< Isaiah 1 >
1 The vision of Isaiah the son of Amos, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
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.
2 Hear, [ye] heavens, and give ear, [thou] earth! for Jehovah hath spoken: I have nourished and brought up children; and they have rebelled against me.
Hear, O heaven, and listen, O earth: for the Lord has spoken, [saying], I have begotten and reared up children, but they have rebelled against me.
3 The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib; Israel doth not know, my people hath no intelligence.
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.
4 Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that corrupt themselves! They have forsaken Jehovah; they have despised the Holy One of Israel; they are turned away backward.
Ah sinful nation, a people full of sins, an evil seed, lawless children: you have forsaken the Lord, and provoked the Holy One of Israel.
5 Why should ye be smitten any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.
Why should you be struck [any] more, transgressing more and more? the whole head is pained, and the whole heart sad.
6 From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in him; wounds, and weals, and open sores: they have not been dressed, nor bound up, nor mollified with oil.
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.
7 Your country is desolate; your cities are burned with fire; your land, strangers eat it up in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.
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.
8 And the daughter of Zion is left, as a booth in a vineyard, as a night-lodge in a cucumber-garden, as a besieged city.
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.
9 Unless Jehovah of hosts had left us a very small residue, we should have been as Sodom, we should have been like unto Gomorrah.
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.
10 Hear the word of Jehovah, rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, people of Gomorrah!
Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodoma; attend to the law of God, you people of Gomorrha.
11 To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith Jehovah. I am sated with burnt-offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and in the blood of bullocks, and of lambs, and of he-goats I take no pleasure.
Of what [value] to me is the abundance of your sacrifices? says 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:
12 When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this from your hand — to tread my courts?
neither shall you come [with these] to appear before me; for who has required these things at your hands? You shall no more tread my court.
13 Bring no more vain oblations! Incense is an abomination unto me, — new moon and sabbath, the calling of convocations — wickedness and the solemn meeting I cannot bear.
Though you bring fine flour, [it is] vain; incense is an abomination to me; I can’t bear your new moons, and your sabbaths, and the great day;
14 Your new moons and your set feasts my soul hateth: they are a burden to me; I am wearied of bearing [them].
[your] fasting, and rest from work, your new moons also, and your feasts my soul hates: you have become loathsome to me; I will no more pardon your sins.
15 And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you; yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.
When you stretch forth your hands, I will turn away mine eyes from you: and though you make many supplications, I will not listen to you; for your hands are full of blood.
16 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; — cease to do evil,
Wash you, be clean; remove your iniquities from your souls before mine eyes; cease from your iniquities;
17 learn to do well: seek judgment, gladden the oppressed, do justice to the fatherless, plead for the widow.
learn to do well; diligently seek judgment, deliver him that is suffering wrong, plead for the orphan, and obtain justice for the widow.
18 Come now, let us reason together, saith Jehovah: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
And come, let us reason together, says 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.
19 If ye be willing and hearken, ye shall eat the good of the land;
And if you be willing, and listen to me, you shall eat the good of the land:
20 but if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of Jehovah hath spoken.
but if you be not willing, nor listen to me, a sword shall devour you: for the mouth of the Lord has spoken this.
21 How is the faithful city become a harlot! It was full of judgment; righteousness used to lodge in it, but now murderers.
How has the faithful city Sion, [once] full of judgment, become a harlot! wherein righteousness lodged, but now murderers.
22 Thy silver is become dross, thy wine is mixed with water:
Your silver is worthless, your wine merchants mix the wine with water.
23 thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves; every one loveth presents, and hunteth after rewards; they judge not the fatherless, and the cause of the widow cometh not unto them.
Your princes are rebellious, companions of thieves, loving bribes, seeking after rewards; not pleading for orphans, and not heeding the cause of widows.
24 Therefore saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel: Ah! I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies.
Therefore thus says 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.
25 And I will turn my hand upon thee, and will thoroughly purge away thy dross, and take away all thine alloy;
And I will bring my hand upon you, and purge you completely, and I will destroy the rebellious, and will take away from you all transgressors.
26 and I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning. Afterwards thou shalt be called, Town of righteousness, Faithful city.
And I will establish your judges as before, and your counselors as at the beginning: and afterward you shall be called the city of righteousness, the faithful mother-city of Sion.
27 Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and they that return of her with righteousness.
For her captives shall be saved with judgment, and with mercy.
28 But the ruin of the transgressors and of the sinners [shall be] together; and they that forsake Jehovah shall be consumed.
And the transgressors and the sinners shall be crushed together, and they that forsake the Lord shall be utterly consumed.
29 For they shall be ashamed of the terebinths that ye have desired, and ye shall blush for the gardens that ye have chosen.
For they shall be ashamed of their idols, which they delighted in, and they are made ashamed of the gardens which they coveted.
30 For ye shall be as a terebinth whose leaf fadeth, and as a garden that hath no water.
For they shall be as a turpentine tree that has cast its leaves, and as a garden that has no water.
31 And the strong shall be for tow, and his work a spark; and they shall both burn together, and there shall be none to quench [them].
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].