The Righteousness of God’s Judgment
1 “I wassought bythosewhodid not askforMe;
I was found bythosewhodid not seek Me.
I said, ‘Here I am, here I am,’
# To a nationthatwas not called by My name.
2 I have stretched out My hands all day long to arebellious people,
# Whowalk in a waythatisnot good,
According to their own thoughts;
3 A peoplewho provoke Me to anger continually to My face;
# Who sacrifice in gardens,
And burn incense on altars of brick;
4 Who sit among the graves,
And spend the night in the tombs;
# Who eat swine’s flesh,
And the broth of abominable things isintheir vessels;
5 Who say, ‘Keep to yourself,
Do not come near me,
For I am holier than you!’
Thesearesmoke in My nostrils,
A fire that burns all the day.
6 “Behold,itiswritten before Me:
# I will not keep silence,but will repay—
Even repay into their bosom—
7 Your iniquities andthe iniquities of your fathers together,”
Says theLord,
# “Who have burned incense on the mountains
# And blasphemed Me on the hills;
Therefore I will measure their former work into their bosom.”
8 Thus says theLord:
“As the new wine is found in the cluster,
Andonesays, ‘Do not destroy it,
# Fora blessingisin it,’
So will I do for My servants’ sake,
# That I may not destroy themall.
9 I will bring forth descendants from Jacob,
And from Judah an heir of My mountains;
# Myelect shall inherit it,
And My servants shall dwell there.
10 Sharon shall be a fold of flocks,
# Andthe Valley of Achor a place for herds to lie down,
# For My people who havesought Me.
11 “But youarethose who forsake theLord,
# Who forgetMy holy mountain,
# Who preparea table for Gad,
And who furnish a drink offering for Meni.
12 Therefore I will number you for the sword,
And you shall all bow down to the slaughter;
# Because, when I called, you did not answer;
When I spoke, you did not hear,
But did evil before My eyes,
And chosethatin which I do not delight.”
13 Therefore thus says the LordGod:
“Behold, My servants shall eat,
But you shall be hungry;
Behold, My servants shall drink,
But you shall be thirsty;
Behold, My servants shall rejoice,
But you shall be ashamed;
14 Behold, My servants shall sing for joy of heart,
But you shall cry for sorrow of heart,
# Andwail for grief of spirit.
15 You shall leave your nameas a curse toMy chosen;
For the LordGodwill slay you,
# Andcall His servants by another name;
16 So that he who blesses himself in the earth
Shall bless himself in the God of truth;
# Andhe who swears in the earth
Shall swear by the God of truth;
Because the former troubles are forgotten,
And because they are hidden from My eyes.
The Glorious New Creation
17 “For behold, I createnew heavens and a new earth;
And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind.
18 But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create;
For behold, I create Jerusalemasa rejoicing,
And her people a joy.
19 I will rejoice in Jerusalem,
And joy in My people;
# Thevoice of weeping shall no longer be heard in her,
Nor the voice of crying.
20 “No more shall an infant from therelivebutafewdays,
Nor an old man who has not fulfilled his days;
For the child shall die one hundred years old,
# But the sinnerbeingone hundred years old shall be accursed.
21 They shall build houses and inhabitthem;
They shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
22 They shall not build and another inhabit;
# They shall not plant andanother eat;
# Foras the days of a tree,soshallbethe days of My people,
# AndMy elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
23 They shall not labor in vain,
# Nor bring forth children for trouble;
# Fortheyshallbethe descendants of the blessed of theLord,
And their offspring with them.
24 “It shall come to pass
# Thatbefore they call, I will answer;
# And while they are still speaking, I willhear.
25 Thewolf and the lamb shall feed together,
The lion shall eat straw like the ox,
# And dustshallbethe serpent’s food.
They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain,”
Says theLord.