1»I permitted myself to be sought by those who did not ask for me. Those who did not seek me found me. To a nation that did not call on my name, I said: ‘Here I am, here I am.’ 2»All day long I held out my hands to an obstinate people, who walk in ways not good, pursuing their own imaginations thoughts, 3»a people who continually provoke me to my very face, offering sacrifices in gardens and burning incense on altars of brick. 4»They sit among the graves and spend their nights keeping secret vigil. They eat the flesh of pigs. Their pots are full of unclean meat. 5»‘They say: ‘Keep away! Do not come near me, for I am too sacred for you! Such people are smoke in my nostrils, a fire that keeps burning all day.’ 6»See, it stands written before me. I will not keep silent but will pay back in full; I will pay it back into their laps 7both your sins and the sins of your fathers, says Jehovah. This is because they burned sacrifices on the mountains and defied me on the hills. I will measure into their laps the full payment for their former deeds.« 8Jehovah says: »As when juice is still found in a cluster of grapes and men say, ‘Do not destroy it, there is yet some good in it,’ so will I do in behalf of my servants; I will not destroy them all. 9I will bring forth offspring from Jacob, and from Judah those who will possess my mountains. My chosen people will inherit them and my servants will live there. 10Sharon will be pasture for flocks, and the Valley of Achor a resting place for herds, for my people who seek me. 11»But as for you who forsake Jehovah and forget my holy mountain, which spread a table for the God of Fortune Babylonian diety and fill bowls of mixed wine for Destiny, 12»I will destine you for the sword, and you will all bend down for the slaughter! I called but you did not answer. I spoke but you did not listen. You did evil in my sight and chose what displeases me.« 13Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah says: My servants will eat, but you will go hungry. My servants will drink, but you will go thirsty. My servants will rejoice, but you will be put to shame! 14My servants will sing out of the joy of their hearts, but you will cry out from anguish of heart and wail in brokenness of spirit. 15You will leave your name to my chosen ones as a curse. The Sovereign Lord Jehovah will put you to death, but to his servants he will give another name. 16Whoever invokes a blessing in the land will do so by the God of amen, so be it truth; he who takes an oath in the land will swear by the God of truth. For the past troubles will be forgotten and hidden from my eyes. 17»Behold! I WILL CREATE A NEW HEAVEN AND A NEW EARTH. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. 18»Be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy. 19»I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people. The sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more.« 20»Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years. He who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere youth. The sinner who reaches a hundred will be considered accursed. 21»They will build houses and dwell in them. They will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. 22»No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat. For as the days of a tree, so will be the days of my people. My chosen ones will long enjoy the works of their hands. 23»They will not toil in vain or bear children doomed to misfortune. For they will be a people blessed by Jehovah, they and their descendants with them. 24»Before they call I will answer! While they are still speaking I will hear. 25»The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the bull, but dust will be the serpent’s food. They will neither harm nor destroy on my entire holy mountain,« Jehovah proclaims.