Behold, it is written before me: I will not keep silence, but will recompense, even recompense into their bosom,
Parallel translations
- WEB “Behold, it is written before me: I will not keep silence, but will repay, yes, I will repay into their bosom,
- BSB Behold, it is written before Me: I will not keep silent, but I will repay; I will pay it back into their laps,
- NKJV “Behold, it is written before Me: I will not keep silence, but will repay— Even repay into their bosom—
- NASB “Behold, it is written before Me: I will not keep silent, but I will repay; I will even repay into their laps,
- NLT “Look, my decree is written out in front of me: I will not stand silent; I will repay them in full! Yes, I will repay them—
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
God declares that the record of their sin stands written before Him and He will not keep silent but will repay. It matters because it affirms the certainty of divine justice.
Overview
God's judgment is deliberate and recorded, not arbitrary; He 'will repay into their bosom' according to their deeds. This sober truth assures that sin will be addressed. Yet the gospel offers the only escape, for at the cross God's just repayment for sin fell on Christ in the place of all who trust Him (Romans 3:25-26; Colossians 2:14).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- Ps 50:3Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him.
- Jer 16:18And first I will recompense their iniquity and their sin double; because they have defiled my land, they have filled mine inheritance with the carcases of their detestable and abominable things.
- Ps 79:12And render unto our neighbours sevenfold into their bosom their reproach, wherewith they have reproached thee, O Lord.
- Ps 50:21These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes.
- Isa 64:12Wilt thou refrain thyself for these things, O LORD? wilt thou hold thy peace, and afflict us very sore?
- Isa 42:14I have long time holden my peace; I have been still, and refrained myself: now will I cry like a travailing woman; I will destroy and devour at once.
- Rev 20:12And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
- Joel 3:4Yea, and what have ye to do with me, O Tyre, and Zidon, and all the coasts of Palestine? will ye render me a recompence? and if ye recompense me, swiftly and speedily will I return your recompence upon your own head;
- Ezek 22:31Therefore have I poured out mine indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath: their own way have I recompensed upon their heads, saith the Lord GOD.
- Mal 3:16Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.
- Ps 56:8Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?
- Ezek 11:21But as for them whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their way upon their own heads, saith the Lord GOD.
- Deut 32:34Is not this laid up in store with me, and sealed up among my treasures?
- Exod 17:14And the LORD said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.
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Christ at the center
Isaiah sees him most clearly: the virgin's son Immanuel, the child on David's throne, the shoot from Jesse, the light to the nations, and above all the Suffering Servant pierced for our transgressions (ch. 53).
How Isaiah 65:6 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.