1 “ I let Myself be looked for by those who did not ask for Me. I let Myself be found by those who did not look for Me. I said, ‘Here I am, here I am,’ to a nation that did not call on My name.

I have been inquired of by those who asked not, I have been found by those who sought Me not, I have said, `Behold Me, behold Me,' Unto a nation not calling in My name.

2 A ll day long I held out My hand to a people who would not obey Me and who worked against Me. They walk in a way that is not good, following their own thoughts.

I have spread out My hands all the day Unto an apostate people, Who are going in the way not good after their own thoughts.

3 T hese people always make Me angry, giving gifts of worship in gardens and burning special perfume on altars of clay blocks.

The people who are provoking Me to anger, To My face continually, Sacrificing in gardens, and making perfume on the bricks:

4 T hey sit among graves, and spend the night in secret places. They eat the flesh of pigs, and have boiled meat that is unclean in their pots.

Who are dwelling among sepulchres, And lodge in reserved places, Who are eating flesh of the sow, And a piece of abominable things -- their vessels.

5 T hey say, ‘Keep to yourself. Do not come near me. For I am holier than you.’ These are smoke in My nose, a fire that burns all the day.

Who are saying, `Keep to thyself, come not nigh to me, For I have declared thee unholy.' These a smoke in Mine anger, A fire burning all the day.

6 S ee, it is written before Me: ‘I will not keep quiet, but I will pay them back. I will pay them back into their breast,

Lo, it is written before Me: `I am not silent, but have recompensed; And I have recompensed into their bosom,

7 f or both their own sins and the sins of their fathers,’” says the Lord. “Because they have burned special perfume on the mountains and have spoken against Me on the hills, I will give them into their breasts the full pay for what they have done.”

Your iniquities, and the iniquities of your fathers together, said Jehovah, Who have made perfume on the mountains, And on the heights have reproached Me, And I have measured their former work into their bosom.'

8 T he Lord says, “New wine is found in the grapes, and one says, ‘Do not destroy them, for there is still some good in them.’ I will act in the same way for My servants, and not destroy them all.

Thus said Jehovah: As the new wine is found in the cluster, And one hath said, `Destroy it not for a blessing in it,' So I do for My servants' sake, not to destroy the whole.

9 I will bring children from Jacob, and one out of Judah who will have My mountains for a gift. They will be given to My chosen ones, and My servants will live there.

And I have brought out from Jacob a seed, And from Judah a possessor of My mount, And possess it do My chosen ones, And My servants do dwell there.

10 S haron will become a field for flocks. And the valley of Achor will be a resting place for herds, for My people who look for Me.

And Sharon hath been for the habitation of a flock, And the valley of Achor for the lying down of a herd, For My people who have sought Me.

11 B ut you who turn away from the Lord, who forget My holy mountain, who set a table for the false god, Gad, and who fill cups of mixed wine for the false female goddess, Meni,

And ye those forsaking Jehovah, Who are forgetting My holy mountain, Who are setting in array for Gad a table, And who are filling for Meni a mixture.

12 I will have your future be the sword. All of you will bow down to be killed. Because when I called, you did not answer. I spoke, but you did not hear. You did what was sinful in My eyes, and chose what did not please Me.”

And I have numbered you for the sword, And all of you for slaughter bow down, Because I called, and ye have not answered, I have spoken, and ye have not hearkened, And ye do the evil thing in Mine eyes, And on that which I desired not -- fixed.

13 S o the Lord God says, “See, My servants will eat, but you will be hungry. See, My servants will drink, but you will be thirsty. See, My servants will be glad, but you will be put to shame.

Therefore, thus said the Lord Jehovah: Lo, My servants do eat, and ye do hunger, Lo, My servants do drink, and ye do thirst, Lo, My servants rejoice, and ye are ashamed,

14 S ee, My servants will call out for joy with a glad heart. But you will cry out with pain in your heart and with a broken spirit.

Lo, My servants sing from joy of heart, And ye cry from pain of heart, And from breaking of spirit ye do howl.

15 A nd you will leave your name as a curse for My chosen ones. The Lord God will kill you, but My servants will be called by another name.

And ye have left your name For an oath for My chosen ones, And the Lord Jehovah hath put thee to death, And to His servants He giveth another name.

16 A nyone who has good things come to him in the land will have good things come to him by the God of truth. And he who makes a promise in the land will promise by the God of truth. The troubles of the past are forgotten, and are hidden from My eyes. New Heavens and a New Earth

So that he who is blessing himself in the earth, Doth bless himself In the God of faithfulness, And he who is swearing in the earth, Doth swear by the God of faithfulness, Because the former distresses have been forgotten, And because they have been hid from Mine eyes.

17 “ For, see, I will make new heavens and a new earth. The past things will not be remembered or come to mind.

For, lo, I am creating new heavens, and a new earth, And the former things are not remembered, Nor do they ascend on the heart.

18 B ut be glad and have joy forever in what I make. For see, I make Jerusalem for joy, and her people for happiness.

But joy ye, and rejoice for ever, that I Creator, For, lo, I am creating Jerusalem a rejoicing, And her people a joy.

19 I will have joy in Jerusalem and be glad in My people. The voice of crying will no longer be heard in it, or the cry of trouble.

And I have rejoiced in Jerusalem, And have joyed in My people, And not heard in her any more Is the voice of weeping, and the voice of crying.

20 N o more will there be in it a child who lives only a few days, or an old man who does not live many years. For the child will live to be a hundred years old. And the one who does not live a hundred years will be thought to be cursed.

There is not thence any more a suckling of days, And an aged man who doth not complete his days, For the youth a hundred years old dieth, And the sinner, a hundred years old, is lightly esteemed.

21 T hey will build houses and live in them. They will plant grapes and eat their fruit.

And they have built houses, and inhabited, And planted vineyards, and eaten their fruit.

22 T hey will not build a house and another live in it. They will not plant and another eat. For My people will live a long time, like the days of a tree. And for a long time My chosen ones will enjoy the work of their hands.

They do not build, and another inhabit, They do not plant, and another eat, For as the days of a tree the days of My people, And the work of their hands wear out do My chosen ones.

23 T hey will not work for nothing, or give birth to children and have trouble. For they will be the children of those who receive good from the Lord, and their children with them.

They labour not for a vain thing, Nor do they bring forth for trouble, For the seed of the blessed of Jehovah they, And their offspring with them.

24 A nd it will be before they call, I will answer. While they are still speaking, I will hear.

And it hath come to pass, They do not yet call, and I answer, They are yet speaking, and I hear.

25 T he wolf and the lamb will eat together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. And dust will be the snake’s food. They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain,” says the Lord.

Wolf and lamb do feed as one, And a lion as an ox eateth straw, As to the serpent -- dust its food, They do no evil, nor destroy, In all My holy mountain, said Jehovah!