1 This is what the LORD says: "The heavens are my throne, and the earth is the footstool for my feet. What kind of house would you build for me, and what place could be my resting place?
2 My hand made all these things, and so all these things came into being," declares the LORD. "But this is the one I will look to: the one who is lowly and broken in spirit, and who trembles at my word.
3 The one who slaughters an ox is like one who murders a man; the one who sacrifices a lamb, like one who breaks a dog's neck; the one who presents a grain offering, like one who offers pig's blood; the one who burns frankincense as a memorial, like one who blesses an idol. They have chosen their own ways, and they take delight in their detestable things;
4 so I too will choose harsh treatment for them and bring on them what they dread. For I called and no one answered, I spoke and they did not listen; they did what is evil in my sight and chose what I take no pleasure in."
5 Listen to the word of the LORD, you who tremble at his word: "Your own brothers who hate you and push you away because of my name have said, 'Let the LORD show his glory, so we can see your joy!' But they are the ones who will be put to shame.
6 Listen! An uproar from the city! A sound from the temple! It is the sound of the LORD paying back his enemies what they deserve.
7 Before she went into labor, she gave birth; before her pains came on her, she delivered a boy.
8 Who has ever heard of such a thing? Who has ever seen anything like it? Can a land be brought to birth in a single day, or a nation be born all at once? Yet no sooner was Zion in labor than she gave birth to her children.
9 Would I bring a child to the point of birth and not let it be born?" says the LORD. "Would I, who let it be born, close up the womb?" says your God.
10 "Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad over her, all you who love her; share her great joy, all you who mourn over her,
11 so that you may nurse and be filled at her comforting breast, so that you may drink deeply and delight in the abundance of her glory."
12 For this is what the LORD says: "See, I will make peace flow to her like a river, and the wealth of nations like a torrent in flood; you will nurse and be carried on her hip and bounced on her knees.
13 As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you, and in Jerusalem you will be comforted.
14 You will see this, and your heart will rejoice, and your bones will spring up like new grass. The LORD's hand will be made known to his servants, and his anger to his enemies.
15 For see, the LORD will come with fire, and his chariots will be like the whirlwind, to repay his anger with fury and his rebuke with flames of fire.
16 For with fire and with his sword the LORD will bring judgment on all flesh, and many will be those slain by the LORD.
17 Those who consecrate and purify themselves to go into the gardens, following one in the middle, who eat pork and detestable things and mice, will come to an end together," declares the LORD.
18 "And I know their deeds and their thoughts. The time is coming to gather all nations and languages, and they will come and see my glory.
19 I will put a sign among them, and I will send some of their survivors to the nations: to Tarshish, Pul and Lud, who are archers, to Tubal and Javan, to the far-off coastlands that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory. They will proclaim my glory among the nations.
20 And they will bring all your brothers from all the nations as an offering to the LORD, on horses, in chariots and wagons, on mules and camels, to my holy mountain Jerusalem," says the LORD, "just as the children of Israel bring the grain offering in a clean vessel to the house of the LORD.
21 And I will also take some of them as priests and Levites," says the LORD.
22 "For just as the new heavens and the new earth that I am making will endure before me," declares the LORD, "so will your offspring and your name endure.
23 Month after month at the new moon, and week after week on the Sabbath, all flesh will come to bow down before me," says the LORD.
24 "Then they will go out and look at the corpses of those who rebelled against me; for their worm will never die, and their fire will never go out, and they will be a horror to all flesh."