< Isaiah 1 >
1 This is the vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah son of Amoz saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of 'Uzziyahu, Jotham, Achaz, and Hezekiah, the kings of Judah.
2 Listen, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, for the LORD has spoken: “I have raised children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against Me.
Hear, O ye heavens, and give ear, O earth; for the Lord hath spoken: Children have I nourished and brought up, but they have rebelled against me.
3 The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master’s manger, but Israel does not know; My people do not understand.”
The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.
4 Alas, O sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a brood of evildoers, children of depravity! They have forsaken the LORD; they have despised the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on Him.
Woe! sinful nation, people laden with iniquity, seed of evil-doers, children that are corrupt: they have forsaken the Lord, they have incensed the Holy One of Israel, they are departed backward.
5 Why do you want more beatings? Why do you keep rebelling? Your head has a massive wound, and your whole heart is afflicted.
Why will ye be stricken yet more? [that] ye increase the revolt? every head is sick, and every heart is faint.
6 From the sole of your foot to the top of your head, there is no soundness— only wounds and welts and festering sores neither cleansed nor bandaged nor soothed with oil.
From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrefying sores: they have not been closed, nor bound up, nor mollified with oil.
7 Your land is desolate; your cities are burned with fire. Foreigners devour your fields before you— a desolation demolished by strangers.
Your country is desolate, your cities are burnt with fire; your soil—in your presence, strangers devour it, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.
8 And the Daughter of Zion is abandoned like a shelter in a vineyard, like a shack in a cucumber field, like a city besieged.
And left is the daughter of Zion as a hut in a vineyard, as a lodge in a cucumber field, as a besieged city.
9 Unless the LORD of Hosts had left us a few survivors, we would have become like Sodom, we would have resembled Gomorrah.
Unless the Lord of hosts had left unto us a remnant ever so small, like Sodom should we have been, unto Gomorrah should we have been compared.
10 Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom; listen to the instruction of our God, you people of Gomorrah!
Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of Sodom: give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah.
11 “What good to Me is your multitude of sacrifices?” says the LORD. “I am full from the burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed cattle; I take no delight in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.
For what serveth me the multitude of your sacrifices? saith the Lord: I am sated with the burnt-offerings of rams, and the fat of fatted beasts; and the blood of bullocks, and of sheep, and of he-goats, I do not desire.
12 When you come to appear before Me, who has required this of you— this trampling of My courts?
When ye come to appear in my presence—who hath required this at your hand, to tread down my courts?
13 Bring your worthless offerings no more; your incense is detestable to Me— your New Moons, Sabbaths, and convocations. I cannot endure iniquity in a solemn assembly.
Continue no more to bring an oblation of deceit; incense of abomination is it unto me: new moon and sabbath, the calling of assemblies—I cannot bear misdeed with festive gathering.
14 I hate your New Moons and your appointed feasts. They have become a burden to Me; I am weary of bearing them.
Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth; they are become a burden unto me; I am weary to bear them,
15 When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; even though you multiply your prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood.
And when ye spread forth your hands, I will withdraw my eyes from you; yea, when ye make ever so many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.
16 Wash and cleanse yourselves. Remove your evil deeds from My sight. Stop doing evil!
Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil;
17 Learn to do right; seek justice and correct the oppressor. Defend the fatherless and plead the case of the widow.”
Learn to do well; seek for justice, relieve the oppressed, do justice to the fatherless, plead for the widow.
18 “Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are as red as crimson, they will become like wool.
Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins should be as scarlet, they shall become white as the snow; though they should be red like crimson, they shall become like wool.
19 If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best of the land.
If ye be willing and obey, the best of the land shall ye eat;
20 But if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.”
But if ye refuse and rebel, by the sword shall ye be devoured; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.
21 See how the faithful city has become a harlot! She once was full of justice; righteousness resided within her, but now only murderers!
How is she become a harlot, the faithful town! she, that was full of justice; righteousness lodged therein; but now murderers.
22 Your silver has become dross; your fine wine is diluted with water.
Thy silver is become dross, thy wine is drugged with water;
23 Your rulers are rebels, friends of thieves. They all love bribes and chasing after rewards. They do not defend the fatherless, and the plea of the widow never comes before them.
Thy princes are rebels, and companions of thieves; every one loveth brides, and runneth after rewards; to the fatherless they will not do justice, and the cause of the widow doth not come unto them.
24 Therefore the Lord GOD of Hosts, the Mighty One of Israel, declares: “Ah, I will be relieved of My foes and avenge Myself on My enemies.
Therefore saith the Lord, the Eternal of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will take satisfaction on my adversaries, and be avenged on my enemies.
25 I will turn My hand against you; I will thoroughly purge your dross; I will remove all your impurities.
And I will turn my hand against thee, and purge away as with lye thy dross, and remove all thy tin:
26 I will restore your judges as at first, and your counselors as at the beginning. After that you will be called the City of Righteousness, the Faithful City.”
And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning; after that shalt thou be called, The city of righteousness, the town that is faithful.
27 Zion will be redeemed with justice, her repentant ones with righteousness.
Zion shall be redeemed through justice, and her converts through righteousness.
28 But rebels and sinners will together be shattered, and those who forsake the LORD will perish.
But destruction shall come over transgressors and sinners together, and those that forsake the Lord shall perish.
29 Surely you will be ashamed of the sacred oaks in which you have delighted; you will be embarrassed by the gardens that you have chosen.
For people shall be ashamed because of the terebinths which ye had desired, and ye shall be put to the blush because of the gardens that ye had chosen.
30 For you will become like an oak whose leaves are withered, like a garden without water.
For ye shall be as a terebinth the leaves of which wither, and as a garden that hath no water.
31 The strong man will become tinder and his work will be a spark; both will burn together, with no one to quench the flames.
And the mighty oppressor shall become as tow, and his workman as a spark; and they shall both burn together, with none to quench.