Isa 66 | NASB2020 | STEP | This is what the Lord says : “ Heaven is My throne and the earth is the footstool for My feet . 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 This is what the Lord says:

“ ^aHeaven is My throne and the earth is the footstool for My feet.
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,
So all these things came into being,” declares the Lord.
“But I will look to this one,
At one who is humble and ^econtrite in spirit, and who ^ftrembles at My word.

Hypocrisy Rebuked

3 “But the one who slaughters an ox is like one who kills a person;
The one who sacrifices a lamb is like one who breaks a dog’s neck;
One who offers a grain offering is like one who offers ^gpig’s blood;
One who ^{▼▼Lit offers a memorial of incense
,} ⁱburns incense is like one who blesses an idol.
As they have chosen their ^jown ways,
And their souls delight in their ^kabominations,
4 So I will ^lchoose their ^{▼▼Lit ill treatments}punishments
And ⁿbring on them what they dread.
Because I called, but ^ono one answered;
I spoke, but they did not listen.
Instead, 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 on account of My name,
Have said, ‘Let the Lord be glorified, so that we may see your joy.’
But ^tthey will be put to shame.
6 “A sound of uproar from the city, a voice from the temple,
The voice of the Lord who is ^udealing retribution to His enemies.

7 “Before she was in labor, ^vshe delivered;
Before her pain came, ^wshe gave birth to a boy.
8 “ ^xWho has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things?
Can a land be ^{▼▼Lit born through labor-pains}born in one day?
Can a nation be given birth all at once?
As soon as Zion was in labor, she also delivered her sons.
9 “Shall I bring to the point of birth but ^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 So that you may nurse and ^adbe satisfied with her comforting breasts,
So that you may drink fully and be delighted with her ^aebountiful breasts.”
12 For this is what the Lord says: “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 rocked back and forth 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 ^{▼▼Lit all flesh}humanity,
And those put to death by the Lord will be many.
17 “Those who sanctify and purify themselves to go to the ^avgardens,
^{▼▼Lit After}Following one in the center,
Who eat ^axpig’s flesh, detestable things, and mice,
Will ^aycome to an end altogether,” declares the Lord.
18 “For I ^{▼▼As in LXX; know not found in MT}know their works and their ^bathoughts; ^{▼▼Lit it is coming}the time is coming to ^bcgather all the nations and tongues. And they shall come and see My glory. 19 And I will put a ^bdsign among them and send survivors from them to the nations: ^beTarshish, ^{▼▼As in LXX; MT Pul}Put, ^bgLud, ^{▼▼As in LXX; MT those who draw the bow}Meshech, ^biTubal, and ^{▼▼I.e., Greece}Javan, to the distant ^bkcoastlands that have neither heard of My fame nor seen My glory. And they will ^bldeclare My glory among the nations. 20 Then they shall ^bmbring all your countrymen from all the nations as a grain offering to the Lord, on horses, in chariots, in litters, on mules, and on camels, to My ^bnholy mountain Jerusalem,” says the Lord, “just as the sons of Israel bring their grain offering in a ^boclean vessel to the house of the Lord. 21 I will also take some of them as ^bppriests and Levites,” says the Lord.

22 “For just as the ^bqnew heavens and the new earth,
Which I make, will endure before Me,” declares the Lord,
“So will your ^brdescendants and your ^bsname endure.
23 “And it shall be from ^btnew moon to new moon
And from Sabbath to Sabbath,
All ^{▼▼Lit flesh}mankind will come to ^bvbow down before Me,” says the Lord.
24 “Then they will go out and look
At the ^bwcorpses of the people
Who have ^bxrebelled against Me.
For their ^byworm will not die
^bzAnd their fire will not be extinguished;
And they will be an ^caabhorrence to all ^{▼▼Lit flesh}mankind.”