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 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 Yahweh, hath spoken: —Sons, have I brought up, and advanced, And, they, have rebelled 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 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 feeding trough, but Israel does not know, Israel does not understand.”

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.

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 should ye be smitten any more? Ye would again turn aside! The whole head is sick, And the whole heart faint:

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 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 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 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 ruined; your cities are burned; your fields—in your presence, strangers are destroying them— abandoned devastation, 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 hut in a vineyard, like a shed in a garden of cucumbers, 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.

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 Yahweh, ye rulers of Sodom, —Give ear to the instruction of our God, ye people of Gomorrah: —

Hear the word of Yahweh, 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 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 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 of you, 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 meaningless offerings; incense is an abomination to me; your new moon and Sabbath assemblies—I cannot tolerate these wicked 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:

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

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 you make you clean, Put away the wickedness of your doings from before mine eyes, —Cease to do evil.

Wash, cleanse yourselves; remove the evil of your deeds from my sight; stop being evil;

17 Learn to do well—Seek justice, Correct the oppressor, —Vindicate the fatherless, Plead the cause of the widow,

learn to do good; seek justice, make straight the oppression, give justice to the fatherless, defend 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 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 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, the sword will devour you,” for the mouth of Yahweh 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 who was full of justice—she was full of righteousness, but now she is full of murderers.

22 Thy silver, hath become dross, —Thy wine, weakened with water;

Your silver has become impure, 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 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, 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 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 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 against you, refine away your dross as with lye, and take away all your dross.

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; after that you will be called the city of righteousness, a faithful town.”

27 Zion, with justice shall be redeemed, —And her returning ones, with righteousness;

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

28 And the downfall of transgressors and sinners, shall be, together, —And, they who forsake Yahweh, shall be brought to an end;

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

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 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 ye shall be as an oak with its leaf faded, And as a garden that hath no, water;

For you will be like an oak whose leaf fades, and like 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 man will be like tinder, and his work like a spark; they will both burn together, and no one will quench them.”