Isaiah 1
1 This is the vision that Isaiah, son of Amoz, saw about Judah and Jerusalem in 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 Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
2 Heavens, listen! Earth, pay attention! For the Lord has spoken! I brought up children, I cared for them, but they have rebelled against me.
Hear, heavens, and listen, earth; for the LORD has spoken: I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.
3 An ox knows its owner, and a donkey knows its feeding trough; but my people don't know me, they don't understand me.
The ox knows his owner, and the donkey his master's crib; but Israel doesn't know, my people do not understand.
4 What a sinful nation—a people carrying such a load of guilt, an evil generation, corrupt children! They have abandoned the Lord. They have despised Israel's Holy One. They have become strangers. They have gone backwards.
Ah sinful nation, a people loaded with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, children who deal corruptly. They have forsaken the LORD. They have despised the Holy One of Israel. They are estranged and backward.
5 Are you wanting to be punished? Are you going to continue to rebel? The whole of your head is damaged, and your heart is totally giving out.
Why should you be beaten more, that you revolt more and more? The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.
6 You're injured from head to toe, bruised and sore, with open wounds that haven't been cleaned or bandaged or treated with olive oil.
From the sole of the foot even to the head there is no soundness in it: wounds, welts, and open sores. They haven't been closed, neither bandaged, neither soothed with oil.
7 Your country has been devastated, your towns burned down, your fields stripped bare by foreigners right in front of you, as they turn it all into a wasteland.
Your country is desolate. Your cities are burned with fire. Strangers devour your land in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.
8 The daughter of Zion is left like a shack in a vineyard, like a hut in a cucumber field, like a city under attack.
The daughter of Zion is left like a shelter in a vineyard, like a hut in a field of cucumbers, like a besieged city.
9 If the Lord Almighty hadn't let a few of us survive, we would have become like Sodom and Gomorrah.
Unless the LORD of hosts had left us a few survivors, we would have been as Sodom, and we would have been like Gomorrah.
10 Listen to what the Lord has to say, you rulers of Sodom! Pay attention to the instructions of our God, you people of Gomorrah!
Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom. Listen to the law of our God, you people of Gomorrah.
11 What use are all your many sacrifices to me? asks the Lord. I am sick and tired of your burnt offerings of rams and the fat of sacrificial animals. I don't delight in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats!
"What are the multitude of your sacrifices to me?," says the LORD. "I have had enough of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed animals. I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of male goats.
12 When you come to appear before me in worship, who asked you to proudly tramp around my courts?
When you come to appear before me, who has required this at your hand, to trample my courts?
13 Don't bring me any more meaningless offerings; your incense is offensive to me. Your new moon festivals and Sabbath observations and your calling of special religious meetings—I can't stand them because they're evil, as are your solemn assemblies.
Bring no more vain offerings. Incense is an abomination to me; new moons, Sabbaths, and convocations: I can't bear with evil assemblies.
14 I detest your new moon and yearly festivals with my whole being! They've become just a burden to me—I can't bear them anymore!
My soul hates your New Moons and your appointed feasts. They are a burden to me. I am weary of bearing them.
15 When you hold up your hands to me in prayer, I'll look away. Even though you pray many prayers, I won't pay attention to them, because your hands are full of blood.
When you spread forth your hands, I will hide my eyes from you. Yes, when you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood.
16 Wash yourselves and clean yourselves up. Get rid of your sins—I don't want to see them! Stop doing evil!
Wash yourselves, make yourself clean. Put away the evil of your doings from before my eyes. Cease to do evil.
17 Learn to do good; strive for justice, condemn those who oppress others; support the rights of orphans, take up cases to defend widows.
Learn to do well. Seek justice. Relieve the oppressed. Judge the fatherless. Plead for the widow."
18 Come on, let's argue this out, says the Lord. Even though your sins are like scarlet, they will become white like snow. Even though they are red like crimson, they will become like wool.
"Come now, and let us reason together," says the LORD: "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
19 If you really want this, and if you do as you're told, then you yourselves will eat the best things that the land produces.
If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land;
20 But if you are defiant, and if you are rebellious, you'll be killed by the sword. This is what the Lord has declared!
but if you refuse and rebel, the sword shall devour you; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken it."
21 The city that used to be faithful has turned into a prostitute! Once she operated on principles of justice and followed what was right, but now only murderers live there.
How the faithful city has become a prostitute. She was full of justice; righteousness lodged in her, but now murderers.
22 Your silver has become worthless waste; you wine has been watered down.
Your silver has become dross, your wine mixed with water.
23 Your leaders are rebels, friends of thieves. They all love bribes and want to get kickbacks. They don't defend the rights of orphans, and refuse to take cases to help widows.
Your rulers are rebellious, companions of thieves. Everyone loves a bribe, chasing after payoffs. They do not judge the fatherless, neither does the cause of the widow come to them.
24 So this is what the Lord says, the Lord Almighty, the Mighty One of Israel: Ha! I will take satisfaction in punishing my enemies, by paying back those who hate me!
Therefore the LORD of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel, says: "Ah, I will get relief from my adversaries, and avenge myself of my enemies;
25 I will turn against you. I will refine you in a furnace, removing all impurities.
and I will turn my hand against you, and I will purge away your dross, and I will take away all your slag.
26 I will give you good leaders as you used to have before, wise counselors as you had in the beginning. After that you will once again be called the City of Integrity, the Faithful City.
I will restore your judges as at the first, and your counselors as at the beginning. Afterward you shall be called 'The city of righteousness, a faithful town.'
27 Zion will be rescued by justice, those who repent by doing right.
Zion shall be redeemed with justice, and her converts with righteousness.
28 But rebels and sinners will be destroyed together, and those who abandon the Lord will die.
But the destruction of transgressors and sinners shall be together, and those who forsake the LORD shall be consumed.
29 You will be ashamed about how you enjoyed your pagan worship among the oak trees; you will be embarrassed because you chose the pleasure gardens of idols.
For they shall be ashamed of the oaks which you have desired, and you shall be confounded for the gardens that you have chosen.
30 As a result you will become like an oak whose leaves have withered, a dried-out garden that has no water.
For you shall be as an oak whose leaf fades, and as a garden that has no water.
31 Your strong people will become like tinder, and their work will become like a spark. They will burn together, and nobody will be able to put out the flames.
The strong will be like tinder, and his work like a spark. They will both burn together, and no one will quench them."
