Isaiah 1

1 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.

The vision of Isaias the son of Amos I which he saw concerning Juda and Jerusalem in the days of Ozias, Joathan, Achaz, and Ezechias, kings of Juda.

2 Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, For YHWH has spoken: “I have nourished and brought up sons, And they transgressed against Me.

Hear, O ye heavens, and give ear, O earth, for the Lord hath spoken. I have brought up children, and exalted them: but they have despised me.

3 An ox has known its owner, And a donkey the crib of its master, Israel has not known, My people have not understood.”

The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib: but Israel hath not known me, and my people hath not understood.

4 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.

Woe to the sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a wicked seed, ungracious children: they have forsaken the Lord, they have blasphemed the Holy One of Israel, they are gone away backwards.

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

For what shall I strike you any more, you that increase transgression? the whole head is sick, and the whole heart is sad.

6 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.

From the sole of the foot unto the top of the head, there is no soundness therein: wounds and bruises and swelling sores: they are not bound up, nor dressed, nor fomented with oil.

7 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!

Your land is desolate, your cities are burnt with fire: your country strangers devour before your face, and it shall be desolate as when wasted by enemies.

8 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.

And the daughter of Sion shall be left as a covert in a vineyard, and as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, and as a city that is laid waste.

9 Unless YHWH of Hosts had left a remnant to us, Shortly—we had been as Sodom, We had been like to Gomorrah!

Except the Lord of hosts had left us seed, we had been as Sodom, and we should have been like to Gomorrha.

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

Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of Sodom, give ear to the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrha.

11 “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.

To what purpose do you offer me the multitude of your victims, saith the Lord? I am full, I desire not holocausts of rams, and fat of fatlings, and blood of calves, and lambs, and buck goats.

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

When you came to appear before me, who required these things at your hands, that you should walk in my courts?

13 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!

Offer sacrifice no more in vain: incense is an abomination to me. The new moons, and the sabbaths, and other festivals I will not abide, your assemblies are wicked.

14 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.

My soul hateth your new moons, and your solemnities: they are become troublesome to me, I am weary of bearing them.

15 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.

And when you stretch forth your hands, I will turn away my eyes from you: and when you multiply prayer, I will not hear: for your hands are full of blood.

16 Wash yourselves, make yourselves pure, Turn aside the evil of your doings, from before My eyes, Cease to do evil, learn to do good.

Wash yourselves, be clean, take away the evil of your devices from my eyes: cease to do perversely,

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

Learn to do well: seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge for the fatherless, defend the widow.

18 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!

And then come, and accuse me, saith the Lord: if your sins be as scarlet, they shall be made as white as snow: and if they be red as crimson, they shall be white as wool.

19 If you are willing, and have listened, The good of the land you consume,

If you be willing, and will hearken to me, you shall eat the good things of the land.

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

But if you will not, and will provoke me to wrath: the sword shall devour you because the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

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

How is the faithful city, that was full of judgment, become a harlot? justice dwelt in it, but now murderers.

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

Thy silver is turned into dress: thy wine is mingled with water.

23 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.

Thy princes are faithless, companions of thieves: they all love bribes, the run after rewards. They judge not for the fatherless: and the widow’s cometh not in to them.

24 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,

Therefore saith the Lord the God of hosts, the mighty one of Israel: Ah! I will comfort myself over my adversaries: and I will be revenged of my enemies.

25 And I turn back My hand on you, And I refine your dross as purity, And I turn aside all your tin,

And I will turn my hand to thee, and I will clean purge away thy dress, and I will take away all thy tin.

26 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.”

And I will restore thy judges as they were before, and thy counsellors as of old. After this thou shalt be called the city of the just, a faithful city.

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

Sion shall be redeemed in judgment, and they shall bring her back in justice.

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

And he shall destroy the wicked, and the sinners together: and they that have forsaken the Lord, shall be consumed.

29 For [men] are ashamed because of the oaks That you have desired, And you are confounded because of the gardens That you have chosen.

For they shall be confounded for the idols, to which they have sacrificed: and you shall be ashamed of the gardens which you have chosen.

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

When you shall be as an oak with the leaves falling off, and as a garden without water.

31 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!

And your strength shall be as the ashes of tow, and your work as a spark: and both shall burn together, and there shall be none to quench it.