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 which Esaias the son of Amos saw, which he saw against Juda, and against Jerusalem, in the reign of Ozias, and Joatham, and Achaz, and Ezekias, who reigned over Judea.
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, O heaven, and listen, O earth: for the Lord has spoken, [saying], I have begotten and reared up children, but 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 ass his master's crib: but Israel does not know me, and the people has not regarded me.
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 full of sins, an evil seed, lawless children: you have forsaken the Lord, and provoked the Holy One of Israel.
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 struck [any] more, transgressing more and more? the whole head is pained, and the whole heart sad.
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 feet to the head, there is no soundness in them; neither wound, nor bruise, nor festering ulcer [are healed]: it is not possible to apply a plaister, nor oil, nor bandages.
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 land is desolate, your cities burnt with fire: your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is made desolate, overthrown by strange nations.
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 Sion shall be deserted as a tent in a vineyard, and as a storehouse of fruits in a garden of cucumbers, as 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.
And if the Lord of Sabaoth had not left us a seed, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been made like Gomorrha.
10 Hear the word of Yahweh, ye rulers of Sodom, —Give ear to the instruction of our God, ye people of Gomorrah: —
Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodoma; attend to the law of God, you people of Gomorrha.
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.
Of what [value] to me is the abundance of your sacrifices? says the Lord: I am full of whole burnt offerings of rams; and I delight not in the fat of lambs, and the blood of bulls and goats:
12 When ye enter to see my face, Who hath required this at your hand trampling my courts?
neither shall you come [with these] to appear before me; for who has required these things at your hands? You shall no more tread my court.
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!
Though you bring fine flour, [it is] vain; incense is an abomination to me; I can’t bear your new moons, and your sabbaths, and the great day;
14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts, my soul, hateth, —They have become unto me a burden I am too weary to bear:
[your] fasting, and rest from work, your new moons also, and your feasts my soul hates: you have become loathsome to me; I will no more pardon your sins.
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 stretch forth your hands, I will turn away mine eyes from you: and though you make many supplications, I will not listen to you; for 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 you, be clean; remove your iniquities from your souls before mine eyes; cease from your iniquities;
17 Learn to do well—Seek justice, Correct the oppressor, —Vindicate the fatherless, Plead the cause of the widow,
learn to do well; diligently seek judgement, deliver him that is suffering wrong, plead for the orphan, and obtain justice 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.
And come, let us reason together, says the Lord: and though your sins be as purple, I will make them white as snow; and though they be as scarlet, I will make [them] white as wool.
19 If ye be willing—and hearken Of the good of the land, shall ye eat;
And if you be willing, and listen to me, you shall 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 be not willing, nor listen to me, a sword shall devour you: for the mouth of the Lord has spoken this.
21 How hath she become unchaste!—The city that was Faithful, —Full of justice, Righteousness lodged in her, But, now, murderers!
How has the faithful city Sion, [once] full of judgement, become a harlot! wherein righteousness lodged, but now murderers.
22 Thy silver, hath become dross, —Thy wine, weakened with water;
Your silver is worthless, your wine merchants mix the wine 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, companions of thieves, loving bribes, seeking after rewards; not pleading for orphans, and not heeding the cause of widows.
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 thus says the Lord, the Lord of hosts, Woe to the mighty [men] of Israel; for my wrath shall not cease against mine adversaries, and I will execute judgement on mine enemies.
25 That I may turn my hand against thee, And smelt away, as with potash, thy dross, And remove all thine alloy;
And I will bring my hand upon you, and purge you completely, and I will destroy the rebellious, and will take away from you all transgressors.
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, —
And I will establish your judges as before, and your counsellors as at the beginning: and afterward you shall be called the city of righteousness, the faithful mother-city of Sion.
27 Zion, with justice shall be redeemed, —And her returning ones, with righteousness;
For her captives shall be saved with judgement, and with mercy.
28 And the downfall of transgressors and sinners, shall be, together, —And, they who forsake Yahweh, shall be brought to an end;
And the transgressors and the sinners shall be crushed together, and they that forsake the Lord shall be utterly 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 their idols, which they delighted in, and they are made ashamed of the gardens which they coveted.
30 For ye shall be as an oak with its leaf faded, And as a garden that hath no, water;
For they shall be as a turpentine tree that has cast its leaves, 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.
And their strength shall be as a thread of tow, and their works as sparks, and the transgressors and the sinners shall be burnt up together, and there shall be none to quench [them].
