¹This is what the Lord says:

“Heaven is my throne,

And the earth is my footstool.

What house is it which you will build me,

And what resting place of mine will you build?

²For my hand made all these things,

And all these things have come to pass,

Says the Lord,

But here are those whom I will watch over:

The poor, and the contrite,

And him who trembles at my word.

³But he who slaughters an ox as if he is striking a man,

He who sacrifices a lamb as if he is breaking a dog's neck,

He who makes a meal-offering as if it is the blood of a pig,

He who makes a memorial with incense as if he is blessing an idol

– These also have chosen their ways,

And their being has delighted in their abominations.

⁴I too will choose their depravity,

And I will bring their fears upon them,

Because I called,

But there was no-one who answered;

I spoke,

But they did not listen;

And they did what is wrong in my sight,

And they chose what I dislike.

⁵Hear the word of the Lord,

You who tremble at his word.

Your brothers who hate you,

And who thrust you out for my name's sake, said,

‘Let the Lord be glorified.’

When he appears, to your joy,

They will be ashamed.

⁶A sound of tumult from the city,

A sound from the temple,

The voice of the Lord

Giving retribution to his enemies

Will be heard.

⁷Before she was in labour,

She gave birth.

Before her throes of childbearing came upon her,

She was delivered of a male child.

⁸Who has heard of anything like this?

Who has seen things like these?

Can the earth be given birth to in one day?

Or can a nation be born in one moment?

For Zion has been in labour

And has given birth to her sons.

⁹Will I cause the breakthrough

But not the childbirth?

– Says the Lord.

Or shall I, who cause the childbirth,

Hold it back?

– Says your God.

¹⁰Be glad with Jerusalem,

And exult in her,

All you who love her.

Rejoice with her in joy,

All you who mourn over her,

¹¹In order that you may suck and be satisfied

From her comforting breast,

And in order that you may imbibe

And delight yourself

In the abundance of her glory.”

¹²For this is what the Lord says:

“I am about to extend peace to her

Like a river,

And the glory of the Gentiles

Like an overflowing brook

For you to suck.

You will be carried alongside,

And you will be indulged in her lap.

¹³As a man whose mother comforts him,

So I will comfort you,

And you will be comforted

In Jerusalem.

¹⁴And when you see it,

Your heart will rejoice,

And your bones will thrive like grass,

And the hand of the Lord will be known among his servants,

But indignation among his enemies.

¹⁵For behold, the Lord will come with fire,

And his chariots will be like a whirlwind,

To satisfy his anger in fury,

And his rebuke in fiery flames.

¹⁶For the Lord will contend with all flesh

With fire and with his sword,

And those defeated by the Lord

Will be numerous.

¹⁷Those who sanctify themselves and purify themselves in the gardens,

Behind one thing in the middle,

And those who eat pork,

And the abomination, and the mouse,

Will come to an end together”,

Says the Lord.

¹⁸“And as for me,

And their deeds and their thoughts,

The time will come

To gather all the nations and the languages,

And they will come

And see my glory.

¹⁹And I will place a sign among them,

And I will send to the Gentiles those of them who escape,

To Tarshish, Pul and Lud,

To those who draw the bow,

To Tubal and Javan,

And to distant maritime countries

Who have not heard my fame,

And who have not seen my glory.

And they will tell of my glory among the Gentiles.

²⁰And they shall bring all your brothers from all the nations

With an offering to the Lord,

By horse and by chariot

And by covered wagon

And by mule and by dromedary,

To my holy mountain in Jerusalem,

Says the Lord,

When the sons of Israel bring the offering in clean equipment

To the house of the Lord.

²¹And I will take a portion from them

For the Levite priests”,

Says the Lord.

²²“For as the new heavens and the new earth,

Which I will make,

Shall stand before me,

Says the Lord,

So your seed and your name will stand.

²³And it will come to pass

That at every new moon and every Sabbath,

All flesh will come to worship before me”,

Says the Lord.

²⁴“And they will go out

And see the carcases of the men who have transgressed against me,

For their worm will not die,

And their fire will not be extinguished,

And they will be an abhorrence

To all flesh.”

Reference(s) in Chapter 66: v.1 ↔ Matthew 5:34, Matthew 5:35, Acts 7:49 ● v.2 ↔ Acts 7:50 ● v.22 ↔ 2 Peter 3:13, Revelation 21:1 ● v.24 ↔ Mark 9:44, Mark 9:46, Mark 9:48.