Isaiah 65

1 “I revealed [made known, manifested] Myself to those who did not ask [seek, inquire of] for Me; I was found [discovered, encountered] by those who did not seek [search, look for] Me. To a nation [Gentile, non-Hebrew people] that did not call [invoke, appeal to] My name [identity, character], I said, ‘Here I am [behold Me, look to Me]! Here I am [behold Me, look to Me]!’ word study 2 All day long [every moment, continually] I have held out My hands [an open hand; strength, a side or share] to an obstinate [rebellious, stubborn] people who walk [go, proceed] in the wrong [not good, evil] path [way, road], who follow [pursue, obey] their own [personal, selfish] imaginations [thoughts, plans], word study 3 to a people [a nation, the Israelites] who continually [every day, constantly] provoke Me [anger Me, offend Me] to My face [presence, before Me], sacrificing [offering, slaughtering animals] in the gardens [pagan shrines, sacred groves] and burning incense [offering perfumes, making perfume] on altars [platforms, tables] of brick [clay, man-made structures], word study 4 sitting [dwelling, remaining] among the graves [sepulchres, tombs], spending nights [lodging, keeping watch] in secret [hidden, reserved] places, eating [consuming, devouring] the meat [flesh, body] of pigs [swine, hogs] and polluted [unclean, foul] broth [soup, liquid food] from their bowls [vessels, utensils]. word study 5 They say, ‘Keep to yourself [stand apart, depart from me]; do not come near me [approach, draw near], for I am holier [more consecrated, set apart] than you [in my own estimation]!’ Such people are smoke in My nostrils [My face, My presence], a fire [burning, flame] that burns [is kindled, continues to burn] all day long [continually, every day]. word study 6 Behold [look, see], it is written [recorded, inscribed] before Me: I will not keep silent [be quiet, still], but I will repay [recompense, punish]; I will pay it back [render, give back] into their laps [bosom, chest area, intimate space], word study 7 both for your [moral evil, sinful nature] iniquities and for those [sins of your ancestors] of your fathers,” says the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God]. “Because they burned [offered as an act of worship] incense on the mountains [high places] and scorned [blasphemed, reproached] Me on the hills [elevated areas, places of pride], I will measure [stretch out, extend] into their laps full payment [wages, reward] for their former [first, primary] deeds [works, actions].” word study 8 This is what the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] says: “As the new wine [freshly squeezed from grapes] is found in a cluster [a bunch of grapes] of grapes, and men say, ‘Do not destroy [ruin or corrupt] it, for it contains [holds within] a blessing [a gift from God, bringing prosperity and praise],’ so I will act [intervene or work] on behalf of My servants [those who faithfully serve Me]; I will not destroy [bring to ruin or annihilate] them all [every single one]. word study 9 And I will bring forth [out of, from among] descendants [seed, offspring] from Jacob [the father of the Israelites], and heirs [inheritors, possessors] from Judah [the tribe and region]; My elect [chosen ones, select people] will possess [inherit, take control of] My mountains [hills], and My servants [those who serve Me, worship Me] will dwell [live, stay] there [in that place, at that time]. word study 10 Sharon [a plain in Palestine, between mountains and the Mediterranean Sea] will become a pasture [dwelling place, a pleasant area] for flocks [sheep or goats], and the Valley of Achor [a lowland area, a place of trouble] a resting place [a couch, a place to lie down] for herds [domesticated cattle or oxen], for My people [a nation] who seek [to ask, to worship] Me. word study 11 But you [who have abandoned me] who forsake [leave or relinquish] the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], who forget [are forgetful or oblivious] My holy [set-apart] mountain [a hill], who set [arrange or prepare] a table [for sacred purposes] for Fortune [Gad, the Babylonian God of good luck] and fill [make full or complete] bowls of mixed wine [a drink offering] for Destiny [the God of fate], word study 12 I will destine [assign, determine] you for the sword [cutting instrument], and you will all kneel down [bow, submit] to be slaughtered [killed, destroyed], because I called [summoned, invited] and you did not answer [respond, obey], I spoke [communicated, commanded] and you did not listen [hear, obey]; you did evil [wrong, wickedness] in My sight [presence, judgment] and chose [selected, preferred] that in which I did not delight [take pleasure, approve].” word study 13 Therefore [in this manner, thus] this is what the Lord [Adonay, Master] GOD [Yehovah] says: “My servants [faithful ones, slaves of God] will eat [be nourished, feast], but you will go hungry [be in need, famish]; My servants will drink [be satisfied, quench their thirst], but you will go thirsty [be parched, dry]; My servants will rejoice [be glad, celebrate], but you will be put to shame [be disgraced, feel remorse]. word study 14 My servants [faithful followers, those who worship and obey] will shout [sing, overcome with joy] for joy with a glad [good, joyful] heart, but you will cry out [cry, wail] with a heavy [painful, sorrowful] heart and wail [howl, mourn] with a broken [shattered, vexed] spirit. word study 15 You will leave behind your name [for an oath] as a curse for My chosen ones [the elect, select ones], and the Lord [the sovereign Master, ʼâdôwn] GOD [Adonay, Yehovah] will slay you [put you to death, kill you]; but to His servants [those who worship and obey] He will give another [different, new] name [identity, character]. word study 16 Whoever invokes [requests, calls for] a blessing [a divine gift, a prayer of praise] in the land [the earth, a country] will do so by the God [Elohim, the one supreme God] of truth [faithfulness, reliability], and whoever takes an oath [a vow, a promise] in the land [the earth, a country] will swear [make a solemn promise] by the God [Elohim, the one supreme God] of truth [faithfulness, reliability]. For the former [previous, earlier] troubles [distresses, hardships] will be forgotten [misremembered, overlooked] and hidden [concealed, obscured] from My sight [My eyes, My presence]. word study 17 For behold [look, see], I will create [bring into existence, make] new [recently formed, renewed] heavens [the visible universe, the spiritual realm] and a new [fresh, recently created] earth [the land, the world]. The former things [the past, previous events] will not be remembered [recalled, thought of], nor will they come [ascend, rise] to mind [the heart, the thoughts]. word study 18 But be glad [rejoice, have joy] and rejoice [feel joyful, be cheerful] forever [till perpetuity, for all eternity] in what I [as the Creator] create [make, bring into existence]; for [because, since] I will create [make, bring into being] Jerusalem [the city of peace] to be a joy [rejoicing, delight] and its people [nation, community] to be a delight [joy, happiness]. word study 19 I will rejoice [with great joy, be glad] in Jerusalem [the city of peace] and take delight [have joy, be pleased] in My people [My nation, Amaw]. The sounds [voices, noises] of weeping [crying, bemoaning] and crying [outcry, shriek] will no longer [still, anymore] be heard [perceived, listened to] in her. word study 20 No longer [there shall be no more] will a nursing infant [a suckling child, an infant of days] live but a few days, or an old man [an elderly person, one who hath not filled his days] fail to live out his years [complete his lifespan]. For the youth [a young person, the child] will die at a hundred years [a century, a hundred years old], and he who fails to reach a hundred [does not attain the age of a hundred] will be considered accursed [cursed, lightly esteemed, under a curse]. word study 21 They will build [establish, construct] houses [dwelling places, homes] and dwell [reside, abide] in them; they will plant [establish, cultivate] vineyards [gardens for vines, crops] and eat [devour, consume] their fruit [produce, harvest]. word study 22 No longer [never again, not at all] will they build [construct, establish] houses [dwellings, homes] for others [another, someone else] to inhabit [live in, dwell], nor plant [cultivate, sow] for others [another, someone else] to eat [consume, devour]. For as is the lifetime [days, span of life] of a tree [a strong and firm object], so will be the days [years, lifetime] of My people [My nation, My chosen ones], and My chosen ones [My elect, My beloved] will fully enjoy [long enjoy, delight in] the work [deed, labor] of their hands [their efforts, their accomplishments]. word study 23 They will not [in no way, never] labor in vain [to no purpose, without result] or bear children [give birth to offspring] doomed to disaster [for calamity, destined for trouble]; for they will be a people [a nation, a community] blessed by the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God]— they and their descendants [offspring, seed] with them. word study 24 Even before [prior to, at the very moment] they call [cry out, invoke], I [the Lord, their God] will answer [respond, provide], and while [as, during the time] they are still [yet, continuing to] speaking [praying, communicating], I [the Almighty] will hear [listen, give attention to]. word study 25 The wolf and the lamb will feed together [in harmony, as one], and the lion will eat straw [like cattle, peacefully] like the ox, but the food of the serpent [the snake] will be dust [dry earth, nothingness]. They will neither harm [cause pain] nor destroy [ruin completely] on all My holy mountain [a sacred place, set apart],” says the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God]. word study