chaldee-paraphraseapocrypha
Targum Isaiah 66
The Targum's rendering of Isaiah 66 opens by stripping the temple of any presumed leverage over Jehovah — His throne is heaven itself, His footstool the whole earth, and the only dwelling He prizes is the humble and contrite heart that trembles at His word. Ritual without that posture becomes its own kind of violence. The chapter then moves through judgment on Jerusalem's enemies and comfort for those cast out in Jehovah's name, culminating in the miracle-birth of Zion — a nation formed in a single day — and the eschatological gathering of all Israel's scattered captivity to a renewed Jerusalem. Gentile survivors carry the glory-report to the far isles; the returning exiles arrive as a clean offering; and some among them are taken into priestly service. The new heavens and new earth anchor an eternal Sabbath-worship cycle, while the wicked face unquenched judgment — the Memra, the Word of the Lord, standing as the agent of both comfort and recompense throughout.
1
Thus saith the Lord, the heavens are the throne of my glory, and the earth is a footstool before me: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of the dwelling of my Shekinah?
2
For all these things my power hath made, and have not all these things been? saith the Lord: but it shall be my delight to consider the man, eren him, who is of an humble and a contrite spirit, and trembleth on account of my word.
3
He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog's neck; he that offereth an oblation,”as if he offered swine's blood ; the offering of their gifts is the gift of violence. Yea, they delight in their paths, and their soul findeth pleasure in their abominations.
4
I also will desire their destruction, and they shall not be delivered from that which they dread; because, when I sent my prophets, yea, they did not repent; they prophesied, but they obeyed not: but they did evil before me, and they delighted in that I desired not.
5
Hear the word of the Lord, O ye righteous! who tremble on account of the words of His will; your brethren that hate you, that cast you out for my name's sake, say “Let the glory of the Lord be magnified, that we may see your joy; but they shall be confounded.
6
A voice of a tumult from the city of Jerusalem, a voice from the temple, a voice of the WORD of the Lord, who rendereth recompense to His enemies.
7
Before distress cometh upon her, she shall be redeemed; and before trembling cometh upon her, like the pains upon a woman in child-bearing, her King shall be revealed.
8
Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Is it possible that a country be made in one day, and a nation be created at once? but Zion shall be comforted, and shall be filled with the people of the captivity of her captivity.
9
I am God; I have created the world from the beginning, saith the Lord; I, even I have created all men; I, even I have scattered them among the nations, also I will gather thy captivity, saith thy God.
10
Rejoice ye on account of Jerusalem, and be ye glad on account of her, all ye that love her: rejoice greatly with her, all ye that mourn for her:
11
In order that ye may delight yourselves and be satisfied with the food of her consolations, in order that ye may drink and overflow with the wine of her glory.
12
For thus saith the Lord, behold, I bring unto her peace, as the floods of the river Euphrates, and the glory of the nations, as an overwhelming stream, and ye shall delight yourselves: ye shall be borne upon the sides, and ye shall be nourished upon the knees.
13
As a man whom his mother comforts, so my WORD shall comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem.
14
And when ye see this, your heart shall rejoice, and your bodies shall flourish like grass; and the power of the Lord shall be revealed to do good to His righteous servants; but a curse shall come upon His enemies.
15
For, behold, the Lord shall be revealed with fire, and His chariots as a whirlwind, to render His anger with fury, and His rebuke with flames of fire.
16
For by fire and by His sword will the Lord judge all flesh, and the slain shall be many before the Lord.
17
They who prepare and purify themselves in the gardens of idols, multitude after multitude, eating swines' flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the Lord.
18
Their works and their thoughts are revealed before me: I will gather all people, nations and tongues; and they shall come and see my glory.
19
And I will set a sign among them, and I will send those that escape of them among the nations to the province of the sea, Pul and Lud, that draw the bow, and smite with it, to the province of Tubal, and Javan, the isles that are afar off, that have not heard the fame of my might, neither have seen my glory; but they shall declare my glory among the nations.
20
And they shall bring all your brethren out of all nations an offering before the Lord upon horses, and in chariots, and litters, and upon mules, yea, with songs unto my holy mountain in Jerusalem, saith the Lord, as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the sanctuary of the Lord.
21
And I will also take of them to be priests and Levites, saith the Lord.
22
For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the Lord, thus shall your seed and your name be made to remain.
23
And it shall come to pass at the time of the beginning of each month, and at the time of each Sabbath, that all flesh shall come to worship before me, saith the Lord.
24
And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men, the sinners, who have rebelled against my WORD: for their souls shall not die, and their fire shall not be quenched; and the wicked shall be judged in hell, till the righteous shall say concerning them, we have seen enough.
