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 pig’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 15into their laps,7Both your own 16wrongdoings and the wrongdoings of your 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 20into their laps.”

8This is what the Lord says: “Just as the new wine is found in the cluster, And one says, ‘Do not destroy it, for there is 21benefit in it,’ So I will act in behalf of My servants In order 22not to destroy 23all of them.9I will bring forth 2425offspring from Jacob, And an 26heir of My mountains from Judah; 27My chosen ones shall inherit it, And 28My servants will live there.1029Sharon will be a pasture land for flocks, And the 30Valley of Achor a resting place for herds, For My people who 31seek Me.11But as for you who 32abandon the Lord, Who forget My 33holy mountain, Who set a table for 34Fortune, And fill a jug of mixed wine for 35Destiny,12I will destine you for the 36sword, And all of you will bow down to the 37slaughter. Because I called, but you 38did not answer; I spoke, but you did not listen. Instead, you did evil in My sight And chose that in which I did not delight.”

13Therefore, this is what the Lord 39God says: “Behold, My servants will 40eat, but you will be 41hungry. Behold, My servants will 42drink, but you will be 43thirsty. Behold, My servants will 44rejoice, but you will be 45put to shame.14Behold, My servants will 46shout joyfully with a glad heart, But you will 47cry out from a painful heart, And you will wail from a broken spirit.15You will leave your name as a 48curse to My chosen ones, And the Lord 49God will put you to death. But 50My servants will be called by 51another name.16Because the one who 52is blessed on the earth Will 53be blessed by the 54God of truth; And the one who swears an oath on the earth Will 55swear 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 56new heavens and a new earth; And the 57former things will not be remembered or come to 58mind.18But be 59glad and rejoice forever in what I create; For behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing And her people for gladness.19I will also 60rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in My people; And there will no longer be heard in her The voice of 61weeping and the sound of crying.20No longer will there be 62in it an infant who lives only a few days, Or an old person who does 63not 64live out his days; For the youth will die at the age of a hundred, And the 6566one who does not reach the age of a hundred Will be thought accursed.21They will 67build houses and inhabit them; They will also 68plant vineyards and eat their fruit.22They will not build and 69another inhabit, They will not plant and another eat; For 70as the 71lifetime of a tree, so will be the days of My people, And My chosen ones will 72fully enjoy the work of their hands.23They will 73not labor in vain, Or give birth to children for disaster; For they are the 7475descendants of those blessed by the Lord, And their descendants with them. 24It will also come to pass that before they call, I will 76answer; while they are still speaking, I will listen. 25The 77wolf and the lamb will graze together, and the 78lion will eat straw like the ox; and 79dust will be the serpent’s food. They will 80do no evil or harm on all My 81holy mountain,” says the Lord.