Dual PanelJudgement and final salvation
1I WAS ready to respond, but no one asked, ready to be found, but no one sought me. I said, “Here am I! Here am I!” to a nation that did not invoke me by name.
2All day long I held out my hands appealing to a rebellious people who went their evil way, in pursuit of their own devices;
3they were a people who provoked me perpetually to my face, offering sacrifice in the gardens, burning incense on brick altars.
4They crouch among graves, keeping vigil all night long, eating the flesh of pigs, their cauldrons full of a foul brew.
5“Keep clear!” they cry, “Do not touch me, for my holiness will infect you.” Such people are a smouldering fire, smoke in my nostrils all day long.
6Your record lies before me; I shall not keep silent; I shall fully repay
7your iniquities, both yours and your forefathers', says the LORD, for having sacrificed on the mountains and shamed me on the hills; I shall first measure out their reward and then repay them in full.
8These are the words of the LORD: As there is juice in a cluster of grapes and folk say, “Do not destroy it; there is blessing in it,” so shall I act for the sake of my servants: I shall not destroy the whole nation.
9I shall give descendants to Jacob, and to Judah heirs who will possess my mountains; my chosen ones will take possession of the land, and those who serve me will live there.
10Flocks will range over Sharon, and the valley of Achor become a pasture for cattle; they will belong to my people who seek me.
11But you that forsake the LORD and ignore my holy mountain, who spread a table for the god of Fate, and fill bowls of spiced wine in honour of Destiny,
12I shall destine you for the sword, and you will all submit to slaughter, because, when I called, you did not respond, when I spoke, you would not listen. You did what was wrong in my sight, and chose what displeased me.
13Therefore these are the words of the Lord GOD: My servants will eat, while you go hungry; my servants will drink, while you go thirsty; my servants will rejoice, while you are put to shame;
14my servants in the gladness of their hearts will shout for joy, while you cry from an aching heart and wail from anguish of spirit.
15Your name will be used as a curse by my chosen ones: “May the Lord GOD give you over to death!” but his servants he will call by another name.
16Anyone in the land invoking a blessing on himself will do so by God whose name is Amen, and anyone in the land taking an oath will do so by God whose name is Amen, for past troubles are forgotten; they have vanished from my sight.
17See, I am creating new heavens and a new earth! The past will no more be remembered nor will it ever come to mind.
18Rejoice and be for ever filled with delight at what I create; for I am creating Jerusalem as a delight and her people as a joy;
19I shall take delight in Jerusalem and rejoice in my people; the sound of weeping, the cry of distress will be heard in her no more.
20No child there will ever again die in infancy, no old man fail to live out his span of life. He who dies at a hundred is just a youth, and if he does not attain a hundred he is thought accursed!
21My people will build houses and live in them, plant vineyards and eat their fruit;
22they will not build for others to live in or plant for others to eat. They will be as long-lived as a tree, and my chosen ones will enjoy the fruit of their labour.
23They will not toil to no purpose or raise children for misfortune, because they and their issue after them are a race blessed by the LORD.
24Even before they call to me, I shall answer, and while they are still speaking I shall respond.
25The wolf and the lamb will feed together and the lion will eat straw like the ox, and as for the serpent, its food will be dust. Neither hurt nor harm will be done in all my holy mountain, says the LORD.