Jesaja 66,24 | New International Reader’s Version

The Lord judges some people and blesses others

1 The LORD says, ‘Heaven is my throne. The earth is under my control. So how could you ever build a house for me? Where would my resting place be? 2 Didn’t I make everything by my power? That is how all things were created,’ announces the LORD. ‘The people I value are not proud. They are sorry for the wrong things they have done. They have great respect for what I say. 3 But others are not like that. They sacrifice bulls to me, but at the same time they kill people. They offer lambs to me, but they also sacrifice dogs to other gods. They bring grain offerings to me, but they also offer pig’s blood to other gods. They burn incense to me, but they also worship statues of gods. They have chosen to go their own way. They take delight in things I hate. 4 So I have also made a choice. I will make them suffer greatly. I will bring on them what they are afraid of. When I called out to them, no one answered me. When I spoke to them, no one listened. They did what is evil in my sight. They chose to do what displeases me.’ 5 Listen to the word of the LORD. Listen, you who tremble with fear when he speaks. He says, ‘Some of your own people hate you. They turn their backs on you because you are faithful to me. They make fun of you and say, “Let the LORD show his glory by saving you. Then we can see how happy you are.” But they will be put to shame. 6 Hear the loud sounds coming from the city! Listen to the noise coming from the temple! I am the one causing it. I am paying back my enemies for everything they have done. 7 ‘Zion is like a woman who has a baby before she goes into labour. She has a son even before her labour pains begin. 8 Who has ever heard of anything like that? Who has ever seen such a thing? Can a country be born in a day? Can a nation be created in a moment? But as soon as Zion goes into labour, there are many more of her people. 9 Zion, would I bring you to the moment of birth and not let it happen?’ says the LORD. ‘Would I close up a mother’s body when it is time for her baby to be born?’ says your God. 10 ‘Be glad along with Jerusalem, all you who love her. Be filled with joy because of her. Take great delight in her, all you who mourn over her. 11 You will feed at her comforting breasts. And you will be satisfied. You will drink until you are full. And you will delight in her rich and plentiful supply.’ 12 The LORD continues, ‘I will cause peace to flow over her like a river. I will make the wealth of nations sweep over her like a flooding stream. You will feed and be carried in her arms. You will play on her lap. 13 As a mother comforts her child, I will comfort you. You will find comfort in Jerusalem.’ 14 When you see that happen, your hearts will be filled with joy. Just as grass grows quickly, you will succeed. The LORD will show his power to those who serve him. But he will pour out his anger on his enemies. 15 The LORD will judge them with fire. His chariots are coming like a violent storm. He will pour out his burning anger on his enemies. It will blaze out like flames of fire. 16 The LORD will judge with fire and with his sword. He will judge all people. He will put many people to death. 17 ‘Some people set themselves apart and make themselves pure. They do it so they can go into the gardens to worship other gods. They follow what the worship leader tells them to do. They are among those who eat the meat of pigs and rats. They also eat other “unclean” things. Those people and the one they follow will come to a horrible end,’ announces the LORD. 18 ‘They have planned to do many evil things. And they have carried out their plans. So I will come and gather the people of every nation and language. They will see my glory when I act. 19 ‘I will give them a sign. I will send to the nations some of those who are left alive. I will send some of them to the people of Tarshish, Libya and Lydia, who are famous for using bows. I will send others to Tubal and Greece. And I will send still others to islands far away. The people who live there have not heard about my fame. They have not seen my glory. But when I act, those I send will tell the nations about my glory. 20 And they will bring back all the people of Israel from all those nations. They will bring them to my holy mountain in Jerusalem. My people will ride on horses, mules and camels. They will come in chariots and wagons,’ says the LORD. ‘Those messengers will bring my people as an offering to me. They will bring them to my temple, just as the Israelites bring their grain offerings in bowls that are “clean”. 21 And I will choose some of them to be priests and Levites,’ says the LORD. 22 ‘I will make new heavens and a new earth. And they will last for ever,’ announces the LORD. ‘In the same way, your name and your children after you will last for ever. 23 Everyone will come and bow down to me. They will do it at every New Moon feast and on every Sabbath day,’ says the LORD. 24 ‘When they go out of Jerusalem, they will see the dead bodies of those who refused to obey me. The worms that eat their bodies will not die. The fire that burns them will not be put out. It will make everyone sick just to look at them.’

English Standard Version

The Humble and Contrite in Spirit

1 Thus says the Lord: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest? 2 All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the Lord. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word. 3 “He who slaughters an ox is like one who kills a man; he who sacrifices a lamb, like one who breaks a dog’s neck; he who presents a grain offering, like one who offers pig’s blood; he who makes a memorial offering of frankincense, like one who blesses an idol. These have chosen their own ways, and their soul delights in their abominations; 4 I also will choose harsh treatment for them and bring their fears upon them, because when I called, no one answered, when I spoke, they did not listen; but they did what was evil in my eyes and chose that in which I did not delight.” 5 Hear the word of the Lord, you who tremble at his word: “Your brothers who hate you and cast you out for my name’s sake have said, ‘Let the Lord be glorified, that we may see your joy’; but it is they who shall be put to shame. 6 “The sound of an uproar from the city! A sound from the temple! The sound of the Lord, rendering recompense to his enemies!

Rejoice with Jerusalem

7 “Before she was in labor she gave birth; before her pain came upon her she delivered a son. 8 Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall a land be born in one day? Shall a nation be brought forth in one moment? For as soon as Zion was in labor she brought forth her children. 9 Shall I bring to the point of birth and not cause to bring forth?” says the Lord; “shall I, who cause to bring forth, shut the womb?” says your God. 10 “Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her, all you who love her; rejoice with her in joy, all you who mourn over her; 11 that you may nurse and be satisfied from her consoling breast; that you may drink deeply with delight from her glorious abundance.”* 12 For thus says the Lord: “Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream; and you shall nurse, you shall be carried upon her hip, and bounced upon her knees. 13 As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem. 14 You shall see, and your heart shall rejoice; your bones shall flourish like the grass; and the hand of the Lord shall be known to his servants, and he shall show his indignation against his enemies.

Final Judgment and Glory of the Lord

15 “For behold, the Lord will come in fire, and his chariots like the whirlwind, to render his anger in fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. 16 For by fire will the Lord enter into judgment, and by his sword, with all flesh; and those slain by the Lord shall be many. 17 “Those who sanctify and purify themselves to go into the gardens, following one in the midst, eating pig’s flesh and the abomination and mice, shall come to an end together, declares the Lord. 18 “For I know* their works and their thoughts, and the time is coming* to gather all nations and tongues. And they shall come and shall see my glory, 19 and I will set a sign among them. And from them I will send survivors to the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands far away, that have not heard my fame or seen my glory. And they shall declare my glory among the nations. 20 And they shall bring all your brothers from all the nations as an offering to the Lord, on horses and in chariots and in litters and on mules and on dromedaries, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, says the Lord, just as the Israelites bring their grain offering in a clean vessel to the house of the Lord. 21 And some of them also I will take for priests and for Levites, says the Lord. 22 “For as the new heavens and the new earth that I make shall remain before me, says the Lord, so shall your offspring and your name remain. 23 From new moon to new moon, and from Sabbath to Sabbath, all flesh shall come to worship before me, declares the Lord. 24 “And they shall go out and look on the dead bodies of the men who have rebelled against me. For their worm shall not die, their fire shall not be quenched, and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.”

Jesaja 66,24 | New International Reader’s Version English Standard Version

The Lord judges some people and blesses others

The Humble and Contrite in Spirit

Rejoice with Jerusalem

Final Judgment and Glory of the Lord