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Isaiah 66
New International Version

### Judgment and Hope

66 This is what the Lord says:

“Heaven is my throne,(A)
and the earth is my footstool.(B)
Where is the house(C) you will build for me?
Where will my resting place be?
2 Has not my hand made all these things,(D)
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,(E)
and who tremble at my word.(F)
3 But whoever sacrifices a bull(G)
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(H) blood,
and whoever burns memorial incense(I)
is like one who worships an idol.
They have chosen their own ways,(J)
and they delight in their abominations;(K)
4 so I also will choose harsh treatment for them
and will bring on them what they dread.(L)
For when I called, no one answered,(M)
when I spoke, no one listened.
They did evil(N) in my sight
and chose what displeases me.”(O)

5 Hear the word of the Lord,
you who tremble at his word:(P)
“Your own people who hate(Q) 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.(R)
6 Hear that uproar from the city,
hear that noise from the temple!
It is the sound(S) of the Lord
repaying(T) his enemies all they deserve.

7 “Before she goes into labor,(U)
she gives birth;
before the pains come upon her,
she delivers a son.(V)
8 Who has ever heard of such things?
Who has ever seen(W) things like this?
Can a country be born in a day(X)
or a nation be brought forth in a moment?
Yet no sooner is Zion in labor
than she gives birth to her children.(Y)
9 Do I bring to the moment of birth(Z)
and not give delivery?” says the Lord.
“Do I close up the womb
when I bring to delivery?” says your God.
10 “Rejoice(AA) with Jerusalem and be glad for her,
all you who love(AB) her;
rejoice greatly with her,
all you who mourn(AC) over her.
11 For you will nurse(AD) and be satisfied
at her comforting breasts;(AE)
you will drink deeply
and delight in her overflowing abundance.”(AF)

12 For this is what the Lord says:

“I will extend peace(AG) to her like a river,(AH)
and the wealth(AI) of nations like a flooding stream;
you will nurse and be carried(AJ) on her arm
and dandled on her knees.
13 As a mother comforts her child,(AK)
so will I comfort(AL) you;
and you will be comforted over Jerusalem.”

14 When you see this, your heart will rejoice(AM)
and you will flourish(AN) like grass;
the hand(AO) of the Lord will be made known to his servants,(AP)
but his fury(AQ) will be shown to his foes.
15 See, the Lord is coming with fire,(AR)
and his chariots(AS) are like a whirlwind;(AT)
he will bring down his anger with fury,
and his rebuke(AU) with flames of fire.
16 For with fire(AV) and with his sword(AW)
the Lord will execute judgment(AX) on all people,
and many will be those slain(AY) by the Lord.

17 “Those who consecrate and purify themselves to go into the gardens,(AZ) following one who is among those who eat the flesh of pigs,(BA) rats(BB) and other unclean things—they will meet their end(BC) together with the one they follow,” declares the Lord.

18 “And I, because of what they have planned and done,(BD) am about to come[a] and gather the people of all nations(BE) and languages, and they will come and see my glory.(BF)

19 “I will set a sign(BG) among them, and I will send some of those who survive(BH) to the nations—to Tarshish,(BI) to the Libyans[b] and Lydians(BJ) (famous as archers), to Tubal(BK) and Greece,(BL) and to the distant islands(BM) that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory.(BN) They will proclaim my glory among the nations. 20 And they will bring(BO) all your people, from all the nations, to my holy mountain(BP) in Jerusalem as an offering to the Lord—on horses, in chariots and wagons, and on mules and camels,”(BQ) says the Lord. “They will bring them, as the Israelites bring their grain offerings, to the temple of the Lord in ceremonially clean vessels.(BR) 21 And I will select some of them also to be priests(BS) and Levites,” says the Lord.

22 “As the new heavens and the new earth(BT) that I make will endure before me,” declares the Lord, “so will your name and descendants endure.(BU) 23 From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath(BV) to another, all mankind will come and bow down(BW) before me,” says the Lord. 24 “And they will go out and look on the dead bodies(BX) of those who rebelled(BY) against me; the worms(BZ) that eat them will not die, the fire that burns them will not be quenched,(CA) and they will be loathsome to all mankind.”

#### Footnotes

1. Isaiah 66:18 The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain.
2. Isaiah 66:19 Some Septuagint manuscripts Put (Libyans); Hebrew Pul

#### Cross references

1. Isaiah 66:1 : S 2Ch 6:18; S Ps 2:4; S 9:7; Mt 23:22
2. Isaiah 66:1 : S 1Ki 8:27; Mt 5:34-35
3. Isaiah 66:1 : S 2Sa 7:7; Jn 4:20-21; Ac 7:49*; 17:24
4. Isaiah 66:2 : S Isa 40:26; Ac 7:50*; 17:24
5. Isaiah 66:2 : S Isa 57:15; Mt 5:3-4; Lk 18:13-14
6. Isaiah 66:2 : S Ezr 9:4
7. Isaiah 66:3 : S Isa 1:11
8. Isaiah 66:3 : S Lev 11:7
9. Isaiah 66:3 : S Lev 2:2
10. Isaiah 66:3 : S Isa 57:17
11. Isaiah 66:3 : ver 17; S Dt 27:15; Eze 8:9-13
12. Isaiah 66:4 : S Pr 10:24; S Isa 10:12
13. Isaiah 66:4 : S 1Sa 8:19; S Isa 41:28
14. Isaiah 66:4 : 2Ki 21:2, 4, 6; Isa 59:12
15. Isaiah 66:4 : S Isa 65:12
16. Isaiah 66:5 : S Ezr 9:4
17. Isaiah 66:5 : Ps 38:20; Isa 60:15; Jn 15:21
18. Isaiah 66:5 : S Isa 44:9; Lk 13:17
19. Isaiah 66:6 : S 1Sa 2:10; S Ps 68:33
20. Isaiah 66:6 : S Lev 26:28; Isa 65:6; Joel 3:7
21. Isaiah 66:7 : S Isa 54:1
22. Isaiah 66:7 : Rev 12:5
23. Isaiah 66:8 : Isa 64:4; Jer 18:13
24. Isaiah 66:8 : S Isa 49:20
25. Isaiah 66:8 : S Isa 49:21
26. Isaiah 66:9 : S Isa 37:3
27. Isaiah 66:10 : S Dt 32:43; S Isa 25:9; Ro 15:10
28. Isaiah 66:10 : S Ps 26:8
29. Isaiah 66:10 : Isa 57:19; 61:2
30. Isaiah 66:11 : S Nu 11:12; S Isa 60:16
31. Isaiah 66:11 : Ge 49:25
32. Isaiah 66:11 : S Nu 25:1; S Isa 25:6
33. Isaiah 66:12 : S Ps 119:165; S Isa 9:6
34. Isaiah 66:12 : S Isa 33:21
35. Isaiah 66:12 : Ps 72:3; Isa 60:5; 61:6
36. Isaiah 66:12 : S Nu 11:12; Isa 60:4
37. Isaiah 66:13 : S Isa 49:15; 1Th 2:7
38. Isaiah 66:13 : S Isa 40:1; S 2Co 1:4
39. Isaiah 66:14 : S Isa 25:9; S 60:5; S Joel 2:23
40. Isaiah 66:14 : S Ps 72:16
41. Isaiah 66:14 : S Ezr 5:5; S Isa 41:20
42. Isaiah 66:14 : S Isa 54:17
43. Isaiah 66:14 : S Isa 10:5; S 30:27
44. Isaiah 66:15 : S Isa 1:31; S 42:25
45. Isaiah 66:15 : S 2Ki 2:11; S Ps 68:17
46. Isaiah 66:15 : S 2Ki 2:1
47. Isaiah 66:15 : S Dt 28:20; S Ps 9:5; S 39:11
48. Isaiah 66:16 : Isa 30:30; Am 7:4; Mal 4:1
49. Isaiah 66:16 : S Isa 1:20; S 27:1; S Eze 14:21
50. Isaiah 66:16 : S Isa 13:9, 11; S Jer 2:35; S Eze 36:5
51. Isaiah 66:16 : S Isa 10:4
52. Isaiah 66:17 : S Isa 1:29
53. Isaiah 66:17 : S Lev 11:7
54. Isaiah 66:17 : Lev 11:29
55. Isaiah 66:17 : Ps 37:20; Isa 1:28
56. Isaiah 66:18 : S Pr 24:2; S Isa 65:2
57. Isaiah 66:18 : S Isa 2:3; S Zec 12:3
58. Isaiah 66:18 : S Ex 16:7; S Isa 59:19
59. Isaiah 66:19 : Isa 11:10; 49:22; Mt 24:30
60. Isaiah 66:19 : S 2Ki 19:31
61. Isaiah 66:19 : S Isa 2:16
62. Isaiah 66:19 : Jer 46:9; Eze 27:10
63. Isaiah 66:19 : S Ge 10:2
64. Isaiah 66:19 : Jer 31:10; Da 11:18
65. Isaiah 66:19 : Isa 11:11
66. Isaiah 66:19 : S 1Ch 16:24; S Isa 24:15
67. Isaiah 66:20 : S Isa 11:12; S Jer 25:22; Eze 34:13
68. Isaiah 66:20 : S Dt 33:19; S Isa 2:2; Jer 31:23
69. Isaiah 66:20 : S Ezr 2:66
70. Isaiah 66:20 : Isa 52:11
71. Isaiah 66:21 : S Ex 19:6; 1Pe 2:5, 9
72. Isaiah 66:22 : S Isa 65:17; Heb 12:26-27; S 2Pe 3:13
73. Isaiah 66:22 : S Isa 48:19; Jn 10:27-29; 1Pe 1:4-5
74. Isaiah 66:23 : Eze 46:1-3
75. Isaiah 66:23 : S Ps 22:29; S Isa 19:21; S 44:5; Rev 15:4
76. Isaiah 66:24 : S Ps 110:6
77. Isaiah 66:24 : S Isa 1:2
78. Isaiah 66:24 : S Isa 14:11
79. Isaiah 66:24 : S Isa 1:31; S Mt 25:41; Mk 9:48*

New International Version (NIV)

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