Isaiah, 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,
1. Thus says the LORD: "Heaven is my throne and the earth is my footstool; what is the house which you would build for me, and what is the place of my 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.
2. All these things my hand has made, and so all these things are mine, says the LORD. But this is the man to whom I will look, he that is humble and contrite in spirit, and 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.
3. "He who slaughters an ox is like him who kills a man; he who sacrifices a lamb, like him who breaks a dog's neck; he who presents a cereal offering, like him who offers swine's blood; he who makes a memorial offering of frankincense, like him who blesses an idol. These have chosen their own ways, and their soul delights in their abominations;
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.
4. I also will choose affliction for them, and bring their fears upon them; because, when I called, no one answered, when I spoke they did not listen; but they did what was evil in my eyes, and chose that in which I did not delight."
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.
5. Hear the word of the LORD, you who tremble at his word: "Your brethren who hate you and cast you out for my name's sake have said, `Let the LORD be glorified, that we may see your joy'; but it is they who shall 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.
6. "Hark, an uproar from the city! A voice from the temple! The voice of the LORD, rendering recompense to his enemies!
7. Before being in labour she has given birth. Before the birth pangs came, she has been delivered of a child.
7. "Before she was in labor she gave birth; before her pain came upon her she was delivered of a son.
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!
8. Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall a land be born in one day? Shall a nation be brought forth in one moment? For as soon as Zion was in labor she brought forth her sons.
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.
9. Shall I bring to the birth and not cause to bring forth? says the LORD; shall I, who cause to bring forth, shut 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!
10. "Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her, all you who love her; rejoice with her in joy, all you who mourn over 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.
11. that you may suck and be satisfied with her consoling breasts; that you may drink deeply with delight from the abundance of her glory."
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.
12. For thus says the LORD: "Behold, I will extend prosperity to her like a river, and the wealth of the nations like an overflowing stream; and you shall suck, you shall be carried upon her hip, and dandled upon her knees.
13. As a mother comforts a child, so I shall comfort you; you will be comforted in Jerusalem.
13. As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; you shall 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.
14. You shall see, and your heart shall rejoice; your bones shall flourish like the grass; and it shall be known that the hand of the LORD is with his servants, and his indignation is against his enemies.
15. For see how Yahweh comes in fire, his chariots like the whirlwind, to assuage his anger with burning, his rebukes with flaming fire.
15. "For behold, the LORD will come in fire, and his chariots like the stormwind, to render his anger in fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.
16. For by fire will Yahweh execute fair judgement, and by his sword, on all people; and Yahweh's victims will be many.
16. For by fire will the LORD execute judgment, and by his sword, upon all flesh; and those slain by the LORD shall 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.
17. "Those who sanctify and purify themselves to go into the gardens, following one in the midst, eating swine's flesh and the abomination and mice, shall come to an end together, says the LORD.
18. I am coming to gather every nation and every language. They will come to witness my glory.
18. "For I know their works and their thoughts, and I am coming to gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come and shall see 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,
19. and I will set a sign among them. And from them I will send survivors to the nations, to Tarshish, Put, and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands afar off, that have not heard my fame or seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among 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.
20. And they shall bring all your brethren from all the nations as an offering to the LORD, upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules, and upon dromedaries, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, says the LORD, just as the Israelites bring their cereal offering in a clean vessel to the house of the LORD.
21. And some of them I shall make into priests and Levites, Yahweh says.
21. And some of them also I will take for priests and for Levites, says the LORD.
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.
22. "For as the new heavens and the new earth which I will make shall remain before me, says the LORD; so shall your descendants and your name remain.
23. From New Moon to New Moon, from Sabbath to Sabbath, all humanity will come and bow in my presence, Yahweh says.
23. From new moon to new moon, and from sabbath to sabbath, all flesh shall come to worship before me, says the LORD.
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.
24. "And they shall go forth and look on the dead bodies of the men that have rebelled against me; for their worm shall not die, their fire shall not be quenched, and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh."
