Esias 1

1 The vision which Esaias the son of Amos saw, which he saw against Juda, and against Jerusalem, in the reign of Ozias, and Joatham, and Achaz, and Ezekias, who reigned over Judea.

The visions of Isaiah son of Amoz, that he has seen concerning Judah and Jerusalem, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

2 Hear, O heaven, and hearken, O earth: for the Lord has spoken, [saying], I have begotten and reared up children, but they have rebelled against me.

Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, For YHWH has spoken: “I have nourished and brought up sons, And they transgressed against Me.

3 The ox knows his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel does not know me, and the people has not regarded me.

An ox has known its owner, And a donkey the crib of its master, Israel has not known, My people have not understood.”

4 Ah sinful nation, a people full of sins, an evil seed, lawless children: ye have forsaken the Lord, and provoked the Holy One of Israel.

Oh, sinning nation, a people heavy [with] iniquity, A seed of evildoers, sons—corrupters! They have forsaken YHWH, They have despised the Holy One of Israel, They have gone away backward.

5 Why should ye be smitten [any] more, transgressing more and more? the whole head is pained, and the whole heart sad.

Why are you struck anymore? You add apostasy! Every head has become diseased, and every heart [is] sick.

6 From the feet to the head, there is no soundness in them; neither wound, nor bruise, nor festering ulcer [are healed]: it is not possible to apply a plaister, nor oil, nor bandages.

From the sole of the foot—to the head, There is no soundness in it, Wound, and bruise, and fresh striking! They have not been closed nor bound, Nor have they softened with ointment.

7 Your land is desolate, your cities burned with fire: your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is made desolate, overthrown by strange nations.

Your land [is] a desolation, your cities burned with fire, Your ground—strangers are consuming it before you, And a desolation as overthrown by strangers!

8 The daughter of Sion shall be deserted as a tent in a vineyard, and as a storehouse of fruits in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city.

And the daughter of Zion has been left, As a shelter in a vineyard, As a lodge in a place of cucumbers—as a city besieged.

9 And if the Lord of Sabaoth had not left us a seed, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been made like Gomorrha.

Unless YHWH of Hosts had left a remnant to us, Shortly—we had been as Sodom, We had been like to Gomorrah!

10 Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of Sodoma; attend to the law of God, thou people of Gomorrha.

Hear the word of YHWH, you rulers of Sodom, Give ear to the Law of our God, you people of Gomorrah,

11 Of what [value] to me is the abundance of your sacrifices? saith the Lord: I am full of whole-burnt-offerings of rams; and I delight not in the fat of lambs, and the blood of bulls and goats:

“Why the abundance of your sacrifices to Me?” says YHWH, “I have been satiated [with] burnt-offerings of rams, And fat of fatlings; And blood of bullocks, and lambs, And I have not desired male goats.

12 neither shall ye come [with these] to appear before me; for who has required these things at your hands? Ye shall no more tread my court.

When you come to appear before Me, Who has required this of your hand, To trample My courts?

13 Though ye bring fine flour, [it is] vain; incense is an abomination to me; I cannot bear your new moons, and your sabbaths, and the great day;

Do not add to bring in a vain present, Incense—it [is] an abomination to Me, New moon, and Sabbath, calling of convocation! Do not render iniquity—and a restraint!

14 [your] fasting, and rest from work, your new moons also, and your feasts my soul hates: ye have become loathsome to me; I will no more pardon your sins.

My soul has hated your new moons and your set seasons, They have been on Me for a burden, I have been weary of bearing.

15 When ye stretch forth your hands, I will turn away mine eyes from you: and though ye make many supplications, I will not hearken to you; for your hands are full of blood.

And in your spreading forth your hands, I hide My eyes from you, Also when you increase prayer, I do not hear, Your hands have been full of blood.

16 Wash you, be clean; remove your iniquities from your souls before mine eyes; cease from your iniquities;

Wash yourselves, make yourselves pure, Turn aside the evil of your doings, from before My eyes, Cease to do evil, learn to do good.

17 learn to do well; diligently seek judgment, deliver him that is suffering wrong, plead for the orphan, and obtain justice for the widow.

Seek judgment, make the oppressed blessed, Judge the fatherless, strive [for] the widow.

18 And come, let us reason together, saith the Lord: and though your sins be as purple, I will make them white as snow; and though they be as scarlet, I will make [them] white as wool.

Now come, and we settle this,” says YHWH, “If your sins are as scarlet, they will be white as snow, If they are red as crimson, they will be as wool!

19 And if ye be willing, and hearken to me, ye shall eat the good of the land:

If you are willing, and have listened, The good of the land you consume,

20 but if ye be not willing, nor hearken to me, a sword shall devour you: for the mouth of the Lord has spoken this.

And if you refuse, and have rebelled, You are consumed [by] the sword,” For the mouth of YHWH has spoken.

21 How has the faithful city Sion, [once] full of judgment, become a harlot! wherein righteousness lodged, but now murderers.

How has a faithful city become a harlot? I have filled it [with] judgment, Righteousness lodges in it—now murderers.

22 Your silver is worthless, thy wine merchants mix the wine with water.

Your silver has become dross, Your drink defiled with water.

23 Thy princes are rebellious, companions of thieves, loving bribes, seeking after rewards; not pleading for orphans, and not heeding the cause of widows.

Your princes [are] apostates, and companions of thieves, Everyone loving a bribe, and pursuing rewards, They do not judge the fatherless, And the plea of the widow does not come to them.

24 Therefore thus saith the Lord, the Lord of hosts, Woe to the mighty [men] of Israel; for my wrath shall not cease against mine adversaries, and I will execute judgment on mine enemies.

Therefore—a declaration of the Lord—YHWH of Hosts, the Mighty One of Israel: “Oh, I relieve Myself from My adversaries, And avenge Myself against My enemies,

25 And I will bring my hand upon thee, and purge thee completely, and I will destroy the rebellious, and will take away from thee all transgressors.

And I turn back My hand on you, And I refine your dross as purity, And I turn aside all your tin,

26 And I will establish thy judges as before, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: and afterward thou shalt be called the city of righteousness, the faithful mother-city of Sion.

And I give back your judges as at the first, And your counselors as in the beginning, After this you are called, A city of righteousness—a faithful city.”

27 For her captives shall be saved with judgment, and with mercy.

Zion is redeemed in judgment, And her captivity in righteousness.

28 And the transgressors and the sinners shall be crushed together, and they that forsake the Lord shall be utterly consumed.

And the destruction of transgressors and sinners [is] together, And those forsaking YHWH are consumed.

29 For they shall be ashamed of their idols, which they delighted in, and they are made ashamed of the gardens which they coveted.

For [men] are ashamed because of the oaks That you have desired, And you are confounded because of the gardens That you have chosen.

30 For they shall be as a turpentine tree that has cast its leaves, and as a garden that has no water.

For you are as an oak whose leaf is fading, And as a garden that has no water.

31 And their strength shall be as a thread of tow, and their works as sparks, and the transgressors and the sinners shall be burnt up together, and there shall be none to quench [them].

And the strong has been for tow, And his work for a spark, And both of them have burned together, And there is none quenching!