mind, and because they are covered from my eyes.

17 For there shall be a new heaven and a new earth: and they shall not at all remember the former, neither shall they at all come into their mind.

For see, I am making a new heaven and a new earth: and the past things will be gone completely out of mind.

18 But they shall find in her joy and exultation; for, behold, I make Jerusalem a rejoicing, and my people a joy.

But men will be glad and have joy for ever in what I am making; for I am making Jerusalem a delight, and her people a joy.

19 And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and will be glad in my people: and there shall no more be heard in her the voice of weeping, or the voice of crying.

And I will be glad over Jerusalem, and have joy in my people: and the voice of weeping will no longer be sounding in her, or the voice of grief.

20 Neither shall there be there any more a [child that dies] untimely, or an old man who shall not complete his time: for the youth shall be a hundred years [old], and the sinner who dies at a hundred years shall also be accursed:

No longer will there be there a child whose days are cut short, or an old man whose days have not come to their full measure: for the young man at his death will be a hundred years old, and he whose life is shorter than a hundred years will seem as one cursed.

21 and they shall build houses, and themselves shall dwell in [them]; and they shall plant vineyards, and themselves shall eat the fruit thereof.

And they will be building houses and living in them; planting vine-gardens and getting the fruit of them.

22 They shall by no means build, and others inhabit; and they shall by no means plant, and others eat: for as the days of the tree of life shall be the days of my people, they shall long enjoy the fruits of their labors.

They will no longer be building for the use of others, or planting for others to have the fruit: for the days of my people will be like the days of a tree, and my loved ones will have joy in full measure in the work of their hands.

23 My chosen shall not toil in vain, neither shall they beget children to be cursed; for they are a seed blessed of God, and their offspring with them.

Their work will not be for nothing, and they will not give birth to children for destruction; for they are a seed to whom the Lord has given his blessing, and their offspring will be with them.

24 And it shall come to pass, [that] before they call, I will listen to them; while they are yet speaking, I will say, What is it?

And before they make their request I will give an answer, and while they are still making prayer to me, I will give ear.

25 Then wolves and lambs shall feed together, and the lion shall eat chaff like the ox, and the serpent earth as bread. They shall not injure nor destroy in my holy mountain, says the Lord.

The wolf and the lamb will take their food together, and the lion will make a meal of grass like the ox: but dust will be the snake's food. There will be no cause of pain or destruction in all my holy mountain, says the Lord.