Isaiah 66 Free Bible Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 This is what the Lord says: Heaven is my throne, and the earth is where I place my feet. So where will this house be that you're going to build for me? Where will I lie down to rest?
1 Yahweh says: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build to me? Where will I rest?
2 I made everything; that's how it all came into existence, says the Lord. Those I look favorably on are humble and repentant, and they tremble when I speak.
2 For my hand has made all these things, and so all these things came to be,” says Yahweh: “but I will look to this man, even to he who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at my word.
3 When someone sacrifices a bull it's like human sacrifice, and when someone sacrifices a lamb, it's like breaking the neck of a dog. When they present a grain offering it's like presenting pig's blood, and when they burn incense it's like worshiping an idol. Since they have chosen to act like this and to love such disgusting things,
3 He who kills an ox is as he who kills a man; he who sacrifices a lamb, as he who breaks a dog’s neck; he who offers an offering, as he who offers pig’s blood; he who burns frankincense, as he who blesses an idol. Yes, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delights in their abominations.
4 I will also choose to punish them severely and to terrify them, because I called out to them but no one answered; I spoke to them, but no one listened. Instead they did what's evil in my sight, choosing to do what I hate.
4 I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears on them, because when I called, no one answered; when I spoke, they didn’t listen, but they did that which was evil in my eyes, and chose that in which I didn’t delight.”
5 Listen to what the Lord has to say, those of you who tremble when he speaks. This is what some of your people who hate you and throw you out have said: “Let the Lord be glorified, so we can see how happy you are!” but it's them who are going to be humiliated.
5 Hear Yahweh’s word, you who tremble at his word: “Your brothers who hate you, who cast you out for my name’s sake, have said, ‘Let Yahweh be glorified, that we may see your joy;’ but it is those who shall be disappointed.
6 Hear all the shouting from the city! Hear all the noise from the Temple! It's the sound of the Lord giving his enemies back what they deserve.
6 A voice of tumult from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of Yahweh that repays his enemies what they deserve.
7 She gave birth before she went into labor, she delivered a boy before the pains came.
7 “Before she travailed, she gave birth. Before her pain came, she delivered a son.
8 Who has ever heard of anything like this? Who has seen this kind of thing before? Can a country be delivered in a day, can a nation be born in a moment? Yet as soon as Zion went into labor, she gave birth to her children.
8 Who has heard of such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall a land be born in one day? Shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion travailed, she gave birth to her children.
9 Would I bring a baby to the point of birth and then not deliver it? the Lord asks. Would I who deliver the baby stop it from being born? the Lord asks again.
9 Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to be delivered?” says Yahweh. “Shall I who cause to give birth shut the womb?” says your God.
10 Celebrate with Jerusalem and be happy for her, everyone who loves her; celebrate with her and sing for joy, everyone who mourns over her.
10 “Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her, all you who love her. Rejoice for joy with her, all you who mourn over her;
11 Like a baby you can nurse at her breasts that bring comfort, drinking deeply and being satisfied by all she has to give.
11 that you may nurse and be satisfied at the comforting breasts; that you may drink deeply, and be delighted with the abundance of her glory.”
12 This is what the Lord says: Watch! I'm going to give her peace and prosperity like a flowing river, the wealth of nations like an overflowing stream. You will nurse and be carried on her hip and played with on her knees.
12 For Yahweh says, “Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream, and you will nurse. You will be carried on her side, and will be dandled on her knees.
13 Like a mother comforting her child, I will comfort you. You will be comforted in Jerusalem.
13 As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you. You will be comforted in Jerusalem.”
14 When you see this happening, you'll be happy deep inside, and you'll prosper like growing grass. The Lord's power will be recognized as blessing his servants and cursing his enemies.
14 You will see it, and your heart shall rejoice, and your bones will flourish like the tender grass. Yahweh’s hand will be known among his servants; and he will have indignation against his enemies.
15 Look! The Lord is coming surrounded by fire, his chariots whirling like the wind, to express his anger with fury, to give his reprimand in flames of fire.
15 For, behold, Yahweh will come with fire, and his chariots will be like the whirlwind; to give his anger with fierceness, and his rebuke with flames of fire.
16 The Lord will execute judgment on everyone by fire and by his sword. There will be many killed by the Lord.
16 For Yahweh will execute judgment by fire and by his sword on all flesh; and those slain by Yahweh will be many.
17 Those who dedicate themselves and make themselves pure in order to enter the sacred gardens, to worship the idol placed in the center, and to eat pork and vermin and rats and other disgusting things—they will all die together, says the Lord.
17 “Those who sanctify themselves and purify themselves to go to the gardens, following one in the middle, eating pig’s meat, abominable things, and the mouse, they shall come to an end together,” says Yahweh.
18 I know what they're doing and what they're thinking. I will soon come to gather all nations and peoples of different languages. They will come and see my glory.
18 “For I know their works and their thoughts. The time comes that I will gather all nations and languages, and they will come, and will see my glory.
19 I will give them a sign, and I will send some who survive to the nations. They will go to Tarshish, to the Libyans and Lydians (who are famous as archers), to Tubal and Greece, and to the distant lands that haven't heard about me or seen my glory. They will announce my glory among the nations.
19 “I will set a sign among them, and I will send those who escape of them to the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to far-away islands, who have not heard my fame, nor have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the nations.
20 They will bring back all your people from every nation to my holy mountain in Jerusalem as an offering to the Lord. They will come on horses, in chariots and wagons, and on mules and camels, says the Lord. They will bring them in the same way the Israelites bring their grain offerings to the Lord's Temple using vessels that are ceremonially clean.
20 They shall bring all your brothers out of all the nations for an offering to Yahweh, on horses, in chariots, in litters, on mules, and on camels, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, says Yahweh, as the children of Israel bring their offering in a clean vessel into Yahweh’s house.
21 I will choose some of them as priests and Levites, says the Lord.
21 Of them I will also select priests and Levites,” says Yahweh.
22 As the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, will last forever, so your descendants and your reputation will also last forever, says the Lord.
22 “For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me,” says Yahweh, “so your offspring and your name shall remain.
23 Everyone will come and worship me, from one New Moon to the next, and from one Sabbath to the next, says the Lord.
23 It shall happen that from one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, all flesh will come to worship before me,” says Yahweh.
24 They will go out and see the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me. The worms that eat them won't die, the fire that burns them won't go out, and everyone who sees them will be horrified.
24 “They will go out, and look at the dead bodies of the men who have transgressed against me; for their worm will not die, nor will their fire be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind.”
Cross references (24)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Acts 7:48–50; Acts 17:24; Matthew 5:34–35; 1 Kings 8:27; Psalm 132:7
- 2 Isaiah 57:15; Psalm 34:18; Psalm 51:17; Matthew 5:3–4; 2 Chronicles 34:27–28
- 3 Proverbs 15:8; Isaiah 1:11–15; Amos 5:21–22; Isaiah 65:12; Isaiah 66:17
- 4 Isaiah 65:12; Proverbs 10:24; Jeremiah 7:13; Proverbs 1:24; 2 Kings 21:2
- 5 Isaiah 66:2; John 15:18–20; Matthew 5:10–12; Psalm 38:20; Matthew 10:22
- 6 Joel 3:7–16; Isaiah 34:8; Amos 1:2; Isaiah 59:18; Isaiah 65:5–7
- 7 Revelation 12:1–5; Galatians 4:26
- 8 Isaiah 64:4; 1 Corinthians 2:9; Isaiah 49:20–22; Romans 15:18–21
- 9 Isaiah 37:3; Genesis 18:14
- 10 Psalm 26:8; Psalm 137:6; Deuteronomy 32:43; Isaiah 65:18; Ezekiel 9:4
- 11 Isaiah 60:16; Joel 3:18; Psalm 36:8; Isaiah 60:5; 1 Peter 2:2
- 12 Isaiah 60:16; Isaiah 48:18; Isaiah 45:14; Isaiah 66:11; Isaiah 49:19–23
- 13 2 Corinthians 1:4; Isaiah 51:3; Isaiah 40:1; 1 Thessalonians 2:7; Isaiah 66:10
- 14 Zechariah 10:7; Proverbs 3:8; Ezra 8:31; Ezekiel 37:1–14; Ezra 8:22
- 15 Isaiah 30:33; 2 Peter 3:10–12; 2 Thessalonians 1:6–9; Matthew 22:7; Psalm 11:6
- 16 Ezekiel 38:21–22; Isaiah 30:30; Ezekiel 39:2–10; Isaiah 27:1; Revelation 19:11–21
- 17 Isaiah 65:3–4; Deuteronomy 14:3–8; Isaiah 1:28–29; Leviticus 11:2–8
- 18 Psalm 86:9; Revelation 11:15; 2 Corinthians 4:4–6; Isaiah 2:2; John 5:42
- 19 Isaiah 52:15; Romans 15:21; Ezekiel 27:10; Isaiah 55:5; Isaiah 60:9
- 20 Isaiah 60:3–14; Isaiah 11:9; Isaiah 65:25; Isaiah 65:11; Romans 15:16
- 21 1 Peter 2:9; Exodus 19:6; 1 Peter 2:5; Revelation 1:6; Isaiah 61:6
- 22 Isaiah 65:17; 2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:1; John 10:27–29; 1 Peter 1:4–5
- 23 Ezekiel 46:1; Psalm 86:9; Ezekiel 46:6; Colossians 2:16–17; Zechariah 14:16
- 24 Isaiah 14:11; Revelation 14:10–11; Daniel 12:2; 1 Thessalonians 2:15–16; Revelation 21:8
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
For the holy word saith, "On whom shall I look, but on him that is meek and peaceable, and that trembleth at My words?"
The heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool." And again, in another place, "Your new moons and your sabbaths My soul hateth; and the great day of the fast and of ceasing from labour I cannot away with; nor, if ye come to be seen of Me, will I hear you: your hands are full of blood; …
… nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; neither by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King." For these words are evidently spoken with reference to the Creator, as also Esaias says: "Heaven is my throne, the earth is my footstool." And besides this Being there is no other God; otherwise He would not be termed …
For with fire of the Lord shall all the earth be judged, and all flesh with His sword: many shall be wounded by the Lord." In His promise to the good he says that He will flow down as a river of peace, that is to say, in the greatest possible abundance of peace.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
Whom also by His prophet Isaiah God earnestly accepting said, "To whom will I look, but to him who is meek and quiet, and trembleth at My words?" For indeed there are many kinds of humility: one is humble in his own measure, another with all excess of lowliness.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)