Isaiah

¹ “I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me; I was found by those who did not seek me. To a nation that did not call on my name, I said, ‘Here am I, here am I.’

² to an obstinate people, who walk in ways not good, pursuing their own imaginations—

³ to my very face, offering sacrifices in gardens and burning incense on altars of brick;

⁴ and spend their nights keeping secret vigil; who eat the flesh of pigs, and whose pots hold broth of unclean meat;

⁵ for I am too sacred for you!’ Such people are smoke in my nostrils, a fire that keeps burning all day.

⁶ I will not keep silent but will pay back in full; I will pay it back into their laps—

⁷ says the Lord. “Because they burned sacrifices on the mountains and defied me on the hills, I will measure into their laps the full payment for their former deeds.”

⁸ “As when juice is still found in a cluster of grapes and men say, ‘Don’t destroy it, there is yet some good in it,’ so will I do in behalf of my servants; I will not destroy them all.

⁹ and from Judah those who will possess my mountains; my chosen people will inherit them, and there will my servants live.

¹⁰ and the Valley of Achor a resting place for herds, for my people who seek me.

¹¹ and forget my holy mountain, who spread a table for Fortune and fill bowls of mixed wine for Destiny,

¹² and you will all bend down for the slaughter; for I called but you did not answer, I spoke but you did not listen. You did evil in my sight and chose what displeases me.”

¹³ “My servants will eat, but you will go hungry; my servants will drink, but you will go thirsty; my servants will rejoice, but you will be put to shame.

¹⁴ out of the joy of their hearts, but you will cry out from anguish of heart and wail in brokenness of spirit.

¹⁵ to my chosen ones as a curse; the Sovereign Lord will put you to death, but to his servants he will give another name.

¹⁶ will do so by the God of truth; he who takes an oath in the land will swear by the God of truth. For the past troubles will be forgotten and hidden from my eyes.

¹⁷ “Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.

¹⁸ in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy.

¹⁹ and take delight in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more.

²⁰ an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years; he who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere youth; he who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed.

²¹ they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.

²² or plant and others eat. For as the days of a tree, so will be the days of my people; my chosen ones will long enjoy the works of their hands.

²³ or bear children doomed to misfortune; for they will be a people blessed by the Lord, they and their descendants with them.

²⁴ while they are still speaking I will hear.

²⁵ and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but dust will be the serpent’s food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain,” says the Lord.