Isaiah 66

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Thus says Yahweh: With heaven my throne and earth my footstool, what house could you build me,what place for me to rest,	1 Thus says the LORD: The heavens are my throne, the earth is my footstool. What kind of house can you build for me; what is to be my resting place?
2 when al these things were made by me and al belong to me? - declares Yahweh. But my eyes aredrawn to the person of humbled and contrite spirit, who trembles at my word.	2 My hand made all these things when all of them came to be, says the LORD. This is the one whom I approve: the lowly and afflicted man who trembles at my word.
3 Some slaughter a bul , some kill a human being, some sacrifice a lamb, some strangle a dog, somepresent an offering of pig's blood, some burn memorial incense, a revolting blessing; al these people havechosen their own ways and take delight in their disgusting practices.	3 Merely slaughtering an ox is like slaying a man; sacrificing a lamb, like breaking a dog's neck; Bringing a cereal offering, like offering swine's blood; burning incense, like paying homage to an idol. Since these have chosen their own ways and taken pleasure in their own abominations,
4 I too take delight in making fools of them, I shal bring what they most fear down on them because Ihave called and no one would answer, I spoke and no one listened. They have done what I regard as evil, havechosen what displeases me.	4 I in turn will choose ruthless treatment for them and bring upon them what they fear. Because, when I called, no one answered, when I spoke, no one listened; Because they did what was evil in my sight, and chose what gave me displeasure,
5 Listen to the word of Yahweh, you who tremble at his word. Your brothers, who hate and reject youbecause of my name, have said, 'Let Yahweh show his glory, let us witness your joy!' But they will be put toshame.	5 Hear the word of the LORD, you who tremble at his word: Your brethren who, because of my name, hate and reject you, say, "Let the LORD show his glory that we may see your joy"; but they shall be put to shame.
6 Listen! An uproar from the city! A voice from the Temple! The voice of Yahweh bringing retribution onhis enemies.	6 A sound of roaring from the city, a sound from the temple, The sound of the LORD repaying his enemies their deserts!
7 Before being in labour she has given birth. Before the birth pangs came, she has been delivered of achild.	7 Before she comes to labor, she gives birth; Before the pains come upon her, she safely delivers a male child.
8 Who ever heard of such a thing, who ever saw anything like this? Can a country be born in one day?Can a nation be brought forth al at once? For Zion, scarcely in labour, has brought forth her children!	8 Who ever heard of such a thing, or saw the like? Can a country be brought forth in one day, or a nation be born in a single moment? Yet Zion is scarcely in labor when she gives birth to her children.
9 Shal I open the womb and not bring to birth? says Yahweh. Shall I, who bring to birth, close the womb?says your God.	9 Shall I bring a mother to the point of birth, and yet not let her child be born? says the LORD; Or shall I who allow her to conceive, yet close her womb? says your God.
10 Rejoice with Jerusalem, be glad for her, al you who love her! Rejoice, rejoice with her, al you whomourned her!	10 Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad because of her, all you who love her; Exult, exult with her, all you who were mourning over her!
11 So that you may be suckled and satisfied from her consoling breast, so that you may drink deep withdelight from her generous nipple.	11 Oh, that you may suck fully of the milk of her comfort, That you may nurse with delight at her abundant breasts!
12 For Yahweh says this: Look, I am going to send peace flowing over her like a river, and like a streamin spate the glory of the nations. You wil be suckled, carried on her hip and fondled in her lap.	12 For thus says the LORD: Lo, I will spread prosperity over her like a river, and the wealth of the nations like an overflowing torrent. As nurslings, you shall be carried in her arms, and fondled in her lap;
13 As a mother comforts a child, so I shal comfort you; you wil be comforted in Jerusalem.	13 As a mother comforts her son, so will I comfort you; in Jerusalem you shall find your comfort.
14 At the sight your heart wil rejoice, and your limbs regain vigour like the grass. To his servants Yahwehwil reveal his hand, but to his enemies his fury.	14 When you see this, your heart shall rejoice, and your bodies flourish like the grass; The LORD'S power shall be known to his servants, but to his enemies, his wrath.
15 For see how Yahweh comes in fire, his chariots like the whirlwind, to assuage his anger with burning,his rebukes with flaming fire.	15 Lo, the LORD shall come in fire, his chariots like the whirlwind, To wreak his wrath with burning heat and his punishment with fiery flames.
16 For by fire wil Yahweh execute fair judgement, and by his sword, on all people; and Yahweh's victimswil be many.	16 For the LORD shall judge all mankind by fire and sword. and many shall be slain by the LORD.
17 As for those who sanctify themselves and purify themselves to enter the gardens, fol owing the one inthe centre, who eat the flesh of pigs, revolting things and rats: their deeds and their thoughts will perish together,declares Yahweh.	17 They who sanctify and purify themselves to go to the groves, as followers of one who stands within, they who eat swine's flesh, loathsome things and mice, shall all perish with their deeds and their thoughts, says the LORD.
18 I am coming to gather every nation and every language. They wil come to witness my glory.	18 I come to gather nations of every language; they shall come and see my glory.
19 I shal give them a sign and send some of their survivors to the nations: to Tarshish, Put, Lud,Meshech, Tubal and Javan, to the distant coasts and islands that have never heard of me or seen my glory.They wil proclaim my glory to the nations,	19 I will set a sign among them; from them I will send fugitives to the nations: to Tarshish, Put and Lud, Mosoch, Tubal and Javan, to the distant coastlands that have never heard of my fame, or seen my glory; and they shall proclaim my glory among the nations.
20 and from al the nations they wil bring al your brothers as an offering to Yahweh, on horses, inchariots, in litters, on mules and on camels, to my holy mountain, Jerusalem, Yahweh says, like Israelitesbringing offerings in clean vessels to Yahweh's house.	20 They shall bring all your brethren from all the nations as an offering to the LORD, on horses and in chariots, in carts, upon mules and dromedaries, to Jerusalem, my holy mountain, says the LORD, just as the Israelites bring their offering to the house of the LORD in clean vessels.
21 And some of them I shal make into priests and Levites, Yahweh says.	21 Some of these I will take as priests and Levites, says the LORD.
22 For as the new heavens and the new earth I am making wil endure before me, declares Yahweh, sowil your race and your name endure.	22 As the new heavens and the new earth which I will make Shall endure before me, says the LORD, so shall your race and your name endure.
23 From New Moon to New Moon, from Sabbath to Sabbath, al humanity wil come and bow in mypresence, Yahweh says.	23 From one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, All mankind shall come to worship before me, says the LORD.
24 And on their way out they wil see the corpses of those who rebelled against me; for their worm wilnever die nor their fire be put out, and they wil be held in horror by al humanity.	24 They shall go out and see the corpses of the men who rebelled against me; Their worm shall not die, nor their fire be extinguished; and they shall be abhorrent to all mankind.