Isaiah

66 This is what Jehovah has said: “The heavens are my throne,+ and the earth is my footstool.+ Where, then, is the house that YOU people can build for me,+ and where, then, is the place as a resting-place for me?”+

2 “Now all these things my own hand has made, so that all these came to be,”*+ is the utterance of Jehovah. “To this one, then, I shall look, to the one afflicted and contrite in spirit+ and trembling at* my word.+

3 “The one slaughtering the bull is as one striking down a man.*+ The one sacrificing the sheep is as one breaking the neck of a dog.+ The one offering up a gift—the blood of a pig!+ The one presenting a memorial of frankincense+ is as one saying a blessing with uncanny words.*+ They are also the ones that have chosen their own ways, and in their disgusting things their very soul has taken a delight.+ 4 I myself, in turn, shall choose ways of ill-treating them;+ and the things frightful to them I shall bring upon them;+ for the reason that I called, but there was no one answering; I spoke, but there were none that listened;+ and they kept on doing what was bad in my eyes, and the thing in which I took no delight they chose.”+

5 Hear the word of Jehovah, YOU men who are trembling at his word:+ “YOUR brothers that are hating YOU,+ that are excluding YOU by reason of my name,+ said, ‘May Jehovah be glorified!’+ He must also appear with rejoicing on YOUR part,+ and they are the ones that will be put to shame.”+

6 There is a sound of uproar out of the city, a sound out of the temple!+ It is the sound of Jehovah repaying what is deserved to his enemies.+

7 Before she began to come into labor pains she gave birth.+ Before birth pangs could come to her, she even gave deliverance to a male child.+ 8 Who has heard of a thing like this?+ Who has seen things like these?+ Will a land+ be brought forth with labor pains in one day?+ Or will a nation+ be born at one time?*+ For Zion has come into labor pains as well as given birth to her sons.

9 “As for me, shall I cause the breaking through and not cause the giving birth?”+ says Jehovah. “Or am I causing a giving birth and do I actually cause a shutting up?” your* God* has said.

10 Rejoice with Jerusalem and be joyful with her,+ all YOU lovers of her.+ Exult greatly with her, all YOU keeping yourselves in mourning over her;+ 11 for the reason that YOU will suck and certainly get satisfaction from the breast of full consolation by her;* for the reason that YOU will sip and experience exquisite delight from the teat of her glory.+ 12 For this is what Jehovah has said: “Here I am extending to her peace just like a river+ and the glory of nations just like a flooding torrent,+ and YOU will certainly suck.+ Upon the flank YOU will be carried, and upon the knees YOU will be fondled.+ 13 Like a man* whom his own mother keeps comforting, so I myself shall keep comforting YOU people;+ and in the case of Jerusalem YOU will be comforted.+ 14 And YOU will certainly see, and YOUR heart will be bound to exult,+ and YOUR very bones+ will sprout just like tender grass.+ And the hand of Jehovah will certainly be made known to his servants,+ but he will actually denounce his enemies.”+

15 “For here Jehovah himself comes as a very fire,+ and his chariots are like a storm wind,+ in order to pay back his anger with sheer rage and his rebuke with flames of fire.+ 16 For as fire Jehovah himself will for a fact take up the controversy, yes, with his sword,+ against all flesh; and the slain of Jehovah will certainly become many.+ 17 Those sanctifying themselves and cleansing themselves for the gardens+ behind one* in the center, eating the flesh of the pig+ and the loathsome thing, even the jumping rodent,*+ they will all together reach their end,” is the utterance of Jehovah. 18 “And as regards their works+ and their thoughts,+ I am coming in order to collect all the nations and tongues together;+ and they will have to come and see my glory.”+

19 “And I will set among them a sign,*+ and I will send some of those who are escaped to the nations,+ [to] Tarʹshish,+ Pul,* and Lud,+ those drawing the bow,* Tuʹbal and Jaʹvan,+ the faraway islands,*+ who have not heard a report about me or seen my glory;+ and they will for certain tell about my glory among the nations.+ 20 And they will actually bring all YOUR brothers out of all the nations+ as a gift to Jehovah,+ on horses and in chariots and in covered wagons and on mules and on swift she-camels,+ up to my holy mountain,*+ Jerusalem,” Jehovah has said, “just as when the sons of Israel bring the gift in a clean vessel into the house of Jehovah.”+

21 “And from them also I shall take some for the priests, for the Levites,”* Jehovah has said.

22 “For just as the new heavens+ and the new earth+ that I am making are standing before me,”+ is the utterance of Jehovah, “so the offspring* of YOU people+ and the name of YOU people will keep standing.”+

23 “And it will certainly occur that from new moon to new moon* and from sabbath to sabbath* all flesh will come in to bow down before me,”+ Jehovah has said. 24 “And they will actually go forth and look upon the carcasses of the men* that were transgressing against me;+ for the very worms upon them* will not die and their fire itself will not be extinguished,+ and they must become something repulsive to all flesh.”+