The Righteousness of God’s Judgment
“I was asought by those who did not ask for Me;
I was found by those who did not seek Me.
I said, ‘Here I am, here I am,’
To a nation that bwas not called by My name.
2 aI have stretched out My hands all day long to a brebellious people,
Who cwalk in a way that is not good,
According to their own thoughts;
3 A people awho provoke Me to anger continually to My face;
bWho sacrifice in gardens,
And burn incense on altars of brick;
4 aWho sit among the graves,
And spend the night in the tombs;
bWho eat swine’s flesh,
And the broth of abominable things is in their vessels;
5 aWho say, ‘Keep to yourself,
Do not come near me,
For I am holier than you!’
These are smoke in My nostrils,
A fire that burns all the day.
6 “Behold, ait is written before Me:
bI will not keep silence, cbut will repay—
Even repay into their bosom—
7 Your iniquities and athe iniquities of your fathers together,”
Says the Lord,
b“Who have burned incense on the mountains
cAnd blasphemed Me on the hills;
Therefore I will measure their former work into their bosom.”
8 Thus says the Lord:
“As the new wine is found in the cluster,
And one says, ‘Do not destroy it,
For aa blessing is in it,’
So will I do for My servants’ sake,
That I may not destroy them ball.
9 I will bring forth descendants from Jacob,
And from Judah an heir of My mountains;
My aelect shall inherit it,
And My servants shall dwell there.
10 aSharon shall be a fold of flocks,
And bthe Valley of Achor a place for herds to lie down,
For My people who have csought Me.
11 “But you are those who forsake the Lord,
Who forget aMy holy mountain,
Who prepare ba table for Gad,
And who furnish a drink offering for Meni.
12 Therefore I will number you for the sword,
And you shall all bow down to the slaughter;
aBecause, when I called, you did not answer;
When I spoke, you did not hear,
But did evil before My eyes,
And chose that in which I do not delight.”
13 Therefore thus says the Lord God:
“Behold, My servants shall eat,
But you shall be hungry;
Behold, My servants shall drink,
But you shall be thirsty;
Behold, My servants shall rejoice,
But you shall be ashamed;
14 Behold, My servants shall sing for joy of heart,
But you shall cry for sorrow of heart,
And awail for grief of spirit.
15 You shall leave your name aas a curse to bMy chosen;
For the Lord God will slay you,
And ccall His servants by another name;
16 aSo that he who blesses himself in the earth
Shall bless himself in the God of truth;
And bhe who swears in the earth
Shall swear by the God of truth;
Because the former troubles are forgotten,
And because they are hidden from My eyes.
The Glorious New Creation
17 “For behold, I create anew heavens and a new earth;
And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind.
18 But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create;
For behold, I create Jerusalem as a rejoicing,
And her people a joy.
19 aI will rejoice in Jerusalem,
And joy in My people;
The bvoice of weeping shall no longer be heard in her,
Nor the voice of crying.
20 “No more shall an infant from there live but a few days,
Nor an old man who has not fulfilled his days;
For the child shall die one hundred years old,
aBut the sinner being one hundred years old shall be accursed.
21 aThey shall build houses and inhabit them;
They shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
22 They shall not build and another inhabit;
They shall not plant and aanother eat;
For bas the days of a tree, so shall be the days of My people,
And cMy elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
23 They shall not labor in vain,
aNor bring forth children for trouble;
For bthey shall be the descendants of the blessed of the Lord,
And their offspring with them.
24 “It shall come to pass
That abefore they call, I will answer;
And while they are still speaking, I will bhear.
25 The awolf and the lamb shall feed together,
The lion shall eat straw like the ox,
bAnd dust shall be the serpent’s food.
They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain,”
Says the Lord.
The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson.
All rights reserved.