Isa 66 | NASB1995 | STEP | Thus says the Lord , “ Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool . Where then is a house you could build for Me? And where is a place that I may rest ?

‏ Isaiah 66

Heaven Is God’s Throne

1 Thus says the Lord, ^a“Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool.
Where then is a ^bhouse you could build for Me?
And where is a place that ^{▼▼ Lit is My resting place?}I may rest?
2 “For ^dMy 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 ^econtrite of spirit, and who ^ftrembles at My word.

Hypocrisy Rebuked

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 ^gswine’s blood;
He who ^{▼▼ Lit offers a memorial of incense
,} ⁱburns incense is like the one who blesses an idol.
As they have chosen their ^j own ways,
And their soul delights in their ^kabominations,
4 So I will ^lchoose their ^{▼▼ Lit ill treatments}punishments
And will ⁿbring on them what they dread.
Because I called, but ^ono one answered;
I spoke, but they did not listen.
And they did ^pevil in My sight
And chose that in which I did not delight.”
5 Hear the word of the Lord, you who ^qtremble at His word:
“Your brothers who ^rhate you, who ^sexclude you for My name’s sake,
Have said, ‘Let the Lord be glorified, that we may see your joy.’
But ^tthey 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 ^urendering recompense to His enemies.

7 “Before she travailed, ^vshe brought forth;
Before her pain came, ^wshe gave birth to a boy.
8 ^x“Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things?
Can a land be ^{▼▼ Lit travailed with}born in one day?
Can a nation be brought forth all at once?
As soon as Zion travailed, she also brought forth her sons.
9 “Shall I bring to the point of birth and ^znot give delivery?” says the Lord.
“Or shall I who gives delivery shut the womb?” says your God.

Joy in Jerusalem’s Future

10 “Be ^aajoyful with Jerusalem and rejoice for her, all you who ^ablove her;
Be exceedingly ^acglad with her, all you who mourn over her,
11 That you may nurse and ^adbe satisfied with her comforting breasts,
That you may suck and be delighted with her ^aebountiful bosom.”
12 For thus says the Lord, “Behold, I extend ^afpeace to her like a river,
And the ^agglory of the nations like an overflowing stream;
And you will ^{▼▼ Lit nurse}be nursed, you will be ^aicarried on the ^{▼▼ Lit side}hip and fondled on the knees.
13 “As one whom his mother comforts, so I will ^akcomfort you;
And you will be comforted in Jerusalem.”
14 Then you will ^alsee this, and your ^amheart will be glad,
And your ^anbones will flourish like the new grass;
And the ^aohand of the Lord will be made known to His servants,
But He will be ^apindignant toward His enemies.
15 For behold, the Lord will come in ^aqfire
And His ^archariots like the whirlwind,
To render His anger with fury,
And His rebuke with flames of fire.
16 For the Lord will execute judgment by ^asfire
And by His ^atsword on all flesh,
And those slain by the Lord will be many.
17 “Those who sanctify and purify themselves to go to the ^augardens,
^{▼▼ Lit After}Following one in the center,
Who eat ^awswine’s flesh, detestable things and mice,
Will ^axcome to an end altogether,” declares the Lord.

18 “For I ^{▼▼ So with Gr; Heb omits know}know their works and their ^azthoughts; ^{▼▼ Lit it is coming}the time is coming to ^bbgather all nations and tongues. And they shall come and see My glory. 19 “I will set a ^bcsign among them and will send survivors from them to the nations: ^bdTarshish, ^{▼▼ So with Gr; Heb Pul}Put, ^bfLud, ^{▼▼ So with Gr; Heb those who draw the bow}Meshech, ^bhTubal and ^{▼▼ I.e. Greece}Javan, to the distant ^bjcoastlands that have neither heard My fame nor seen My glory. And they will ^bkdeclare My glory among the nations. 20 “Then they shall ^blbring all your brethren from all the nations as a grain offering to the Lord, on horses, in chariots, in litters, on mules and on camels, to My ^bmholy mountain Jerusalem,” says the Lord, “just as the sons of Israel bring their grain offering in a ^bnclean vessel to the house of the Lord. 21 “I will also take some of them for ^bopriests and for Levites,” says the Lord. 22 “For just as the ^bpnew heavens and the new earth
Which I make will endure before Me,” declares the Lord,
“So your ^bqoffspring and your ^brname will endure.
23 “And it shall be from ^bsnew moon to new moon
And from sabbath to sabbath,
All ^{▼▼ Lit flesh}mankind will come to ^bubow down before Me,” says the Lord.
24 “Then they will go forth and look
On the ^bvcorpses of the men
Who have ^{▼▼ Or rebelled
,} ^bxtransgressed against Me.
For their ^byworm will not die
^bzAnd their fire will not be quenched;
And they will be an ^caabhorrence to all ^{▼▼ Lit flesh}mankind.”