Isaiah 66

Heaven Is God’s Throne

1This is what the Lord says: “1Heaven is My throne and the earth is the footstool for My feet. Where then is a 2house you could build for Me? And where is a place that 3I may rest?2For 4My hand made all these things, So all these things came into being,” declares the Lord. “But I will look to this one, At one who is humble and 5contrite in spirit, and who 6trembles at My word.

Hypocrisy Rebuked

3“But the one who slaughters an ox is like one who kills a person; The one who sacrifices a lamb is like one who breaks a dog’s neck; One who offers a grain offering is like one who offers 7pig’s blood; One who 89burns incense is like one who blesses an idol. As they have chosen their 10own ways, And their souls delight in their 11abominations,4So I will 12choose their 13punishments And 14bring on them what they dread. Because I called, but 15no one answered; I spoke, but they did not listen. Instead, they did 16evil in My sight And chose that in which I did not delight.”5Hear the word of the Lord, you who 17tremble at His word: “Your brothers who 18hate you, who 19exclude you on account of My name, Have said, ‘Let the Lord be glorified, so that we may see your joy.’ But 20they will be put to shame.6A sound of uproar from the city, a voice from the temple, The voice of the Lord who is 21dealing retribution to His enemies.

7“Before she was in labor, 22she delivered; Before her pain came, 23she gave birth to a boy.824Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Can a land be 25born in one day? Can a nation be given birth all at once? As soon as Zion was in labor, she also delivered her sons.9Shall I bring to the point of birth but 26not give delivery?” says the Lord. “Or shall I who gives delivery shut the womb?” says your God.

Joy in Jerusalem’s Future

10“Be 27joyful with Jerusalem and rejoice for her, all you who 28love her; Be exceedingly 29glad with her, all you who mourn over her,11So that you may nurse and 30be satisfied with her comforting breasts, So that you may drink fully and be delighted with her 31bountiful breasts.”12For this is what the Lord says: “Behold, I extend 32peace to her like a river, And the 33glory of the nations like an overflowing stream; And you will 34be nursed, you will be 35carried on the 36hip and rocked back and forth on the knees.13As one whom his mother comforts, so I will 37comfort you; And you will be comforted in Jerusalem.”14Then you will 38see this, and your 39heart will be glad, And your 40bones will flourish like the new grass; And the 41hand of the Lord will be made known to His servants, But He will be 42indignant toward His enemies.15For behold, the Lord will come in 43fire, And His 44chariots like the whirlwind, To render His anger with fury, And His rebuke with flames of fire.16For the Lord will execute judgment by 45fire And by His 46sword on 47humanity, And those put to death by the Lord will be many.17“Those who sanctify and purify themselves to go to the 48gardens, 49Following one in the center, Who eat 50pig’s flesh, detestable things, and mice, Will 51come to an end altogether,” declares the Lord.

18“For I 52know their works and their 53thoughts; 54the time is coming to 55gather all the nations and tongues. And they shall come and see My glory. 19And I will put a 56sign among them and send survivors from them to the nations: 57Tarshish, 58Put, 59Lud, 60Meshech, 61Tubal, and 62Javan, to the distant 63coastlands that have neither heard of My fame nor seen My glory. And they will 64declare My glory among the nations. 20Then they shall 65bring all your countrymen from all the nations as a grain offering to the Lord, on horses, in chariots, in litters, on mules, and on camels, to My 66holy mountain Jerusalem,” says the Lord, “just as the sons of Israel bring their grain offering in a 67clean vessel to the house of the Lord. 21I will also take some of them as 68priests and Levites,” says the Lord.22“For just as the 69new heavens and the new earth, Which I make, will endure before Me,” declares the Lord, “So will your 70descendants and your 71name endure.23And it shall be from 72new moon to new moon And from Sabbath to Sabbath, All 73mankind will come to 74bow down before Me,” says the Lord.24“Then they will go out and look At the 75corpses of the people Who have 76rebelled against Me. For their 77worm will not die 78And their fire will not be extinguished; And they will be an 79abhorrence to all 80mankind.”