Aa
The Lord’s Response
1“I was sought by those who did not ask; LXX, Syr, DSS, Tg read ask for Me
I was found by those who did not seek Me.
I said: Here I am, here I am,
to a nation that was not called by LXX, Syr, DSS, Tg, Vg read that did not call on My name. Is 63:19; Hs 1:10; Rm 10:20; Jms 2:7
2I spread out My hands all day long
to a rebellious people Rm 10:21
who walk in the wrong path,
following their own thoughts.
3These people continually provoke Me
to My face,
sacrificing in gardens, Is 1:29; 66:17
burning incense on bricks,
4sitting among the graves,
spending nights in secret places,
eating the meat of pigs, Lv 11:7; Is 66:3,17
and putting polluted broth in their bowls. These vv. describe pagan worship.
5They say, ‘Keep to yourself,
don’t come near me, for I am too holy for you! ’
These practices are smoke in My nostrils,
a fire that burns all day long.
6It is written before Me:
I will not keep silent, Ps 50:3,21; Is 42:14; 64:12 but I will repay; Jr 16:18
I will repay them fully Lit repay into their lap
7for your iniquities and the iniquities Is 13:11
of your LXX, Syr read for their iniquities and the iniquities of their fathers together,”
says the Lord.
“Because they burned incense on the mountains
and reproached Me on the hills, Ezk 20:27-28; Hs 9:10; Zch 8:14; Mal 3:7
I will reward them fully Lit reward into their lap
for their former deeds.”
8The Lord says this:
As the new wine is found in a bunch of grapes,
and one says, ‘Don’t destroy it,
for there’s some good Or there’s a blessing in it,’
so I will act because of My servants
and not destroy them all.
9I will produce descendants from Jacob, Jr 31:36-37
and heirs to My mountains from Judah;
My chosen Is 41:8 ones will possess it,
and My servants will dwell there. Is 49:8; 60:21; Am 9:11-15
10Sharon will be a pasture for flocks, Is 33:9; 35:2
and the Valley of Achor a place for cattle to lie down, Jos 7:26; Hs 2:15
for My people who have sought Me. Is 51:1
11But you who abandon the Lord,
who forget My holy mountain,
who prepare a table for Fortune
and fill bowls of mixed wine for Destiny, Pagan gods
12I will destine you for the sword,
and all of you will kneel down to be slaughtered,
because I called and you did not answer,
I spoke and you did not hear;
you did what was evil in My sight
and chose what I did not delight in. 2Ch 36:15-16; Pr 1:24; Is 41:28; 50:2; 66:4; Jr 7:13
13Therefore, this is what the Lord God says:
My servants will eat,
but you will be hungry;
My servants will drink,
but you will be thirsty;
My servants will rejoice,
but you will be put to shame.
14My servants will shout for joy from a glad heart,
but you will cry out from an anguished heart,
and you will lament out of a broken spirit.
15You will leave your name behind
as a curse for My chosen ones, Jr 24:9; 25:18; Zch 8:13
and the Lord God will kill you;
but He will give His servants another name. Is 62:2
16Whoever is blessed in the land
will be blessed by the God of truth, Ps 31:5; 2Co 1:20; Rv 3:7,14
and whoever swears in the land
will swear by the God of truth.
For the former troubles will be forgotten
and hidden from My sight.
A New Creation
17“For I will create a new heaven and a new earth; Is 66:22; 2Pt 3:13; Rv 21:1
the past events will not be remembered or come to mind.
18Then be glad and rejoice forever
in what I am creating;
for I will create Jerusalem to be a joy
and its people to be a delight.
19I will rejoice in Jerusalem
and be glad in My people.
The sound of weeping and crying
will no longer be heard in her. Is 25:8; 30:19; 35:10; 51:11; Rv 7:17; 21:4
20In her, a nursing infant will no longer live
only a few days, Lit her, no longer infant of days
or an old man not live out his days.
Indeed, the youth will die at a hundred years,
and the one who misses a hundred years will be cursed. Ec 8:12-13; Is 3:11; 22:14
21People will build houses and live in them;
they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. Jos 24:13; Is 37:30; Jr 29:5,28; Ezk 28:26; Zph 1:13
22They will not build and others live in them;
they will not plant and others eat.
For My people’s lives will be
like the lifetime of a tree. Ps 92:12-14
My chosen ones will fully enjoy
the work of their hands.
23They will not labor without success Dt 28:3-12; Is 55:2
or bear children destined for disaster,
for they will be a people blessed by the Lord
along with their descendants. Is 61:9
24Even before they call, I will answer; Ps 91:15; Is 55:6; 58:9; Dn 9:20-23; 10:12
while they are still speaking, I will hear.
25The wolf and the lamb will feed together, Lit as one
and the lion will eat straw like the ox, Is 11:6-9
but the serpent’s food will be dust! Gn 3:14; Mc 7:17
They will not do what is evil or destroy
on My entire holy mountain,” Is 11:9; 27:13; 56:7
says the Lord.