Isaiah 1
1 The vision of Isaiah son of Amoz, which he saw, 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 Yahweh, hath spoken: —Sons, have I brought up, and advanced, And, they, have rebelled against me.
Hear, heavens, and listen, earth; for the LORD has spoken: “I have nourished and brought up children and they have rebelled against me.
3 An ox knoweth, his owner, And an ass his masters crib, —Israel, doth not know, My people doth not consider.
The ox knows his owner, and the donkey his master’s crib; but Israel doesn’t know. My people don’t consider.”
4 Alas! a nation—committing sin, a people—burdened with iniquity, a seed—practising wickedness, sons—acting corruptly. They have forsaken Yahweh despised the Holy One of Israel, —Are estranged and gone back.
Ah sinful nation, a people loaded with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, children who deal corruptly! They have forsaken the LORD. They have despised the Holy One of Israel. They are estranged and backward.
5 Why should ye be smitten any more? Ye would again turn aside! The whole head is sick, And the whole heart faint:
Why should you be beaten more, that you revolt more and more? The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.
6 From the sole of the foot even unto the head, there is in it no soundness, Bruise and stripe and newly-made wound, —They have not been pressed out, nor bound up, nor soothed with oil.
From the sole of the foot even to the head there is no soundness in it, but wounds, welts, and open sores. They haven’t been closed, bandaged, or soothed with oil.
7 Your country—is a desolation, Your cities—are consumed with fire, —Your soil—right before your eyes, foreigners are devouring it, And it is a desolation a very overthrow by foreigners;
Your country is desolate. Your cities are burned with fire. Strangers devour your land in your presence and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.
8 And left is the Daughter of Zion, Like a hut in a vineyard, —Like a lodge in a gourd-plot Like a city besieged.
The daughter of Zion is left like a shelter in a vineyard, like a hut in a field of melons, like a besieged city.
9 If, Yahweh of hosts, had not left us a very small remnant, Like Sodom, had we become, Gomorrah, had we resembled.
Unless the LORD of Hosts had left to us a very small remnant, we would have been as Sodom. We would have been like Gomorrah.
10 Hear the word of Yahweh, ye rulers of Sodom, —Give ear to the instruction of our God, ye people of Gomorrah: —
Hear the LORD’s word, you rulers of Sodom! Listen to the law of our God, you people of Gomorrah!
11 Of what use to me, is your multitude of sacrifices: Saith Yahweh: I am sated with ascending-offerings of rams and the fat of fed beasts, —In the blood of bulls and young rams and he-goats, have I no pleasure.
“What are the multitude of your sacrifices to me?”, says the LORD. “I have had enough of the burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed animals. I don’t delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of male goats.
12 When ye enter to see my face, Who hath required this at your hand trampling my courts?
When you come to appear before me, who has required this at your hand, to trample my courts?
13 Ye shall not again bring in an empty, present, Incense, an abomination, is that unto me! New moon, and sabbath calling an assembly—I cannot endure, iniquity and sacred festival!
Bring no more vain offerings. Incense is an abomination to me. New moons, Sabbaths, and convocations— I can’t stand evil assemblies.
14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts, my soul, hateth, —They have become unto me a burden I am too weary to bear:
My soul hates your New Moons and your appointed feasts. They are a burden to me. I am weary of bearing them.
15 Even when ye spread forth your open palms, I hide mine eyes from you; Yea, though ye multiply prayers, I am not hearkening, —Your hands, with deeds of blood, are filled.
When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you. Yes, when you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood.
16 Wash you make you clean, Put away the wickedness of your doings from before mine eyes, —Cease to do evil.
Wash yourselves. Make yourself clean. Put away the evil of your doings from before my eyes. Cease to do evil.
17 Learn to do well—Seek justice, Correct the oppressor, —Vindicate the fatherless, Plead the cause of the widow,
Learn to do well. Seek justice. Relieve the oppressed. Defend the fatherless. Plead for the widow.”
18 Come, I pray you, and let us settle the dispute Saith Yahweh, —Though your sins be found like scarlet, As snow, shall they be made white, Though they appear red like crimson, As wool, shall they become.
“Come now, and let’s reason together,” says the LORD: “Though your sins are as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
19 If ye be willing—and hearken Of the good of the land, shall ye eat;
If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good of the land;
20 But, if ye refuse and rebel, With the sword, shall ye be devoured, For, the mouth of Yahweh, hath spoken it.
but if you refuse and rebel, you will be devoured with the sword; for the LORD’s mouth has spoken it.”
21 How hath she become unchaste!—The city that was Faithful, —Full of justice, Righteousness lodged in her, But, now, murderers!
How the faithful city has become a prostitute! She was full of justice. Righteousness lodged in her, but now there are murderers.
22 Thy silver, hath become dross, —Thy wine, weakened with water;
Your silver has become dross, your wine mixed with water.
23 Thy rulers, are unruly, and companions of thieves, Every one of the people, loveth a bribe, and runneth after rewards, —The fatherless, they do not vindicate, And, the plea of the widow, reacheth them not.
Your princes are rebellious and companions of thieves. Everyone loves bribes and follows after rewards. They don’t defend the fatherless, neither does the cause of the widow come to them.
24 Therefore, Declareth the Lord Yahweh of hosts, The Mighty One of Israel, —Alas! I must appease me on mine adversaries, I must avenge me on mine enemies
Therefore the Lord, GOD of Hosts, the Mighty One of Israel, says: “Ah, I will get relief from my adversaries, and avenge myself on my enemies.
25 That I may turn my hand against thee, And smelt away, as with potash, thy dross, And remove all thine alloy;
I will turn my hand on you, thoroughly purge away your dross, and will take away all your tin.
26 That I may restore thy Judges as at the first, and thy Counsellors as at the beginning, —After that, shalt thou be called Righteous citadel, Trusty city, —
I will restore your judges as at the first, and your counselors as at the beginning. Afterward you shall be called ‘The city of righteousness, a faithful town.’
27 Zion, with justice shall be redeemed, —And her returning ones, with righteousness;
Zion shall be redeemed with justice, and her converts with righteousness.
28 And the downfall of transgressors and sinners, shall be, together, —And, they who forsake Yahweh, shall be brought to an end;
But the destruction of transgressors and sinners shall be together, and those who forsake the LORD shall be consumed.
29 For they shall turn pale on account of the oaks which ye desired, —And ye shall blush on account of the gardens which ye had chosen;
For they shall be ashamed of the oaks which you have desired, and you shall be confounded for the gardens that you have chosen.
30 For ye shall be as an oak with its leaf faded, And as a garden that hath no, water;
For you shall be as an oak whose leaf fades, and as a garden that has no water.
31 Then shall the strong one become tow, And his work a spark, —And they shall both blaze together And there be none to quench the fire.
The strong will be like tinder, and his work like a spark. They will both burn together, and no one will quench them.”
