| NET Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1This is what the LORD says: "The heavens are my throne and the earth is my footstool. Where then is the house you will build for me? Where is the place where I will rest? | 1This is what the LORD says: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Could you build me a temple as good as that? Could you build me such a resting place? |
| 2My hand made them; that is how they came to be," says the LORD. I show special favor to the humble and contrite, who respect what I have to say. | 2My hands have made both heaven and earth; they and everything in them are mine. I, the LORD, have spoken! “I will bless those who have humble and contrite hearts, who tremble at my word. |
| 3The one who slaughters a bull also strikes down a man; the one who sacrifices a lamb also breaks a dog's neck; the one who presents an offering includes pig's blood with it; the one who offers incense also praises an idol. They have decided to behave this way; they enjoy these disgusting practices. | 3But those who choose their own ways— delighting in their detestable sins— will not have their offerings accepted. When such people sacrifice a bull, it is no more acceptable than a human sacrifice. When they sacrifice a lamb, it’s as though they had sacrificed a dog! When they bring an offering of grain, they might as well offer the blood of a pig. When they burn frankincense, it’s as if they had blessed an idol. |
| 4So I will choose severe punishment for them; I will bring on them what they dread, because I called, and no one responded, I spoke and they did not listen. They did evil before me; they chose to do what displeases me." | 4I will send them great trouble— all the things they feared. For when I called, they did not answer. When I spoke, they did not listen. They deliberately sinned before my very eyes and chose to do what they know I despise.” |
| 5Hear the word of the LORD, you who respect what he has to say! Your countrymen, who hate you and exclude you, supposedly for the sake of my name, say, "May the LORD be glorified, then we will witness your joy." But they will be put to shame. | 5Hear this message from the LORD, all you who tremble at his words: “Your own people hate you and throw you out for being loyal to my name. ‘Let the LORD be honored!’ they scoff. ‘Be joyful in him!’ But they will be put to shame. |
| 6The sound of battle comes from the city; the sound comes from the temple! It is the sound of the LORD paying back his enemies. | 6What is all the commotion in the city? What is that terrible noise from the Temple? It is the voice of the LORD taking vengeance against his enemies. |
| 7Before she goes into labor, she gives birth! Before her contractions begin, she delivers a boy! | 7“Before the birth pains even begin, Jerusalem gives birth to a son. |
| 8Who has ever heard of such a thing? Who has ever seen this? Can a country be brought forth in one day? Can a nation be born in a single moment? Yet as soon as Zion goes into labor she gives birth to sons! | 8Who has ever seen anything as strange as this? Who ever heard of such a thing? Has a nation ever been born in a single day? Has a country ever come forth in a mere moment? But by the time Jerusalem’s birth pains begin, her children will be born. |
| 9"Do I bring a baby to the birth opening and then not deliver it?" asks the LORD. "Or do I bring a baby to the point of delivery and then hold it back?" asks your God. | 9Would I ever bring this nation to the point of birth and then not deliver it?” asks the LORD. “No! I would never keep this nation from being born,” says your God. |
| 10Be happy for Jerusalem and rejoice with her, all you who love her! Share in her great joy, all you who have mourned over her! | 10“Rejoice with Jerusalem! Be glad with her, all you who love her and all you who mourn for her. |
| 11For you will nurse from her satisfying breasts and be nourished; you will feed with joy from her milk-filled breasts. | 11Drink deeply of her glory even as an infant drinks at its mother’s comforting breasts.” |
| 12For this is what the LORD says: "Look, I am ready to extend to her prosperity that will flow like a river, the riches of nations will flow into her like a stream that floods its banks. You will nurse from her breast and be carried at her side; you will play on her knees. | 12This is what the LORD says: “I will give Jerusalem a river of peace and prosperity. The wealth of the nations will flow to her. Her children will be nursed at her breasts, carried in her arms, and held on her lap. |
| 13As a mother consoles a child, so I will console you, and you will be consoled over Jerusalem." | 13I will comfort you there in Jerusalem as a mother comforts her child.” |
| 14When you see this, you will be happy, and you will be revived. The LORD will reveal his power to his servants and his anger to his enemies. | 14When you see these things, your heart will rejoice. You will flourish like the grass! Everyone will see the LORD’s hand of blessing on his servants— and his anger against his enemies. |
| 15For look, the LORD comes with fire, his chariots come like a windstorm, to reveal his raging anger, his battle cry, and his flaming arrows. | 15See, the LORD is coming with fire, and his swift chariots roar like a whirlwind. He will bring punishment with the fury of his anger and the flaming fire of his hot rebuke. |
| 16For the LORD judges all humanity with fire and his sword; the LORD will kill many. | 16The LORD will punish the world by fire and by his sword. He will judge the earth, and many will be killed by him. |
| 17"As for those who consecrate and ritually purify themselves so they can follow their leader and worship in the sacred orchards, those who eat the flesh of pigs and other disgusting creatures, like mice--they will all be destroyed together," says the LORD. | 17“Those who ‘consecrate’ and ‘purify’ themselves in a sacred garden with its idol in the center—feasting on pork and rats and other detestable meats—will come to a terrible end,” says the LORD. |
| 18"I hate their deeds and thoughts! So I am coming to gather all the nations and ethnic groups; they will come and witness my splendor. | 18“I can see what they are doing, and I know what they are thinking. So I will gather all nations and peoples together, and they will see my glory. |
| 19I will perform a mighty act among them and then send some of those who remain to the nations--to Tarshish, Pul, Lud (known for its archers), Tubal, Javan, and to the distant coastlands that have not heard about me or seen my splendor. They will tell the nations of my splendor. | 19I will perform a sign among them. And I will send those who survive to be messengers to the nations—to Tarshish, to the Libyans and Lydians (who are famous as archers), to Tubal and Greece, and to all the lands beyond the sea that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory. There they will declare my glory to the nations. |
| 20They will bring back all your countrymen from all the nations as an offering to the LORD. They will bring them on horses, in chariots, in wagons, on mules, and on camels to my holy hill Jerusalem," says the LORD, "just as the Israelites bring offerings to the LORD's temple in ritually pure containers. | 20They will bring the remnant of your people back from every nation. They will bring them to my holy mountain in Jerusalem as an offering to the LORD. They will ride on horses, in chariots and wagons, and on mules and camels,” says the LORD. |
| 21And I will choose some of them as priests and Levites," says the LORD. | 21“And I will appoint some of them to be my priests and Levites. I, the LORD, have spoken! |
| 22"For just as the new heavens and the new earth I am about to make will remain standing before me," says the LORD, "so your descendants and your name will remain. | 22“As surely as my new heavens and earth will remain, so will you always be my people, with a name that will never disappear,” says the LORD. |
| 23From one month to the next and from one Sabbath to the next, all people will come to worship me," says the LORD. | 23“All humanity will come to worship me from week to week and from month to month. |
| 24"They will go out and observe the corpses of those who rebelled against me, for the maggots that eat them will not die, and the fire that consumes them will not die out. All people will find the sight abhorrent." | 24And as they go out, they will see the dead bodies of those who have rebelled against me. For the worms that devour them will never die, and the fire that burns them will never go out. All who pass by will view them with utter horror.” |
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