Isaiah 66

Final Judgment and Joyous Restoration

1 This is what the Lord says:

Heaven  * 66:1–2 Ac 7:49–50 is my throne,  * 66:1 Ps 11:4; Mt 5:34–35; 23:22

and earth is my footstool.  * 66:1 1Ch 28:2; Ps 99:5

Where could you possibly build a house for me?

And where would my resting place be?  * 66:1 2Sm 7:5; 1Kg 8:27; Jr 23:24

2 My hand made all these things,

and so they all came into being.

This is the  Lord’s declaration.

I will look favorably on this kind of person:

one who is humble,  * 66:2 Ps 86:1; Pr 16:19; Mt 11:29 submissive  * 66:2 Lit broken  in spirit,  * 66:2 Ps 34:18; Mt 5:3; 1Tm 2:11

and trembles at my word.

3 One person slaughters an ox, another kills a person;

one person sacrifices a lamb, another breaks a dog’s neck;

one person offers a grain offering, another offers pig’s blood;

one person offers incense, another praises an idol —

all these have chosen their ways

and delight in their abhorrent practices.  * 66:3 Am 5:21–25

4 So I will choose their punishment,

and I will bring on them what they dread

because I called and no one answered;

I spoke and they did not listen;

they did what was evil in my sight

and chose what I did not delight in.  * 66:4 2Kg 21:2,6; Is 59:7; 65:12; Jr 7:30

5 You who tremble at his word,  * 66:5 Ezr 9:4; 10:3

hear the word of the  Lord:  * 66:5 Is 28:14

"Your brothers who hate and exclude you

for my name’s sake have said,  * 66:5 Mt 5:10–12; 10:22; Jn 9:34; 15:18–20

‘Let the Lord be glorified

so that we can see your joy! ’

But they will be put to shame."  * 66:5 Is 26:11; 44:9; 65:13

6 A sound of uproar from the city!

A voice from the temple —

the voice of the  Lord,

paying back his enemies what they deserve!  * 66:6 Is 59:18; 65:6; Jl 3:7

7 Before Zion was in labor, she gave birth;

before she was in pain, she delivered a boy.

8 Who has heard of such a thing?

Who has seen such things?

Can a land be born in one day

or a nation be delivered in an instant?

Yet as soon as Zion was in labor,

she gave birth to her sons.

9 "Will I bring a baby to the point of birth

and not deliver it? "

says the Lord;

"or will I who deliver, close the womb? "

says your God.

10 Be glad for Jerusalem and rejoice over her,

all who love her.  * 66:10 Ps 122:6; 137:6; Is 65:18

Rejoice greatly with her,

all who mourn over her —

11 so that you may nurse and be satisfied

from her comforting breast

and drink deeply and delight yourselves

from her glorious breasts.

12 For this is what the Lord says:

I will make peace flow to her like a river,  * 66:12 Ps 72:3,7; Is 48:18

and the wealth  * 66:12 Or glory of nations like a flood;  * 66:12 Is 61:6

you will nurse and be carried on her hip  * 66:12 Is 60:4–5

and bounced on her lap.

13 As a mother comforts her son,

so I will comfort you,  * 66:13 Ps 86:17; Is 40:1; 49:13; 51:13; 52:9; 2Co 1:3–4

and you will be comforted in Jerusalem.

14 You will see, you will rejoice,

and you  * 66:14 Lit your bones will flourish like grass;  * 66:14 Ps 72:16; Pr 11:28; Is 58:11

then the Lord’s power will be revealed to his servants,

but he will show his wrath against his enemies.

15 Look, the Lord will come with fire  * 66:15 Is 33:14; Mal 3:1–2; 2Th 1:7–8; 2Pt 3:7  —

his chariots are like the whirlwind  * 66:15 Ps 68:17; Is 5:28; Hab 3:8  —

to execute his anger with fury

and his rebuke with flames of fire.

16 For the Lord will execute judgment

on all humanity  * 66:16 Gn 6:12; Jr 12:12; 25:31; Ezk 20:48; 21:4–5 with his fiery sword,

and many will be slain by the  Lord.

17 "Those who dedicate and purify themselves to enter the groves  * 66:17 Is 65:3–5 following their leader,  * 66:17 Hb obscure eating meat from pigs, vermin,  * 66:17 Lit abhorrent things and rats, will perish together."

This is the  Lord’s declaration.

18 "Knowing  * 66:18 LXX, Syr; MT omits Knowing their works and their thoughts, I have come to gather all nations and languages;  * 66:18 Is 45:22–25; Jr 3:17 they will come and see my glory. 19 I will establish a sign among them, and I will send survivors from them to the nations — to Tarshish, Put,  * 66:19 LXX; MT reads Pul Lud (who are archers), Tubal, Javan,  * 66:19 Gn 10:2,5; 1Kg 10:22; Jr 46:9; Ezk 27:10,13 and the coasts and islands far away — who have not heard about me or seen my glory. And they will proclaim my glory among the nations.  * 66:19 1Ch 16:24; Ps 96:320 They will bring all your brothers from all the nations as a gift to the Lord on horses and chariots, in litters, and on mules and camels, to my holy mountain Jerusalem,"  * 66:20 Ps 2:6; Is 56:7; Ezk 20:40; Jl 3:17 says the Lord, "just as the Israelites bring an offering in a clean vessel to the house of the Lord. 21 I will also take some of them as priests and Levites,"  * 66:21 Ex 19:6; Is 61:6; 1Pt 2:5,9; Rv 1:6 says the Lord.

22 "For just as the new heavens and the new earth,  * 66:22 Is 65:17; Heb 12:26–27; 2Pt 3:13; Rv 21:1

which I will make,

will remain before me" —

this is the  Lord’s declaration —

"so your offspring and your name will remain.

23 All humanity will come to worship me

from one New Moon to another

and from one Sabbath to another,"

says the Lord.

24 "As they leave, they will see the dead bodies of those who have rebelled against me;  * 66:24 Is 1:2; 5:25; 34:3 for their worm  * 66:24 Jb 7:5; Is 14:11 will never die, their fire will never go out,  * 66:24 Mk 9:48 and they will be a horror to all humanity."  * 66:24 Dn 12:2