Isaiah 1
1 A vision of Isaiah, the sonne of Amoz, which he sawe concerning Iudah and Ierusalem: in the dayes of Vzziah, Iotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah Kings of Iudah.
[I am] Isaiah, the son of Amoz. [Yahweh showed me] visions about Jerusalem and [all the other places in] Judah. He showed me these visions during the years that Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were kings of Judah.
2 Heare, O heauens, and hearken, O earth: for the Lord hath sayde, I haue nourished and brought vp children, but they haue rebelled against me.
This is what Yahweh says: “All you [angels in] [APO] heaven and [all you people on] [APO] earth, listen to me! The people that I caused to exist and took care of [DOU] have rebelled against me.
3 The oxe knoweth his owner, and the asse his masters crib: but Israel hath not knowen: my people hath not vnderstand.
Oxen know their owners, and donkeys know who provides food for them, but my Israeli people do not know [me]; they do not realize [that I am the one who takes care of them].”
4 Ah, sinfull nation, a people laden with iniquitie: a seede of the wicked, corrupt children: they haue forsaken the Lord: they haue prouoked the holy one of Israel to anger: they are gone backewarde.
Terrible things will happen to that sinful nation, to those people who are guilty of sinning greatly. They are a group of very evil people, who act very unjustly. They have abandoned Yahweh, the holy one of Israel; they have (abandoned/turned away from) him.
5 Wherefore shoulde ye be smitten any more? for ye fall away more and more: the whole head is sicke, and the whole heart is heauie.
Why do you [RHQ] continue to [do things for which] you should be punished? Why do you continue to rebel against Yahweh? [You are like] [MET] someone whose head is badly injured and whose mind is sick/corrupt.
6 From the sole of the foote vnto the head, there is nothing whole therein, but wounds, and swelling, and sores full of corruption: they haue not bene wrapped, nor bound vp, nor mollified with oyle.
[It is as though] [MET] from the soles/bottoms of your feet to the [tops of your] heads nothing is healthy; there are only open wounds and cuts and sores that have not been cleaned or bandaged, and no [olive] oil has been put on them [to heal them].
7 Your land is waste: your cities are burnt with fire: strangers deuoure your lande in your presence, and it is desolate like the ouerthrowe of strangers.
[It is as though] your country is ruined/desolate; your towns have been burned. Foreigners plunder/steal the crops in your fields while you watch; they destroy everything [that they see].
8 And the daughter of Zion shall remaine like a cotage in a vineyarde, like a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, and like a besieged citie.
The city of Jerusalem has [already] been abandoned, it is like [SIM] a shelter in a vineyard that has been abandoned by the watchmen; it is like [SIM] a watchman’s hut in a field of melons that has been deserted. It is a city surrounded by its enemies who are waiting to attack it.
9 Except the Lord of hostes had reserued vnto vs, euen a small remnant: we should haue bene as Sodom, and should haue bene like vnto Gomorah.
If the Commander of the armies of angels had not allowed a few of us [his people] to (survive/remain alive), we would have [all] been [destroyed], like [the cities of] Sodom and Gomorrah [were destroyed].
10 Heare the worde of the Lord, O princes of Sodom: hearken vnto the Law of our God, O people of Gomorah.
You [leaders of Judah are as wicked as] the rulers of Sodom were, and you [other people in Jerusalem areas are as wicked as] the people in Gomorrah [were]. Listen to this message from Yahweh, [all of you]!
11 What haue I to doe with the multitude of your sacrifices, sayth the Lord? I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and of the fat of fed beasts: and I desire not the blood of bullocks, nor of lambs, nor of goates.
He says, “You continue to bring many sacrifices to me, but I do not [RHQ] want them [because you do not worship me sincerely]! You bring me many offerings to be completely burned [on the altar], [but] I (am tired/do not want any more) of your burning all those offerings, the burning rams and the fat from fat cattle. I am not pleased with the blood of bulls and lambs and goats that [the priest] pours [against the altar].
12 When ye come to appeare before me, who required this of your hands to tread in my courts?
When you come to my temple to worship me, no one [RHQ] told you to trample on my courtyard while you perform all those rituals.
13 Bring no more oblations, in vaine: incense is an abomination vnto me: I can not suffer your newe moones, nor Sabbaths, nor solemne dayes (it is iniquitie) nor solemne assemblies.
Stop bringing to me those offerings, because they are useless [to me]; I am disgusted with the incense that [the priests burn]. And [your feasts to celebrate] the new moon [each month] and your (Sabbath [days]/days of rest) and your [other] festivals— I detest them because of the wicked things [that you do].
14 My soule hateth your newe moones and your appointed feastes: they are a burden vnto me: I am weary to beare them.
I [SYN] hate [all] your celebrations of each new moon and the [other] festivals that you celebrate each year. They are [like] [MET] a heavy burden that I am tired of carrying.
15 And when you shall stretch out your hands, I wil hide mine eyes from you: and though ye make many prayers, I wil not heare: for your hands are full of blood.
[So], when you lift up your hands when you pray [to me], I will not [even] look at you. Even if you pray [to me very] frequently, I will not listen [to you], [because it is as though] your hands are covered with the blood [of people whom you have killed].
16 Wash you, make you cleane: take away the euill of your workes from before mine eyes: cease to doe euill.
Cleanse your inner beings, and become [spiritually] clean! Stop your evil behavior! Stop doing things that are wrong!
17 Learne to doe well: seeke iudgement, relieue the oppressed: iudge the fatherlesse and defend the widowe.
Learn to do [things that are] good! [Try to] cause people to do what is just. Help people who are (oppressed/treated cruelly). Defend orphans and widows [when people take them to court].”
18 Come nowe, and let vs reason together, sayth the Lord: though your sinnes were as crimsin, they shalbe made white as snowe: though they were red like skarlet, they shalbe as wooll.
Yahweh says, “You need to think about the results of what you do. Even though [the guilt of] your sins be [as evident and as difficult to get rid of] as [SIM] red [stains on a white garment] [DOU], [I will get rid of them completely] [like someone who can make that stained garment] become as white as snow or wool [DOU].
19 If ye consent and obey, ye shall eate the good things of the land.
If you are willing to obey [me], [I will enable] you to have plenty to eat.
20 But if ye refuse and be rebellious, ye shalbe deuoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.
But, if you turn away [from me and] rebel against me, you will be killed [by your enemies’] swords. [That will surely happen, because I, ] Yahweh, have said it.”
21 Howe is the faithfull citie become an harlot? it was full of iudgement, and iustice lodged therein, but now they are murtherers.
“[You people of Jerusalem previously] faithfully [worshiped only] me, but now you have become like [MET] prostitutes [who are not faithful to any husband]. Previously, people there always acted justly/fairly and righteously, but now your city [is full of] murderers.
22 Thy siluer is become drosse: thy wine is mixt with water.
Previously, you were [like] [MET] pure silver, but now you have become [like] [MET] the scum that is left [when silver is purified]. Previously you were [like pure] wine, but you have become [like] [MET] wine that has [a lot of] water mixed with it.
23 Thy Princes are rebellious and companions of theeues: euery one loueth giftes, and followeth after rewards: they iudge not the fatherlesse, neither doeth the widowes cause come before them.
Your leaders are rebels; they spend time with thieves. They all want to get bribes and force others to give them gifts [in order that they do good things for them]. They do not defend orphans [in court], and they do not do all they can to enable widows to get what they should receive.
24 Therefore sayth the Lord God of hostes, the mightie one of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine aduersaries, and auenge me of mine enemies.
Therefore [I, ] the Commander of the armies of angels, the mighty God of Israel, say to my enemies, ‘will get revenge on you; you will not cause me any more trouble. And I will pay you back for the evil things that you did.
25 Then I will turne mine hand vpon thee, and burne out thy drosse, till it be pure, and take away all thy tinne.
I will raise my fist to strike you. I will [punish you severely] [MET], as though [MET] you were silver [and I needed to heat you very greatly to] melt you and get rid of the impurities.
26 And I will restore thy iudges as at the first, and thy counsellers as at the beginning: afterward shalt thou be called a citie of righteousnes, and a faithfull citie.
[After that happens, ] I will give you good judges like you had previously; you will have [wise] counselors like you had long ago. Then people will call your city “a city where people [act] righteously, a city where people are loyal to me.”'”
27 Zion shall be redeemed in iudgement, and they that returne in her, in iustice.
Because the people of Jerusalem will do what is fair/just, their city will be restored; those who repent [will be saved] because of [their acting] righteously.
28 And the destruction of the transgressers and of the sinners shalbe together: and they that forsake the Lord, shalbe consumed.
But rebels and sinners will be crushed by Yahweh, and those who forsake him will disappear.
29 For they shalbe confounded for the okes, which ye haue desired, and ye shall be ashamed of the gardens, that ye haue chosen.
You will be ashamed because [you worshiped] idols under the oak trees [that you considered to be] sacred; you will be disgraced because [you worshiped idols] in the gardens where you chose [to worship them].
30 For ye shalbe as an oke, whose leafe fadeth: and as a garden that hath no water.
You will be like [SIM] a very large tree which has withered leaves, like [SIM] a garden that [is dried up because] it has no water.
31 And the strong shall be as towe, and the maker thereof, as a sparke: and they shall both burne together, and none shall quench them.
Those among you who are [very] strong will become [like] [MET] dry wood, and the work they do will be [like] [MET] a spark; both they and the evil things that they do will burn up completely, and no one will be able to put out the fire.
