"I permitted Myself to be sought by athose who did not ask
for Me; I permitted Myself to be found
by those who did not seek
Me. I said
, `Here
am I, here
am I,' To a nation
which bdid not call
on My name
.
" aI have spread out My hands
all
day
long to a brebellious
people
, Who walk
in the way
which is not good
, 1following
their own cthoughts
,
A people who continually
aprovoke
Me to My face
, Offering
sacrifices
in bgardens
and cburning
incense
on bricks
;
Who sit among graves
and spend
the night
in secret
places
; Who aeat
swine's
flesh
, And the broth
of unclean
meat
is in their pots
.
"Who say, ` aKeep
to yourself, do not come
near
me, For I am holier
than you!' These
are smoke
in My 1nostrils
, A fire
that burns
all
the day
.
"Behold, it is written
before
Me, I will anot keep
silent
, but bI will repay
; I will even repay
into their bosom
,
Both 1their own ainiquities and the iniquities
of their fathers
together
," says
the LORD
. "Because
they have bburned
incense
on the mountains
And cscorned
Me on the hills
, Therefore I will dmeasure
their former
work
into their bosom
."
Thus says
the LORD
, "As the new
wine
is found
in the cluster
, And one says
, `Do not destroy
it, for there is 1benefit
in it,' So
I will act
on behalf
of My servants
In order anot to destroy
2all
of them.
"I will bring forth
aoffspring
from Jacob
, And an bheir
of My mountains
from Judah
; Even cMy chosen
ones
shall inherit
it, And dMy servants
will dwell
there
.
" aSharon will be a pasture
land
for flocks
, And the bvalley
of Achor
a resting
place
for herds
, For My people
who
cseek
Me.
"But you who aforsake the LORD
, Who
forget
My bholy
mountain
, Who
set
a table
for 1Fortune
, And who fill
cups with mixed
wine
for 2Destiny
,
I will destine you for the asword
, And all
of you will bow
down
to the bslaughter
. Because
I called
, but you cdid not answer
; I spoke
, but you did not hear
. And you did
evil
in My sight
And chose
that in which
I did not delight
."
Therefore, thus
says
the Lord
1GOD
, "Behold
, My servants
will aeat
, but you will be bhungry
. Behold
, My servants
will cdrink
, but you will be dthirsty
. Behold
, My servants
will erejoice
, but you will be fput
to shame
.
"Behold, My servants
will ashout
joyfully
with a glad
heart
, But you will bcry
out with a 1heavy
heart
, And you will wail
with a broken
spirit
.
"You will leave your name
for a acurse
to My chosen
ones
, And the Lord
1GOD
will slay
you. But 2My servants
will be called
by banother
name
.
"Because he who 1is blessed
in the earth
Will 1be blessed
by the aGod
of truth
; And he who swears
in the earth
Will bswear
by the God
of truth
; Because
the former
troubles
are forgotten
, And because
they are hidden
from My sight
!
"For behold, I create
anew
heavens
and a new
earth
; And the bformer
things
will not be remembered
or come
to 1mind
.
"But be aglad and rejoice
forever
in what
I create
; For behold
, I create
Jerusalem
for rejoicing
And her people
for gladness
.
"I will also arejoice in Jerusalem
and be glad
in My people
; And there will no
longer
be heard
in her The voice
of bweeping
and the sound
of crying
.
"No longer
will there be 1in it an infant
who lives but a few days
, Or an old
man
who
does anot 2live
out his days
; For the youth
will die
at the age
of one hundred
And the 3 bone who does not reach
the age
of one hundred
Will be thought accursed
.
"They will abuild houses
and inhabit
them; They will also bplant
vineyards
and eat
their fruit
.
"They will not build and aanother
inhabit
, They will not plant
and another
eat
; For bas the 1lifetime
of a tree
, so will be the days
of My people
, And My chosen
ones
will cwear
out the work
of their hands
.
"They will anot labor in vain
, Or bear
children for calamity
; For they are the 1 boffspring
of those blessed
by the LORD
, And their descendants
with them.
"It will also come to pass
that before
they call
, I will aanswer
; and while they are still
speaking
, I will hear
.
"The awolf and the lamb
will graze
together
, and the blion
will eat
straw
like the ox
; and cdust
will be the serpent's
food
. They will ddo
no
evil
or harm
in all
My eholy
mountain
," says
the LORD
.