_Exclusion of Scorners from the Coming Salvation._
1. Thus saith Jehovah: The heaven is My throne, and the earth My
footstool. What kind of house is it that ye would build Me, and what
kind of place for My rest? 2. My hand hath made all these things;
then all these things arose, saith Jehovah; and at such persons do I
look, at the miserable and broken-hearted, and him that trembleth at
My word.[1] 3. He that slaughtereth the ox is the slayer of a man; he
that sacrificeth the sheep is a strangler of dogs; he that offereth a
meat offering, it is swine's blood; he that causeth incense to rise
up in smoke, blesseth idols. As they have chosen their ways, and
their soul cherisheth pleasure in their abominations; 4. so will I
choose their ill-treatments,[2] and bring their terrors upon them,
because I called and no one replied, I spake and they did not hear,
and they did evil in Mine eyes, and chose that in which I took no
pleasure.
5. Hear ye the word of Jehovah, ye that tremble at His word: your
brethren that hate you, that thrust you from them for My name's sake,
say, "Let Jehovah get honour, that we may see your joy;" they will be
put to shame.
6. Sound of tumult from the city! Sound from the temple! Sound of
Jehovah, who repays His enemies with punishment.
7. Before she travailed she brought forth; before pains came upon
her, she was delivered of a boy. 8. Who hath heard such a thing? Who
hath seen anything like it? Are men delivered of a land in one day?
Or is a nation begotten at once? For Zion hath travailed, yea, hath
brought forth her children. 9. Should I bring to the birth, and not
cause to bring forth? saith Jehovah; or should I, who cause to bring
forth, shut up? saith thy God.
10. Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and exult over her, all ye that love
her; be ye delightfully glad with her, all ye that mourn over her,
11. that ye may suck and be satisfied with the breast of her
consolations, that ye may sip and delight yourselves in the abundance
of her glory. 12. For thus saith Jehovah, Behold, I guide peace to
her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like an overflowing
stream, that ye may suck; ye shall be borne upon arms, and fondled
upon knees. 13. Like a man whom his mother comforteth, so will I
comfort you, and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem. 14. And ye will
see, and your heart will be joyful, and your bones will flourish like
young herbage; and thus does the hand of Jehovah make itself known to
His servants, and fiercely does He treat His enemies. 15. For behold
Jehovah, in the fire will He come, and His chariots are like the
whirlwind, to pay out His wrath in burning of fire. 16. For in the
midst of fire Jehovah holds judgment, and in the midst of His sword
with all flesh; and great will be the multitude pierced through by
Jehovah. 17. They that consecrate themselves and purify themselves
for the gardens behind one in the midst, who eat swine's flesh and
abomination and the field mouse--they all come to an end together,
saith Jehovah. 18. And I, their works and their thoughts--it comes to
pass that all nations and tongues are gathered together, that they
come and see My glory.[3]
19. And I set a sign upon them, and send away those that have escaped
from them to the Gentiles, to Tarshish, Phûl and Lûd, to the
stretchers of the bow, Tubal and Javan--the distant islands that have
not heard My fame and have not seen My glory, and they will proclaim
My glory among the Gentiles. 20. And they will bring your brethren
out of all heathen nations, a sacrifice for Jehovah, upon horses and
upon chariots, and upon litters, and upon mules, and upon
dromedaries, to My holy mountain, to Jerusalem, saith Jehovah, as the
children of Israel bring the meat-offering in a clean vessel to the
house of Jehovah. 21. And I will also add some of them to the
priests, to the Levites, saith Jehovah. 22. For as the new heaven and
the new earth, which I am about to make, continue before Me, saith
Jehovah, so will your family and your name continue. 23. And it will
come to pass, from new moon to new moon, and from Sabbath to Sabbath,
all flesh will come, to worship before Me, saith Jehovah. 24. And
they go out and look at the corpses of the men that have rebelled
against Me, for their worm will not die, and their fire will not be
quenched, and they become an abomination to all flesh.