Isaiah 64-66

New International Version

64 ^[a]Oh, that you would rend the heavens^(A) and come down,^(B)
    that the mountains^(C) would tremble before you!
² As when fire sets twigs ablaze
    and causes water to boil,
come down to make your name^(D) known to your enemies
    and cause the nations to quake^(E) before you!
³ For when you did awesome^(F) things that we did not expect,
    you came down, and the mountains trembled^(G) before you.
⁴ Since ancient times no one has heard,
    no ear has perceived,
no eye has seen any God besides you,^(H)
    who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.^(I)
5 You come to the help of those who gladly do right,^(J)
    who remember your ways.
But when we continued to sin against them,
    you were angry.^(K)
    How then can we be saved?
⁶ All of us have become like one who is unclean,^(L)
    and all our righteous^(M) acts are like filthy rags;
we all shrivel up like a leaf,^(N)
    and like the wind our sins sweep us away.^(O)
7 No one^(P) calls on your name^(Q)
    or strives to lay hold of you;
for you have hidden^(R) your face from us
    and have given us over^(S) to^[b] our sins.

⁸ Yet you, Lord, are our Father.^(T)
    We are the clay, you are the potter;^(U)
    we are all the work of your hand.^(V)
9 Do not be angry^(W) beyond measure, Lord;
    do not remember our sins^(X) forever.
Oh, look on us, we pray,
    for we are all your people.^(Y)
10 Your sacred cities^(Z) have become a wasteland;
    even Zion is a wasteland, Jerusalem a desolation.^(AA)
11 Our holy and glorious temple,^(AB) where our ancestors praised you,
    has been burned with fire,
    and all that we treasured^(AC) lies in ruins.
¹² After all this, Lord, will you hold yourself back?^(AD)
    Will you keep silent^(AE) and punish us beyond measure?

⁶ “See, it stands written before me:
    I will not keep silent^(AR) but will pay back^(AS) in full;
    I will pay it back into their laps^(AT)—
⁷ both your sins^(AU) and the sins of your ancestors,”^(AV)
    says the Lord.
“Because they burned sacrifices on the mountains
    and defied me on the hills,^(AW)
I will measure into their laps
    the full payment^(AX) for their former deeds.”

“As when juice is still found in a cluster of grapes^(AY)
    and people say, ‘Don’t destroy it,
    there is still a blessing in it,’
so will I do in behalf of my servants;^(AZ)
    I will not destroy them all.
⁹ I will bring forth descendants^(BA) from Jacob,
    and from Judah those who will possess^(BB) my mountains;
my chosen^(BC) people will inherit them,
    and there will my servants live.^(BD)
10 Sharon^(BE) will become a pasture for flocks,^(BF)
    and the Valley of Achor^(BG) a resting place for herds,
    for my people who seek^(BH) me.

¹¹ “But as for you who forsake^(BI) the Lord
    and forget my holy mountain,^(BJ)
who spread a table for Fortune
    and fill bowls of mixed wine^(BK) for Destiny,
¹² I will destine you for the sword,^(BL)
    and all of you will fall in the slaughter;^(BM)
for I called but you did not answer,^(BN)
    I spoke but you did not listen.^(BO)
You did evil in my sight
    and chose what displeases me.”^(BP)

“My servants will eat,^(BQ)
    but you will go hungry;^(BR)
my servants will drink,^(BS)
    but you will go thirsty;^(BT)
my servants will rejoice,^(BU)
    but you will be put to shame.^(BV)
14 My servants will sing^(BW)
    out of the joy of their hearts,
but you will cry out^(BX)
    from anguish of heart
    and wail in brokenness of spirit.
¹⁵ You will leave your name
    for my chosen ones to use in their curses;^(BY)
the Sovereign Lord will put you to death,
    but to his servants he will give another name.^(BZ)
16 Whoever invokes a blessing^(CA) in the land
    will do so by the one true God;^(CB)
whoever takes an oath in the land
    will swear^(CC) by the one true God.
For the past troubles^(CD) will be forgotten
    and hidden from my eyes.

²⁰ “Never again will there be in it
    an infant^(CL) who lives but a few days,
    or an old man who does not live out his years;^(CM)
the one who dies at a hundred
    will be thought a mere child;
the one who fails to reach^[c] a hundred
    will be considered accursed.
²¹ They will build houses^(CN) and dwell in them;
    they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.^(CO)
22 No longer will they build houses and others live in them,^(CP)
    or plant and others eat.
For as the days of a tree,^(CQ)
    so will be the days^(CR) of my people;
my chosen^(CS) ones will long enjoy
    the work of their hands.
²³ They will not labor in vain,^(CT)
    nor will they bear children doomed to misfortune;^(CU)
for they will be a people blessed^(CV) by the Lord,
    they and their descendants^(CW) with them.
²⁴ Before they call^(CX) I will answer;^(CY)
    while they are still speaking^(CZ) I will hear.
²⁵ The wolf and the lamb^(DA) will feed together,
    and the lion will eat straw like the ox,^(DB)
    and dust will be the serpent’s^(DC) food.
They will neither harm nor destroy
    on all my holy mountain,”^(DD)
says the Lord.

“Heaven is my throne,^(DE)
    and the earth is my footstool.^(DF)
Where is the house^(DG) you will build for me?
    Where will my resting place be?
² Has not my hand made all these things,^(DH)
    and so they came into being?”
declares the Lord.

“These are the ones I look on with favor:
    those who are humble and contrite in spirit,^(DI)
    and who tremble at my word.^(DJ)
3 But whoever sacrifices a bull^(DK)
    is like one who kills a person,
and whoever offers a lamb
    is like one who breaks a dog’s neck;
whoever makes a grain offering
    is like one who presents pig’s^(DL) blood,
and whoever burns memorial incense^(DM)
    is like one who worships an idol.
They have chosen their own ways,^(DN)
    and they delight in their abominations;^(DO)
4 so I also will choose harsh treatment for them
    and will bring on them what they dread.^(DP)
For when I called, no one answered,^(DQ)
    when I spoke, no one listened.
They did evil^(DR) in my sight
    and chose what displeases me.”^(DS)

⁵ Hear the word of the Lord,
    you who tremble at his word:^(DT)
“Your own people who hate^(DU) you,
    and exclude you because of my name, have said,
‘Let the Lord be glorified,
    that we may see your joy!’
    Yet they will be put to shame.^(DV)
6 Hear that uproar from the city,
    hear that noise from the temple!
It is the sound^(DW) of the Lord
    repaying^(DX) his enemies all they deserve.

⁷ “Before she goes into labor,^(DY)
    she gives birth;
before the pains come upon her,
    she delivers a son.^(DZ)
8 Who has ever heard of such things?
    Who has ever seen^(EA) things like this?
Can a country be born in a day^(EB)
    or a nation be brought forth in a moment?
Yet no sooner is Zion in labor
    than she gives birth to her children.^(EC)
9 Do I bring to the moment of birth^(ED)
    and not give delivery?” says the Lord.
“Do I close up the womb
    when I bring to delivery?” says your God.
¹⁰ “Rejoice^(EE) with Jerusalem and be glad for her,
    all you who love^(EF) her;
rejoice greatly with her,
    all you who mourn^(EG) over her.
¹¹ For you will nurse^(EH) and be satisfied
    at her comforting breasts;^(EI)
you will drink deeply
    and delight in her overflowing abundance.”^(EJ)

“I will extend peace^(EK) to her like a river,^(EL)
    and the wealth^(EM) of nations like a flooding stream;
you will nurse and be carried^(EN) on her arm
    and dandled on her knees.
¹³ As a mother comforts her child,^(EO)
    so will I comfort^(EP) you;
    and you will be comforted over Jerusalem.”

¹⁴ When you see this, your heart will rejoice^(EQ)
    and you will flourish^(ER) like grass;
the hand^(ES) of the Lord will be made known to his servants,^(ET)
    but his fury^(EU) will be shown to his foes.
¹⁵ See, the Lord is coming with fire,^(EV)
    and his chariots^(EW) are like a whirlwind;^(EX)
he will bring down his anger with fury,
    and his rebuke^(EY) with flames of fire.
¹⁶ For with fire^(EZ) and with his sword^(FA)
    the Lord will execute judgment^(FB) on all people,
    and many will be those slain^(FC) by the Lord.