Bible in 90 Days

The Suffering Servant

¹³ See, My Servant will do well. He will be high and lifted up and honored very much. ¹⁴ Just as many looked in wonder at you, My people, so His face was marked worse than any man, and His body more than the sons of men. ¹⁵ He will surprise many nations. Kings will shut their mouths because of Him. What they had never been told about Him, they will see. And what they had never heard about Him, they will understand.

53 Who has believed what we told them? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been shown? ² He grew up before Him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground. He has no beautiful body and when we see Him there is no beauty that we should desire Him. ³ He was hated and men would have nothing to do with Him, a man of sorrows and suffering, knowing sadness well. We hid, as it were, our faces from Him. He was hated, and we did not think well of Him.

⁴ For sure He took on Himself our troubles and carried our sorrows. Yet we thought of Him as being punished and hurt by God, and made to suffer. ⁵ But He was hurt for our wrong-doing. He was crushed for our sins. He was punished so we would have peace. He was beaten so we would be healed. ⁶ All of us like sheep have gone the wrong way. Each of us has turned to his own way. And the Lord has put on Him the sin of us all.

⁷ Men made it very hard for Him and caused Him to suffer, yet He did not open His mouth. He was taken like a lamb to be put to death. A sheep does not make a sound while its wool is cut and He did not open His mouth. ⁸ He was taken away as a prisoner and then judged. Who among the people of that day cared that His life was taken away from the earth? He was hurt because of the sin of the people who should have been punished. ⁹ They gave Him a grave with the sinful, but with the rich at His death, for He had done no wrong, and there was nothing false in His mouth.

¹⁰ But it was the will of the Lord to crush Him, causing Him to suffer. Because He gives His life as a gift on the altar for sin, He will see His children. Days will be added to His life, and the will of the Lord will do well in His hand. ¹¹ He will see what the suffering of His soul brings, and will be pleased. By what He knows, the One Who is right and good, My Servant, will carry the punishment of many and He will carry their sins. ¹² So I will give Him a share among the great. He will divide the riches with the strong, because He gave up His life. They thought of Him as One Who broke the Law. Yet He Himself carried the sin of many, and prayed for the sinners.

The Lord Loves Israel

54 “Woman, be happy, you who have had no children. Cry for joy, you who have never had the pains of having a child, for you will have many children. Yes, you will have more children than the one who has a husband,” says the Lord. ² “Make your tent bigger. Spread out the curtains of your home, and do not hold back. Make your ropes longer and your tie-downs stronger. ³ For you will spread out to the right and to the left. Your children will own nations, and they will fill the destroyed cities with people.

⁴ “Fear not, for you will not be ashamed. Do not be troubled, for you will not be put to shame. You will forget how you were ashamed when you were young. You will not remember the sorrow of being without a husband any more. ⁵ Your Maker is your husband. His name is the Lord of All. And the One Who saves you is the Holy One of Israel. He is called the God of All the earth. ⁶ For the Lord has called you like a wife left alone and filled with sorrow, like a wife who married when young and is left,” says your God. ⁷ “For a short time I left you, but with much loving-pity I will take you back. ⁸ When I was very angry I hid My face from you for a short time. But with loving-kindness that lasts forever I will have pity on you,” says the Lord Who bought you and saves you.

⁹ “For this is like the days of Noah to Me. As I promised that the waters of Noah should not flood the earth again, so I have promised that I will not be angry with you or speak sharp words to you. ¹⁰ The mountains may be taken away and the hills may shake, but My loving-kindness will not be taken from you. And My agreement of peace will not be shaken,” says the Lord who has loving-pity on you.

¹¹ “O suffering one, shaken by the storm and not comforted, see, I will set your stones in beautiful colors. You will stand upon blue stones of much worth. ¹² I will make your towers of bright red stones. Your gates will be made of shining stones, and all your walls will be made of stones of great worth. ¹³ All your sons will be taught by the Lord, and the well-being of your children will be great. ¹⁴ All will be right and good for you. No one over you will make it hard for you, and you will not be afraid. You will be far from trouble, for it will not come near you. ¹⁵ If anyone brings trouble against you, it will not be from Me. Whoever comes against you will fall because of you. ¹⁶ See, I Myself have made the workman who blows on the fire to give it more heat and makes a sword for its work. I have made the destroyer to destroy. ¹⁷ No tool that is made to fight against you will do well. And you will prove wrong every tongue that says you are guilty. This is the gift given to the servants of the Lord. I take away their guilt and make them right,” says the Lord.

A Great Full Life

55 “Listen! Every one who is thirsty, come to the waters. And you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. ² Why do you spend money for what is not bread? Why spend your pay for what you do not enjoy? Listen well to Me, and eat what is good. Find joy in the best food. ³ Listen and come to Me. Hear, so you may live. And I will make an agreement with you that lasts forever, because of the faithful love promised to David. ⁴ See, I made him one who told of what he had seen and heard to the nations, a leader and ruler of the people. ⁵ See, you will call nations that you do not know. And nations that did not know you will run to you, because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel. For He has given shining-greatness to you.”

⁶ Look for the Lord while He may be found. Call upon Him while He is near. ⁷ Let the sinful turn from his way, and the one who does not know God turn from his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord, and He will have loving-pity on him. Let him turn to our God, for He will for sure forgive all his sins. ⁸ “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, and My ways are not your ways,” says the Lord. ⁹ “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. ¹⁰ The rain and snow come down from heaven and do not return there without giving water to the earth. This makes plants grow on the earth, and gives seeds to the planter and bread to the eater. ¹¹ So My Word which goes from My mouth will not return to Me empty. It will do what I want it to do, and will carry out My plan well. ¹² You will go out with joy, and be led out in peace. The mountains and the hills will break out into sounds of joy before you. And all the trees of the field will clap their hands. ¹³ Instead of the thorn bush, the cypress tree will come up. Instead of the thistle, the myrtle tree will come up. It will cause you to remember the Lord, something special to see that will last forever.”

All Nations Can Be Saved

56 The Lord says, “Hold on to what is right and fair. Do what is right and good. My saving power will soon come, and I will show what is right. ² How happy is the man who does this, and the son of man who takes hold of it! How happy is he who keeps the Day of Rest holy, and keeps his hand from doing wrong.” ³ Let not the man from a strange land who has joined the Lord say, “For sure the Lord will keep me away from His people.” Let not the man who had been made so that he could not have children say, “See, I am a dry tree.” ⁴ To these the Lord says, “If these servants keep My Days of Rest and choose what pleases Me, and hold on to My agreement, ⁵ I will give them something in My house and within My walls to be remembered. I will give them a name better than that of sons and daughters, a name that will be forever and never be cut off.

⁶ “And those from a strange land who join themselves to the Lord, to serve Him and to love His name, to be His servants, and keep the Day of Rest holy, and keep My agreement, ⁷ even those I will bring to My holy mountain and give them joy in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and gifts will be received on My altar. For My house will be called a house of prayer for all people.” ⁸ The Lord God Who gathers the people of Israel from other lands says, “I will gather yet others to them, besides those already gathered.”

Israel’s Sinful Leaders

⁹ All you animals of the field, all you animals among the trees, come to eat. ¹⁰ The men of Israel who keep watch are blind to trouble. They know very little. They are all dogs that cannot make noise. They dream and lie down, and love to sleep. ¹¹ The dogs are hungry and never have enough. The shepherds have no understanding. They have all turned to their own way, each one wanting to get things for himself that are not his. ¹² “Come,” they say, “let us get wine. Let us drink much strong drink. And tomorrow will be even better than today.”

False Gods Must Be Put Away

57 “The man who is right and good dies, and no one cares. Very good men are taken away, while no one understands. But the man who is right with God is taken away from what is sinful, ² and goes where there is peace. They have rest in their graves, each one who walked in the right way. ³ But come here, you sons of a witch, children of a man who does sex sins and a woman who sells the use of her body. ⁴ Against whom are you making fun? Against whom do you open your mouth wide and put out your tongue? Are you not children of sin, the young ones of lies? ⁵ You burn with desire with your false gods under every green tree. You put your children on the altar of your false gods in the valleys under high rocks that hang over. ⁶ Your part is among the smooth stones of the valley. They are what you get. You have poured out drink gifts to them and given grain gifts. Should I be pleased about these things? ⁷ You have made your bed on a high mountain. And you went up there to give your gifts in worship. ⁸ You have put up your false gods behind the door on the other side. You have turned away from Me and have taken the covering off yourself. You have gone up and made your bed wide. You have made an agreement for yourselves with them. You have loved their bed, and have looked upon their bodies. ⁹ You have traveled to the king with oil and much perfume. You have sent your men with gifts a very long way, and made them go down to the place of the dead. ¹⁰ You were tired because your road was so long, yet you did not say, ‘There is no hope.’ You found new strength, so you did not become weak.

¹¹ “Of whom were you afraid, when you lied, and did not remember Me or think about Me? Have I not been quiet for a long time, so you are not afraid of Me? ¹² I will make known how right you are and what you have done, but it will not help you. ¹³ When you cry out, let the false gods that you have take you out of trouble. The wind will carry them away. A breath will take them away. But he who comes to Me to be safe will receive the land. My holy mountain will be his.”

God’s Promise for Help

¹⁴ It will be said, “Build up, build up, make the way ready. Take everything out of the way of My people.” ¹⁵ For the high and honored One Who lives forever, Whose name is Holy, says, “I live in the high and holy place. And I also live with those who are sorry for their sins and have turned from them and are not proud. I give new strength to the spirit of those without pride, and also to those whose hearts are sorry for their sins. ¹⁶ I will keep on fighting against you, and will not always be angry, for then your spirit would become weak before Me, the ones to whom I gave life. ¹⁷ Because of the sin of his desire to get more of everything, I was angry. I punished him and hid My face in anger. He went on sinning, following the way of his own heart. ¹⁸ I have seen his ways and will heal him. I will lead him and give comfort to him and to those who have sorrow for him. ¹⁹ I will make the lips to praise. Peace, peace to him who is far and to him who is near,” says the Lord, “and I will heal him.” ²⁰ But the sinful are like the troubled sea, for it cannot rest. Its waters throw up mud and dirt. ²¹ “There is no peace,” says my God, “for the sinful.”

Going without Food Pleases God

58 “Cry with a loud voice. Do not hold back. Raise your voice like a horn, and show My people their wrong-doing and the family of Jacob their sins. ² Yet they look for Me day by day, and are happy to know My ways, as a nation that has done what is right and good, and has not turned away from the Law of their God. They ask Me to be fair in what I decide, and they are happy to come near to God. ³ They say, ‘Why have we gone without food, and You do not see it? Why have we put away our pride, and You do not know it?’ See, on the day you do not eat, you do what you want to do, and make it hard for all your workers. ⁴ See, while you go without food you argue and fight and hit with a sinful hand. Going without food as you do today will not help your voice to be heard on high. ⁵ Is it a time without eating like this that I choose, a day for a man to put away his pride? Is it for bowing his head like a piece of grass, and to spread ashes and cloth made from hair for his bed? Will you call this time without eating a day that pleases the Lord? ⁶ Is not the time without eating which I choose, a time to take off the chains of sin, and to take the heavy load of sin off the neck? Is it not a time to let those who suffer under a sinful power go free, and to break every load from their neck? ⁷ Is it not a time to share your food with the hungry, and bring the poor man into your house who has no home of his own? Is it not a time to give clothes to the person you see who has no clothes, and a time not to hide yourself from your own family? ⁸ Then your light will break out like the early morning, and you will soon be healed. Your right and good works will go before you. And the shining-greatness of the Lord will keep watch behind you. ⁹ Then you will call, and the Lord will answer. You will cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’ If you take the weight of sin away, and stop putting the blame on others and stop speaking sinful things, ¹⁰ and if you give what you have to the hungry, and fill the needs of those who suffer, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your darkness will be like the brightest time of day. ¹¹ The Lord will always lead you. He will meet the needs of your soul in the dry times and give strength to your body. You will be like a garden that has enough water, like a well of water that never dries up. ¹² And your cities which were destroyed long ago will be built again. You will set up the stones of the bases of the old buildings. You will be called the one who builds again the broken walls, and who makes the streets on which people live like new.

¹³ “If you keep from doing what pleases you on the Day of Rest, on My holy day and call the Day of Rest a happy time, and respect the holy day of the Lord, and if you honor it by turning from your own ways, and from following your own desire and by not talking in a foolish way, ¹⁴ then you will have joy in the Lord. I will cause you to ride on the high places of the earth. And I will feed you with the best from the land given to your father Jacob. The mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

Sin Keeps One from God

59 See, the Lord’s hand is not so short that it cannot save, and His ear is not closed that it cannot hear. ² But your wrong-doings have kept you away from your God. Your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He does not hear. ³ For your hands are sinful with blood, your fingers with wrong-doing, your lips have lied, and your tongue talks about sin. ⁴ No one wants what is right and fair in court. And no one argues his cause with the truth. They trust in what is false, and speak lies. They plan to make trouble and do what is sinful. ⁵ They bring young ones from the eggs of deadly snakes and make traps as a spider does. He who eats of their eggs dies, and a snake comes out of the egg that is crushed. ⁶ Clothing cannot be made from the work of the spider, so they cannot cover themselves with what they make. Their works are works of sin. They hurt others with their hands. ⁷ And they are quick to sin and to kill people who are not guilty. Their thoughts are thoughts of sin. Wherever they go, they destroy and cause suffering. ⁸ They know nothing about peace, and there is nothing fair in their paths. Their roads are not straight. Whoever walks on them does not know peace.

⁹ So what is right and fair is far from us. What is right and good does not come to us. We hope for light, but see darkness. We hope for bright light, but we walk in the dark. ¹⁰ We feel for the wall like blind men. We feel our way like those who have no eyes. We trip at noon as in the night. Among those who are strong, we are like dead men. ¹¹ All of us make noise like bears, and cry inside ourselves like doves. We hope for what is right and fair, but it is not there. We hope to be saved, but it is far from us. ¹² For we have done much wrong before You, and our sins speak against us. Our wrong-doing is with us, and we know our sins. ¹³ We have gone against the Lord and have acted as if we do not know Him. We have turned away from our God. We have made it hard for others. We have thought and spoken lying words from the heart. ¹⁴ What is right and fair is turned back. What is right and good stands far away. Truth has fallen in the street, and what is right cannot come in. ¹⁵ Yes, truth is not there. And he who turns away from sin comes under the anger of sinners.

Now the Lord saw this, and it did not please Him to see that what is right and fair was not being done. ¹⁶ He saw and wondered that there was no man to speak up for what is right. Then His own arm brought saving power, and what is right with Him gave Him strength. ¹⁷ Being right and good was His covering for His breast, saving power was His headcovering, clothing of anger was his covering, and His strong desires were like a coat. ¹⁸ He will pay them back for their works. He will send anger upon those who are against Him, and will punish those who hate Him. He will send punishment on the islands. ¹⁹ They will fear the name of the Lord from the west, and His shining-greatness from the rising of the sun. When the one who hates us comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a wall against him. ²⁰ “The One Who saves from the punishment of sin will come to Zion, and He will come to those of Jacob who turn from their sinful ways,” says the Lord. ²¹ “And as for Me, this is My agreement with them,” says the Lord. “My Spirit which is upon you, and My Words which I have put in your mouth, will not leave your mouth, or the mouth of your children, or the mouth of your children’s children,” say the Lord, “from now and forever.”

60 “Rise up and shine, for your light has come. The shining-greatness of the Lord has risen upon you. ² For see, darkness will cover the earth. Much darkness will cover the people. But the Lord will rise upon you, and His shining-greatness will be seen upon you. ³ Nations will come to your light. And kings will see the shining-greatness of the Lord on you.

⁴ “Lift up your eyes and look around you, and see. They all gather together. They come to you. Your sons will come from far away, and your daughters will be carried in the arms. ⁵ Then you will see and shine with joy. Your heart will be glad and full of joy, because the riches of the sea will be turned to you. And the riches of the nations will come to you. ⁶ Many camels will cover your land, the young camels of Midian and Ephah. All those from Sheba will come. They will bring gold and special perfume, and will carry good news of the praises of the Lord. ⁷ All the flocks of Kedar will be gathered to you. The male sheep of Nebaioth will be ready for your need. They will be received on My altar. And I will make My house beautiful. ⁸ Who are these who fly like a cloud, and like doves to their windows? ⁹ For sure the islands will wait for Me. And the ships of Tarshish will come first, to bring your sons from far away, and their silver and gold with them. They will come because of the name of the Lord your God, and for the Holy One of Israel, for He has brought great honor to you.

¹⁰ “People from strange lands will build up your walls, and their kings will help you. For I destroyed you in My anger, but in My favor I have had loving-pity on you. ¹¹ Your gates will always be open. They will not be closed day or night, so that men may bring the riches of the nations to you with the kings leading the way. ¹² For the nation which does not serve you will be destroyed. Those nations will all be destroyed. ¹³ The beauty of Lebanon will come to you. The juniper, the box tree and the cypress will be brought to make My holy place beautiful. I will make the place of My feet a beautiful place. ¹⁴ The sons of those who made it hard for you will come bowing to you. All those who hated you will bow down at your feet. And they will call you the City of the Lord, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel.

¹⁵ “You have been left and hated, with no one passing through. But I will make you a pride forever, a joy for all your children’s children. ¹⁶ You will drink the milk of nations. You will drink from the breast of kings. Then you will know that I, the Lord, am the One Who saves you, and the One Who bought you and made you free, the Powerful One of Jacob. ¹⁷ Instead of brass, I will bring gold. Instead of iron, I will bring silver. Instead of wood, I will bring brass. And instead of stones, I will bring iron. I will make peace your leader, and what is right and good will be your boss. ¹⁸ Fighting will not be heard again in your land. Nothing within your land will be destroyed. You will call your walls Saving Power and your gates Praise. ¹⁹ No more will the sun be your light during the day, and the moon during the night. But the Lord will be your light forever and your God will be your shining-greatness. ²⁰ Your sun will set no more, and your moon will not become less. For the Lord will be your light forever and ever, and the days of your sorrow will end. ²¹ Then all your people will be right with God. They will have the land forever. They are the branch I planted, the work of My hands, that I may be honored. ²² The smallest one will become a family of a thousand. And the least one will become a powerful nation. I, the Lord, will make it happen in its time.”

The Good News

61 The Spirit of the Lord God is on me, because the Lord has chosen me to bring good news to poor people. He has sent me to heal those with a sad heart. He has sent me to tell those who are being held and those in prison that they can go free. ² He has sent me to tell about the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day our God will bring punishment. He has sent me to comfort all who are filled with sorrow. ³ To those who have sorrow in Zion I will give them a crown of beauty instead of ashes. I will give them the oil of joy instead of sorrow, and a spirit of praise instead of a spirit of no hope. Then they will be called oaks that are right with God, planted by the Lord, that He may be honored.

⁴ They will build the cities again that were destroyed long ago. They will raise up what had been torn down, and will build the cities that were destroyed, and have lain waste through the years of many families and their children’s children. ⁵ Strangers will stand and feed your flocks. Men from other lands will be your farmers and care for your vines. ⁶ But you will be called the religious leaders of the Lord. Men will speak of you as servants of our God. You will eat the riches of the nations, and in their riches you will speak with pride. ⁷ Instead of your shame you will have a share that is twice as much. Instead of being without honor, they will sing for joy over all you receive. So they will have twice as much in their land, and joy that lasts forever will be theirs. ⁸ For I, the Lord, love what is right and fair. I hate stealing and what is wrong. I will be faithful to pay them what they should have. And I will make an agreement with them that will last forever. ⁹ Their children will be known among the nations. Their children’s children will be known among the people. All who see them will know them, because they are the people to whom the Lord has brought honor.

¹⁰ I will have much joy in the Lord. My soul will have joy in my God, for He has clothed me with the clothes of His saving power. He has put around me a coat of what is right and good, as a man at his own wedding wears something special on his head, and as a bride makes herself beautiful with stones of great worth. ¹¹ As the earth lets its new plants grow, and as a garden causes the things planted in it to grow, in the same way, the Lord God will cause what is right and good and words of praise to grow up in front of all the nations.

Something New for Zion

62 Because of Zion I will not keep quiet. Because of Jerusalem I will not rest, until her being right with God shines like a bright light, and her being saved shines like fire. ² The nations will see that you are right and good. All kings will see your shining-greatness. And you will be called by a new name which the mouth of the Lord will give. ³ You will be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord, a king’s crown in the hand of your God. ⁴ You will no longer be called “Left Alone.” Your land will no longer be called “Forgotten.” But you will be called “My joy is in her,” and your land “Married.” For the Lord finds joy in you, and to Him your land will be married. ⁵ For as a young man marries a young woman who has never had a man, your sons will marry you. And as the man to be married finds joy in his bride, so your God will find joy in you.

⁶ On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have put men to keep watch. All day and all night they will never be quiet. You who help the Lord remember, do not rest. ⁷ And give Him no rest until He builds Jerusalem and makes it a praise in the earth. ⁸ The Lord has sworn by His right hand and by His strong arm, “I will never again give your grain to be food for those who hate you. And strangers will never again drink your new wine that you have worked hard to make. ⁹ But those who have worked on it will eat it and praise the Lord. And those who gather it will drink it in the open spaces inside My holy house.”

¹⁰ Go through, go through the gates. Open the way for the people. Build up, build up the road. Take away the stones, and raise the flag over the people. ¹¹ See, the Lord has made it known to the end of the earth: Say to the people of Zion, “Look, the One Who saves you is coming! See, He is bringing His reward that He will give.” ¹² And they will call them “The holy people, the people who have been saved and set free by the Lord.” And you will be called “A city looked for, a city that God has not forgotten.”

The Lord Wins over the Nations

63 Who is this Who comes from Edom, with dark red clothing from Bozrah? Who is this One Who is beautiful in His clothing, walking in the greatness of His strength? “It is I, Who speaks what is right and good, powerful to save.” ² Why is Your clothing red? Why is Your clothing like his who crushes the grapes? ³ “I have crushed the grapes alone. From the people there was no man with Me. I crushed them in My anger. I was angry as I stepped on them. And their life blood is on My clothing, and all My clothing is red. ⁴ For the day of punishment was in My heart. And My year to save My people and make them free has come. ⁵ I looked, and there was no one to help. I wondered that there was no one to help. So My own arm brought saving power to Me, and My anger helped Me. ⁶ I crushed the nations in My anger and I made them drunk in My anger. I poured out their life blood on the earth.”

Israel Remembers God’s Loving-Kindness

⁷ I will tell of the loving-kindness of the Lord, and praise Him for all He has done. I will tell of all the Lord has given us, the great goodness He has shown to the family of Israel and given to them because of His loving-pity and His great loving-kindness. ⁸ For He said, “For sure they are My people, sons who will not be false to Me.” So He saved them from the punishment of sin. ⁹ He suffered with them in all their troubles, and the angel of the Lord saved them. In His loving-kindness He paid the price and made them free. He lifted them up and carried them all the days of long ago. ¹⁰ But they turned against Him and made His Holy Spirit have sorrow. So He turned Himself and hated them, and fought against them. ¹¹ Then His people remembered the days long ago, the days of Moses. Where is He Who brought them through the sea with the shepherd of His flock? Where is He Who put His Holy Spirit among them? ¹² Where is He Who caused His great arm to be at the right hand of Moses? Where is He Who divided the waters in front of them to make for Himself a name that lasts forever. ¹³ Who led them through the sea? Like a horse in the desert, they did not lose their step. ¹⁴ Like cattle that go down into the valley, the Spirit of the Lord gave them rest. So You led Your people, to make for Yourself a great and honored name.

A Prayer for Help

¹⁵ Look down from heaven, and see from Your holy and beautiful house. Where are Your strong desires and Your powerful works? Your kindness and Your loving-pity are kept from me. ¹⁶ For You are our Father. Even though Abraham does not know us, and Israel does not see who we are, You, O Lord, are our Father. The One Who bought us and made us free from long ago is Your name. ¹⁷ O Lord, why do You make us turn aside from Your ways and make our hearts hard so we do not fear You? Return because of Your servants, the families of Your promised land. ¹⁸ Your holy people kept Your holy house for a little while. But those who hate us have broken it under their feet. ¹⁹ We have become like those over whom You have never ruled, like those who were not called by Your name.

64 If only You would tear open the heavens and come down! The mountains would shake before You, ² as when fire burns the wood and causes the water to boil. Come and make Your name known to those who are against you, that the nations may shake in fear before You! ³ When You did powerful things which we did not expect, You came down, and the mountains shook before You. ⁴ From long ago no ear has heard and no eye has seen any God besides You, Who works for those who wait for Him. ⁵ You meet him who finds joy in doing what is right and good, who remembers You in Your ways. See, You were angry because we sinned. We have been sinning for a long time, and will we be saved? ⁶ All of us have become like one who is unclean. All our right and good works are like dirty pieces of cloth. And all of us dry up like a leaf. Our sins take us away like the wind. ⁷ There is no one who calls on Your name, who stirs himself up to take hold of You. For You have hidden Your face from us, and have given us over to the power of our sins.

⁸ But now, O Lord, You are our Father. We are the clay, and You are our pot maker. All of us are the work of Your hand. ⁹ Do not be so angry, O Lord. Do not remember our sin forever. Look now, all of us are Your people. ¹⁰ Your holy cities have become a waste place. Zion has become a waste place. Jerusalem lies destroyed. ¹¹ Our holy and beautiful house, where our fathers praised You, has been burned by fire. And all our things of great worth have been destroyed. ¹² Will You do nothing after seeing these things, O Lord? Will You keep quiet and make us suffer even more?

God’s Ways Are Right and Good

65 “I let Myself be looked for by those who did not ask for Me. I let Myself be found by those who did not look for Me. I said, ‘Here I am, here I am,’ to a nation that did not call on My name. ² All day long I held out My hand to a people who would not obey Me and who worked against Me. They walk in a way that is not good, following their own thoughts. ³ These people always make Me angry, giving gifts of worship in gardens and burning special perfume on altars of clay blocks. ⁴ They sit among graves, and spend the night in secret places. They eat the flesh of pigs, and have boiled meat that is unclean in their pots. ⁵ They say, ‘Keep to yourself. Do not come near me. For I am holier than you.’ These are smoke in My nose, a fire that burns all the day. ⁶ See, it is written before Me: ‘I will not keep quiet, but I will pay them back. I will pay them back into their breast, ⁷ for both their own sins and the sins of their fathers,’” says the Lord. “Because they have burned special perfume on the mountains and have spoken against Me on the hills, I will give them into their breasts the full pay for what they have done.”

⁸ The Lord says, “New wine is found in the grapes, and one says, ‘Do not destroy them, for there is still some good in them.’ I will act in the same way for My servants, and not destroy them all. ⁹ I will bring children from Jacob, and one out of Judah who will have My mountains for a gift. They will be given to My chosen ones, and My servants will live there. ¹⁰ Sharon will become a field for flocks. And the valley of Achor will be a resting place for herds, for My people who look for Me. ¹¹ But you who turn away from the Lord, who forget My holy mountain, who set a table for the false god, Gad, and who fill cups of mixed wine for the false female goddess, Meni, ¹² I will have your future be the sword. All of you will bow down to be killed. Because when I called, you did not answer. I spoke, but you did not hear. You did what was sinful in My eyes, and chose what did not please Me.”

¹³ So the Lord God says, “See, My servants will eat, but you will be hungry. See, My servants will drink, but you will be thirsty. See, My servants will be glad, but you will be put to shame. ¹⁴ See, My servants will call out for joy with a glad heart. But you will cry out with pain in your heart and with a broken spirit. ¹⁵ And you will leave your name as a curse for My chosen ones. The Lord God will kill you, but My servants will be called by another name. ¹⁶ Anyone who has good things come to him in the land will have good things come to him by the God of truth. And he who makes a promise in the land will promise by the God of truth. The troubles of the past are forgotten, and are hidden from My eyes.

New Heavens and a New Earth

¹⁷ “For, see, I will make new heavens and a new earth. The past things will not be remembered or come to mind. ¹⁸ But be glad and have joy forever in what I make. For see, I make Jerusalem for joy, and her people for happiness. ¹⁹ I will have joy in Jerusalem and be glad in My people. The voice of crying will no longer be heard in it, or the cry of trouble. ²⁰ No more will there be in it a child who lives only a few days, or an old man who does not live many years. For the child will live to be a hundred years old. And the one who does not live a hundred years will be thought to be cursed. ²¹ They will build houses and live in them. They will plant grapes and eat their fruit. ²² They will not build a house and another live in it. They will not plant and another eat. For My people will live a long time, like the days of a tree. And for a long time My chosen ones will enjoy the work of their hands. ²³ They will not work for nothing, or give birth to children and have trouble. For they will be the children of those who receive good from the Lord, and their children with them. ²⁴ And it will be before they call, I will answer. While they are still speaking, I will hear. ²⁵ The wolf and the lamb will eat together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. And dust will be the snake’s food. They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain,” says the Lord.

The Lord Judges

66 The Lord says, “Heaven is My throne, and the earth is the place where I rest My feet. Where then is a house you could build for Me? And where is a place that I may rest? ² My hands made all these things, and so all these things came into being,” says the Lord. “But I will look to the one who has no pride and is broken in spirit, and who shakes with fear at My Word.

³ “He who kills an ox is like one who kills a man. He who kills a lamb on the altar in worship is like one who breaks a dog’s neck. He who gives a grain gift is like one who gives pig’s blood. He who burns special perfume is like the one who gives honor and thanks to a false god. They have chosen their own ways, and their soul finds joy in the sinful things they do. ⁴ So I will choose their punishments, and will bring on them what they are most afraid of. I called, but no one answered, and spoke, but they did not listen. They did what was sinful in My eyes, and chose what did not please Me.” ⁵ Hear the word of the Lord, you who shake in fear at His word: “Your brothers who hate you and have nothing to do with you because of Me have said, ‘Let the Lord be honored, that we may see your joy.’ But they will be put to shame. ⁶ Listen! A noise from the city! A voice from the house of God! It is the voice of the Lord Who is giving punishment to those who hate Him.

⁷ “Before she suffered, she gave birth. Before her pain came, a son was born to her. ⁸ Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Can a land be born in one day? Can a nation be born all at once? As soon as Zion’s pains came, she gave birth to her sons. ⁹ Will I bring a child to birth, and not let him be born?” says the Lord. “Will I, Who gives birth, stop it?” says your God. ¹⁰ Be glad with Jerusalem and have joy in her, all you who love her. Be filled with joy for her, all you who have sorrow for her. ¹¹ Then you will nurse and be filled with her comforting breasts. You will drink and be happy with her greatness.” ¹² For the Lord says, “See, I will give peace to her like a river, and the greatness of the nations like a river flowing over. And you will be nursed. You will be carried at the side and given loving-kindness on the knees. ¹³ I will comfort you as one is comforted by his mother. And you will be comforted in Jerusalem.” ¹⁴ When you see this, your heart will be glad. Your bones will get new strength like the new grass. And the hand of the Lord will be made known to His servants. But He will be angry with those who hate Him. ¹⁵ For see, the Lord will come in fire. His war-wagons will be like a very strong wind. And He will show His anger with fire. ¹⁶ The Lord will punish by fire and by His sword on all flesh. And those killed by the Lord will be many. ¹⁷ Those who set themselves apart and make themselves pure to go to the gardens, following one in the center, who eat pig’s flesh, hated things, and mice, will come to an end together,” says the Lord. ¹⁸ “For I know their works and their thoughts. The time is coming to gather all nations and tongues. And they will come and see My shining-greatness.