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 son of Amoz, that 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, heavens, and give ear, earth; for Yahweh has spoken: “I have nourished and brought up children, but 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 knows his owner, and the donkey his master's feeding trough, but Israel does not know, Israel does not understand.”

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! Nation, sinners, a people weighed down with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, sons who act corruptly! They have abandoned Yahweh, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they have estranged themselves from him.

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

Why are you still being beaten? Why do you rebel more and more? The whole head is sick, the whole heart is weak.

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 to the head there is no part unharmed; only wounds, and bruises, and fresh open wounds; they have not been closed, cleansed, bandaged, nor treated 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 ruined; your cities are burned; your fields—in your presence, strangers are destroying them— abandoned devastation, overthrown by strangers.

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.

The daughter of Zion is left like a hut in a vineyard, like a shed in a garden of cucumbers, like 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!

If Yahweh of hosts had not left for us a small remnant, we would have been like Sodom, we would have been like 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 Yahweh, you rulers of Sodom; listen to the law of our God, you 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.

“What is the multitude of your sacrifices to me?” says Yahweh. “I have had enough of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fatted beasts; and in the blood of bulls, lambs, or goats I do not delight.

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

When you come to appear before me, who has required this of you, 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 meaningless offerings; incense is an abomination to me; your new moon and Sabbath assemblies—I cannot tolerate these wicked assemblies.

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.

I hate your new moons and your appointed feasts; they are a burden to me; I am tired of enduring 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.

So when you spread out your hands in prayer, I hide my eyes from you; even though you offer many prayers, I will not listen; 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, cleanse yourselves; remove the evil of your deeds from my sight; stop being evil;

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

learn to do good; seek justice, make straight the oppression, give justice to 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!

“Come now, and let us reason together,” says Yahweh; “though your sins are like scarlet, they will be white like snow; though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool.

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

If you are willing and obedient, you will 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 you refuse and rebel, the sword will devour you,” for the mouth of Yahweh has spoken it.

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

How the faithful city has become a prostitute! She who was full of justice—she was full of righteousness, but now she is full of murderers.

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

Your silver has become impure, your 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.

Your princes are rebels and companions of thieves; everyone loves bribes and runs after payoffs. They do not defend the fatherless, nor does the widow's legal plea come before 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 this is the declaration of the Lord Yahweh of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel: “Woe to them! I will take vengeance against my adversaries, and avenge myself against 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,

I will turn my hand against you, refine away your dross as with lye, and take away all your dross.

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.”

I will restore your judges as at the first, and your counselors as at the beginning; after that you will be called the city of righteousness, a faithful town.”

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

Zion will be redeemed by justice, and her repentant ones by righteousness.

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

Rebels and sinners will be crushed together, and those who abandon Yahweh will be done away with.

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 you will be ashamed of the sacred oak trees that you desired, and you will be embarrassed by the gardens that you have chosen.

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

For you will be like an oak whose leaf fades, and like a garden that has 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!

The strong man will be like tinder, and his work like a spark; they will both burn together, and no one will quench them.”