The Humble and Contrite in Spirit
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1Thus says the LORD: 2"Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest?
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3All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the LORD. 4But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.
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5"He who slaughters an ox is like one who kills a man; he who sacrifices a lamb, like one who breaks a dog's neck; he who presents a grain offering, like one who offers 6pig's blood; he who makes a memorial offering of frankincense, like one who blesses an idol. 7These have chosen their own ways, and their soul delights in their abominations;
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8I also will choose harsh treatment for them and bring 9their fears upon them, 10because when I called, no one answered, when I spoke, they did not listen; 11but they did what was evil in my eyes and chose that in which I did not delight."
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Hear the word of the LORD, you who tremble at his word: "Your brothers who hate you and cast you out for my name's sake have said, 12'Let the LORD be glorified, that we may see your joy'; but it is they who shall be put to shame.
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"The sound of an uproar from the city! A sound from the temple! The sound of the LORD, 13rendering recompense to his enemies!
Rejoice with Jerusalem
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Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall a land be born in one day? Shall a nation be brought forth in one moment? For 15as soon as Zion was in labor she brought forth her children.
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Shall I bring to the point of birth and not cause to bring forth?" says the LORD; "shall I, who cause to bring forth, shut the womb?" says your God.
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16"Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her, all you who love her; rejoice with her in joy, all you who mourn over her;
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that you may nurse and be satisfied from her consoling breast; that you may drink deeply with delight from her glorious abundance."a
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For thus says the LORD: 17"Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream; and 18you shall nurse, you shall be carried upon her hip, and bounced upon her knees.
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You shall see, and your heart shall rejoice; 20your bones shall flourish like the grass; and 21the hand of the LORD shall be known to his servants, and he shall show his indignation against his enemies.
Final Judgment and Glory of the Lord
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"For behold, 22the LORD will come in fire, and 23his chariots like the whirlwind, to render his anger in fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.
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For 24by fire 25will the LORD enter into judgment, and by his sword, with all flesh; and those slain by the LORD shall be many.
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26"Those who sanctify and purify themselves to go into the gardens, following one in the midst, 27eating pig's flesh and the abomination and mice, shall come to an end together, declares the LORD.
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"For I knowb their works and their thoughts, and the time is comingc28to gather all nations and tongues. And they shall come and shall see my glory,
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and I will set a sign among them. And from them 29I will send survivors to the nations, to 30Tarshish, 31Pul, and 32Lud, who draw the bow, to 33Tubal and 34Javan, 35to the coastlands far away, 36that have not heard my fame or seen my glory. And they shall declare my glory among the nations.
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37And they shall bring all your brothers from all the nations 38as an offering to the LORD, on horses and in chariots and in litters and on mules and on dromedaries, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, says the LORD, just as the Israelites bring their grain offering in a clean vessel to the house of the LORD.
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"For as 40the new heavens and the new earth that I make shall remain before me, says the LORD, so 41shall your offspring and your name remain.
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.
(English Standard Version - The Holy Bible Online)