Bible in 90 Days Plan

¹This is what the LORD says, "Maintain justice and do righteousness, For My salvation is soon to come, And My righteousness and justice is soon to be revealed.

²"Blessed (happy, fortunate) is the man who does this, And the son of man who takes hold of it, Who keeps the Sabbath without profaning it, And keeps his hand from doing any evil."

³Do not let the foreigner who has joined himself to the LORD say, "The LORD will most certainly separate me from His people." And do not let the eunuch say, "Look, I am a dry tree."

⁴This is what the LORD says, "To the eunuchs who keep My Sabbaths And choose what pleases Me, And hold firmly to My covenant,

⁵To them I will give in My house and within My walls a memorial, And a name better than that of sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name which will not be cut off.

⁶"Also the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, To minister to Him, and to love the name of the LORD, To be His servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath without profaning it And holds fast to My covenant [by conscientious obedience];

⁷All these I will bring to My holy mountain And make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on My altar; For My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples."

⁸The Lord GOD, who gathers the dispersed of Israel, declares: "I will gather yet others to them (Israel), to those [already] gathered."

⁹All you beasts of the field, All you beasts (hostile nations) in the forest, Come to eat.

¹⁰Israel's watchmen are blind, They are all without knowledge. They are all mute dogs, they cannot bark; Panting, lying down, they love to slumber.

¹¹And the dogs are greedy; they never have enough. They are shepherds who have no understanding; They have all turned to their own way, Each one to his unlawful gain, without exception.

¹²"Come," [they say,] "let us get wine, and let us fill ourselves with strong drink; And tomorrow will be like today, very great indeed."

¹The righteous man perishes [at the hand of evil], and no one takes it to heart; Faithful and devout men are taken away, while no one understands That the righteous person is taken away [to be spared] from disaster and evil.

²He enters into peace [through death]; They rest in their beds (graves), Each one who walked uprightly [following God's will, living with integrity].

³"But come here, you sons of a sorceress [raised in deception and superstition], Offspring of an adulterer and a prostitute.

⁴"Of whom do you make fun? Against whom do you open wide your mouth And stick out your tongue? Are you not children of rebellion (sin), Offspring of deceit,

⁵Who inflame yourselves [with lust in pagan rites] among the oaks (terebinth trees), Under every green and leafy tree, Who slaughter the children [in sacrifice] in the ravines Under the clefts of the rocks?

⁶"Among the smooth stones of the ravine Is your portion, they (the idols) are your lot; Even to them you have poured out a drink offering, You have offered a grain offering. Should I be quiet concerning these things [leaving them unpunished—bearing them with patience]?

⁷"Upon a high and lofty mountain You have [openly and shamelessly] made your [idolatrous and adulterous] bed; Even there you went up to offer sacrifice [to idols, in spiritual unfaithfulness to Me].

⁸"Behind the door and the doorpost You have set up your [pagan] symbol; Indeed, far removed from Me, you have uncovered yourself, And have gone up and made your bed wide. And you have made a [new] agreement for yourself with the adulterers, You have loved their bed, You have looked [with passion] on their manhood.

⁹"You have gone to the king [of a pagan land] with oil And increased your perfumes; You have sent your messengers a great distance And made them go down to Sheol (the realm of the dead).

¹⁰"You were wearied by the length of your road, Yet you did not say, 'It is no use.' You found renewed strength, Therefore you did not grow weak.

¹¹"About whom were you worried and fearful That you lied and did not remember Me, Nor give Me a thought? Was I not silent even for a long time And [as a result] you do not fear Me?

¹²"I will declare your [hypocritical] righteousness and your deeds, But they will not benefit you.

¹³"When you cry out [for help], let your [ridiculous] collection of idols save you. But the wind will carry them all away, A [mere] breath will take them. But he who takes refuge in Me will possess the land [Judea] And will inherit My holy mountain."

¹⁴And it will be said, "Build up, build up, clear the way. Remove the stumbling block out of the way [of the spiritual return] of My people."

¹⁵For the high and exalted One He who inhabits eternity, Whose name is Holy says this, "I dwell on the high and holy place, But also with the contrite and humble in spirit In order to revive the spirit of the humble And to revive the heart of the contrite [overcome with sorrow for sin].

¹⁶"For I will not contend forever, Nor will I always be angry; For [if I did stay angry] the spirit [of man] would grow weak before Me, And the breath of those whom I have created.

¹⁷"Because of the wickedness of his unjust gain I was angry and struck him; I hid My face and was angry, And he went on turning away and backsliding, in the way of his [own willful] heart.

¹⁸"I have seen his [willful] ways, but I will heal him; I will lead him [also] and will restore comfort to him and to those who mourn for him,

¹⁹As I create the praise of his lips, Peace, peace, to him who is far away [both Jew and Gentile] and to him who is near!" Says the LORD; "And I will heal him [making his lips blossom anew with thankful praise]."

²⁰But the wicked are like the tossing sea, For it cannot be quiet, And its waters toss up mire and mud.

²¹"There is no peace," says my God, "for the wicked."

¹"Cry aloud, do not hold back; Lift up your voice like a trumpet, And declare to My people their transgression And to the house of Jacob their sins.

²"Yet they seek Me day by day and delight [superficially] to know My ways, As [if they were in reality] a nation that has done righteousness And has not abandoned (turned away from) the ordinance of their God. They ask of Me righteous judgments, They delight in the nearness of God.

³'Why have we fasted,' they say, 'and You do not see it? Why have we humbled ourselves and You do not notice?' Hear this [O Israel], on the day of your fast [when you should be grieving for your sins] you find something you desire [to do], And you force your hired servants to work [instead of stopping all work, as the law teaches].

⁴"The facts are that you fast only for strife and brawling and to strike with the fist of wickedness. You do not fast as you do today to make your voice heard on high.

⁵"Is a fast such as this what I have chosen, a day for a man to humble himself [with sorrow in his soul]? Is it only to bow down his head like a reed And to make sackcloth and ashes as a bed [pretending to have a repentant heart]? Do you call this a fast and a day pleasing to the LORD?

⁶"[Rather] is this not the fast which I choose, To undo the bonds of wickedness, To tear to pieces the ropes of the yoke, To let the oppressed go free And break apart every [enslaving] yoke?

⁷"Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry And bring the homeless poor into the house; When you see the naked, that you cover him, And not to hide yourself from [the needs of] your own flesh and blood?

⁸"Then your light will break out like the dawn, And your healing (restoration, new life) will quickly spring forth; Your righteousness will go before you [leading you to peace and prosperity], The glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.

⁹"Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; You will cry for help, and He will say, 'Here I am.' If you take away from your midst the yoke [of oppression], The finger pointed in scorn [toward the oppressed or the godly], and [every form of] wicked (sinful, unjust) speech,

¹⁰And if you offer yourself to [assist] the hungry And satisfy the need of the afflicted, Then your light will rise in darkness And your gloom will become like midday.

¹¹"And the LORD will continually guide you, And satisfy your soul in scorched and dry places, And give strength to your bones; And you will be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.

¹²"And your people will rebuild the ancient ruins; You will raise up and restore the age-old foundations [of buildings that have been laid waste]; You will be called Repairer of the Breach, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

¹³"If you turn back your foot from [ unnecessary travel on] the Sabbath, From doing your own pleasure on My holy day, And call the Sabbath a [spiritual] delight, and the holy day of the LORD honorable, And honor it, not going your own way Or engaging in your own pleasure Or speaking your own [idle] words,

¹⁴Then you will take pleasure in the LORD, And I will make you ride on the high places of the earth, And I will feed you with the [promised] heritage of Jacob your father; For the mouth of the LORD has spoken."

¹Behold, the Lord's hand is not so short That it cannot save, Nor His ear so impaired That it cannot hear.

²But your wickedness has separated you from your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.

³For your hands are defiled with blood And your fingers with wickedness [with sin, with injustice, with wrongdoing]; Your lips have spoken lies, Your tongue mutters wickedness.

⁴No one sues righteously [but for the sake of doing injury to others—to take some undue advantage], and no one pleads [his case] in truth; [but rather] They trust in empty arguments and speak lies; They conceive trouble and bring forth injustice.

⁵They hatch vipers' eggs and weave the spider's webs; He who eats of their eggs dies, And from an egg which is crushed a viper breaks out.

⁶Their webs will not serve as clothing, Nor will they cover themselves with what they make; Their works are works of wickedness [of sin, of injustice, of wrongdoing], And the act of violence is in their hands.

⁷Their feet run to evil, And they rush to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are thoughts of wickedness [of sin, of injustice, of wrongdoing]; Devastation and destruction are in their highways.

⁸They do not know the way of peace, And there is no justice in their tracks. They have made them into crooked paths; Whoever walks on them does not know peace.

⁹Therefore justice is far from us, And righteousness does not overtake us. We [expectantly] hope for light, but only see darkness; We hope for gleam of light, but we walk in darkness and gloom.

¹⁰We grope for a wall like the blind, We grope like those who have no eyes. We stumble at midday as in the twilight; Among those who are healthy we are like dead men.

¹¹We all groan and growl like bears, And coo sadly like doves; We hope for justice, but there is none, For salvation, but it is far from us.

¹²For our transgressions are multiplied before You [O LORD], And our sins testify against us; For our transgressions are with us, And we know and recognize our wickedness [our sin, our injustice, our wrongdoing]:

¹³Rebelling against and denying the LORD, Turning away from [following] our God, Speaking oppression and revolt, Conceiving and muttering from the heart lying words.

¹⁴Justice is pushed back, And righteous behavior stands far away; For truth has fallen in the city square, And integrity cannot enter.

¹⁵Yes, truth is missing; And he who turns away from evil makes himself a prey. Now the LORD saw it, And it displeased Him that there was no justice.

¹⁶He saw that there was no man, And was amazed that there was no one to intercede [on behalf of truth and right]; Therefore His own arm brought salvation to Him, And His own righteousness sustained Him.

¹⁷For He [the LORD] put on righteousness like a coat of armor, And salvation like a helmet on His head; He put on garments of vengeance for clothing And covered Himself with zeal [and great love for His people] as a cloak.

¹⁸As their deeds deserve, so He will repay: Wrath to His adversaries, retribution to His enemies; To the islands and coastlands He will repay.

¹⁹So they will fear the name of the LORD from the west And His glory from the rising of the sun. For He will come in like a narrow, rushing stream Which the breath of the LORD drives [overwhelming the enemy].

²⁰"A Redeemer (Messiah) will come to Zion, And to those in Jacob (Israel) who turn from transgression (sin)," declares the LORD.

²¹"As for Me, this is My covenant with them," says the LORD: "My Spirit which is upon you [writing the law of God on the heart], and My words which I have put in your mouth shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouths of your [true, spiritual] children, nor from the mouth of your children's children," says the LORD, "from now and forever."

¹"Arise [from spiritual depression to a new life], shine [be radiant with the glory and brilliance of the LORD]; for your light has come, And the glory and brilliance of the LORD has risen upon you.

²"For in fact, darkness will cover the earth And deep darkness will cover the peoples; But the LORD will rise upon you [Jerusalem] And His glory and brilliance will be seen on you.

³"Nations will come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising.

⁴"Lift up your eyes around you and see; They all gather together, they come to you. Your sons will come from far away, And your daughters will be looked after at their side.

⁵"Then you will see and be radiant, And your heart will tremble [with joy] and rejoice Because the abundant wealth of the seas will be brought to you, The wealth of the nations will come to you.

⁶"A multitude of camels [from the eastern trading tribes] will cover you [Jerusalem], The young camels of Midian and Ephah; All those from Sheba [who once came to trade] will come Bringing gold and frankincense And proclaiming the praises of the LORD.

⁷"All the flocks of Kedar will be gathered to you [as the eastern pastoral tribes join the trading tribes], The rams of Nebaioth will serve you; They will go up with acceptance [as sacrifices] on My altar, And I will glorify the house of My honor and splendor.

⁸"Who are these who fly like a cloud And like doves to their windows?

⁹"The islands and coastlands will confidently wait for Me; And the ships of Tarshish will come first, To bring your sons from far away, Their silver and gold with them, For the name of the LORD your God, For the Holy One of Israel because He has glorified you.

¹⁰"Foreigners will build up your walls, And their kings will serve you; For in My [righteous] wrath I struck you, But in My favor and grace I have had compassion on you.

¹¹"Your gates will be open continually; They shall not be shut day or night, So that people may bring to you the wealth of the nations— With their kings led in procession.

¹²"For the nation or the kingdom which will not serve you [Jerusalem] shall perish, And the nations [that refuse to serve] shall be utterly ruined.

¹³"The glory of Lebanon will come to you, The cypress, the juniper, and the cedar together, To beautify the place of My sanctuary; And I will honor and make the place of My feet glorious.

¹⁴"The sons of those who oppressed you will come bowing down to you [in submission], And all those who despised you and treated you disrespectfully will bow down at the soles of your feet, And they will call you the City of the LORD, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel.

¹⁵"Whereas you [Jerusalem] have been abandoned and hated With no one passing through, I will make you an object of pride forever, A joy from generation to generation.

¹⁶"You will suck the milk of the [Gentile] nations And suck the breast (abundance) of kings; Then you will recognize and know that I, the LORD, am your Savior And your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.

¹⁷"Instead of bronze I will bring gold, And instead of iron I will bring silver, And instead of wood, bronze, And instead of stones, iron. And [instead of the tyranny of the present] I will appoint peace as your officers, And righteousness your rulers.

¹⁸"Violence will not be heard again in your land, Nor devastation or destruction within your borders; But you will call your walls Salvation, and your gates Praise [to God].

¹⁹"The sun will no longer be your light by day, Nor shall the bright glow of the moon give light to you, But the LORD will be an everlasting light for you; And your God will be your glory and splendor.

²⁰"Your sun will no longer set, Nor will your moon wane; For the LORD will be your everlasting light, And the days of your mourning will be over.

²¹"Then all your people will be [uncompromisingly and consistently] righteous; They will possess the land forever, The branch of My planting, The work of My hands, That I may be glorified.

²²"The smallest one will become a thousand (a clan), And the least one a mighty nation. I, the LORD, will quicken it in its [appointed] time."

¹The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, Because the LORD has anointed and commissioned me To bring good news to the humble and afflicted; He has sent me to bind up [the wounds of] the brokenhearted, To proclaim release [from confinement and condemnation] to the [physical and spiritual] captives And freedom to prisoners,

²To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD, And the day of vengeance and retribution of our God, To comfort all who mourn,

³To grant to those who mourn in Zion the following: To give them a turban instead of dust [on their heads, a sign of mourning], The oil of joy instead of mourning, The garment [expressive] of praise instead of a disheartened spirit. So they will be called the trees of righteousness [strong and magnificent, distinguished for integrity, justice, and right standing with God], The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.

⁴Then they will rebuild the ancient ruins, They will raise up and restore the former desolations; And they will renew the ruined cities, The desolations (deserted settlements) of many generations.

⁵Strangers will stand and feed your flocks, And foreigners will be your farmers and your vinedressers.

⁶But you shall be called the priests of the LORD; People will speak of you as the ministers of our God. You will eat the wealth of nations, And you will boast of their riches.

⁷Instead of your [former] shame you will have a double portion; And instead of humiliation your people will shout for joy over their portion. Therefore in their land they will possess double [what they had forfeited]; Everlasting joy will be theirs.

⁸For I, the LORD, love justice; I hate robbery with a burnt offering. And I will faithfully reward them, And make an everlasting covenant with them.

⁹Then their offspring will be known among the nations, And their descendants among the peoples. All who see them [in their prosperity] will recognize and acknowledge them That they are the people whom the LORD has blessed.

¹⁰I will rejoice greatly in the LORD, My soul will exult in my God; For He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has covered me with a robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom puts on a turban, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

¹¹For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, And as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up, So the Lord GOD will [most certainly] cause righteousness and justice and praise To spring up before all the nations [through the power of His word].

¹For Zion's sake I (Isaiah) will not be silent, And for Jerusalem's sake I will not keep quiet, Until her righteousness and vindication go forth as brightness, And her salvation goes forth like a burning torch.

²The nations will see your righteousness and vindication [by God], And all kings [will see] your glory; And you will be called by a new name Which the mouth of the LORD will designate.

³You will also be [considered] a crown of glory and splendor in the hand of the LORD, And a royal diadem [exceedingly beautiful] in the hand of your God.

⁴It will no longer be said of you [Judah], "Azubah (Abandoned)," Nor will it any longer be said of your land, "Shemamah (Desolate)"; But you will be called, "Hephzibah (My Delight is in Her)," And your land, " Married"; For the LORD delights in you, And to Him your land will be married [owned and protected by the LORD].

⁵For as a young man marries a virgin [O Jerusalem], So your sons will marry you; And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, So your God will rejoice over you.

⁶On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have appointed and stationed watchmen (prophets), Who will never keep silent day or night; You who profess the LORD, take no rest for yourselves,

⁷And give Him no rest [from your prayers] until He establishes Jerusalem And makes her a praise on the earth.

⁸The LORD has sworn [an oath] by His right hand and by His mighty arm, "I will never again give your grain as food for your enemies, Nor will [the invading] foreigners drink your new wine for which you have labored."

⁹But they who have harvested it will eat it and praise the LORD, And they who have gathered it will drink it [at the feasts celebrated] in the courtyards of My sanctuary.

¹⁰Go through, go through the gates, Clear the way for the people; Build up, build up the highway, Remove the stones, lift up a banner over the peoples.

¹¹Listen carefully, the LORD has proclaimed to the end of the earth, Say to the Daughter of Zion, "Look now, your salvation is coming [in the LORD]; Indeed, His reward is with Him, and His restitution accompanies Him."

¹²And they will call them "The Holy People, The Redeemed of the LORD"; And you will be called "Sought Out, A City Not Deserted."

¹Who is this who comes from Edom, With crimson-stained garments from Bozrah [in Edom], This One (the Messiah) who is majestic in His apparel, Marching in the greatness of His might? "It is I, [the One] who speaks in righteousness [proclaiming vindication], mighty to save."

²Why is Your apparel red, And Your garments like the one who treads in the wine press?

³"I have trodden the wine trough alone, And of the peoples there was no one with Me. I also trod them in My anger And trampled them in My wrath; And their lifeblood is sprinkled on My garments, And I stained all My clothes.

⁴"For the day of vengeance [against ungodliness] was in My heart, And My year of redemption [of those who put their trust in Me—the year of My redeemed] has come.

⁵"I looked, but there was no one to help, And I was amazed and appalled that there was no one to uphold [truth and right]. So My own arm brought salvation to Me, And My wrath sustained Me.

⁶"I trampled the peoples in My anger And made them drunk with [the cup of] My wrath, And I spilled their lifeblood on the earth."

⁷I will tell of the lovingkindnesses of the LORD, and the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, According to all that the LORD has done for us, And His great goodness toward the house of Israel, Which He has shown them according to His compassion And according to the abundance of His lovingkindnesses.

⁸For He said, "Be assured, they are My people, Sons who will not be faithless." So He became their Savior [in all their distresses].

⁹In all their distress He was distressed, And the angel of His presence saved them, In His love and in His compassion He redeemed them; And He lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.

¹⁰But they rebelled And grieved His Holy Spirit; Therefore He changed into their enemy, And He fought against them.

¹¹Then His people remembered the days of old, of Moses [and they said], Where is He who brought our fathers up out of the [Red] Sea, with the shepherds of His flock [Moses and Aaron]? Where is He who put His Holy Spirit in their midst,

¹²Who caused His glorious arm and infinite power to go at the right hand of Moses, Dividing the waters before them to make for Himself an everlasting name,

¹³Who led them through the depths [of the Red Sea], Like a horse in the wilderness, [so that] they did not stumble?

¹⁴Like the cattle that go down into the valley [to find better pasture and rest], The Spirit of the LORD gave them rest. So You led Your people [O LORD] To make for Yourself a beautiful and glorious name [preparing the way for the acknowledgment of Your name by all nations].

¹⁵Look down from heaven and see from Your lofty dwelling place, holy and glorious. Where are Your zeal and Your mighty acts [Your miracles which you did for Your people]? The stirring of Your heart and Your compassion are restrained and withheld from me.

¹⁶For [most certainly] You are our Father, even though Abraham [our ancestor] does not know us And Israel does not acknowledge us. You, O LORD, are [still] our Father, Our Redeemer from everlasting is Your name.

¹⁷O LORD, why do You cause us to stray from Your ways And harden our heart from fearing You [with reverence and awe]? Return for Your servants' sake, the tribes of Your heritage.

¹⁸Your holy people possessed Your sanctuary for [only] a little while; Our adversaries have trampled it down.

¹⁹We have become like those over whom You have never ruled, Like those who were not called by Your name.

¹Oh, that You would tear open the heavens and come down, That the mountains might quake at Your presence—

²As [sure as] fire kindles the brushwood, as fire causes water to boil— To make Your name known to Your adversaries, That the nations may tremble at Your presence!

³When You did awesome and amazing things which we did not expect, You came down [at Sinai]; the mountains quaked at Your presence.

⁴For from days of old no one has heard, nor has ear perceived, Nor has the eye seen a God besides You, Who works and acts in behalf of the one who [gladly] waits for Him.

⁵You meet him who rejoices in doing that which is morally right, Who remembers You in Your ways. Indeed, You were angry, for we sinned; We have long continued in our sins [prolonging Your anger]. And shall we be saved [under such circumstances]?

⁶For we all have become like one who is [ceremonially] unclean [like a leper], And all our deeds of righteousness are like filthy rags; We all wither and decay like a leaf, And our wickedness [our sin, our injustice, our wrongdoing], like the wind, takes us away [carrying us far from God's favor, toward destruction].

⁷There is no one who calls on Your name, Who awakens and causes himself to take hold of You; For You have hidden Your face from us And have handed us over to the [consuming and destructive] power of our wickedness [our sin, our injustice, our wrongdoing].

⁸Yet, O LORD, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our Potter, And we all are the work of Your hand.

⁹Do not be angry beyond measure, O LORD, Do not remember our wickedness [our sin, our injustice, our wrongdoing] forever. Now look, consider, for we are all Your people.

¹⁰Your holy cities have become a wilderness, Zion has become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.

¹¹Our holy and beautiful house [the temple built by Solomon], Where our fathers praised You, Has been burned by fire; And all our precious objects are in ruins.

¹²Considering these [tragedies], will You restrain Yourself, O LORD [and not help us]? Will You keep silent and humiliate and oppress us beyond measure?

¹"I let Myself be sought by those who did not ask for Me; I let Myself be found by those who did not seek Me. I said, 'Here am I, here am I,' To the nation [Israel] which did not call on My Name.

²"I have spread out My hands all the day long to a rebellious and stubborn people, Who walk in the way that is not good, [following] after their own thoughts and intentions,

³The people who continually provoke Me to My face, Sacrificing [to idols] in gardens and making offerings with incense on bricks [instead of at the designated altar];

⁴Who sit among the graves [trying to conjure up evil spirits] and spend the night in the secret places [where spirits are thought to dwell]; Who eat swine's flesh, And their pots hold the broth of unclean meat;

⁵Who say, 'Keep to yourself, do not come near me, For I am too holy for you [and you might defile me]!' These [people] are smoke in My nostrils, A fire that burns all the day.

⁶"Indeed, it is written before Me, I will not keep silent, but I will repay; I will even repay it [directly] into their arms,

⁷Both your own wickedness and the wickedness of your fathers," says the LORD. "Since they too have made offerings with incense on the mountains And scorned and taunted Me on the hills, I therefore will measure [punishment for] their former work [directly] into their arms."

⁸This is what the LORD says, "As the new wine is found in the cluster, And one says, 'Do not destroy it, for there is a blessing and benefit in it,' So I will do for the sake of My servants In order not to destroy all of them.

⁹"I will bring forth descendants from Jacob, And an heir of My mountains from Judah; Even My chosen ones shall inherit it, And My servants will live there.

¹⁰"And [the plain of] Sharon will be a place for flocks to graze, And the Valley of Achor a resting place for herds, For My people who seek Me [who long for Me and require My presence in their lives].

¹¹"But you who abandon (turn away from) the LORD, Who forget and ignore My holy mountain (Zion), Who set a table for Gad [the Babylonian god of fortune], And who fill a jug of mixed wine for Meni [the god of fate],

¹²I will destine you for the sword, [says the LORD], And all of you will bow down to the slaughter, Because when I called, you did not answer; When I spoke, you did not listen or obey. But you did [what was] evil in My sight And chose that in which I did not delight."

¹³Therefore, the Lord GOD says this, "Listen carefully, My servants will eat, but you will be hungry; Indeed, My servants will drink, but you will be thirsty; Indeed, My servants will rejoice, but you will be put to shame.

¹⁴"Indeed, My servants will shout for joy from a happy heart, But you will cry out with a heavy heart, And you shall wail and howl from a broken spirit.

¹⁵"And you will leave your name behind to My chosen ones [who will use it] as a curse, And the Lord GOD will put you to death, But He will call His servants by another name [a much greater name, just as the name Israel was greater than the name Jacob].

¹⁶"Because he who blesses himself on the earth Will bless himself by the God of truth and faithfulness; And he who swears [an oath] on the earth Will swear by the God of truth and faithfulness; Because the former troubles are forgotten, And because they are hidden from My sight.

¹⁷"Behold, I am creating new heavens and a new earth; And the former things [of life] will not be remembered or come to mind.

¹⁸"But be glad and rejoice forever over what I create; Behold, I am creating Jerusalem to be a source of rejoicing And her people a joy.

¹⁹"I will also rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in My people; And there will no longer be heard in her The voice of weeping and the sound of crying.

²⁰"No longer shall there be in it an infant who lives only a few days, Or an old man who does not finish his days; For the youth who dies at the age of a hundred, And the one who does not reach the age of a hundred Will be thought of as accursed.

²¹"They will build houses and live in them; They will plant vineyards and eat the fruit.

²²"They will not build and another occupy; They will not plant and another eat [the fruit]. For as the lifetime of a tree, so will be the days of My people, And My chosen [people] will fully enjoy [and long make use of] the work of their hands.

²³"They will not labor in vain, Or bear children for disaster; For they are the descendants of those blessed by the LORD, And their offspring with them.

²⁴"It shall also come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear.

²⁵The wolf and the lamb will graze together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox [there will no longer be predator and prey]; and dust will be the serpent's food. They will do no evil or harm in all My holy mountain (Zion)," says the LORD.

¹This is what the LORD says, "Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool. Where, then, is a house that you could build for Me? And where will My resting place be?

²"For all these things My hand has made, So all these things came into being [by and for Me]," declares the LORD. "But to this one I will look [graciously], To him who is humble and contrite in spirit, and who [reverently] trembles at My word and honors My commands.

³"He who kills an ox [for pagan sacrifice] is [as guilty] as one who kills a man; He who sacrifices a lamb, as one who breaks a dog's neck; He who offers a grain offering, as one who offers swine's blood; He who offers incense, as one who blesses an idol. Such people have chosen their own ways, And their soul delights in their repulsive acts;

⁴So I will choose their punishments, And will bring the things they dread upon them Because I called, but no one answered; I spoke, but they did not listen or obey. But they did evil in My sight And chose that in which I did not delight."

⁵Hear the word of the LORD, you who tremble [with awe-filled reverence] at His word: "Your brothers who hate you, who exclude you for My Name's sake, Have said, 'Let the LORD be glorified, that we may see your joy.' But they will be put to shame.

⁶"The sound of an uproar from the city! A voice from the temple! The voice of the LORD, providing retribution to His enemies.

⁷"Before she (Zion) was in labor, she gave birth; Before her labor pain came, she gave birth to a boy.

⁸"Who has heard of such a thing? Who has seen such things? Can a land be born in one day? Or can a nation be brought forth in a moment? As soon as Zion was in labor, she also brought forth her sons.

⁹"Shall I bring to the moment of birth and not give delivery?" says the LORD. "Or shall I who gives delivery shut the womb?" says your God.

¹⁰"Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad for her, all you who love her; Rejoice greatly with her, all you who mourn over her,

¹¹That you may nurse and be satisfied with her comforting breasts, That you may drink deeply and be delighted with her bountiful bosom."

¹²For the LORD says this, "Behold, I extend peace to her (Jerusalem) like a river, And the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream; And you will be nursed, you will be carried on her hip and [playfully] rocked on her knees.

¹³"As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; And you will be comforted in Jerusalem."

¹⁴When you see this, your heart will rejoice; Your bones will flourish like new grass. And the [powerful] hand of the LORD will be revealed to His servants, But His indignation will be toward His enemies.

¹⁵For indeed, the LORD will come in fire And His chariots will be like the stormy wind, To render His anger with rage, And His rebuke with flames of fire.

¹⁶For the LORD will execute judgment by fire And by His sword on all mankind, And those slain by the LORD will be many.

¹⁷"Those who [vainly attempt to] sanctify and cleanse themselves to go to the gardens [to sacrifice to idols], Following after one in the center, Who eat swine's flesh, detestable things and mice, Will come to an end together," says the LORD.

¹⁸"For I know their works and their thoughts. The time is coming to gather all nations and languages, and they will come and see My glory.

¹⁹I will set up a [miraculous] sign among them, and from them I will send survivors to the nations: Tarshish, Pul (Put), Lud, Meshech, Tubal and Javan, to the distant islands and coastlands that have not heard of My fame nor seen My glory. And they will declare and proclaim My glory among the nations.

²⁰Then they shall bring all your countrymen (children of Israel) from all the nations as a grain offering to the LORD—on horses, in chariots, in litters, on mules and on camels—to My holy mountain Jerusalem," says the LORD, "just as the sons of Israel bring their grain offering in a clean vessel to the house of the LORD.

²¹I will also take some of them as priests and Levites," says the LORD.

²²"For just as the new heavens and the new earth Which I make will remain and endure before Me," declares the LORD, "So your offspring and your name will remain and endure.

²³"And it shall be that from New Moon to New Moon And from Sabbath to Sabbath, All mankind will come to bow down and worship before Me," says the LORD.

²⁴"Then they will go forth and look Upon the dead bodies of the [rebellious] men Who have transgressed against Me; For their worm (maggot) will not die, And their fire will not go out; And they will be an abhorrence to all mankind."

¹The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, [one] of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin,

²to whom the word of the LORD came during the thirteenth year (627 b.c.) of the reign of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah.

³It came [to Jeremiah] also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, [continuing] until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah, king of Judah, [and continuing] until the exile of [the people of] Jerusalem in the fifth month (July-August, 586 b.c.).

⁴Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

⁵"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you [and approved of you as My chosen instrument], And before you were born I consecrated you [to Myself as My own]; I have appointed you as a prophet to the nations."

⁶Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I do not know how to speak, For I am [only] a young man."

⁷But the LORD said to me, "Do not say, 'I am [only] a young man,' Because everywhere I send you, you shall go, And whatever I command you, you shall speak.

⁸"Do not be afraid of them [or their hostile faces], For I am with you [always] to protect you and deliver you," says the LORD.

⁹Then the LORD stretched out His hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me, "Behold (hear Me), I have put My words in your mouth.

¹⁰"See, I have appointed you this day over the nations and over the kingdoms, To uproot and break down, To destroy and to overthrow, To build and to plant."

¹¹The word of the LORD came to me, saying, "Jeremiah, what do you see?" And I said, "I see the branch of an almond tree."

¹²Then the LORD said to me, "You have seen well, for I am [actively] watching over My word to fulfill it."

¹³The word of the LORD came to me a second time, saying, "What do you see?" And I said, "I see a boiling pot, tilting away from the north [its mouth about to pour out on the south, on Judea]."

¹⁴Then the LORD said to me, "Out of the north the evil [which the prophets foretold as the result of national sin] will reveal itself and spill out on all the people of the land.

¹⁵"For, behold, I will call all the tribes of the kingdoms of the north," says the LORD; "and they will come and each one will set his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all its surrounding walls, and against all the cities of Judah [as My judicial act, the consequence of Judah's deliberate disobedience].

¹⁶"I will speak My judgments against them for all the wickedness of those who have abandoned (rejected) Me, offered sacrifices or burned incense to other gods, and worshiped the [idolatrous] works of their own hands.

¹⁷"But you [Jeremiah], gird up your loins [in preparation]! Get up and tell them all which I command you. Do not be distraught and break down at the sight of their [hostile] faces, or I will bewilder you before them and allow you to be overcome.

¹⁸"Now behold, I have made you today like a fortified city and like an iron pillar and like bronze walls against the whole land—against the [successive] kings of Judah, against its leaders, against its priests, and against the people of the land [giving you divine strength which no hostile power can overcome].

¹⁹"They will fight against you, but they will not [ultimately] prevail over you, for I am with you [always] to protect you and deliver you," says the LORD.

¹Now the word of the LORD came to me saying,

²"Go and proclaim in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, 'Thus says the LORD, "I remember [earnestly] the lovingkindness and devotion of your youth, Your time of betrothal [like that of a bride during the early years in Egypt and again at Sinai], When you followed Me in the wilderness, Through a land not sown.

³" Israel was holy [something set apart from ordinary purposes, consecrated] to the LORD, The first fruits of His harvest [in which no outsider was allowed to share]. All who ate of it [injuring Israel] became guilty; Evil came on them," says the LORD.'"

⁴Hear the word of the LORD, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel.

⁵Thus says the LORD, "What injustice or unrighteousness did your fathers find in Me, That they have wandered far from Me And [habitually] walked after emptiness and futility and became empty?

⁶"They did not say, 'Where is the LORD Who brought us up from the land of Egypt, Who led us through the wilderness, Through a land of deserts and of pits, Through a land of drought and of the deep darkness [of the shadow of death], Through a land that no man passed through And where no man lived?'

⁷"I brought you into a plentiful land To eat its fruit and [enjoy] its good things. But you came and defiled My land And you made My inheritance repulsive.

⁸"[Even] the priests did not say, 'Where is the LORD?' And those who deal with the law [given to Moses] did not know Me. The rulers and shepherds also transgressed against Me, And the prophets prophesied by [the authority and in the name of] Baal And walked after [idolatrous] things that did not benefit [them].

⁹"Therefore I will still contend (struggle) with you [by bringing judgment on you]," says the LORD, "And I will contend with your children's children."

¹⁰"For cross over to the coasts of Kittim (Cyprus) [to the west] and see, Send also to Kedar (Arabia) [to the east] and carefully observe and consider And see whether there has been such [a thing] as this!

¹¹"Has a nation [ever] changed gods Even though they were not gods [but merely man-made objects]? But My people have exchanged their Glory (the true God) For that [man-made idol] which does not benefit [them].

¹²"Be appalled, O heavens, at this; Be shocked and shudder with horror [at the behavior of the people]," says the LORD.

¹³"For My people have committed two evils: They have abandoned (rejected) Me, The fountain of living water, And they have carved out their own cisterns, Broken cisterns That cannot hold water.

¹⁴"Is Israel a servant? Is he a slave by birth? Why has he become a captive and a prey?

¹⁵"The young lions have roared at him, They have made their voices heard and roared loudly. And they have made his land a waste; His cities have been destroyed and are burned ruins, without inhabitant.

¹⁶"Moreover, the men of Memphis and Tahpanhes [as powerful enemies] Have shaved the crown of your head [to degrade you].

¹⁷"Have you not brought this on yourself By abandoning (rejecting) the LORD your God When He led you in the way?

¹⁸"Now what are you doing by going to Egypt [in search of an ally], To drink the [muddy] waters of the Nile? Or what are you doing by going to Assyria [in search of an ally], To drink the [muddy] waters of the Euphrates?

¹⁹"Your own wickedness will discipline you, And your desertion of the faith will punish you. Know therefore that it is an evil and bitter thing For you to abandon (reject) the LORD your God, And for you to be indifferent to Me and dismiss the [reverent] fear of Me," says the Lord GOD of hosts.

²⁰"For long ago you broke your yoke [in deliberate disobedience] And tore off your bonds [of the law that I gave you]; You said, 'I will not serve and obey You!' For on every high hill And under every green tree You have lain down [in idolatrous worship] like a [compliant] prostitute.

²¹"Yet I had planted you [O house of Israel as] a choice vine, A completely faithful seed. How then have you turned against Me Into degenerate shoots of a foreign and wild vine [alien to Me]?

²²"For though you wash yourself with lye And use much soap, The stain of your guilt is [still] before Me [and you are soiled and dirty]," says the Lord GOD.

²³"How can you say, 'I am not defiled, I have not gone after [man-made gods like] the Baals'? Look at your way in the valley; Know [without any doubt] what you have done! You are a swift and restless young [female] camel [in the heat of her passion] running here and there,

²⁴Or [you have the untamed and reckless nature of] a wild donkey accustomed to the wilderness, That sniffs the wind in her passion [for the scent of a mate]. In her mating season who can restrain her? No males seeking her need to weary themselves; In her month they will find her [looking for them].

²⁵"[Cease your mad running after idols to] Keep your feet from becoming bare And your throat from becoming dry; But you said, 'It is hopeless! For I have loved strangers and foreign gods, And I will walk after them.'

²⁶"As the thief is shamed when he is caught, So the house of Israel is shamed— They, their kings, their leaders, Their priests, and their prophets—

²⁷Who say to a tree, 'You are my father,' And to a stone, 'You gave me birth.' For they have turned their backs to Me, And not their faces; But in the time of their trouble they will say, 'Arise [O LORD] and save us.'

²⁸"But where are your gods Which you made for yourself? Let them get up, if they can save you In the time of your trouble! For [as many as] the number of your cities Are your gods, O Judah. [Why do not your many man-made idols run to help you?]

²⁹"Why do you complain and contend with Me? You have all rebelled (transgressed) against Me," says the LORD.

³⁰"In vain I have punished your people [with the consequences of their disobedience]; They received no insight from correction [and refused to change]. Your [own] sword has devoured your prophets Like a destroying lion.

³¹"O generation [that you are], consider and regard carefully the word of the LORD. Have I been a wilderness to Israel [like a land without food], A land of thick and deep darkness [like a path without light]? Why do My people say, 'We [have broken loose and we] are free to roam [at will]; We will no longer come to You'?

³²"Can a virgin forget [to wear] her ornaments, Or a bride her attire [that identifies her as a married woman]? Yet My people have forgotten Me Days without number.

³³"How well you prepare your path To seek and obtain [adulterous] love! Even the most wicked of women Have learned [indecent] ways from you.

³⁴"Also on your skirts is found The lifeblood of the innocent poor; You did not find them breaking in [a house]. But in spite of all these things [your disobedience, your love of idolatry, your lack of compassion]—

³⁵Yet you keep saying, 'I am innocent; Surely His anger has turned away from me.' Behold (listen very carefully), I will bring you to judgment and will plead my case against you Because you say, 'I have not sinned.'

³⁶"Why do you go around and wander so much Changing your way? Also, you will be shamed by Egypt As you were shamed by Assyria.

³⁷"From Egypt also you will come away [as captives] With your hands on your head; For the LORD has rejected those in whom you trust (confide), And you will not be successful with them."