Isaiah 66

1 This is what the Lordsays:

‘Heaven is my throne,

and the earth is my footstool.

Where is the house you will build for me?

Where will my resting place be?

2 Has not my hand made all these things,

and so they came into being?’

declares the Lord.

‘These are the ones I look on with favour:

those who are humble and contrite in spirit,

and who tremble at my word.

3 But whoever sacrifices a bull

is like one who kills a person,

and whoever offers a lamb

is like one who breaks a dog’s neck;

whoever makes a grain offering

is like one who presents pig’s blood,

and whoever burns memorial incense

is like one who worships an idol.

They have chosen their own ways,

and they delight in their abominations;

4 so I also will choose harsh treatment for them

and will bring on them what they dread.

For when I called, no one answered,

when I spoke, no one listened.

They did evil in my sight

and chose what displeases me.’

5 Hear the word of the Lord,

you who tremble at his word;

‘Your own people who hate you,

and exclude you because of my name, have said,

“Let the Lordbe glorified,

that we may see your joy!”

Yet they will be put to shame.

6 Hear that uproar from the city,

hear that noise from the temple!

It is the sound of the Lord

repaying his enemies all they deserve.

7 ‘Before she goes into labour,

she gives birth;

before the pains come upon her,

she delivers a son.

8 Who has ever heard of such things?

Who has ever seen things like this?

Can a country be born in a day

or a nation be brought forth in a moment?

Yet no sooner is Zion in labour

than she gives birth to her children.

9 Do I bring to the moment of birth

and not give delivery?’ says the Lord.

‘Do I close up the womb

when I bring to delivery?’ says your God.

10 ‘Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad for her,

all you who love her;

rejoice greatly with her,

all you who mourn over her.

11 For you will feed and be satisfied

at her comforting breasts;

you will drink deeply

and delight in her overflowing abundance.’

12 For this is what the Lordsays:

‘I will extend peace to her like a river,

and the wealth of nations like a flooding stream;

you will feed and be carried on her arm

and dandled on her knees.

13 As a mother comforts her child,

so will I comfort you;

and you will be comforted over Jerusalem.’

14 When you see this, your heart will rejoice

and you will flourish like grass;

the hand of the Lordwill be made known to his servants,

but his fury will be shown to his foes.

15 See, the Lordis coming with fire,

and his chariots are like a whirlwind;

he will bring down his anger with fury,

and his rebuke with flames of fire.

16 For with fire and with his sword

the Lordwill execute judgment on all people,

and many will be those slain by the Lord.

17 ‘Those who consecrate and purify themselves to go into the gardens, following one who is among those who eat the flesh of pigs, rats and other unclean things – they will meet their end together with the one they follow,’ declares the Lord.

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

19 ‘I will set a sign among them, and I will send some of those who survive to the nations – to Tarshish, to the Libyansand 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.

20 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 Lordin ceremonially clean vessels.

21 And I will select some of them also to be priests and Levites,’ says the Lord.

22 ‘As the new heavens and the new earth that I make will endure before me,’ declares the Lord, ‘so will your name and descendants endure.

23 From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come and bow down before me,’ says the Lord.

24 ‘And they will go out and look on the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me; the worms that eat them will not die, the fire that burns them will not be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind.’

Footnotes for the Book of Isaiah

a9Ornot raise them up

b16Hebrewevery ship of Tarshish

a10Ora vineyard of four hectares

b10That is, about 22 litres

c10That is, probably about 160 kilograms

d10That is, probably about 16 kilograms

e17Septuagint; Hebrew /strangers will eat

a2Orhas set up camp in

b3Shear-Jashubmeansa remnant will return.

c14The Hebrew is plural.

d14Oryoung woman

e14Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scrollsson, and heorson, and they

f14ImmanuelmeansGod with us.

g23That is, about 12 kilograms

a In Hebrew texts 9:1 is numbered 8:23, and 9:2-21 is numbered 9:1-20.

b20orarm

a6Hebrew; Septuagintlion will feed

b11That is, the upper Nile region

c11HebrewShinar

d13Orhostility

a6HebrewShaddai

b19OrChaldeans

a9Dimon, a wordplay onDibon(see verse 2) sounds like the Hebrew forblood.

a8That is, wooden symbols of the goddess Asherah

a18Some manuscripts of the Masoretic Text, Dead Sea Scrolls, Symmachus and Vulgate; most manuscripts of the Masoretic TextCity of Destruction

b24OrAssyria, whose names will be used in blessings(see Gen. 48:20); orAssyria, who will be seen by others as blessed

a8Dead Sea Scrolls and Syriac; Masoretic TextA lion

b11Dumah, a word play onEdom, meanssilenceorstillness.

a2,3Masoretic Text; Dead Sea ScrollsSidon, / who cross over the sea; / your envoys 3are on the great waters. / The grain of the Shihor, / the harvest of the Nile,

b10Dead Sea Scrolls and some Septuagint manuscripts; Masoretic TextGo through

c13OrChaldeans

a11The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.

a8See Septuagint; the meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.

b9That is, wooden symbols of the goddess Asherah

a2The Hebrew foraltar hearthsounds like the Hebrew forAriel.

b13Hebrew; SeptuagintThey worship me in vain; / their teachings are merely human rules

a2The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them; also in verse 5.

b11The precise identification of these birds is uncertain.

a9That is, the upper Nile region

b20Dead Sea Scrolls (see also 2 Kings 19:19);Masoretic Text you alone are the Lord

c25Dead Sea Scrolls (see also 2 Kings 19:24); Masoretic Text does not have,in foreign lands.

d27Some manuscripts of the Masoretic Text, Dead Sea Scrolls and some Septuagint manuscripts (see also 2 Kings 19:26); most manuscripts of the Masoretic Textroof / and terraced fields

a2Oreast, / whom victory meets at every step

a2Jeshurunmeansthe upright one, that is, Israel.

a1Orare but beasts and cattle

a14OrChaldeans; also in verse 20

a19Dead Sea Scrolls, Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac; Masoretic Text /how can I

a8OrFrom arrest

b8Orgeneration considered / that he was cut off from the land of the living, / that he was punished for the transgression of my people?

c10Hebrewthough you make

d11Dead Sea Scrolls (see also Septuagint); Masoretic Text does not havethe light of life.

e11Or (with Masoretic Text)11He will see the fruit of his suffering / and will be satisfied

f11Orby knowledge of him

g12Ormany

h12Ornumerous

a9Orto the king

b9Oridols

a19OrWhen enemies come in like a flood, / the Spirit of the Lord will put them to flight

a1Hebrew; Septuagintthe blind

a9OrSaviour9in their distress. / It was no envoy or angel / but his own presence that saved them

b11OrBut may he recall

c19OrWe are like those you have never ruled, / like those never called

a20Orthe sinner who reaches

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/72/32k/ISA/66-3888f5348bbe019325ac34d2950e1181.mp3?version_id=113—