Isaiah 65

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 I have let myself be approached by those who did not consult me, I have let myself be found by thosewho did not seek me. I said, 'Here I am, here I am!' to a nation that did not invoke my name.	1 I was ready to respond to those who asked me not, to be found by those who sought me not. I said: Here I am! Here I am! To a nation that did not call upon my name.
2 Each day I stretched out my hands to a rebel ious people who fol ow a way which is not good, as thefancy takes them;	2 I have stretched out my hands all the day to a rebellious people, Who walk in evil paths and follow their own thoughts,
3 a people constantly provoking me to my face by sacrificing in gardens, burning incense on bricks,	3 People who provoke me continually, to my face, Offering sacrifices in the groves and burning incense on bricks,
4 living in tombs, spending the night in dark corners, eating the meat of pigs, putting unclean foods ontheir plates.	4 Living among the graves and spending the night in caverns, Eating swine's flesh, with carrion broth in their dishes,
5 'Keep your distance,' they say, 'do not touch me, lest my sanctity come near you!' Such words are likestifling smoke to me, an ever-burning fire.	5 Crying out, "Hold back, do not touch me; I am too sacred for you!" These things enkindle my wrath, a fire that burns all the day.
6 Look, it is inscribed before me: I shal not be silent until I have repaid them, repaid them in ful ,	6 Lo, before me it stands written; I will not be quiet until I have paid in full
7 punished your guilt and your ancestors' guilt together, Yahweh declares. For having burnt incense onthe mountains and insulted me on the hil s, I shal pay them back in ful for what they have done.	7 Your crimes and the crimes of your fathers as well, says the LORD. Since they burned incense on the mountains, and disgraced me on the hills, I will at once pour out in full measure their recompense into their laps.
8 Yahweh says this: As when a bunch of grapes is found stil to have juice in it, people say, 'Do notdestroy it, for it contains a blessing,' so I shall act for my servants' sake, I shal not destroy them all.	8 Thus says the LORD: When the juice is pressed from grapes, men say, "Do not discard them, for there is still good in them"; Thus will I do with my servants: I will not discard them all;
9 I shal produce descendants from Jacob and heirs to my mountains from Judah, my chosen ones wilown them and my servants wil live there.	9 From Jacob I will save offspring, from Judah, those who are to inherit my mountains; My chosen ones shall inherit the land, my servants shall dwell there.
10 Sharon wil be a pasture for flocks, the Val ey of Achor a feeding ground for cattle, for those of mypeople who have sought me.	10 Sharon shall be a pasture for the flocks and the valley of Achor a resting place for the cattle of my people who have sought me.
11 But as for those of you who abandon Yahweh, who forget my holy mountain, who lay the table forGad, who fil cups of mixed wine for Meni,	11 But you who forsake the LORD, forgetting my holy mountain, You who spread a table for Fortune and fill cups of blended wine for Destiny,
12 you I shal destine to the sword and al of you wil stoop to be slaughtered, because I cal ed and youwould not answer, I spoke and you would not listen; you have done what I consider evil, you chose to do whatdispleases me.	12 You I will destine for the sword; you shall all go down in slaughter. Since I called and you did not answer, I spoke and you did not listen, But did what was evil in my sight and preferred things which displease me,
13 Therefore Lord Yahweh says this: You will see my servants eating while you go hungry; you will seemy servants drinking while you go thirsty; you wil see my servants rejoicing while you are put to shame;	13 therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Lo, my servants shall eat, but you shall go hungry; My servants shall drink, but you shall be thirsty; My servants shall rejoice, but you shall be put to shame;
14 you will hear my servants shouting for joy of heart, while you shriek for sorrow of heart and howl with abroken spirit.	14 My servants shall shout for joy of heart, But you shall cry out for grief of heart and howl for anguish of spirit.
15 And you wil leave your name behind as a curse for my chosen ones, 'May Lord Yahweh strike youdead!' But to his servants he wil give another name.	15 The Lord GOD shall slay you, and the name you leave Shall be used by my chosen ones for cursing; but my servants shall be called by another name
16 Whoever blesses himself on earth wil bless himself by the God of truth, and whoever swears an oathon earth will swear by the God of truth, for past troubles will be forgotten and hidden from my eyes.	16 By which he will be blessed on whom a blessing is invoked in the land; He who takes an oath in the land shall swear by the God of truth; For the hardships of the past shall be forgotten, and hidden from my eyes.
17 For look, I am going to create new heavens and a new earth, and the past will not be rememberedand will come no more to mind.	17 Lo, I am about to create new heavens and a new earth; The things of the past shall not be remembered or come to mind.
18 Rather be joyful, be glad for ever at what I am creating, for look, I am creating Jerusalem to be 'Joy'and my people to be 'Gladness'.	18 Instead, there shall always be rejoicing and happiness in what I create; For I create Jerusalem to be a joy and its people to be a delight;
19 I shal be joyful in Jerusalem and I shal rejoice in my people. No more will the sound of weeping beheard there, nor the sound of a shriek;	19 I will rejoice in Jerusalem and exult in my people. No longer shall the sound of weeping be heard there, or the sound of crying;
20 never again wil there be an infant there who lives only a few days, nor an old man who does not runhis ful course; for the youngest wil die at a hundred, and at a hundred the sinner wil be accursed.	20 No longer shall there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not round out his full lifetime; He dies a mere youth who reaches but a hundred years, and he who fails of a hundred shall be thought accursed.
21 They will build houses and live in them, they wil plant vineyards and eat their fruit.	21 They shall live in the houses they build, and eat the fruit of the vineyards they plant;
22 They will not build for others to live in, or plant for others to eat; for the days of my people wil be likethe days of a tree, and my chosen ones wil themselves use what they have made.	22 They shall not build houses for others to live in, or plant for others to eat. As the years of a tree, so the years of my people; and my chosen ones shall long enjoy the produce of their hands.
23 They will not toil in vain, nor bear children destined to disaster, for they are the race of Yahweh'sblessed ones and so are their offspring.	23 They shall not toil in vain, nor beget children for sudden destruction; For a race blessed by the LORD are they and their offspring.
24 Thus, before they cal I shal answer, before they stop speaking I shal have heard.	24 Before they call, I will answer; while they are yet speaking, I will hearken to them.
25 The wolf and the young lamb wil feed together, the lion wil eat hay like the ox, and dust be theserpent's food. No hurt, no harm wil be done on al my holy mountain, Yahweh says.	25 The wolf and the lamb shall graze alike, and the lion shall eat hay like the ox (but the serpent's food shall be dust). None shall hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain, says the LORD.