Isaiah 1

1 The vision of Isaiah, the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem, in the days of Uzziah, Joatham, 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 pay attention, O earth, for the Lord has spoken. I have nurtured and raised children, but they have spurned 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 An ox knows his owner, and a donkey knows the manger of his lord, but Israel has not known me, and my people have not understood.

The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.

4 Woe to a sinful nation, a people burdened by iniquity, a wicked offspring, accursed children. They have abandoned the Lord. They have blasphemed the Holy One of Israel. They been taken away backwards.

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 For what reason shall I continue to strike you, as you increase transgressions? The entire head is feeble, and the entire heart is grieving.

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 the foot, even to the top of the head, there is no soundness within. Wounds and bruises and swelling sores: these are not bandaged, nor treated with medicine, 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 have been set ablaze. Foreigners devour your countryside in your sight, and it will become desolate, as if devastated by enemies.

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 will be left behind, like an arbor in a vineyard, and like a shelter in a cucumber field, and like a city being laid to waste.

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 If the Lord of hosts had not bequeathed us offspring, we would have been like Sodom, and we would have been comparable to 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 Listen to the Word of the Lord, you leaders of the people of Sodom. Listen closely to the law of our God, O 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 The multitude of your sacrifices, what is that to me, says the Lord? I am full. I do not desire holocausts of rams, nor the fat of fatlings, nor the blood of calves and of lambs and of he-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 approach before my sight, who is it that requires these things from your hands, so that you would walk in my courts?

When ye come to appear in my presence—who hath required this at your hand, to tread down my courts?

13 You should no longer offer sacrifice in vain. Incense is an abomination to me. The new moons and the Sabbaths and the other feast days, I will not receive. Your gatherings are iniquitous.

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 My soul hates your days of proclamation and your solemnities. They have become bothersome to me. I labor to endure 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 And so, when you extend your hands, I will avert my eyes from you. And when you multiply your prayers, I will not heed you. For your hands are full of 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, become clean, take away the evil of your intentions from my eyes. Cease to act perversely.

Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil;

17 Learn to do good. Seek judgment, support the oppressed, judge for the orphan, defend the widow.

Learn to do well; seek for justice, relieve the oppressed, do justice to the fatherless, plead for the widow.

18 And then approach and accuse me, says the Lord. Then, if your sins are like scarlet, they shall be made white like snow; and if they are red like vermillion, they shall become white 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 you listen to me, then you will eat the good things of the land.

If ye be willing and obey, the best of the land shall ye eat;

20 But if you are not willing, and you provoke me to anger, then the sword will devour you. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

But if ye refuse and rebel, by the sword shall ye be devoured; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

21 How has the faithful city, full of judgment, become a harlot? Justice lived in her, but now 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 turned into dross. Your wine has been mixed with water.

Thy silver is become dross, thy wine is drugged with water;

23 Your leaders are unfaithful, the associates of thieves. They all love gifts; they pursue rewards. They do not judge for orphans, and the widow’s case is not brought 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 Because of this, the Lord God of hosts, the Strength of Israel, says: Ah! I will be consoled over my enemies, and I will be vindicated from my adversaries.

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 And I will turn my hand to you. And I will temper your dross unto purity, and I will take away all your tin.

And I will turn my hand against thee, and purge away as with lye thy dross, and remove all thy tin:

26 And I will restore your judges, so that they will be as before, and your counselors as in times long past. After this, you shall be called the City of the Just, 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 in judgment, and they will lead her back to justice.

Zion shall be redeemed through justice, and her converts through righteousness.

28 And he shall crush the accursed and sinners together. And those who have abandoned the Lord will be consumed.

But destruction shall come over transgressors and sinners together, and those that forsake the Lord shall perish.

29 For they shall be confounded because of the idols, to which they have sacrificed. And you shall be ashamed over the gardens that you chose,

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 when you were like an oak with falling leaves, and 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 And your strength will be like the embers from stubble, and your work will be like a spark, and both will burn together, and there will be no one to extinguish it.

And the mighty oppressor shall become as tow, and his workman as a spark; and they shall both burn together, with none to quench.