65:8 This is what the Lord says:
“When 1 juice is discovered in a cluster of grapes,
someone says, ‘Don’t destroy it, for it contains juice.’ 2
So I will do for the sake of my servants –
I will not destroy everyone. 3
65:9 I will bring forth descendants from Jacob,
and from Judah people to take possession of my mountains.
My chosen ones will take possession of the land; 4
my servants will live there.
65:10 Sharon 5 will become a pasture for sheep,
and the Valley of Achor 6 a place where cattle graze; 7
they will belong to my people, who seek me. 8
65:11 But as for you who abandon the Lord
and forget about worshiping at 9 my holy mountain,
who prepare a feast for the god called ‘Fortune,’ 10
and fill up wine jugs for the god called ‘Destiny’ 11 –
1 tn Heb “just as.” In the Hebrew text the statement is one long sentence, “Just as…, so I will do….”
2 tn Heb “for a blessing is in it.”
3 tn Heb “by not destroying everyone.”
4 tn Heb “it.” The third feminine singular pronominal suffix probably refers to the land which contains the aforementioned mountains.
5 sn Sharon was a plain located to the west, along the Mediterranean coast north of Joppa and south of Carmel.
6 sn The Valley of Achor (“Achor” means “trouble” in Hebrew) was the site of Achan’s execution. It was located to the east, near Jericho.
7 tn Heb “a resting place for cattle”; NASB, NIV “for herds.”
8 tn Heb “for my people who seek me.”
9 tn The Hebrew text has simply, “forget.” The words “about worshiping at” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
10 tn The Hebrew has לַגַּד (laggad, “for Gad”), the name of a pagan deity. See HALOT 176 s.v. II גַּד 2.
11 tn The Hebrew has לַמְנִי (lamni, “for Meni”), the name of a pagan deity. See HALOT 602 s.v. מְגִי.