1 Thus saith the LORD: The heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool; where is the house that ye may build unto Me? And where is the place that may be My resting-place? 2 For all these things hath My hand made, and so all these things came to be, saith the LORD; but on this man will I look, even on him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at My word. 3 He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he broke a dog's neck; he that offereth a meal-offering, as if he offered swine's blood; he that maketh a memorial-offering of frankincense, as if he blessed an idol; according as they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations; 4 Even so I will choose their mockings, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spoke, they did not hear, but they did that which was evil in Mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not. 5 Hear the word of the LORD, ye that tremble at His word: Your brethren that hate you, that cast you out for My name's sake, have said: 'Let the LORD be glorified, that we may gaze upon your joy', but they shall be ashamed. 6 Hark! an uproar from the city, Hark! it cometh from the temple, Hark! the LORD rendereth recompense to His enemies. 7 Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man-child. 8 Who hath heard such a thing? Who hath seen such things? Is a land born in one day? Is a nation brought forth at once? For as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children. 9 Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the LORD; Shall I that cause to bring forth shut the womb? saith thy God. 10 Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her; rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her; 11 That ye may suck, and be satisfied with the breast of her consolations; that ye may drink deeply with delight of the abundance of her glory. 12 For thus saith the LORD: Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the wealth of the nations like an overflowing stream, and ye shall suck thereof: Ye shall be borne upon the side, and shall be dandled upon the knees. 13 As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem. 14 And when ye see this, your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall flourish like young grass; and the hand of the LORD shall be known toward His servants, and He will have indignation against His enemies. 15 For, behold, the LORD will come in fire, and His chariots shall be like the whirlwind; to render His anger with fury, and His rebuke with flames of fire. 16 For by fire will the LORD contend, and by His sword with all flesh; and the slain of the LORD shall be many. 17 They that sanctify themselves and purify themselves to go unto the gardens, behind one in the midst, eating swine's flesh, and the detestable thing, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the LORD. 18 For I know their works and their thoughts; the time cometh, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and shall see My glory. 19 And I will work a sign among them, and I will send such as escape of them unto the nations, to Tarshish, Pul and Lud, that draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to the isles afar off, that have not heard My fame, neither have seen My glory; and they shall declare My glory among the nations. 20 And they shall bring all your brethren out of all the nations for an offering unto the LORD, upon horses, and in chariots, and in fitters, and upon mules, and upon swift beasts, to My holy mountain Jerusalem, saith the LORD, as the children of Israel bring their offering in a clean vessel into the house of the LORD. 21 And of them also will I take for the priests and for the Levites, saith the LORD. 22 For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before Me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain. 23 And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before Me, saith the LORD. 24 And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcasses of the men that have rebelled against Me; for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.
Isaiah 66 JPS Tanakh (1917)
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (1)
- Numbers like (22-2) in the text give the Hebrew verse numbering where it differs.
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)