Isaiah 1
1 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.
The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of 'Uzziyahu, Jotham, Achaz, and Hezekiah, the kings of Judah.
2 Hear, heavens, and give ear, earth; for Yahweh has spoken: “I have nourished and brought up children, but they have rebelled against me.
Hear, O ye heavens, and give ear, O earth; for the Lord hath spoken: Children have I nourished and brought up, but they have rebelled against me.
3 The ox knows his owner, and the donkey his master's feeding trough, but Israel does not know, Israel does not understand.”
The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.
4 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.
Woe! sinful nation, people laden with iniquity, seed of evil-doers, children that are corrupt: they have forsaken the Lord, they have incensed the Holy One of Israel, they are departed backward.
5 Why are you still being beaten? Why do you rebel more and more? The whole head is sick, the whole heart is weak.
Why will ye be stricken yet more? [that] ye increase the revolt? every head is sick, and every heart is faint.
6 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.
From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrefying sores: they have not been closed, nor bound up, nor mollified with oil.
7 Your country is ruined; your cities are burned; your fields—in your presence, strangers are destroying them— abandoned devastation, overthrown by strangers.
Your country is desolate, your cities are burnt with fire; your soil—in your presence, strangers devour it, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.
8 The daughter of Zion is left like a hut in a vineyard, like a shed in a garden of cucumbers, like a besieged city.
And left is the daughter of Zion as a hut in a vineyard, as a lodge in a cucumber field, as a besieged city.
9 If Yahweh of hosts had not left for us a small remnant, we would have been like Sodom, we would have been like Gomorrah.
Unless the Lord of hosts had left unto us a remnant ever so small, like Sodom should we have been, unto Gomorrah should we have been compared.
10 Hear the word of Yahweh, you rulers of Sodom; listen to the law of our God, you people of Gomorrah:
Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of Sodom: give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah.
11 “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.
For what serveth me the multitude of your sacrifices? saith the Lord: I am sated with the burnt-offerings of rams, and the fat of fatted beasts; and the blood of bullocks, and of sheep, and of he-goats, I do not desire.
12 When you come to appear before me, who has required this of you, to trample my courts?
When ye come to appear in my presence—who hath required this at your hand, to tread down my courts?
13 Bring no more meaningless offerings; incense is an abomination to me; your new moon and Sabbath assemblies—I cannot tolerate these wicked assemblies.
Continue no more to bring an oblation of deceit; incense of abomination is it unto me: new moon and sabbath, the calling of assemblies—I cannot bear misdeed with festive gathering.
14 I hate your new moons and your appointed feasts; they are a burden to me; I am tired of enduring them.
Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth; they are become a burden unto me; I am weary to bear them,
15 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.
And when ye spread forth your hands, I will withdraw my eyes from you; yea, when ye make ever so many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.
16 Wash, cleanse yourselves; remove the evil of your deeds from my sight; stop being evil;
Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil;
17 learn to do good; seek justice, make straight the oppression, give justice to the fatherless, defend the widow.”
Learn to do well; seek for justice, relieve the oppressed, do justice to the fatherless, plead for the widow.
18 “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.
Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins should be as scarlet, they shall become white as the snow; though they should be red like crimson, they shall become like wool.
19 If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good of the land,
If ye be willing and obey, the best of the land shall ye eat;
20 but if you refuse and rebel, the sword will devour you,” for the mouth of Yahweh has spoken it.
But if ye refuse and rebel, by the sword shall ye be devoured; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.
21 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.
How is she become a harlot, the faithful town! she, that was full of justice; righteousness lodged therein; but now murderers.
22 Your silver has become impure, your wine mixed with water.
Thy silver is become dross, thy wine is drugged with water;
23 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.
Thy princes are rebels, and companions of thieves; every one loveth brides, and runneth after rewards; to the fatherless they will not do justice, and the cause of the widow doth not come unto them.
24 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;
Therefore saith the Lord, the Eternal of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will take satisfaction on my adversaries, and be avenged on my enemies.
25 I will turn my hand against you, refine away your dross as with lye, and take away all your dross.
And I will turn my hand against thee, and purge away as with lye thy dross, and remove all thy tin:
26 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.”
And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning; after that shalt thou be called, The city of righteousness, the town that is faithful.
27 Zion will be redeemed by justice, and her repentant ones by righteousness.
Zion shall be redeemed through justice, and her converts through righteousness.
28 Rebels and sinners will be crushed together, and those who abandon Yahweh will be done away with.
But destruction shall come over transgressors and sinners together, and those that forsake the Lord shall perish.
29 “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.
For people shall be ashamed because of the terebinths which ye had desired, and ye shall be put to the blush because of the gardens that ye had chosen.
30 For you will be like an oak whose leaf fades, and like a garden that has no water.
For ye shall be as a terebinth the leaves of which wither, and as a garden that hath no water.
31 The strong man will be like tinder, and his work like a spark; they will both burn together, and no one will quench them.”
And the mighty oppressor shall become as tow, and his workman as a spark; and they shall both burn together, with none to quench.
