Isaiah

Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?

1This is what the LORD says: "Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house could you build for me? What place could ever be my resting spot?

2For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

2My own hand made all these things, so they all came to be," says the LORD. "But this is the person I care about: the one who is humble and sorry for his sin, and who shakes with respect at my word.

3He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog’s neck; he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine’s blood; he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations.

3But some people bring offerings while living any way they please. When such a person kills an ox for me, it is like killing a man. When he offers a lamb, it is like breaking a dog's neck. When he brings a grain gift, it is like offering pig's blood. When he burns incense, it is like praising an idol. They have picked their own paths, and they enjoy their disgusting practices.

NoteThe KJV lists these sacrifices as if God rejects all offerings. The point is narrower: he rejects offerings brought by people who keep choosing their own way, described at the end of the verse.

4I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not.

4So I will pick hard treatment for them, and I will bring on them the very things they dread. For I called, and nobody answered. I spoke, and nobody listened. Instead they did evil right in front of me and chose what I do not like."

Note"Delusions" here does not mean false ideas. It means God will choose the hard treatment they get, and "their fears" means the very things they were afraid of.

5Hear the word of the LORD, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name’s sake, said, Let the LORD be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed.

5Listen to the word of the LORD, you who shake with respect at his word: "Your own countrymen hate you and push you out because you belong to me. They sneer, 'Let the LORD show his greatness, then, so we can see you be happy.' But they are the ones who will be put to shame."

6A voice of noise from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of the LORD that rendereth recompence to his enemies.

6Listen! A roar comes from the city. A sound comes from the temple. It is the voice of the LORD paying back his enemies what they have earned.

7Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child.

7"Before she was in labor, she gave birth. Before the pain came, she delivered a son.

8Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.

8Who has ever heard of such a thing? Who has ever seen it? Can a land be born in a single day? Can a nation come to life all at once? Yet as soon as Zion went into labor, she gave birth to her children.

9Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the LORD: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? saith thy God.

9Would I bring a baby right up to the moment of birth and not finish it?" says the LORD. "Would I, who bring babies to birth, close the womb?" says your God.

10Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her: rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her:

10Be glad for Jerusalem and celebrate with her, all you who love her. Be full of joy with her, all you who have grieved over her.

11That ye may suck, and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations; that ye may milk out, and be delighted with the abundance of her glory.

11Then you will feed at her comforting arms and be full. You will drink deeply and be delighted by all her riches.

12For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream: then shall ye suck, ye shall be borne upon her sides, and be dandled upon her knees.

12For this is what the LORD says: "I will spread peace over her like a river, and the riches of the nations like a stream running strong. You will be fed, carried on her arm, and bounced on her knees.

13As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem.

13The way a mother comforts her child, that is how I will comfort you. In Jerusalem you will be comforted."

14And when ye see this, your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall flourish like an herb: and the hand of the LORD shall be known toward his servants, and his indignation toward his enemies.

14When you see it, your heart will be glad, and you will grow strong like new grass. Then the LORD's servants will see his power, but his enemies will feel his anger.

15For, behold, the LORD will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.

15Look, the LORD is coming with fire. His chariots come like a spinning windstorm. He comes to pour out his anger and to punish with flames of fire.

16For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many.

16With fire and with his sword the LORD will judge everyone on earth, and many will be killed by him.

17They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine’s flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the LORD.

17"Those who get themselves ready for worship in the garden groves, following the one who leads them there, eating pig meat and rats and other filthy things, will all be destroyed together," says the LORD.

18For I know their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory.

18"I know what they do and what they think. The time is coming when I will gather people of every nation and every language, and they will come and see my glory.

19And I will set a sign among them, and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow, to Tubal, and Javan, to the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles.

19I will give them a sign. I will send some of the survivors out to the nations: to Tarshish, to Pul and Lud, whose men shoot arrows, to Tubal and Javan, and to the far-off lands across the sea that have never heard of me or seen my glory. They will tell the nations how great I am.

20And they shall bring all your brethren for an offering unto the LORD out of all nations upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules, and upon swift beasts, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, saith the LORD, as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the LORD.

20They will bring all your fellow Israelites home from every nation as a gift to the LORD. They will come on horses, in chariots and wagons, on mules and camels, to my holy mountain Jerusalem," says the LORD. "It will be like Israelites bringing a grain gift in a clean dish to the house of the LORD."

NoteA "litter" was a covered seat carried by people or animals, like a chair on poles.

21And I will also take of them for priests and for Levites, saith the LORD.

21"And I will choose some of them to serve as priests and Levites," says the LORD.

NoteLevites were the family group in Israel who assisted the priests and took care of the temple.

22For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain.

22"The new heavens and the new earth that I will make will last and last in front of me," says the LORD. "In the same way, your children and your name will last.

23And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD.

23From one new moon to the next, and from one Sabbath to the next, everyone alive will come and worship me," says the LORD.

24And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.

24"And when they go out, they will look at the dead bodies of the men who rebelled against me. The worms that eat them will not die, and the fire that burns them will not go out. Everyone will look at them with horror."