Online Bible

This is what the LORD says:“^aHeaven is My throne and the earth is the footstool for My feet.Where then is a ^bhouse you could build for Me?And where is a place that ¹I may rest?

2 “For ^aMy hand made all these things,So all these things came into being,” declares the LORD.“But I will look to this one,At one who is humble and ^bcontrite in spirit, and who ^ctrembles at My word.

3 “But the one who slaughters an ox is like one who kills a person;The one who sacrifices a lamb is like one who breaks a dog’s neck;One who offers a grain offering is like one who offers ^apig’s blood;One who ¹^bburns incense is like one who blesses an idol.As they have chosen their ^cown ways,And their souls delight in their ^dabominations,4 So I will ^achoose their ¹punishmentsAnd ^bbring on them what they dread.Because I called, but ^cno one answered;I spoke, but they did not listen.Instead, they did ^devil in My sightAnd chose that in which I did not delight.”5 Hear the word of the LORD, you who ^atremble at His word:“Your brothers who ^bhate you, who ^cexclude you on account of My name,Have said, ‘Let the LORD be glorified, so that we may see your joy.’But ^dthey will be put to shame.6 “A sound of uproar from the city, a voice from the temple,The voice of the LORD who is ^adealing retribution to His enemies.

7 “Before she was in labor, ^ashe delivered;Before her pain came, ^bshe gave birth to a boy.8 “^aWho has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things?Can a land be ¹born in one day?Can a nation be given birth all at once?As soon as Zion was in labor, she also delivered her sons.9 “Shall I bring to the point of birth but ^anot give delivery?” says the LORD.“Or shall I who gives delivery shut the womb?” says your God.

10 “Be ^ajoyful with Jerusalem and rejoice for her, all you who ^blove her;Be exceedingly ^cglad with her, all you who mourn over her,11 So that you may nurse and ^abe satisfied with her comforting breasts,So that you may drink fully and be delighted with her ^bbountiful breasts.”12 For this is what the LORD says: “Behold, I extend ^apeace to her like a river,And the ^bglory of the nations like an overflowing stream;And you will ¹be nursed, you will be ^ccarried on the ²hip and rocked back and forth on the knees.13 “As one whom his mother comforts, so I will ^acomfort you;And you will be comforted in Jerusalem.”14 Then you will ^asee this, and your ^bheart will be glad,And your ^cbones will flourish like the new grass;And the ^dhand of the LORD will be made known to His servants,But He will be ^eindignant toward His enemies.15 For behold, the LORD will come in ^afire,And His ^bchariots like the whirlwind,To render His anger with fury,And His rebuke with flames of fire.16 For the LORD will execute judgment by ^afireAnd by His ^bsword on ¹humanity,And those put to death by the LORD will be many.17 “Those who sanctify and purify themselves to go to the ^agardens,¹Following one in the center,Who eat ^bpig’s flesh, detestable things, and mice,Will ^ccome to an end altogether,” declares the LORD.

18 “For I ¹know their works and their ^athoughts; ²the time is coming to ^bgather all the nations and tongues. And they shall come and see My glory. 19 And I will put a ^asign among them and send survivors from them to the nations: ^bTarshish, ¹Put, ^cLud, ²Meshech, ^dTubal, and ³Javan, to the distant ^ecoastlands that have neither heard of My fame nor seen My glory. And they will ^fdeclare My glory among the nations. 20 Then they shall ^abring all your countrymen from all the nations as a grain offering to the LORD, on horses, in chariots, in litters, on mules, and on camels, to My ^bholy mountain Jerusalem,” says the LORD, “just as the sons of Israel bring their grain offering in a ^cclean vessel to the house of the LORD. 21 I will also take some of them as ^apriests and Levites,” says the LORD.

22 “For just as the ^anew heavens and the new earth,Which I make, will endure before Me,” declares the LORD,“So will your ^bdescendants and your ^cname endure.23 “And it shall be from ^anew moon to new moonAnd from Sabbath to Sabbath,All ¹mankind will come to ^bbow down before Me,” says the LORD.24 “Then they will go out and lookAt the ^acorpses of the peopleWho have ^brebelled against Me.For their ^cworm will not die^dAnd their fire will not be extinguished;And they will be an ^eabhorrence to all ¹mankind.”