66:1 This is what the LORD says: “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?
66:2 Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came into being?” declares the LORD. “This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word.
66:3 But whoever sacrifices a bull is like one who kills a man, and whoever offers a lamb, 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, like one who worships an idol. They have chosen their own ways, and their souls delight in their abominations;
66:4 so I also will choose harsh treatment for them and will bring upon 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.”
66:5 Hear the word of the LORD, you who tremble at his word: “Your brothers who hate you, and exclude you because of my name, have said, ‘Let the LORD be glorified, that we may see your joy!’ Yet they will be put to shame.
66:6 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.
66:7 “Before she goes into labor, she gives birth; before the pains come upon her, she delivers a son.
66:8 Who has ever heard of such a thing? Who has ever seen such things? Can a country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment? Yet no sooner is Zion in labor than she gives birth to her children.
66:9 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.
66:10 “Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad for her, all you who love her; rejoice greatly with her, all you who mourn over her.
66:11 For you will nurse and be satisfied at her comforting breasts; you will drink deeply and delight in her overflowing abundance.”
66:12 For this is what the LORD says: “I will extend peace to her like a river, and the wealth of nations like a flooding stream; you will nurse and be carried on her arm and dandled on her knees.
66:13 As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you; and you will be comforted over Jerusalem.”
66:14 When you see this, your heart will rejoice and you will flourish like grass; the hand of the LORD will be made known to his servants, but his fury will be shown to his foes.
66:15 See, the LORD is 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.
66:16 For with fire and with his sword the LORD will execute judgment upon all men, and many will be those slain by the LORD.
66:17 “Those who consecrate and purify themselves to go into the gardens, following the one in the midst of those who eat the flesh of pigs and rats and other abominable things–they will meet their end together,” declares the LORD.
66:18 “And I, because of their actions and their imaginations, am about to come and gather all nations and tongues, and they will come and see my glory.
66:19 “I will set a sign among them, and I will send some of those who survive to the nations–to Tarshish, to the Libyans and 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.
66:20 And they will bring all your brothers, 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 LORD in ceremonially clean vessels.
66:21 And I will select some of them also to be priests and Levites,” says the LORD.
66:22 “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.
66:23 From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come and bow down before me,” says the LORD.
66:24 “And they will go out and look upon the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me; their worm will not die, nor will their fire be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind.”
66:1 Thus says Jehovah, / Heaven is My throne, / And the earth the footstool for My feet. / Where then is the house that you will build for Me, / And where is the place of My rest?
66:2 For all these things My hand has made, / And so all these things have come into being, declares Jehovah. / But to this kind of man will I look, to him who is poor / And of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word.
66:3 He who kills an ox is like him who slays a man; / He who sacrifices a lamb, like him who breaks a dog’s neck; / He who offers a meal offering is like him who offers the blood of swine; / He who burns incense is like him who blesses an idol. / As surely as they have chosen their own ways, / And their soul delights in their abominations;
66:4 Just as surely I will choose what will treat them ill, / And I will bring upon them what they dread; / Because I called, but no one answered; / I spoke, but they did not listen; / But they did evil in My sight, / And chose that in which I did not delight.
66:5 Hear the word of Jehovah, / You who tremble at His word: / Your brothers who hate you, / Who cast you out because of My name, said, / Let Jehovah be glorified / So that we may see your joy. / But they will be put to shame.
66:6 A voice of tumult from the city! / A voice from the temple! / The voice of Jehovah giving full / Recompense to His enemies.
66:7 Before she travailed, / She brought forth; / Before her pain came, / She gave birth to a man.
66:8 Who has heard of such a thing? / Who has seen such things? / Can a land be born in one day? / Or can a nation be brought forth all at once? / For as soon as Zion travailed, / She brought forth her children.
66:9 Shall I bring to the point of birth and not cause to bring forth? / Says Jehovah. / Or shall I who cause to bring forth shut the womb? / Says your God.
66:10 Be joyful with Jerusalem and exult for her, / All you who love her; / Rejoice with her in joy, / All you who mourn over her,
66:11 So that you may nurse and be satisfied / With her breasts of consolations, / So that you may draw out from her and take excellent delight / In the abundance of her glory.
66:12 For thus says Jehovah, / I now am extending to her / Peace like a river, / And the glory of the nations / Like an overflowing stream; / And you will nurse, you will be carried on the hip, / And you will be bounced on the knees.
66:13 As one whom his mother comforts, / So will I comfort you; / And you will be comforted in Jerusalem.
66:14 And you will see this, and your heart will rejoice, / And your bones will flourish like new grass; / And the hand of Jehovah will be made known to His servants, / And He will be indignant toward His enemies.
66:15 For behold, Jehovah will come with fire, / And His chariots will be like a whirlwind, / To render His anger with fury / And His rebuke with flames of fire.
66:16 For with fire Jehovah will execute judgment, / And with His sword, upon all flesh; / And those slain by Jehovah will be many.
66:17 Those who sanctify and purify themselves for the gardens, / Following after one in the midst, / Eating swine’s flesh / And what is abominable and even mice, / Will come to an end together, declares Jehovah.
66:18 But I ? their works and their thoughts I will repay; the time is coming to gather all the nations and tongues; and they will come and see My glory.
66:19 And I will set a sign among them and will send those who have escaped from them unto the nations: to Tarshish, Put, and Lud, to those who draw the bow; to Tubal and Javan, to the distant coastlands that have not heard My fame nor seen My glory; and they will declare My glory among the nations.
66:20 And they will bring all your brothers from all the nations as a meal offering to Jehovah, on horses and in chariots and in wagons and on mules and on camels, to My holy mountain, Jerusalem, says Jehovah, just as the children of Israel bring their meal offering in a clean vessel to the house of Jehovah.
66:21 And I will also take some of them for priests and for Levites, says Jehovah.
66:22 For as the new heavens / And new earth, which I make, / Remain before Me, declares Jehovah, / So will your seed and your name remain.
66:23 And from new moon to new moon / And from Sabbath to Sabbath / All flesh will come / To bow down before Me, says Jehovah.
66:24 Then they will go forth and look / On the carcasses of the men that have transgressed against Me; / For their worm will not die, / Nor will their fire be quenched; / And they will be an abhorrence to all flesh.