Isaiah 65

1I am inquired of by them that asked notfor me; I am found of them that sought me not: I said, Behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not called by my name.

1I offered myself to those who did not ask for me; I let myself be found by those who did not seek me. To a nation that did not call out my name, I said, 'Here I am, here I am.'

2I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, that walk in a way that is not good, after their own thoughts;

2All day long I have reached out my hands to a stubborn people who walk in a bad way, following their own selfish thoughts.

3a people that provoke me to my face continually, sacrificing in gardens, and burning incense upon bricks;

3These people constantly provoke me to my face, offering sacrifices in pagan gardens and burning incense on altars of brick.

4that sit among the graves, and lodge in the secret places; that eat swine’s flesh, and broth of abominable things is in their vessels;

4They sit among the graves and spend their nights in secret places. They eat the meat of pigs, and their pots hold stinking broth made from unclean things.

5that say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me, for I am holier than thou. These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day.

5They say, 'Keep your distance; don't come near me, because I am too holy for you!' These people are like smoke in my nostrils, a fire that keeps burning all day long.

6Behold, it is written before me: I will not keep silence, but will recompense, yea, I will recompense into their bosom,

6See, a record stands written before me: I will not stay silent, but I will pay them back in full; I will pay them back for what they have done.

7your own iniquities, and the iniquities of your fathers together, saith Jehovah, that have burned incense upon the mountains, and blasphemed me upon the hills: therefore will I first measure their work into their bosom.

7I will punish you for your sins and for the sins of your ancestors together, says the LORD. Because they burned incense on the mountains and insulted me on the hills, I will first measure out the full penalty for their actions.

8Thus saith Jehovah, As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one saith, Destroy it not, for a blessing is in it: so will I do for my servants’ sake, that I may not destroy them all.

8This is what the LORD says: 'When juice is still found in a cluster of grapes, people say, "Don't destroy it, there is still some good in it." I will do the same for the sake of my servants; I will not destroy them all.'

9And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains; and my chosen shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there.

9I will produce descendants from Jacob, and people from Judah will inherit my mountains. My chosen people will take possession of the land, and my servants will live there.

10And Sharon shall be a fold of flocks, and the valley of Achor a place for herds to lie down in, for my people that have sought me.

10The plain of Sharon will become a pasture for flocks, and the Valley of Achor a resting place for herds, for my people who have searched for me.

11But ye that forsake Jehovah, that forget my holy mountain, that prepare a table for Fortune, and that fill up mingled wine unto Destiny;

11But as for you who abandon the LORD and forget my holy mountain, who set a table for the god of Fortune and fill bowls of mixed wine for the god of Destiny,

12I will destine you to the sword, and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter; because when I called, ye did not answer; when I spake, ye did not hear; but ye did that which was evil in mine eyes, and chose that wherein I delighted not.

12I will destine you for the sword, and you will all bow down to be slaughtered. This is because I called but you did not answer; I spoke but you did not listen. You did evil in my sight and chose what displeases me.

13Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah, Behold, my servants shall eat, but ye shall be hungry; behold, my servants shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty; behold, my servants shall rejoice, but ye shall be put to shame;

13Therefore, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: 'My servants will eat, but you will go hungry; my servants will drink, but you will be thirsty; my servants will celebrate, but you will be put to shame.'

14behold, my servants shall sing for joy of heart, but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart, and shall wail for vexation of spirit.

14My servants will sing because their hearts are glad, but you will cry out because your hearts are heavy, and you will wail because your spirits are broken.

15And ye shall leave your name for a curse unto my chosen; and the Lord Jehovah will slay thee; and he will call his servants by another name:

15Your name will become a curse word used by my chosen ones. The Sovereign LORD will put you to death, but he will give his servants a different name.

16so that he who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth; and he that sweareth in the earth shall swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hid from mine eyes.

16Whoever asks for a blessing in the land will be blessed by the God of truth, and whoever makes a vow in the land will swear by the God of truth. For the past troubles will be forgotten and hidden from my eyes.

17For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former things shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.

17See, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The old things will not be remembered, and no one will think about them anymore.

18But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create; for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.

18Be glad and rejoice forever in what I am creating. I will create Jerusalem to be a place of happiness and its people to be a source of joy.

19And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people; and there shall be heard in her no more the voice of weeping and the voice of crying.

19I will rejoice over Jerusalem and be happy with my people. The sound of weeping and crying will never be heard in that city again.

20There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days; for the child shall die a hundred years old, and the sinner being a hundred years old shall be accursed.

20No longer will babies die after only a few days, nor will old men fail to live out their full lives. Anyone who dies at a hundred will be considered young, and any sinner who dies at a hundred will be considered cursed.

21And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them.

21They will build houses and live in them; they will plant vineyards and eat the fruit themselves.

22They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree shall be the days of my people, and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands.

22No longer will they build a house only for someone else to live in, or plant a vineyard only for someone else to eat. My people will live as long as trees, and my chosen ones will fully enjoy the work of their hands.

23They shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth for calamity; for they are the seed of the blessed of Jehovah, and their offspring with them.

23They will not work for nothing, and they will not have children who are born for disaster. They are a people blessed by the LORD, and their children will be with them.

24And it shall come to pass that, before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.

24Before they even call out to me, I will answer them; while they are still speaking, I will hear them.

25The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox; and dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith Jehovah.

25The wolf and the lamb will eat together, and the lion will eat straw like an ox, but the serpent will eat dust as its food. They will no longer hurt or destroy anything on my holy mountain, says the LORD.