1. This is what the Lord says:‘Heaven is my throne,and the earth is my footstool.Where is the house you will build for me?Where will my resting place be?
2. Has not my hand made all these things,and so they came into being?’declares the Lord.‘These are the ones I look on with favour:those who are humble and contrite in spirit,and who tremble at my word.
3. But whoever sacrifices a bullis like one who kills a person,and whoever offers a lambis like one who breaks a dog’s neck;whoever makes a grain offeringis like one who presents pig’s blood,and whoever burns memorial incenseis like one who worships an idol.They have chosen their own ways,and they delight in their abominations;
4. so I also will choose harsh treatment for themand will bring on them what they dread.For when I called, no one answered,when I spoke, no one listened.They did evil in my sightand chose what displeases me.’
5. Hear the word of the Lord,you who tremble at his word;‘Your own people who hate 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.
6. Hear that uproar from the city,hear that noise from the temple!It is the sound of the Lordrepaying his enemies all they deserve.
7. ‘Before she goes into labour,she gives birth;before the pains come upon her,she delivers a son.
8. Who has ever heard of such things?Who has ever seen things like this?Can a country be born in a dayor a nation be brought forth in a moment?Yet no sooner is Zion in labourthan she gives birth to her children.
9. Do I bring to the moment of birthand not give delivery?’ says the Lord.‘Do I close up the wombwhen I bring to delivery?’ says your God.
10. ‘Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad for her,all you who love her;rejoice greatly with her,all you who mourn over her.
11. For you will feed and be satisfiedat her comforting breasts;you will drink deeplyand delight in her overflowing abundance.’
12. For this is what the Lord says:‘I will extend peace to her like a river,and the wealth of nations like a flooding stream;you will feed and be carried on her armand dandled on her knees.
13. As a mother comforts her child,so will I comfort you;and you will be comforted over Jerusalem.’
14. When you see this, your heart will rejoiceand you will flourish like grass;the hand of the Lord will be made known to his servants,but his fury will be shown to his foes.
15. See, the Lord is coming with fire,and his chariots are like a whirlwind;he will bring down his anger with fury,and his rebuke with flames of fire.
16. For with fire and with his swordthe Lord will execute judgment on all people,and many will be those slain by the Lord.
17. ‘Those who consecrate and purify themselves to go into the gardens, following one who is among those who eat the flesh of pigs, rats and other unclean things – they will meet their end together with the one they follow,’ declares the Lord.
18. ‘And I, because of what they have planned and done, am about to come and gather the people of all nations and languages, and they will come and see my glory.
19. ‘I will set a sign among them, and I will send some of those who survive to the nations – to Tarshish, to the Libyans and Lydians (famous as archers), to Tubal and Greece, and to the distant islands that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory. They will proclaim my glory among the nations.
20. And they will bring all your people, from all the nations, to my holy mountain in Jerusalem as an offering to the Lord – on horses, in chariots and wagons, and on mules and camels,’ says the Lord. ‘They will bring them, as the Israelites bring their grain offerings, to the temple of the Lord in ceremonially clean vessels.
21. And I will select some of them also to be priests and Levites,’ says the Lord.
22. ‘As the new heavens and the new earth that I make will endure before me,’ declares the Lord, ‘so will your name and descendants endure.
23. From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come and bow down before me,’ says the Lord.
24. ‘And they will go out and look on the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me; the worms that eat them will not die, the fire that burns them will not be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind.’Footnotes for the Book of Isaiaha 9 Or not raise them upb 16 Hebrew every ship of Tarshisha 10 Or a vineyard of four hectaresb 10 That is, about 22 litresc 10 That is, probably about 160 kilogramsd 10 That is, probably about 16 kilogramse 17 Septuagint; Hebrew / strangers will eata 2 Or has set up camp inb 3 Shear-Jashub means a remnant will return.c 14 The Hebrew is plural.d 14 Or young womane 14 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scrolls son, and he or son, and theyf 14 Immanuel means God with us.g 23 That is, about 12 kilogramsa In Hebrew texts 9:1 is numbered 8:23, and 9:2-21 is numbered 9:1-20.b 20 or arma 6 Hebrew; Septuagint lion will feedb 11 That is, the upper Nile regionc 11 Hebrew Shinard 13 Or hostilitya 6 Hebrew Shaddaib 19 Or Chaldeansa 9 Dimon, a wordplay on Dibon (see verse 2) sounds like the Hebrew for blood.a 8 That is, wooden symbols of the goddess Asheraha 18 Some manuscripts of the Masoretic Text, Dead Sea Scrolls, Symmachus and Vulgate; most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text City of Destructionb 24 Or Assyria, whose names will be used in blessings (see Gen. 48:20); or Assyria, who will be seen by others as blesseda 8 Dead Sea Scrolls and Syriac; Masoretic Text A lionb 11 Dumah, a word play on Edom, means silence or stillness.a 2,3 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scrolls Sidon, / who cross over the sea; / your envoys 3are on the great waters. / The grain of the Shihor, / the harvest of the Nile,b 10 Dead Sea Scrolls and some Septuagint manuscripts; Masoretic Text Go throughc 13 Or Chaldeansa 11 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.a 8 See Septuagint; the meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.b 9 That is, wooden symbols of the goddess Asheraha 2 The Hebrew for altar hearth sounds like the Hebrew for Ariel.b 13 Hebrew; Septuagint They worship me in vain; / their teachings are merely human rulesa 2 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them; also in verse 5.b 11 The precise identification of these birds is uncertain.a 9 That is, the upper Nile regionb 20 Dead Sea Scrolls (see also 2 Kings 19:19); Masoretic Text you alone are the Lordc 25 Dead Sea Scrolls (see also 2 Kings 19:24); Masoretic Text does not have, in foreign lands.d 27 Some manuscripts of the Masoretic Text, Dead Sea Scrolls and some Septuagint manuscripts (see also 2 Kings 19:26); most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text roof / and terraced fieldsa 2 Or east, / whom victory meets at every stepa 2 Jeshurun means the upright one, that is, Israel.a 1 Or are but beasts and cattlea 14 Or Chaldeans; also in verse 20a 19 Dead Sea Scrolls, Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac; Masoretic Text / how can Ia 8 Or From arrestb 8 Or generation considered / that he was cut off from the land of the living, / that he was punished for the transgression of my people?c 10 Hebrew though you maked 11 Dead Sea Scrolls (see also Septuagint); Masoretic Text does not have the light of life.e 11 Or (with Masoretic Text) 11He will see the fruit of his suffering / and will be satisfiedf 11 Or by knowledge of himg 12 Or manyh 12 Or numerousa 9 Or to the kingb 9 Or idolsa 19 Or When enemies come in like a flood, / the Spirit of the Lord will put them to flighta 1 Hebrew; Septuagint the blinda 9 Or Saviour9in their distress. / It was no envoy or angel / but his own presence that saved themb 11 Or But may he recallc 19 Or We are like those you have never ruled, / like those never calleda 20 Or the sinner who reaches