Isaiah 1

1 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.

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 heavens, and give ear, O earth: for Yhwh hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and 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 knoweth his owner, and the donkey his master’s crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.

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 laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken Yhwh, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward.

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 stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.

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

6 From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.

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 country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire: your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.

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 And the daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge 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 Except Yhwh of Armies had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah.

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 Yhwh, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah.

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

11 To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith Yhwh: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he 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 When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts?

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

13 Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting.

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 new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them.

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 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.

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, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;

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; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.

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

18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith Yhwh: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be 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 If ye be willing and obedient, 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 refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of Yhwh hath spoken it.

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

21 How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers.

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

22 Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water:

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

23 Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them.

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 saith the Lord, Yhwh of Armies, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of 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 turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin:

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 restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city.

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 Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness.

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

28 And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together, and they that forsake Yhwh shall be consumed.

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

29 For they shall be ashamed of the oaks which ye have desired, and ye shall be confounded for the gardens that ye have chosen.

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 ye shall be as an oak whose leaf fadeth, and as a garden that hath no water.

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

31 And the strong shall be as tow, and the maker of it as a spark, and they shall both burn together, and none shall 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!