Open English Translation ISA Chapter 65

65 “I let myself be consulted by those who hadn’t asked,

≈ I let myself be found by those who hadn’t searched for me.[ref]

I said, ‘Here I am. Here I am.’ to a nation that wasn’t even calling out my name.

2 All day long, I held my hands out to a rebellious people,[ref]

who do just what they want rather than walking the good path—

3 a people who continually provoke me to anger.

They regularly sacrifice in gardens

and burn incense on brick altars.

4 They sit among graves and spend the night in such places.

They eat pork, and soup made from ‘unclean’ meat,

5 saying, ‘Don’t come near me because I’m more holy than you!’

Those people make me angry like a fire burning all day long.

6 “Listen, it’s written in front of me.

I won’t stay silent because I’ll repay—

I’ll repay where it hurts—

7 your disobedience and that of your ancestors together.”

Yahweh says, “They burnt incense on the mountains,

≈ and taunted me on the hills,

so I’ll measure out their wages where it hurts.”

8 This is what Yahweh says:

When juice is found in some grapes on the vine,

then someone will say, ‘Don’t destroy it because there’s good in it,’

so too for the sake of my servants, I won’t destroy everyone.

9 I’ll bring descendants out of Yakov (Jacob),

≈ and someone to possess my mountains out of Yehudah (Judah),

and my chosen ones will take possession of it,

≈ and my servants will live there.

10 The Sharon plain will become a pasture for the flocks,

≈ and the Akor valley will be a resting place for cattle

for my people who search for me.[ref]

11 But you all who abandon Yahweh,

≈ who forget my sacred mountain,

who prepare a table for Fortune,

≈ and fill mixed wine for Destiny,

12 I’ll appoint you all for the sword.

≈ You’ll all bow down for slaughter

because I called and you all didn’t answer.

≈ I spoke and you all didn’t listen,

and did what I considered to be evil

≈ and you chose what I didn’t like.

13 So my master, Yahweh, says this:

Listen, my servants will eat, but you’ll all be hungry.

≈ Look, my servants will drink, but you’ll all be thirsty.

≈ Watch, my servants will celebrate, but you’ll all be put to shame.

14 Listen, my servants will shout happily as they celebrate,

^ but you’ll all cry out from mental anguish,

≈ and you’ll all wail because of your broken spirits.

15 Your names will remain in your language as curse words for my chosen ones,

but my master Yahweh will put you to death,

and then he will call his servants by another name.

16 Anyone who blesses themself on earth, will bless themself by the god of certainty,

≈ and anyone who makes a vow on earth, will promise by the god of certainty,

because their former troubles will be forgotten because they’ll be hidden from my eyes.

17 Listen, I’m about to create new skies and a new earth,[ref]

and then the previous things won’t be remembered or thought about

18 because you’ll celebrate and be forever happy with what I’m about to create,

≈ because listen, I’m about to create a happy Yerushalem (Jerusalem) with celebrating people.

19 Then I’ll celebrate about Yerushalem and be happy about my people,

≈ and the sounds of weeping and distress will no longer be heard there.[ref]

20 There won’t be any more babies die there at a few days old,

≈ or an elderly person who doesn’t enjoy their full life.

Someone who’s a hundred years old will seem like a young man,

≈ and someone who doesn’t reach one hundred will be considered cursed.

21 They’ll build houses and live in them,

≈ and they’ll plant vineyards and get to eat their fruit.

22 They won’t build then end up having someone else live there,

≈ and they won’t plant then end up with someone else eating the produce,

because my people will live as long as trees,

≈ and my chosen ones will fully enjoy everything they’ve worked at.

23 Their work won’t be wasted, and they won’t end up discouraged,

→ because they’ll be Yahweh’s children who’re blessed, along with their descendants.

24 Before they even call out, I’ll answer them—

≈ while they’re still speaking, I’ll hear them.

25 The wolf and the lamb will graze together,[ref]

≈ and the lion will eat straw like the cow.

The snake’s food will be dirt and they won’t cause any harm,

≈ and nothing will be destroyed on my sacred mountain says Yahweh.