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 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 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 heavens, and give ear, O earth, for the LORD hath spoken: Children I have reared, and brought up, and they have rebelled against 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 doth not know, My people doth not consider.

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.

Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evil-doers, children that deal corruptly; they have forsaken the LORD, they have contemned the Holy One of Israel, they are turned away backward.

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

On what part will ye yet be stricken, seeing ye stray away more and more? The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint;

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 even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and festering sores: they have not been pressed, neither bound up, neither mollified 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 country is desolate; your cities are burned with fire; your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by floods.

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 Zion is left as a booth in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city.

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 unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, we should have been like unto Gomorrah.

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 unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah.

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 is the multitude of your sacrifices unto Me? saith the LORD; 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.

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

When ye come to appear before Me, who hath required this at your hand, to trample 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!

Bring no more vain oblations; it is an offering of abomination unto Me; new moon and sabbath, the holding of convocations — I cannot endure iniquity along with the solemn assembly.

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.

Your new moons and your appointed seasons My soul hateth; they are a burden unto Me; I am weary to bear 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 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.

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

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

Learn to do well; seek justice, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for 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!

Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

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

If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good 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 ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword; for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken.

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 become a harlot! She that was full of justice, righteousness lodged in her, but now murderers.

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

Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed 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 rebellious, and companions of thieves; every one loveth bribes, and followeth after rewards; they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto 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 LORD of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel: Ah, I will ease Me of Mine adversaries, and avenge Me of Mine 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 upon thee, and purge away thy dross as with lye, and will take away all thine alloy;

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

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

Zion shall be redeemed with justice, and they that return of her with righteousness.

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

But the destruction of the transgressors and the sinners shall be together, and they that forsake 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 ashamed of the terebinths which ye have desired, and ye shall be confounded for the gardens that ye have chosen.

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

For ye shall be as a terebinth whose leaf fadeth, and as a garden that hath no 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 the strong shall be as tow, and his work as a spark; and they shall both burn together, and none shall quench them.