Isaiah 65

A Rebellious People

1“I permitted Myself to be sought by 1those who did not ask for Me; I permitted Myself to be found by those who did not seek Me. I said, ‘Here am I, here am I,’ To a nation which 2did not call on My name.23I have spread out My hands all day long to a 4rebellious people, Who walk in the way which is not good, 5following their own 6thoughts,3A people who continually 7provoke Me to My face, Offering sacrifices in 8gardens and 9burning incense on bricks;4Who sit among graves and spend the night in secret places; Who 10eat swine’s flesh, And the broth of unclean meat is in their pots.5Who say, ‘11Keep to yourself, do not come near me, For I am holier than you!’ These are smoke in My 12nostrils, A fire that burns all the day.6Behold, it is written before Me, I will 13not keep silent, but 14I will repay; I will even repay into their bosom,7Both 15their own 16iniquities and the iniquities of their fathers together,” says the Lord. “Because they have 17burned incense on the mountains And 18scorned Me on the hills, Therefore I will 19measure their former work into their bosom.”

8Thus says the Lord, “As the new wine is found in the cluster, And one says, ‘Do not destroy it, for there is 20benefit in it,’ So I will act on behalf of My servants In order 21not to destroy 22all of them.9I will bring forth 23offspring from Jacob, And an 24heir of My mountains from Judah; Even 25My chosen ones shall inherit it, And 26My servants will dwell there.1027Sharon will be a pasture land for flocks, And the 28valley of Achor a resting place for herds, For My people who 29seek Me.11But you who 30forsake the Lord, Who forget My 31holy mountain, Who set a table for 32Fortune, And who fill cups with mixed wine for 33Destiny,12I will destine you for the 34sword, And all of you will bow down to the 35slaughter. Because I called, but you 36did not answer; I spoke, but you did not hear. And you did evil in My sight And chose that in which I did not delight.”

13Therefore, thus says the Lord 37God, “Behold, My servants will 38eat, but you will be 39hungry. Behold, My servants will 40drink, but you will be 41thirsty. Behold, My servants will 42rejoice, but you will be 43put to shame.14Behold, My servants will 44shout joyfully with a glad heart, But you will 45cry out with a 46heavy heart, And you will wail with a broken spirit.15You will leave your name for a 47curse to My chosen ones, And the Lord 48God will slay you. But 49My servants will be called by 50another name.16Because he who 51is blessed in the earth Will 52be blessed by the 53God of truth; And he who swears in the earth Will 54swear by the God of truth; Because the former troubles are forgotten, And because they are hidden from My sight!

New Heavens and a New Earth

17“For behold, I create 55new heavens and a new earth; And the 56former things will not be remembered or come to 57mind.18But be 58glad and rejoice forever in what I create; For behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing And her people for gladness.19I will also 59rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in My people; And there will no longer be heard in her The voice of 60weeping and the sound of crying.20No longer will there be 61in it an infant who lives but a few days, Or an old man who does 62not 63live out his days; For the youth will die at the age of one hundred And the 6465one who does not reach the age of one hundred Will be thought accursed.21They will 66build houses and inhabit them; They will also 67plant vineyards and eat their fruit.22They will not build and 68another inhabit, They will not plant and another eat; For 69as the 70lifetime of a tree, so will be the days of My people, And My chosen ones will 71wear out the work of their hands.23They will 72not labor in vain, Or bear children for calamity; For they are the 7374offspring of those blessed by the Lord, And their descendants with them. 24It will also come to pass that before they call, I will 75answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear. 25The 76wolf and the lamb will graze together, and the 77lion will eat straw like the ox; and 78dust will be the serpent’s food. They will 79do no evil or harm in all My 80holy mountain,” says the Lord.