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 vision of Isaiah, the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem, in the days of Uzziah, Joatham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

2 Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, for the LORD hath spoken: I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.

Listen, O heavens, and pay attention, O earth, for the Lord has spoken. I have nurtured and raised children, but they have spurned me.

3 The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib: [but] Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.

An ox knows his owner, and a donkey knows the manger of his lord, but Israel has not known me, and my people have not understood.

4 Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evil-doers, children that deal corruptly: they have forsaken the LORD, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they are estranged [and gone] backward.

Woe to a sinful nation, a people burdened by iniquity, a wicked offspring, accursed children. They have abandoned the Lord. They have blasphemed the Holy One of Israel. They been taken away backwards.

5 Why will ye be still stricken, that ye revolt more and more? the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.

For what reason shall I continue to strike you, as you increase transgressions? The entire head is feeble, and the entire heart is grieving.

6 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 closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with oil.

From the sole of the foot, even to the top of the head, there is no soundness within. Wounds and bruises and swelling sores: these are not bandaged, nor treated with medicine, nor soothed with oil.

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 desolate. Your cities have been set ablaze. Foreigners devour your countryside in your sight, and it will become desolate, as if devastated by enemies.

8 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.

And the daughter of Zion will be left behind, like an arbor in a vineyard, and like a shelter in a cucumber field, and like a city being laid to waste.

9 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.

If the Lord of hosts had not bequeathed us offspring, we would have been like Sodom, and we would have been comparable to Gomorrah.

10 Hear the word of the LORD, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah.

Listen to the Word of the Lord, you leaders of the people of Sodom. Listen closely to the law of our God, O people of Gomorrah.

11 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.

The multitude of your sacrifices, what is that to me, says the Lord? I am full. I do not desire holocausts of rams, nor the fat of fatlings, nor the blood of calves and of lambs and of he-goats.

12 When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to trample my courts?

When you approach before my sight, who is it that requires these things from your hands, so that you would walk in my courts?

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

You should no longer offer sacrifice in vain. Incense is an abomination to me. The new moons and the Sabbaths and the other feast days, I will not receive. Your gatherings are iniquitous.

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 hates your days of proclamation and your solemnities. They have become bothersome to me. I labor to endure them.

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 so, when you extend your hands, I will avert my eyes from you. And when you multiply your prayers, I will not heed you. For your hands are 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, become clean, take away the evil of your intentions from my eyes. Cease to act perversely.

17 learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.

Learn to do good. Seek judgment, support the oppressed, judge for the orphan, defend the widow.

18 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.

And then approach and accuse me, says the Lord. Then, if your sins are like scarlet, they shall be made white like snow; and if they are red like vermillion, they shall become white like wool.

19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:

If you are willing, and you listen to me, then you will eat the good things of the land.

20 but if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

But if you are not willing, and you provoke me to anger, then the sword will devour you. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

21 How is the faithful city become an harlot! she that was full of judgment! righteousness lodged in her, but now murderers.

How has the faithful city, full of judgment, become a harlot? Justice lived in her, but now murderers.

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

Your silver has turned into dross. Your wine has been mixed 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 leaders are unfaithful, the associates of thieves. They all love gifts; they pursue rewards. They do not judge for orphans, and the widow’s case is not brought before them.

24 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:

Because of this, the Lord God of hosts, the Strength of Israel, says: Ah! I will be consoled over my enemies, and I will be vindicated from my adversaries.

25 and I will turn my hand upon thee, and throughly purge away thy dross, and will take away all thy tin:

And I will turn my hand to you. And I will temper your dross unto purity, and I will take away 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 will restore your judges, so that they will be as before, and your counselors as in times long past. After this, you shall be called the City of the Just, the Faithful City.

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

Zion will be redeemed in judgment, and they will lead her back to justice.

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

And he shall crush the accursed and sinners together. And those who have abandoned the Lord will be 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 they shall be confounded because of the idols, to which they have sacrificed. And you shall be ashamed over the gardens that you chose,

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

when you were like an oak with falling leaves, and like a garden without water.

31 And the strong shall be as tow, and his work as a spark; and they shall both burn together, and none shall quench them.

And your strength will be like the embers from stubble, and your work will be like a spark, and both will burn together, and there will be no one to extinguish it.