Isaiah 65:13 kjv
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:
Isaiah 65:13 nkjv
Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, My servants shall eat, But you shall be hungry; Behold, My servants shall drink, But you shall be thirsty; Behold, My servants shall rejoice, But you shall be ashamed;
Isaiah 65:13 niv
Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: "My servants will eat, but you will go hungry; my servants will drink, but you will go thirsty; my servants will rejoice, but you will be put to shame.
Isaiah 65:13 esv
Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, my servants shall eat, but you shall be hungry; behold, my servants shall drink, but you shall be thirsty; behold, my servants shall rejoice, but you shall be put to shame;
Isaiah 65:13 nlt
Therefore, this is what the Sovereign LORD says:
"My servants will eat,
but you will starve.
My servants will drink,
but you will be thirsty.
My servants will rejoice,
but you will be sad and ashamed.
Isaiah 65 13 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isaiah 65:13 | Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, my servants shall eat, but you shall be hungry; behold, my servants shall drink, but you shall be thirsty; behold, my servants shall rejoice, but you shall be put to shame; | God's promise to the faithful vs. the unfaithful |
| Isaiah 65:14 | behold, my servants shall sing for joy of heart, but you shall cry out for pain of heart, and shall wail for anguish of spirit. | Contrasting experiences of obedience and disobedience |
| Psalm 22:29 | All the prosperous on earth will eat and worship; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, even the one who could not keep himself alive. | Those who humble themselves will feast in God's presence |
| Psalm 37:3 | Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. | Reward for faithfulness |
| Psalm 37:18 | The LORD knows the days of the blameless, and their inheritance will continue forever. | Inheritance of the righteous |
| Psalm 73:22 | I was brutish and ignorant; I was like a beast toward you. | Contrast between the wise and the foolish |
| Psalm 73:16-17 | But when I thought to understand this, it caused me pain at my stomach until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end. | Understanding God's justice and the wicked's end |
| Psalm 132:15-16 | I will satisfy her poor with bread. Her priests I will clothe with salvation, and her saints will shout for joy. | God's provision and joy for the faithful |
| Proverbs 3:9-10 | Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the first of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine. | Blessings for honoring God |
| Proverbs 6:30-31 | Men do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy himself when he is hungry. Yet if he is found, he will pay sevenfold; he will give all the goods of his house. | Consequences of unlawful actions vs. divine provision |
| Jeremiah 5:17 | "Your harvest and your works will he consume; they will eat your sons and your daughters. Your flocks and your herds he will eat; he will devour your vines and your fig trees..." | Punishment through loss of sustenance and family |
| Jeremiah 12:7 | I have forsaken my house; I have left my heritage; I have given the beloved of my soul into the hands of her enemies. | Divine abandonment due to unfaithfulness |
| Jeremiah 15:2 | "When they say to you, 'Where shall we go?' then you shall tell them, 'Thus says the LORD: Those appointed for death, to death, and those appointed for the sword, to the sword; those appointed for famine, to famine, and those appointed for captivity, to captivity.'" | Different forms of judgment |
| Ezekiel 18:30-31 | "Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, declares the Lord GOD. Repent and turn from all your transgressions, lest iniquity be your stumbling block. Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit!..." | Call to repentance and consequences of unfaithfulness |
| Ezekiel 34:31 | "You are my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, and I am your God, declares the Lord GOD." | God's people as His flock, and His provision |
| Matthew 5:6 | "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." | Spiritual hunger and thirst fulfilled by God |
| Matthew 6:33 | "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." | Prioritizing God's kingdom yields provision |
| Matthew 21:43 | Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. | The kingdom transferred to a fruitful people |
| Luke 12:47-48 | And that servant who knew his master's will, but did not get ready or carry out his will, will be beaten with many blows, while the one who did not know, and did things worthy of punishments, will receive a few blows. | Accountability and consequences based on knowledge |
| Luke 15:16 | "And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything." | Desperate hunger of the prodigal son |
| John 6:35 | Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst." | Jesus as the ultimate source of sustenance |
| Romans 11:17 | but if some branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them and became a partaker of the root and richness of the olive tree... | Gentiles becoming partakers of God's blessings |
| Galatians 3:29 | And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise. | Spiritual heritage in Christ |
| 1 Peter 2:5 | ...and like living stones be yourselves built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices... | The New Covenant community as God's beloved |
Isaiah 65 verses
Isaiah 65 13 Meaning
This verse speaks of the utter failure and devastation awaiting those who defy God. Their rightful sustenance will be taken and given to others, signifying a complete reversal of fortune and a forfeiture of God's blessings.
Isaiah 65 13 Context
Isaiah 65 is a pivotal chapter in Isaiah's prophecy, vividly contrasting the future of God's faithful servants with those who have rebelled. The immediate context of verse 13 is a stark pronouncement of judgment against those who have abandoned God and His ways, engaging in idolatry and spiritual adultery. This rejection of the covenant has severe consequences. The prophet lays out a detailed picture of the ultimate outcomes: while the faithful will experience abundant provision and joyous fellowship with God, the disobedient will face severe deprivation and sorrow. This theme extends beyond the immediate post-exilic restoration to the ultimate fulfillment in the new heavens and new earth, where righteousness will reign. The prophetic voice is addressing a people who have known God but have strayed, underscoring the dire consequences of persistent disobedience compared to the profound blessings awaiting those who remain faithful.
Isaiah 65 13 Word Analysis
Therefore ( Hebrew: לָכֵ֗ן , lakēn ): A conjunction indicating a logical consequence or result based on what has been stated previously. It signals that what follows is a direct outcome of the preceding disobedience described in the chapter.
thus ( Hebrew: כֹּֽה , koh ): Signifies "in this way" or "so," emphasizing the manner and certainty of God's declaration.
says ( Hebrew: אָמַ֥ר , ʾāmar ): The basic verb for speaking, declaring God's pronouncements with authority.
the Lord GOD ( Hebrew: אֲדֹנָ֥י יְהוִ֖ה , ʾĂḏōnāy YHWH ): A combination of divine titles. Adonai ("Lord") signifies sovereign mastery, while YHWH (the LORD) is the covenant name of God, highlighting His personal relationship and promises to His people. The compound emphasizes God's ultimate authority and faithfulness.
Behold ( Hebrew: הִנֵּ֤ה , hinneh ): An exclamation drawing attention to what is about to be revealed. It signifies importance and immediacy, urging the audience to pay close attention to God's servants' fate.
my servants ( Hebrew: עֲבָדַ֗י , ʿăḇāḏāy ): Refers to those who are faithful and obedient to God. This includes the believing remnant of Israel and, in a broader sense, all who serve Him in truth, encompassing believers in Christ.
shall eat ( Hebrew: יֹאכְל֑וּ , yōḵəlū ): Will consume food. It signifies provision and satisfaction.
but you ( Hebrew: וְאַתֶּ֗ם , wəʾattem ): Contrasts the fate of God's servants with the fate of the unfaithful addressed.
shall be hungry ( Hebrew: תִּרְעָ֑בוּ , tirʿāḇū ): Will experience extreme hunger. It denotes lack, deprivation, and suffering resulting from God's judgment.
shall drink ( Hebrew: יִשְׁתּ֔וּ , yištū ): Will consume drink. Symbolizes satisfaction and refreshment.
shall be thirsty ( Hebrew: תִּצְמָֽאוּ , tiṣməʾū ): Will experience extreme thirst. Represents lack and the agony of unfulfilled need.
shall rejoice ( Hebrew: יָגִ֔ילוּ , yāḡîlū ): Will exult with joy, typically in God's deliverance or presence.
shall be put to shame ( Hebrew: תֵּבֹשׁ֔וּ , tēḇōšū ): Will experience disgrace and confusion, the opposite of joy and vindication.
God's contrasting provision: The repetition of the pattern "my servants shall X, but you shall Y" establishes a clear dichotomy between divine blessing for the faithful and divine judgment for the disobedient, highlighting God's active involvement in distributing both rewards and consequences.
Fulfillment in Christ: The concept of "my servants" eating, drinking, and rejoicing finds its ultimate fulfillment in Christ, who is the bread of life and the source of eternal joy. The rejection by some and the acceptance by others echoes the rejection of Christ by many Jews and His acceptance by believers from both Jews and Gentiles.
Transferred Kingdom: The underlying principle of the kingdom and its benefits being transferred from the unfaithful to the faithful finds a direct parallel in the New Testament, particularly in Jesus' parables.
Isaiah 65 13 Bonus Section
The language of the "servants" versus "you" points to a deep relational dynamic. "Servants" (avadim) often implies a voluntary bond, a willing commitment. This stands in opposition to those addressed, who are acting contrary to their status as God's people. The "hunger" and "thirst" described are not merely physical but represent a spiritual craving and emptiness that only God can satisfy, as highlighted by Jesus' statements about being the Bread of Life (John 6:35). The verse anticipates the ultimate state where "my servants shall eat, but you shall be hungry" will be definitively resolved in the new creation.
Isaiah 65 13 Commentary
This verse powerfully articulates the principle of divine justice. God's blessings are not indiscriminate. Those who dedicate themselves to Him as servants will experience His faithful provision—they will be satisfied with sustenance (eating and drinking) and find true joy. In stark contrast, those who turn away from Him and live in disobedience will face the bitter consequences: hunger, thirst, and profound shame. This isn't just about physical provision; it's about spiritual satisfaction and experiencing God's favor. The division is clear: God’s servants thrive in His presence, while rebels experience emptiness and disgrace. This foundational truth of experiencing either God's abundant blessing or His corrective judgment based on one's relationship and response to Him is a constant theme throughout Scripture.