Isaiah - Chapter 66

¹ Thus says Yahweh: With heaven my throne and earth my footstool, what house could you build me, what place for me to rest,

² when all these things were made by me and all belong to me? - declares Yahweh. But my eyes are drawn to the person of humbled and contrite spirit, who trembles at my word.

³ Some slaughter a bull, some kill a human being, some sacrifice a lamb, some strangle a dog, some present an offering of pig's blood, some burn memorial incense, a revolting blessing; all these people have chosen their own ways and take delight in their disgusting practices.

⁴ I too take delight in making fools of them, I shall bring what they most fear down on them because I have called and no one would answer, I spoke and no one listened. They have done what I regard as evil, have chosen what displeases me.

⁵ Listen to the word of Yahweh, you who tremble at his word. Your brothers, who hate and reject you because of my name, have said, 'Let Yahweh show his glory, let us witness your joy!' But they will be put to shame.

⁶ Listen! An uproar from the city! A voice from the Temple! The voice of Yahweh bringing retribution on his enemies.

⁷ Before being in labour she has given birth. Before the birth pangs came, she has been delivered of a child.

⁸ Who ever heard of such a thing, who ever saw anything like this? Can a country be born in one day? Can a nation be brought forth all at once? For Zion, scarcely in labour, has brought forth her children!

⁹ Shall I open the womb and not bring to birth? says Yahweh. Shall I, who bring to birth, close the womb? says your God.

¹⁰ Rejoice with Jerusalem, be glad for her, all you who love her! Rejoice, rejoice with her, all you who mourned her!

¹¹ So that you may be suckled and satisfied from her consoling breast, so that you may drink deep with delight from her generous nipple.

¹² For Yahweh says this: Look, I am going to send peace flowing over her like a river, and like a stream in spate the glory of the nations. You will be suckled, carried on her hip and fondled in her lap.

¹³ As a mother comforts a child, so I shall comfort you; you will be comforted in Jerusalem.

¹⁴ At the sight your heart will rejoice, and your limbs regain vigour like the grass. To his servants Yahweh will reveal his hand, but to his enemies his fury.

¹⁵ For see how Yahweh comes in fire, his chariots like the whirlwind, to assuage his anger with burning, his rebukes with flaming fire.

¹⁶ For by fire will Yahweh execute fair judgement, and by his sword, on all people; and Yahweh's victims will be many.

¹⁷ As for those who sanctify themselves and purify themselves to enter the gardens, following the one in the centre, who eat the flesh of pigs, revolting things and rats: their deeds and their thoughts will perish together, declares Yahweh.

¹⁸ I am coming to gather every nation and every language. They will come to witness my glory.

¹⁹ I shall give them a sign and send some of their survivors to the nations: to Tarshish, Put, Lud, Meshech, Tubal and Javan, to the distant coasts and islands that have never heard of me or seen my glory. They will proclaim my glory to the nations,

²⁰ and from all the nations they will bring all your brothers as an offering to Yahweh, on horses, in chariots, in litters, on mules and on camels, to my holy mountain, Jerusalem, Yahweh says, like Israelites bringing offerings in clean vessels to Yahweh's house.

²¹ And some of them I shall make into priests and Levites, Yahweh says.

²² For as the new heavens and the new earth I am making will endure before me, declares Yahweh, so will your race and your name endure.

²³ From New Moon to New Moon, from Sabbath to Sabbath, all humanity will come and bow in my presence, Yahweh says.

²⁴ And on their way out they will see the corpses of those who rebelled against me; for their worm will never die nor their fire be put out, and they will be held in horror by all humanity.

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