you will put them on, like a bride.
19“Though you were ruined and made desolate†
and your land laid waste,†
now you will be too small for your people,†
and those who devoured you will be far away.
20The children born during your bereavement
will yet say in your hearing,
‘This place is too small for us;
give us more space to live in.’†
21Then you will say in your heart,
‘Who bore me these?
I was bereaved and barren;
I was exiled and rejected.†
Who brought these up?
I was left† all alone,
but these—where have they come from?’ ”
22This is what the Sovereign LORD says:
“See, I will beckon to the Gentiles,
I will lift up my banner† to the peoples;
they will bring your sons in their arms
and carry your daughters on their shoulders.†
23Kings† will be your foster fathers,
and their queens your nursing mothers.†
They will bow down before you with their faces to the ground;
they will lick the dust† at your feet.
Then you will know that I am the LORD;†
those who hope in me will not be disappointed.”
24Can plunder be taken from warriors,†
or captives rescued from the fierce[106]?
25But this is what the LORD says:
“Yes, captives† will be taken from warriors,†
and plunder retrieved from the fierce;
I will contend with those who contend with you,
and your children I will save.†
26I will make your oppressors† eat† their own flesh;
they will be drunk on their own blood,† as with wine.
Then all mankind will know†
that I, the LORD, am your Savior,
your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.”
Israel’s Sin and the Servant’s Obedience
1This is what the LORD says:
“Where is your mother’s certificate of divorce†
with which I sent her away?
Or to which of my creditors
did I sell† you?
Because of your sins you were sold;†
because of your transgressions your mother was sent away.
2When I came, why was there no one?
When I called, why was there no one to answer?†
Was my arm too short† to ransom you?
Do I lack the strength† to rescue you?
By a mere rebuke I dry up the sea,†
I turn rivers into a desert;
their fish rot for lack of water
and die of thirst.
3I clothe the sky with darkness
and make sackcloth† its covering.”
4The Sovereign LORD has given me an instructed tongue,†
to know the word that sustains the weary.†
He wakens me morning by morning,†
wakens my ear to listen like one being taught.
5The Sovereign LORD has opened my ears,†
and I have not been rebellious;†
I have not drawn back.
6I offered my back to those who beat† me,
my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard;
I did not hide my face
from mocking and spitting.†
7Because the Sovereign LORD helps† me,
I will not be disgraced.
Therefore have I set my face like flint,†
and I know I will not be put to shame.
8He who vindicates me is near.
Who then will bring charges against me?†
Let us face each other!†
Who is my accuser?
Let him confront me!
9It is the Sovereign LORD who helps† me.
Who is he that will condemn me?
They will all wear out like a garment;
the moths† will eat them up.
10Who among you fears the LORD
and obeys the word of his servant?†
Let him who walks in the dark,
who has no light,
trust† in the name of the LORD
and rely on his God.
11But now, all you who light fires
and provide yourselves with flaming torches,†
go, walk in the light of your fires†
and of the torches you have set ablaze.
This is what you shall receive from my hand:
You will lie down in torment.†
Everlasting Salvation for Zion
1“Listen† to me, you who pursue righteousness†
Textual Criticism
Isaiah 51 Any book copied by hand is likely to contain errors. Not surprisingly, there are copyists’ errors (called textual or scribal errors) in ancient Biblical manuscripts. The original copies of the books were lost long ago. Thus our sources for the Biblical materials are limited to handwritten copies (of copies) of the originals. We do also have access to copies of ancient translations of the Bible into other languages, as well as citations of the Bible by early rabbis and church fathers.1 Thus Hebrew and Greek manuscripts of the Bible, together with early translations and citations of Scripture, witness to the correct reading of a particular text.
How did scribal errors arise? Poor memory, impaired judgment, mishearing and errors of sight or misunderstanding often caused the best-intentioned scribes to omit, substitute or repeat letters or entire words. Sometimes scribes made matters worse when they deliberately altered the text in an attempt to rectify something they perceived as a problem (deliberate alterations are probably very rare, however). In time, the result was a series of accidental corruptions or intended improvements that departed from the original text.2
Textual criticism is the attempt to restore the Biblical authors’ original words by comparing and contrasting the various copies and translations of the Bible. Here “criticism” does not mean “finding fault with” but “evaluating” the existing copies of the text. Significantly, while textual errors do exist among the Biblical witnesses, they do not destroy the Bible’s credibility or message. Just as an alert reader can understand a book or newspaper article that has typographical errors in it, so too God’s Word is able to speak for itself in spite of the minor corruptions that have arisen through scribal transmission. Most of the Biblical text is certain, and where variations do occur among existing copies, the original wording can usually be determined with a good degree of certainty by a thorough acquaintance with the available manuscripts. Most modern translations use footnotes to let readers know where the text is difficult or where scribal errors may exist.
Scroll container from Qumran, pre-A.D. 68
© The Schøyen Collection; photography courtesy of Mr. Martin Schøyen
An example of a textual problem is found in the last sentence of Isaiah 51:19. The New American Standard Bible translates the question “How shall I comfort you?”, while the NIV words it “Who can console you?” (emphasis added for both translations). These different renderings reflect a difference of opinion over which manuscripts preserve the best reading. The NIV follows a reading that is found in a Hebrew manuscript from the Dead Sea Scrolls.3 This translation is also supported by the Greek (Septuagint), Latin (Vulgate) and Syriac (Peshitta) translations of the Old Testament. On the other hand, the standard edition of the Hebrew Old Testament (the Masoretic Text) reads “How can I comfort you?” and was followed by the NASB translators.
The above example also makes the point that most scribal questions involve minor points in the text. We have good reason to be confident that the translations now available faithfully, albeit never perfectly, reflect what the prophets and other Biblical authors originally wrote. The presence of scribal errors is not a reason to consider the Bible untrustworthy.
1. See “Texts of the Old Testament” and “The Old Testament of the Early Church.”
2. See, for example, “Early Scribal Emendation.”
3. See “The Great Isaiah Scroll.”
and who seek the LORD:
Look to the rock from which you were cut
and to the quarry from which you were hewn;
2look to Abraham,† your father,
and to Sarah, who gave you birth.
When I called him he was but one,
and I blessed him and made him many.†
3The LORD will surely comfort† Zion
and will look with compassion on all her ruins;†
he will make her deserts like Eden,†
her wastelands like the garden of the LORD.
Joy and gladness† will be found in her,
thanksgiving and the sound of singing.
4“Listen to me, my people;†
hear me, my nation:
The law will go out from me;
my justice† will become a light to the nations.†
5My righteousness draws near speedily,
my salvation is on the way,†
and my arm† will bring justice to the nations.
The islands will look to me
and wait in hope for my arm.
6Lift up your eyes to the heavens,
look at the earth beneath;
the heavens will vanish like smoke,†
the earth will wear out like a garment†
and its inhabitants die like flies.
But my salvation will last forever,
my righteousness will never fail.
7“Hear me, you who know what is right,†
you people who have my law in your hearts:†
Do not fear the reproach of men
or be terrified by their insults.†
8For the moth will eat them up like a garment;†
the worm will devour them like wool.
But my righteousness will last forever,†
my salvation through all generations.”
9Awake, awake! Clothe yourself with strength,†
O arm of the LORD;
awake, as in days gone by,
as in generations of old.†
Was it not you who cut Rahab to pieces,
who pierced that monster† through?
10Was it not you who dried up the sea,†
the waters of the great deep,
who made a road in the depths of the sea
so that the redeemed might cross over?
11The ransomed† of the LORD will return.
They will enter Zion with singing;
everlasting joy will crown their heads.
Gladness and joy† will overtake them,
and sorrow and sighing will flee away.†
12“I, even I, am he who comforts† you.
Who are you that you fear mortal men,†
the sons of men, who are but grass,†
13that you forget† the LORD your Maker,†
who stretched out the heavens†
and laid the foundations of the earth,
that you live in constant terror† every day
because of the wrath of the oppressor,
who is bent on destruction?
For where is the wrath of the oppressor?
14The cowering prisoners will soon be set free;
they will not die in their dungeon,
nor will they lack bread.†
15For I am the LORD your God,
who churns up the sea† so that its waves roar—
the LORD Almighty is his name.
16I have put my words in your mouth†
and covered you with the shadow of my hand†—
I who set the heavens in place,
who laid the foundations of the earth,
and who say to Zion, ‘You are my people.’ ”
The Cup of the LORD’s Wrath
17Awake, awake!†
Rise up, O Jerusalem,
you who have drunk from the hand of the LORD
the cup of his wrath,†
you who have drained to its dregs
the goblet that makes men stagger.†
there was none to guide her;†
of all the sons she reared
there was none to take her by the hand.
19These double calamities† have come upon you—
who can comfort you?—
ruin and destruction, famine† and sword—
who can[107] console you?
20Your sons have fainted;
they lie at the head of every street,†
like antelope caught in a net.
They are filled with the wrath of the LORD
and the rebuke of your God.
21Therefore hear this, you afflicted one,
made drunk,† but not with wine.
22This is what your Sovereign LORD says,
your God, who defends† his people:
“See, I have taken out of your hand
the cup† that made you stagger;
from that cup, the goblet of my wrath,
you will never drink again.
23I will put it into the hands of your tormentors,†
who said to you,
‘Fall prostrate† that we may walk† over you.’
And you made your back like the ground,
like a street to be walked over.”
clothe yourself with strength.†
Put on your garments of splendor,†
O Jerusalem, the holy city.†
The uncircumcised and defiled
will not enter you again.†
rise up, sit enthroned, O Jerusalem.
Free yourself from the chains on your neck,
O captive Daughter of Zion.
3For this is what the LORD says:
“You were sold for nothing,†
and without money† you will be redeemed.”
4For this is what the Sovereign LORD says:
“At first my people went down to Egypt† to live;
lately, Assyria has oppressed them.
5“And now what do I have here?” declares the LORD.
“For my people have been taken away for nothing,
and those who rule them mock,[108] ”
declares the LORD.
“And all day long
my name is constantly blasphemed.†
6Therefore my people will know† my name;
therefore in that day they will know
that it is I who foretold it.
Yes, it is I.”
7How beautiful on the mountains
are the feet of those who bring good news,†
who proclaim peace,†
who bring good tidings,
who proclaim salvation,
who say to Zion,
“Your God reigns!”†
8Listen! Your watchmen† lift up their voices;
together they shout for joy.
When the LORD returns to Zion,
they will see it with their own eyes.
9Burst into songs of joy† together,
you ruins† of Jerusalem,
for the LORD has comforted his people,
he has redeemed Jerusalem.†
10The LORD will lay bare his holy arm
in the sight of all the nations,†
and all the ends of the earth will see
the salvation† of our God.
11Depart,† depart, go out from there!
Touch no unclean thing!†
Come out from it and be pure,†
you who carry the vessels of the LORD.
12But you will not leave in haste†
or go in flight;
for the LORD will go before you,†
the God of Israel will be your rear guard.†
The Suffering and Glory of the Servant
13See, my servant† will act wisely[109];
he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.†
14Just as there were many who were appalled at him[110]—
his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man
and his form marred beyond human likeness—
15so will he sprinkle many nations,[111]
and kings will shut their mouths because of him.
For what they were not told, they will see,
and what they have not heard, they will understand.†
1Who has believed our message†
and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?†
2He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance† that we should desire him.
3He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.†
Like one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised,† and we esteemed him not.
4Surely he took up our infirmities
and carried our sorrows,†
yet we considered him stricken by God,†
smitten by him, and afflicted.
5But he was pierced for our transgressions,†
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.†
6We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
7He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;†
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before her shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
8By oppression[112] and judgment he was taken away.
And who can speak of his descendants?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;†
for the transgression† of my people he was stricken.[113]
9He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
and with the rich† in his death,
though he had done no violence,†
nor was any deceit in his mouth.†
10Yet it was the LORD’s will† to crush† him and cause him to suffer,†
and though the LORD makes[114] his life a guilt offering,
he will see his offspring† and prolong his days,
and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.
11After the suffering† of his soul,
he will see the light [of life][115] and be satisfied[116];
by his knowledge[117] my righteous servant will justify† many,
and he will bear their iniquities.
12Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,[118] †
and he will divide the spoils with the strong,[119]
because he poured out his life unto death,†
and was numbered with the transgressors.†
For he bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors.
The Future Glory of Zion
1“Sing, O barren woman,
Precious Stones of the Biblical World
Isaiah 54 Precious stones have been known and sought after since earliest antiquity—gathered as loose rocks, chiseled out of sandstone or mined in shafts (Job 28:1–11). One of the first, and finest, examples of jewelry known in the ancient world comes from the royal tombs of Ur (c. 2500 B.C.). Among the funerary hoard is a queen’s diadem (crown or royal headband), exquisitely fashioned of hammered gold beech leaves and floral motifs in lapis lazuli, as well as bead necklaces of gold, lapis, cornelian and agate. Valued for their rarity and beauty, gemstones served a wide variety of purposes in the ancient world:
• Adornment: Precious stones were used for ornamentation in both life and death (Isa 3:20–21).
• Currency: Gems were coveted as a mark of wealth (2Ch 32:27) and exchanged as a form of currency preceding coinage.1 Their light weight, ease of transport and durability made precious stones in the form of jewelry the most common bridal gift and dowry (Ge 24:22; Isa 61:10; Eze 16:11–13). As a woman’s personal possessions, they also became her inheritance.
• Seals: Hard stones such as jasper, agate and onyx were among the favorites for engraved seals. Inscribed with pictorial scenes or letters identifying their owner (Ge 38:18; 1Ki 21:8), signet rings were pressed, and cylinder seals rolled, on wax or clay to leave their impression. Jewels naturally served as insignia of royalty (Zec 9:16) and, by extension, of royal authority (Ge 41:42).2
• Signs of National Power: Gemstones were exchanged as gifts between rulers (2Ch 9:9) and seized as spoils of war (Jdg 8:26).
• Ceremonial: Ceremonial use of precious stones included their dedication to the Lord as an offering (Ex 35:22; Nu 31:50). The most abundant use of gems in ancient Israel was in the adornment of the temple (1Ch 29:2) and its chief ministrant, who wore a jewel-encrusted breastplate (Ex 28:17–21).
• Theological Symbols: The value, luminosity and enduring nature of gems rendered them a most apropos literary image for the glory of the Lord (Eze 1:26) and for the recreated, eschatological (end time) people of God (Isa 54:12; Rev 21:18–21).
1. See “Banking and Money in the Ancient World.”
2. See “Signet Rings.”
you who never bore a child;
burst into song, shout for joy,
you who were never in labor;
because more are the children† of the desolate woman
than of her who has a husband,†”
says the LORD.
2“Enlarge the place of your tent,†
stretch your tent curtains wide,
do not hold back;
lengthen your cords,
strengthen your stakes.†
3For you will spread out to the right and to the left;
your descendants will dispossess nations
and settle in their desolate† cities.
4“Do not be afraid; you will not suffer shame.
Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated.
You will forget the shame of your youth
and remember no more the reproach† of your widowhood.
5For your Maker is your husband†—
the LORD Almighty is his name—
the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer;†
he is called the God of all the earth.†
6The LORD will call you back†
as if you were a wife deserted† and distressed in spirit—
a wife who married young,
only to be rejected,” says your God.
7“For a brief moment† I abandoned you,
but with deep compassion I will bring you back.†
8In a surge of anger†
I hid my face from you for a moment,
but with everlasting kindness†
I will have compassion on you,”
says the LORD your Redeemer.
9“To me this is like the days of Noah,
when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth.†
So now I have sworn not to be angry† with you,
never to rebuke you again.
10Though the mountains be shaken†
and the hills be removed,
yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken†
nor my covenant† of peace be removed,”
says the LORD, who has compassion† on you.
11“O afflicted† city, lashed by storms† and not comforted,†
I will build you with stones of turquoise,[120] †
your foundations† with sapphires.[121]
12I will make your battlements of rubies,
your gates of sparkling jewels,
and all your walls of precious stones.
13All your sons will be taught by the LORD,†
and great will be your children’s peace.†
14In righteousness you will be established:
Tyranny† will be far from you;
you will have nothing to fear.
Terror will be far removed;
it will not come near you.
15If anyone does attack you, it will not be my doing;
whoever attacks you will surrender† to you.
16“See, it is I who created the blacksmith
who fans the coals into flame
and forges a weapon fit for its work.
And it is I who have created the destroyer to work havoc;
17no weapon forged against you will prevail,†
and you will refute† every tongue that accuses you.
This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD,
and this is their vindication from me,”
declares the LORD.
Invitation to the Thirsty
1“Come, all you who are thirsty,†
come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy† and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk†
without money and without cost.†
2Why spend money on what is not bread,
and your labor on what does not satisfy?†
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,†
and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.
3Give ear and come to me;
hear me, that your soul may live.†
I will make an everlasting covenant† with you,
my faithful love† promised to David.†
4See, I have made him a witness to the peoples,
a leader and commander† of the peoples.
5Surely you will summon nations† you know not,
and nations that do not know you will hasten to you,
because of the LORD your God,
the Holy One of Israel,
for he has endowed you with splendor.Ӡ
6Seek the LORD while he may be found;†
call† on him while he is near.
7Let the wicked forsake his way
and the evil man his thoughts.†
Let him turn† to the LORD, and he will have mercy† on him,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon.†
8“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,Ӡ
declares the LORD.
9“As the heavens are higher than the earth,†
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10As the rain† and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,†
11so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,†
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose† for which I sent it.
12You will go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;†
the mountains and hills
will burst into song before you,
and all the trees† of the field
will clap their hands.†
13Instead of the thornbush will grow the pine tree,
and instead of briers† the myrtle† will grow.
This will be for the LORD’s renown,†
for an everlasting sign,
which will not be destroyed.”
Salvation for Others
1This is what the LORD says:
The Eunuch
Isaiah 56 The compassion of God is poignantly illustrated in the reference to the eunuch in Isaiah 56:3–5, an allusion that must be understood in light of Deuteronomy 23:1, a text forbidding eunuchs from entering the assembly of the Lord. The word translated “eunuch” in Isaiah is saris, which is most likely a loanword from an Akkadian phrase meaning “one at the head of [the king].” As is probably true in Hebrew, the Akkadian meaning evolved from the more general sense of “officer, official” to “castrated official.” Potiphar, in Genesis 39:1, was a saris, but this early use of the word meant only “official,” not “ eunuch.” However, the time frame and context of Isaiah 56:3–4 require that the reader understand saris as “a castrated person.”
Lexical listing of titles and professions, with the world’s oldest known signature on the reverse; Sumer, thirty-first century B.C.
© The Schøyen Collection; photography courtesy of Mr. Martin Schøyen
Although some have attempted to relate this reference to some kind of historical reality, specifically to a return of exiles who had served as castrated officials in foreign courts (perhaps including Nehemiah), the primary focus should remain on the message: What defiles a person before God is not physical deformity but an unrepentant heart (cf. Mt 15:10–20).
The divine promise to give a “memorial” and a name to the faithful eunuch is quite profound. A eunuch could never have attained a memorial or passed along his name by means of having children. Also, the deliberate choice of the Hebrew noun “hand” (translated “memorial”) and the verb “cut off” in verse 5 is remarkable. In the ancient Near East the word hand was often used euphemistically for the male genitals. God will provide a symbolic overturning in eternity of what has been taken away from the eunuch in the present. The prophetic foreshadowing, possibly of Nehemiah and certainly of the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8, is striking.
“Maintain justice†
and do what is right,
for my salvation† is close at hand
and my righteousness will soon be revealed.
2Blessed† is the man who does this,
the man who holds it fast,
who keeps the Sabbath† without desecrating it,
and keeps his hand from doing any evil.”
3Let no foreigner who has bound himself to the LORD say,
“The LORD will surely exclude me from his people.”
And let not any eunuch† complain,
“I am only a dry tree.”
4 For this is what the LORD says:
“To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths,
who choose what pleases me
and hold fast to my covenant—
5to them I will give within my temple and its walls†
a memorial and a name
better than sons and daughters;
I will give them an everlasting name
that will not be cut off.†
6And foreigners who bind themselves to the LORD
to serve† him,
to love the name of the LORD,
and to worship him,
all who keep the Sabbath† without desecrating it
and who hold fast to my covenant—
7these I will bring to my holy mountain†
and give them joy in my house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and sacrifices†
will be accepted on my altar;
for my house will be called
a house of prayer for all nations.†”†
8The Sovereign LORD declares—
he who gathers the exiles of Israel:
“I will gather† still others to them
besides those already gathered.”
God’s Accusation Against the Wicked
9Come, all you beasts of the field,†
come and devour, all you beasts of the forest!
10Israel’s watchmen† are blind,
they all lack knowledge;
they are all mute dogs,
they cannot bark;
they lie around and dream,
they love to sleep.†
11They are dogs with mighty appetites;
they never have enough.
They are shepherds† who lack understanding;†
they all turn to their own way,
each seeks his own gain.†
12“Come,” each one cries, “let me get wine!
Let us drink our fill of beer!
And tomorrow will be like today,
or even far better.Ӡ
1The righteous perish,†
and no one ponders it in his heart;†
devout men are taken away,
and no one understands
that the righteous are taken away
to be spared from evil.†
2Those who walk uprightly†
enter into peace;
they find rest as they lie in death.
3“But you—come here, you sons of a sorceress,
you offspring of adulterers† and prostitutes!†
4Whom are you mocking?
At whom do you sneer
and stick out your tongue?
Are you not a brood of rebels,
the offspring of liars?
5You burn with lust among the oaks
and under every spreading tree;†
you sacrifice your children† in the ravines
and under the overhanging crags.
6[The idols]† among the smooth stones of the ravines are your portion;
they, they are your lot.
Yes, to them you have poured out drink offerings†
and offered grain offerings.
In the light of these things, should I relent?†
7You have made your bed on a high and lofty hill;†
there you went up to offer your sacrifices.
8Behind your doors and your doorposts
you have put your pagan symbols.
Forsaking me, you uncovered your bed,
you climbed into it and opened it wide;
you made a pact with those whose beds you love,†
and you looked on their nakedness.†
9You went to Molech[122] with olive oil
and increased your perfumes.
You sent your ambassadors[123] † far away;
you descended to the grave[124] itself!
10You were wearied by all your ways,
but you would not say, ‘It is hopeless.’†
You found renewal of your strength,
and so you did not faint.
11“Whom have you so dreaded and feared†
that you have been false to me,
and have neither remembered† me
nor pondered this in your hearts?
Is it not because I have long been silent†
that you do not fear me?
12I will expose your righteousness and your works,†
and they will not benefit you.
13When you cry out† for help,
let your collection [of idols] save you!
The wind will carry all of them off,
a mere breath will blow them away.
But the man who makes me his refuge
will inherit the land†
and possess my holy mountain.Ӡ
Comfort for the Contrite
14And it will be said:
“Build up, build up, prepare the road!
Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people.Ӡ
15For this is what the high and lofty† One says—
he who lives forever,† whose name is holy:
“I live in a high and holy place,
but also with him who is contrite† and lowly in spirit,†
to revive the spirit of the lowly
and to revive the heart of the contrite.†
16I will not accuse forever,
nor will I always be angry,†
for then the spirit of man would grow faint before me—
the breath of man that I have created.
17I was enraged by his sinful greed;†
I punished him, and hid my face in anger,
yet he kept on in his willful ways.†
18I have seen his ways, but I will heal† him;
I will guide him and restore comfort† to him,
19creating praise on the lips† of the mourners in Israel.
Peace, peace,† to those far and near,”†
says the LORD. “And I will heal them.”
20But the wicked† are like the tossing sea,
which cannot rest,
whose waves cast up mire and mud.
21“There is no peace,”† says my God, “for the wicked.”†
True Fasting
1“Shout it aloud,† do not hold back.
Raise your voice like a trumpet.
Declare to my people their rebellion†
and to the house of Jacob their sins.
2For day after day they seek† me out;
they seem eager to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that does what is right
and has not forsaken the commands of its God.
They ask me for just decisions
and seem eager for God to come near† them.
3‘Why have we fasted,’† they say,
‘and you have not seen it?
Why have we humbled ourselves,
and you have not noticed?’†
“Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please†
and exploit all your workers.
4Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife,†
and in striking each other with wicked fists.
You cannot fast as you do today
and expect your voice to be heard† on high.
5Is this the kind of fast† I have chosen,
only a day for a man to humble† himself?
Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed
and for lying on sackcloth and ashes?†
Is that what you call a fast,
a day acceptable to the LORD?
6“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice†
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed† free
and break every yoke?
7Is it not to share your food with the hungry†
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter†—
when you see the naked, to clothe† him,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?†
8Then your light will break forth like the dawn,†
and your healing† will quickly appear;
then your righteousness[125] will go before you,
and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.†
9Then you will call,† and the LORD will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
“If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger† and malicious talk,†
10and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,†
then your light† will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.†
11The LORD will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs† in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,†
like a spring† whose waters never fail.
12Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins†
and will raise up the age-old foundations;†
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.
13“If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath†
and from doing as you please on my holy day,
if you call the Sabbath a delight†
and the LORD’s holy day honorable,
and if you honor it by not going your own way
and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,
14then you will find your joy† in the LORD,
and I will cause you to ride on the heights† of the land
and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.”
The mouth of the LORD has spoken.†
Sin, Confession and Redemption
1Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short† to save,
nor his ear too dull to hear.†
2But your iniquities have separated
you from your God;
your sins have hidden his face from you,
so that he will not hear.†
3For your hands are stained with blood,†
your fingers with guilt.
Your lips have spoken lies,
and your tongue mutters wicked things.
4No one calls for justice;
no one pleads his case with integrity.
They rely on empty arguments and speak lies;
they conceive trouble and give birth to evil.†
5They hatch the eggs of vipers
and spin a spider’s web.†
Whoever eats their eggs will die,
and when one is broken, an adder is hatched.
6Their cobwebs are useless for clothing;
they cannot cover themselves with what they make.†
Their deeds are evil deeds,
and acts of violence† are in their hands.
7Their feet rush into sin;
they are swift to shed innocent blood.†
Their thoughts are evil thoughts;†
ruin and destruction mark their ways.†
8The way of peace they do not know;
there is no justice in their paths.
They have turned them into crooked roads;
no one who walks in them will know peace.†
9So justice is far from us,
and righteousness does not reach us.
We look for light, but all is darkness;†
for brightness, but we walk in deep shadows.
10Like the blind† we grope along the wall,
feeling our way like men without eyes.
At midday we stumble† as if it were twilight;
among the strong, we are like the dead.†
11We all growl like bears;
we moan mournfully like doves.†
We look for justice, but find none;
for deliverance, but it is far away.
12For our offenses† are many in your sight,
and our sins testify† against us.
Our offenses are ever with us,
and we acknowledge our iniquities:
13rebellion and treachery against the LORD,
turning our backs† on our God,
fomenting oppression† and revolt,
uttering lies† our hearts have conceived.
14So justice is driven back,
and righteousness† stands at a distance;
truth† has stumbled in the streets,
honesty cannot enter.
15Truth is nowhere to be found,
and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey.
The LORD looked and was displeased
that there was no justice.
16He saw that there was no one,†
he was appalled that there was no one to intervene;
so his own arm worked salvation† for him,
and his own righteousness sustained him.
17He put on righteousness as his breastplate,†
and the helmet† of salvation on his head;
he put on the garments† of vengeance
and wrapped himself in zeal† as in a cloak.
18According to what they have done,
so will he repay
wrath to his enemies
and retribution to his foes;
he will repay the islands their due.
19From the west,† men will fear the name of the LORD,
and from the rising of the sun,† they will revere his glory.
For he will come like a pent-up flood
that the breath of the LORD drives along.[126]
20“The Redeemer will come to Zion,
to those in Jacob who repent of their sins,Ӡ
declares the LORD.
21“As for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the LORD. “My Spirit,† who is on you, and my words that I have put in your mouth will not depart from your mouth, or from the mouths of your children, or from the mouths of their descendants from this time on and forever,” says the LORD.
The Glory of Zion
1“Arise,† shine, for your light† has come,
The Offering of King Ashyahu
Isaiah 60 Isaiah 60:9 describes the expectation that one day the ships of Tarshish would come bringing silver and gold to honor the God of Israel. “Tarshish” may have been either in Spain or in Sardinia,1 and the “hammered silver … brought from Tarshish” (Jer 10:9) was imported silver of high value. An ostracon dated through paleography to around the time of King Josiah (640–609 B.C.)2 reads, “So King Ashyahu has commanded you to give by the agency of Zakaryahu silver of Tarshish for the house of the LORD: three shekels.” But who was Ashyahu?
The names of Hebrew kings sometimes had elements inverted. For example, the name Ahaziah (2Ki 8:25) was inverted to Jehoahaz in 2 Chronicles 21:17. Both names mean “Yahweh holds,” but in Ahaziah the word for “holds” is first and “Yahweh” is second (in the ending “-iah”), while in Jehoahaz “Yahweh” is first (as “Jeho-”) and “holds” (“-ahaz”) comes second. Ashyahu could be an inverted form of Joash, king of Judah (r. 835–796 B.C.), but it is more likely an inversion of Josiah, king of Judah (r. 640–609 B.C.). Zakaryahu was probably the Zechariah of 2 Chronicles 35:8, a temple administrator in Josiah’s reign, and the ostracon seems to be a receipt for the offering. When Isaiah prophesied that one day Gentiles would bring the silver of Tarshish to Yahweh’s temple, he was alluding to a means of honoring God that was already being practiced in his own day by his own people.
1. See “Where Was Tarshish?.”
2. See “The Tragic Reign of King Josiah.”
and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.
2See, darkness covers the earth
and thick darkness† is over the peoples,
but the LORD rises upon you
and his glory appears over you.
3Nations† will come to your light,
and kings† to the brightness of your dawn.
4“Lift up your eyes and look about you:
All assemble† and come to you;
your sons come from afar,
and your daughters† are carried on the arm.†
5Then you will look and be radiant,
your heart will throb and swell with joy;
the wealth on the seas will be brought to you,
to you the riches of the nations will come.
6Herds of camels will cover your land,
young camels of Midian† and Ephah.†
And all from Sheba† will come,
bearing gold and incense†
and proclaiming the praise† of the LORD.
7All Kedar’s† flocks will be gathered to you,
the rams of Nebaioth will serve you;
they will be accepted as offerings on my altar,
and I will adorn my glorious temple.†
8“Who are these† that fly along like clouds,
like doves to their nests?
9Surely the islands† look to me;
in the lead are the ships of Tarshish,[127] †
bringing† your sons from afar,
with their silver and gold,
to the honor of the LORD your God,
the Holy One of Israel,
for he has endowed you with splendor.†
10“Foreigners† will rebuild your walls,
and their kings† will serve you.
Though in anger I struck you,
in favor I will show you compassion.†
11Your gates† will always stand open,
they will never be shut, day or night,
so that men may bring you the wealth of the nations†—
their kings† led in triumphal procession.
12For the nation or kingdom that will not serve† you will perish;
it will be utterly ruined.
13“The glory of Lebanon† will come to you,
the pine, the fir and the cypress together,†
to adorn the place of my sanctuary;
and I will glorify the place of my feet.†
14The sons of your oppressors† will come bowing before you;
all who despise you will bow down† at your feet
and will call you the City of the LORD,
Zion† of the Holy One of Israel.
15“Although you have been forsaken† and hated,
with no one traveling† through,
I will make you the everlasting pride†
and the joy† of all generations.
16You will drink the milk of nations
and be nursed† at royal breasts.
Then you will know that I, the LORD, am your Savior,
your Redeemer,† the Mighty One of Jacob.
17Instead of bronze I will bring you gold,
and silver in place of iron.
Instead of wood I will bring you bronze,
and iron in place of stones.
I will make peace your governor
and righteousness your ruler.
18No longer will violence be heard in your land,
nor ruin or destruction within your borders,
but you will call your walls Salvation†
and your gates Praise.
19The sun will no more be your light by day,
nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you,
for the LORD will be your everlasting light,†
and your God will be your glory.†
20Your sun† will never set again,
and your moon will wane no more;
the LORD will be your everlasting light,
and your days of sorrow† will end.
21Then will all your people be righteous†
and they will possess† the land forever.
They are the shoot I have planted,†
the work of my hands,†
for the display of my splendor.†
22The least of you will become a thousand,
the smallest a mighty nation.
I am the LORD;
in its time I will do this swiftly.”
The Year of the LORD’s Favor
1The Spirit† of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
because the LORD has anointed† me
to preach good news to the poor.†
He has sent me to bind up† the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives†
and release from darkness for the prisoners,[128]
2 to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor†
and the day of vengeance† of our God,
to comfort† all who mourn,
3and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the LORD
for the display of his splendor.†
4They will rebuild the ancient ruins†
and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
that have been devastated for generations.
5Aliens† will shepherd your flocks;
foreigners will work your fields and vineyards.
6And you will be called priests† of the LORD,
you will be named ministers of our God.
You will feed on the wealth† of nations,
and in their riches you will boast.
7Instead of their shame
my people will receive a double† portion,
and instead of disgrace
they will rejoice in their inheritance;
and so they will inherit a double portion in their land,
and everlasting joy will be theirs.
8“For I, the LORD, love justice;†
I hate robbery and iniquity.
In my faithfulness I will reward them
and make an everlasting covenant† with them.
9Their descendants will be known among the nations
and their offspring among the peoples.
All who see them will acknowledge
that they are a people the LORD has blessed.”
10I delight greatly in the LORD;
my soul rejoices† in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation
and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness,†
as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest,
and as a bride† adorns herself with her jewels.
11For as the soil makes the sprout come up
and a garden causes seeds to grow,
so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness† and praise
spring up before all nations.
Zion’s New Name
1For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,
for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet,
till her righteousness† shines out like the dawn,
her salvation like a blazing torch.
2The nations† will see your righteousness,
and all kings your glory;
you will be called by a new name†
that the mouth of the LORD will bestow.
3You will be a crown† of splendor in the LORD’s hand,
a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
4No longer will they call you Deserted,†
or name your land Desolate.
But you will be called Hephzibah,[129]
and your land Beulah[130];
for the LORD will take delight† in you,
and your land will be married.†
5As a young man marries a maiden,
so will your sons[131] marry you;
as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride,
so will your God rejoice† over you.
6I have posted watchmen† on your walls, O Jerusalem;
they will never be silent day or night.
You who call on the LORD,
give yourselves no rest,
7and give him no rest† till he establishes Jerusalem
and makes her the praise of the earth.
8The LORD has sworn by his right hand
and by his mighty arm:
“Never again will I give your grain†
as food for your enemies,
and never again will foreigners drink the new wine
for which you have toiled;
9but those who harvest it will eat it
and praise the LORD,
and those who gather the grapes will drink it
in the courts of my sanctuary.”
10Pass through, pass through the gates!†
Prepare the way for the people.
Build up, build up the highway!†
Remove the stones.
Raise a banner† for the nations.
11The LORD has made proclamation
to the ends of the earth:
“Say to the Daughter of Zion,†
‘See, your Savior comes!†
See, his reward is with him,
and his recompense accompanies him.’ ”†
12They will be called† the Holy People,†
the Redeemed† of the LORD;
and you will be called Sought After,
the City No Longer Deserted.†
God’s Day of Vengeance and Redemption
1Who is this coming from Edom,
The Winepress
Mosaic from Paphos (inscriptions says “The First Winedrinkers”)
Preserving Bible Times; © Dr. James C. Martin
Isaiah 63 The winepress was a key component of ancient wine production.1 In its most basic form it consisted of three sections: an upper and a lower vat and a channel connecting the two. After the grapes had lain in the sun for a few days to increase their sugar content, they were placed in the upper vat and trodden with bare feet. The juice moved down the channel to the smaller, but deeper, lower vat. The husks that remained after having been trodden were pressed by a wooden plank, one end of which was secured to a side of the vat while the other was weighed with stones to facilitate the pressing process.
Some of the more elaborate winepresses that have been discovered have had three or four vats. The extra vats improved the settling process and reduced the amount of sediment in the wine. The juice would ferment in the lowest vat, a process requiring four to seven days. After this period the wine would be poured into jars or wineskins. Often there would be a spout in the lowest vat that would channel the wine into these containers. The jars or wineskins would hold the wine as the fermentation process was completed, a period of two to four months.
Isaiah used the imagery of treading the winepress to express divine judgment against the nations (Isa 63: 1–6). The act of treading represents God’s vengeance against his enemies, whether through war or other disasters. The juice produced from the grapes represents the blood of the defeated, while the intoxication produced by overindulgence of the wine represents the effect of God’s wrath on those he judges (v. 6). At the same time, however, God’s vengeance against his enemies is coupled with his redemption of his own people (v. 4).
from Bozrah,† with his garments stained crimson?
Who is this, robed in splendor,
striding forward in the greatness of his strength?
“It is I, speaking in righteousness,
mighty to save.Ӡ
2Why are your garments red,
like those of one treading the winepress?
3“I have trodden the winepress† alone;
from the nations no one was with me.
I trampled them in my anger
and trod them down in my wrath;†
their blood spattered my garments,†
and I stained all my clothing.
4 For the day of vengeance was in my heart,
and the year of my redemption has come.
5I looked, but there was no one† to help,
I was appalled that no one gave support;
so my own arm† worked salvation for me,
and my own wrath sustained me.†
6I trampled the nations in my anger;
in my wrath I made them drunk†
and poured their blood† on the ground.”
Praise and Prayer
7I will tell of the kindnesses† of the LORD,
the deeds for which he is to be praised,
according to all the LORD has done for us—
yes, the many good things he has done
for the house of Israel,
according to his compassion† and many kindnesses.
8He said, “Surely they are my people,†
sons who will not be false to me”;
and so he became their Savior.
9In all their distress he too was distressed,
and the angel of his presence† saved them.
In his love and mercy he redeemed† them;
he lifted them up and carried† them
all the days of old.
10Yet they rebelled†
and grieved his Holy Spirit.†
So he turned and became their enemy†
and he himself fought against them.
11Then his people recalled[132] the days of old,
the days of Moses and his people—
where is he who brought them through the sea,†
with the shepherd of his flock?
Where is he who set
his Holy Spirit† among them,
12who sent his glorious arm of power
to be at Moses’ right hand,
who divided the waters† before them,
to gain for himself everlasting renown,
13who led† them through the depths?
Like a horse in open country,
they did not stumble;†
14like cattle that go down to the plain,
they were given rest by the Spirit of the LORD.
This is how you guided your people
to make for yourself a glorious name.
15Look down from heaven† and see
from your lofty throne,† holy and glorious.
Where are your zeal† and your might?
Your tenderness and compassion† are withheld from us.
16But you are our Father,
though Abraham does not know us
or Israel acknowledge† us;
you, O LORD, are our Father,
our Redeemer† from of old is your name.
17Why, O LORD, do you make us wander from your ways
and harden our hearts so we do not revere† you?
Return† for the sake of your servants,
the tribes that are your inheritance.
18For a little while your people possessed your holy place,
but now our enemies have trampled down your sanctuary.†
19We are yours from of old;
but you have not ruled over them,
they have not been called by your name.[133]
1Oh, that you would rend the heavens† and come down,†
that the mountains† would tremble before you!
2As when fire sets twigs ablaze
and causes water to boil,
come down to make your name known to your enemies
and cause the nations to quake† before you!
3For when you did awesome† things that we did not expect,
you came down, and the mountains trembled before you.
4Since ancient times no one has heard,
no ear has perceived,
no eye has seen any God besides you,
who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.†
5You come to the help of those who gladly do right,†
who remember your ways.
But when we continued to sin against them,
you were angry.
How then can we be saved?
6All of us have become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous† acts are like filthy rags;
we all shrivel up like a leaf,†
and like the wind our sins sweep us away.
7No one† calls on your name
or strives to lay hold of you;
for you have hidden† your face from us
and made us waste away† because of our sins.
8Yet, O LORD, you are our Father.†
We are the clay, you are the potter;†
we are all the work of your hand.
9Do not be angry† beyond measure, O LORD;
do not remember our sins† forever.
Oh, look upon us, we pray,
for we are all your people.
10Your sacred cities have become a desert;
even Zion is a desert, Jerusalem a desolation.
11Our holy and glorious temple,† where our fathers praised you,
has been burned with fire,
and all that we treasured† lies in ruins.
12After all this, O LORD, will you hold yourself back?†
Will you keep silent† and punish us beyond measure?
Judgment and Salvation
1“I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me;
I was found by those who did not seek me.†
To a nation† that did not call on my name,
I said, ‘Here am I, here am I.’
2All day long I have held out my hands
to an obstinate people,†
who walk in ways not good,
pursuing their own imaginations†—
3a people who continually provoke me
to my very face,†
offering sacrifices in gardens†
and burning incense on altars of brick;
4who sit among the graves
and spend their nights keeping secret vigil;
who eat the flesh of pigs,†
and whose pots hold broth of unclean meat;
5who say, ‘Keep away; don’t come near me,
for I am too sacred† for you!’
Such people are smoke in my nostrils,
a fire that keeps burning all day.
6“See, it stands written before me:
I will not keep silent† but will pay back† in full;
I will pay it back into their laps†—
7both your sins† and the sins of your fathers,”†
says the LORD.
“Because they burned sacrifices on the mountains
and defied me on the hills,†
I will measure into their laps
the full payment for their former deeds.”
8This is what the LORD says:
“As when juice is still found in a cluster of grapes
and men say, ‘Don’t destroy it,
there is yet some good in it,’
so will I do in behalf of my servants;
I will not destroy them all.
9I will bring forth descendants† from Jacob,
and from Judah those who will possess† my mountains;
my chosen people will inherit them,
and there will my servants live.†
10Sharon† will become a pasture for flocks,
and the Valley of Achor† a resting place for herds,
for my people who seek† me.
11“But as for you who forsake† the LORD
and forget my holy mountain,
who spread a table for Fortune
and fill bowls of mixed wine for Destiny,
12I will destine you for the sword,†
and you will all bend down for the slaughter;
for 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 this is what the Sovereign LORD says:
“My servants will eat,†
but you will go hungry;
my servants will drink,
but you will go thirsty;†
my servants will rejoice,
but you will be put to shame.†
14My servants will sing
out of the joy of their hearts,
but you will cry out†
from anguish of heart
and wail in brokenness of spirit.
15You will leave your name
to my chosen ones as a curse;†
the Sovereign LORD will put you to death,
but to his servants he will give another name.
16Whoever invokes a blessing in the land
will do so by the God of truth;†
he who takes an oath in the land
will swear† by the God of truth.
For the past troubles will be forgotten
and hidden from my eyes.
New Heavens and a New Earth
17“Behold, I will create
new heavens and a new earth.†
The former things will not be remembered,†
nor will they come to mind.
18But be glad and rejoice† forever
in what I will create,
for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight
and its people a joy.
19I will rejoice† over Jerusalem
and take delight in my people;
the sound of weeping and of crying†
will be heard in it no more.
20“Never again will there be in it
an infant who lives but a few days,
or an old man who does not live out his years;†
he who dies at a hundred
will be thought a mere youth;
he who fails to reach[134] a hundred
will be considered accursed.
21They will build houses† and dwell in them;
they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.†
22No longer will they build houses and others live in them,
or plant and others eat.
For as the days of a tree,†
so will be the days† of my people;
my chosen ones will long enjoy
the works of their hands.
23They will not toil in vain
or bear children doomed to misfortune;
for they will be a people blessed† by the LORD,
they and their descendants† with them.
24Before they call† I will answer;
while they are still speaking† I will hear.
25The wolf and the lamb† will feed together,
and the lion will eat straw like the ox,
but dust will be the serpent’s† food.
They will neither harm nor destroy
on all my holy mountain,”
says the LORD.
Judgment and Hope
1This is what the LORD says:
Humanity and the Divine: Comparing the Bible to the Myth of Atra-Hasis
Isaiah 66 The Bible, along with numerous other ancient Near Eastern texts, recounts the stories of creation and of a great flood.1 The commonality of a flood story can be misleading, however, causing the reader to suppose that the Bible has essentially the same outlook as that found in other ancient cultures. In fact, the Biblical understanding of God and of his relationship to the world sets the Old Testament record apart from pagan notions of the divine.
One Old Babylonian text that recounts the events of creation and the flood is called Atra-hasis (named after the hero of the story, a Noah-like figure). The tale begins with a lower class of gods, the Igigi, who are discontented because they have been forced to do all of the drudge work for the higher gods (e.g., dig irrigation canals and clear marshlands). One night their frustration boils over and they march against the houses of the high gods. Cooler heads prevail, however, and the high gods offer a solution: They will create human beings to do the drudge work for the Igigi. A god is sacrificed, his blood is mixed with clay and humans are formed under the direction of the mother goddess, Mami.
The humans multiply, however, and this creates a new problem: The people make so much noise that the gods cannot sleep. They try to reduce the human population through disease and famine, but it swells again. Finally, they determine to strike humanity with a flood. One man, Atra-hasis, is warned of the coming deluge, however, so that not all humans are wiped out. A solution is finally found: Through infant mortality and the sterility of some women, the human race will be kept to a manageable number.
By contrast, Isaiah 66:1–2 reads, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house you will build for me? Where will my resting place be? Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came into being?’ declares the LORD. ‘This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word.’ ” God needs no one to do his drudge work, nor is he disturbed by the most raucous or boisterous behavior of people. What he does seek is a humble heart. This is in keeping with what we see in Genesis, where God created only by his word, needing no assistance, and where he judged people for their sin—not because their decible level annoyed him. Superficial similarities between the Bible and the ancient Near Eastern myths should not blind us to their profound differences in outlook.
1. See “Ancient Creation Narratives”, “Ancient Flood Narratives” and “Cosmology in the Ancient Near East.”
“Heaven is my throne,†
and the earth is my footstool.†
Where is the house† you will build for me?
Where will my resting place be?
2Has not my hand made all these things,†
and so they came into being?”
declares the LORD.
“This is the one I esteem:
he who is humble and contrite in spirit,†
and trembles at my word.†
3But whoever sacrifices a bull†
is like one who kills a man,
and whoever offers a lamb,
like one who breaks a dog’s neck;
whoever makes a grain offering
is like one who presents pig’s blood,
and whoever burns memorial incense,†
like one who worships an idol.
They have chosen their own ways,†
and their souls delight in their abominations;
4so I also will choose harsh treatment for them
and will bring upon them what they dread.†
For when I called, no one answered,†
when I spoke, no one listened.
They did evil† in my sight
and chose what displeases me.Ӡ
5Hear the word of the LORD,
you who tremble at his word:
“Your brothers who hate† you,
and exclude you because of my name, have said,
‘Let the LORD be glorified,
that we may see your joy!’
Yet they will be put to shame.†
6Hear that uproar from the city,
hear that noise from the temple!
It is the sound of the LORD
repaying† his enemies all they deserve.
7“Before she goes into labor,†
she gives birth;
before the pains come upon her,
she delivers a son.†
8Who has ever heard of such a thing?
Who has ever seen† such things?
Can a country be born in a day
or a nation be brought forth in a moment?
Yet no sooner is Zion in labor
than she gives birth to her children.
9Do I bring to the moment of birth†
and not give delivery?” says the LORD.
“Do I close up the womb
when I bring to delivery?” says your God.
10“Rejoice† with Jerusalem and be glad for her,
all you who love† her;
rejoice greatly with her,
all you who mourn over her.
11For you will nurse† and be satisfied
at her comforting breasts;
you will drink deeply
and delight in her overflowing abundance.”
12For this is what the LORD says:
“I will extend peace to her like a river,†
and the wealth† of nations like a flooding stream;
you will nurse and be carried† on her arm
and dandled on her knees.
13As a mother comforts her child,
so will I comfort† you;
and you will be comforted over Jerusalem.”
14When you see this, your heart will rejoice
and you will flourish like grass;
the hand of the LORD will be made known to his servants,
but his fury† will be shown to his foes.
15See, the LORD is coming with fire,
and his chariots† are like a whirlwind;
he will bring down his anger with fury,
and his rebuke† with flames of fire.
16For with fire† and with his sword†
the LORD will execute judgment upon all men,
and many will be those slain by the LORD.
17“Those who consecrate and purify themselves to go into the gardens,† following the one in the midst of[135] those who eat the flesh of pigs† and rats and other abominable things—they will meet their end† together,” declares the LORD.
18“And I, because of their actions and their imaginations, am about to come[136] and gather all nations and tongues, and they will come and see my glory.
19“I will set a sign† among them, and I will send some of those who survive to the nations—to Tarshish,† to the Libyans[137] and Lydians† (famous as archers), to Tubal† and Greece, and to the distant islands† that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory.† They will proclaim my glory among the nations. 20And they will bring all your brothers, from all the nations, to my holy mountain in Jerusalem as an offering to the LORD—on horses, in chariots and wagons, and on mules and camels,” says the LORD. “They will bring them, as the Israelites bring their grain offerings, to the temple of the LORD in ceremonially clean vessels.† 21And I will select some of them also to be priests† and Levites,” says the LORD.
22“As the new heavens and the new earth† that I make will endure before me,” declares the LORD, “so will your name and descendants endure.† 23From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath† to another, all mankind will come and bow down† before me,” says the LORD. 24“And they will go out and look upon the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me; their worm† will not die, nor will their fire be quenched,† and they will be loathsome to all mankind.”
