Isaiah 66

New American Standard Bible 1995

“^(A)Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool.
Where then is a ^(B)house you could build for Me?
And where is a place that ^[a]I may rest?
² “For ^(C)My hand made all these things,
Thus all these things came into being,” declares the Lord.
“But to this one I will look,
To him who is humble and ^(D)contrite of spirit, and who ^(E)trembles at My word.

³ “But he who kills an ox is like one who slays a man;
He who sacrifices a lamb is like the one who breaks a dog’s neck;
He who offers a grain offering is like one who offers ^(F)swine’s blood;
He who ^[b](G)burns incense is like the one who blesses an idol.
As they have chosen their ^(H)own ways,
And their soul delights in their ^(I)abominations,
⁴ So I will ^(J)choose their ^[c]punishments
And will ^(K)bring on them what they dread.
Because I called, but ^(L)no one answered;
I spoke, but they did not listen.
And they did ^(M)evil in My sight
And chose that in which I did not delight.”
⁵ Hear the word of the Lord, you who ^(N)tremble at His word:
“Your brothers who ^(O)hate you, who ^(P)exclude you for My name’s sake,
Have said, ‘Let the Lord be glorified, that we may see your joy.’
But ^(Q)they will be put to shame.
⁶ “A voice of uproar from the city, a voice from the temple,
The voice of the Lord who is ^(R)rendering recompense to His enemies.

¹⁰ “Be ^(W)joyful with Jerusalem and rejoice for her, all you who ^(X)love her;
Be exceedingly ^(Y)glad with her, all you who mourn over her,
¹¹ That you may nurse and ^(Z)be satisfied with her comforting breasts,
That you may suck and be delighted with her ^(AA)bountiful bosom.”
¹² For thus says the Lord, “Behold, I extend ^(AB)peace to her like a river,
And the ^(AC)glory of the nations like an overflowing stream;
And you will ^[e]be nursed, you will be ^(AD)carried on the ^[f]hip and fondled on the knees.
¹³ “As one whom his mother comforts, so I will ^(AE)comfort you;
And you will be comforted in Jerusalem.”
¹⁴ Then you will ^(AF)see this, and your ^(AG)heart will be glad,
And your ^(AH)bones will flourish like the new grass;
And the ^(AI)hand of the Lord will be made known to His servants,
But He will be ^(AJ)indignant toward His enemies.
¹⁵ For behold, the Lord will come in ^(AK)fire
And His ^(AL)chariots like the whirlwind,
To render His anger with fury,
And His rebuke with flames of fire.
¹⁶ For the Lord will execute judgment by ^(AM)fire
And by His ^(AN)sword on all flesh,
And those slain by the Lord will be many.
¹⁷ “Those who sanctify and purify themselves to go to the ^(AO)gardens,
^[g]Following one in the center,
Who eat ^(AP)swine’s flesh, detestable things and mice,
Will ^(AQ)come to an end altogether,” declares the Lord.

²² “For just as the ^(BD)new heavens and the new earth
Which I make will endure before Me,” declares the Lord,
“So your ^(BE)offspring and your ^(BF)name will endure.
²³ “And it shall be from ^(BG)new moon to new moon
And from sabbath to sabbath,
All ^[m]mankind will come to ^(BH)bow down before Me,” says the Lord.
²⁴ “Then they will go forth and look
On the ^(BI)corpses of the men
Who have ^[n](BJ)transgressed against Me.
For their ^(BK)worm will not die
^(BL)And their fire will not be quenched;
And they will be an ^(BM)abhorrence to all ^[o]mankind.”