Isaiah 65:13
“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:”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →God promises abundance and joy to His servants, while those who refuse Him will experience deprivation and shame.
Context
The verse contrasts the fates of God's servants and those who have refused Him, illustrating the principle that faithfulness and rebellion lead to radically different outcomes.
What Does Isaiah 65:13 Mean?
The reversal begins here: my servants shall eat, but ye shall be hungry. This is not a picture of God's cruelty but of the inevitable outcome of the choices made. Those who serve God find their needs met—not always easily, not always without struggle, but met in the end. Those who reject Him find themselves perpetually hungry and thirsty, grasping at what cannot nourish. The Bible speaks often of this hunger: the rich man in Hades calling for water, the prodigal son eating husks meant for pigs, the soul that feeds on anything but truth and love.
The progression moves from physical sustenance to emotional joy, from drink to rejoicing. To be ashamed—the opposite of honor and peace—is the inner state of those who have rejected God. We see this throughout Scripture: the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life. This is not a comparison God invented for rhetorical effect. It is the deepest truth about how the world works, written into the very structure of existence.
Application
The life of faithful service to God leads to genuine nourishment and joy. Anything else leaves us empty and ashamed.