The Skeptics Annotated Bible (562 page)

(65.13-15) “God’s servants” will will eat, drink, and be merry; everyone else will be hungry, thirsty, and ashamed—until God kills them, that is.

13 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold,
my servants shall eat, but ye shall be hungry: behold, my servants shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty: behold, my servants shall rejoice, but ye shall be ashamed:

(65.13)
“My servants shall eat, but ye shall be hungry: behold, my servants shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty: behold, my servants shall rejoice, but ye shall be ashamed.”

14 Behold,
my servants shall sing for joy of heart, but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart, and shall howl for vexation of spirit.

(65.14) “My servants shall sing for joy of heart, but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart, and shall howl for vexation of spirit.”

15 And
ye shall leave your name for a curse unto my chosen: for the Lord GOD shall slay thee, and call his servants by another name
:

(65.15)
“Ye shall leave your name for a curse unto my chosen: for the Lord GOD shall slay thee, and call his servants by another name.”

16 That he who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth; and
he that sweareth in the earth shall swear by the God of truth
; because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hid from mine eyes.

(65.16)
“He that sweareth in the earth shall swear by the God of truth.”
63 Is it okay to take oaths?

17 For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.

(65.17) “For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth.”
147 Will the earth will last forever?
314 Will there ever be anything new?

18 But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.

19 And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying.

20 There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed.

21 And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them.

22 They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.

23 They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them.

24 And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.

25
The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent’s meat.
They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD.

(65.25)
“The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent’s meat.”
See note for 11.6.

66
Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?

2 For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at 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; he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations.

(66.3) “He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man.”
20 Does God desire animal sacrifices?

4 I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not.

5 Hear the word of the LORD, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name’s sake, said, Let the LORD be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed.