1458 - Isaiah 65 part 1

Isaiah Chapter 65 part 1


The Lord says,


“I was ready to respond, but no one asked for help.


I was ready to be found, but no one was looking for me.


I said, ‘Here I am, here I am!’


…to a nation that did not call on my name.*


All day long, I opened my arms, to a rebellious people.*


But they follow their own evil paths, and devised their own crooked schemes.


All day long, they insult me, to my face, by worshiping idols, in their sacred gardens.


They burn incense, on pagan altars.


At night, they go out among the graves, worshiping the dead.


They eat the flesh of pigs, and make stews, with other forbidden foods.


Yet, they say to each other,…


‘Don’t come too close, or you will defile me!


I am holier than you!’


These people are a stench in my nostrils, …they are an acrid smell, that never goes away.


“Look, my decree is written out in front of me:


I will not stand silent;


I will repay them in full!


Yes, I will repay them—both, for their own sins, and for those of their ancestors,” says the Lord.


“Because their ancestors also burned incense, on the mountains, and insulted me, on the hills.


I will pay them back in full!


“But, I will not destroy them all,”

says the Lord.


“For, just as good grapes are found among a cluster of bad ones (and someone will say, ‘Don’t throw them all away—

some of those grapes are good!’), so I will not destroy all of Israel.


Because, I still have true servants there.


I will preserve a remnant, of the people of Israel and Judah, to possess my land.


Those, whom I choose, will inherit my land, and my servants will live there.


The plain, of Sharon, will again be filled with flocks, for my people, who have searched for me, …and the valley, of Achor, will be a place to pasture herds.


“But, because the rest of you… have forsaken the Lord, and you have forgotten his Temple, …and because you have prepared feasts, to honor the god of Fate, and you have offered mixed wine, to the god of Destiny, ….now I will ‘destine’ you for the sword.


All of you will bow down …before the executioner.


For when I called, you did not answer. 


The Holy Bible

New Living Translation 


Isaiah 65:1–12a


Praise be to God!


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

1426 - Isaiah 42 part 1

Isaiah Chapter 42 part 1  “Look at my servant, whom I strengthen. He is my chosen one, who pleases me. I have put my Spirit upon him. He will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout, or raise his voice in public. He will not crush the weakest reed, or put out a flickering candle. He will bring justice to all, who have been wronged. He will not falter or lose heart, until justice prevails, throughout the earth. Even distant lands, beyond the sea will wait for his instruction.*” God, the Lord, created the heavens, and stretched them out. He created the earth and everything in it. He gives breath to everyone, life to everyone who walks the earth. And it is he who says, “I, the Lord, have called you to demonstrate my righteousness. I will take you by the hand and guard you, and I will give you to my people, Israel, as a symbol of my covenant with them. And you will be a light to guide the nations. You will open the eyes of the blind. You will free the captives from prison, rele...
Read more

1427- Isaiah 42 part 2

Isaiah Chapter 42 part 2 Sing a new song to the Lord! Sing his praises, from the ends of the earth! Sing, all you who sail the seas, all you who live in distant coastlands. Join in the chorus, you desert towns; let the villages of Kedar rejoice! Let the people of Sela sing for joy; shout praises from the mountaintops! Let the whole world glorify the Lord; let it sing his praise. The Lord will march forth like a mighty hero; he will come out like a warrior, full of fury. He will shout his battle cry; and He crush all his enemies. He will say, “I have long been silent; yes, I have restrained myself. But now, like a woman in labor, I will cry and groan and pant. I will level the mountains and hills and blight all their greenery. I will turn the rivers into dry land and will dry up all the pools. I will lead blind Israel down a new path, guiding them along an unfamiliar way. I will brighten the darkness before them and smooth out the road ahead of them. Yes, I will indeed do these things; ...
Read more

1434 - Isaiah 45 part 2

Isaiah Chapter 45 part 2 This is what the Lord says: “You will rule the Egyptians, the Ethiopians, and the Sabeans. They will come to you, with all their merchandise, and it will all be yours. They will follow you, as prisoners in chains. They will fall to their knees, in front of you and say: ‘God is with you, and he is the only God. There is no other.’ ” Truly, O God of Israel, our Savior, you work in mysterious ways. All craftsmen, who make idols, will be humiliated. They will all be disgraced, together. But the Lord will save the people of Israel, with eternal salvation. Throughout everlasting ages, Israel will never again be humiliated and disgraced. For the Lord is God, and he created the heavens and earth, and He put everything in place. He made the world, to be lived in, not to be a place of empty chaos. “I am the Lord,” he says, “and there is no other. I publicly proclaim bold promises. I do not whisper obscurities, in some dark corner. I would not have told the people, of...
Read more