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 Uzziah, Joatham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, 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.
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 knows his owner, and the donkey his master's feeding trough, but Israel does not know, Israel does not understand.”
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 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 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 are you still being beaten? Why do you rebel more and more? The whole head is sick, the whole heart is weak.
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 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 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 ruined; your cities are burned; your fields—in your presence, strangers are destroying them— abandoned devastation, 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 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 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 If Yahweh of hosts had not left for us a small remnant, we would have been like Sodom, we would have been like 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 Yahweh, you rulers of Sodom; listen to the law of our God, you 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 “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.
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 you come to appear before me, who has required this of you, 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 meaningless offerings; incense is an abomination to me; your new moon and Sabbath assemblies—I cannot tolerate these wicked assemblies.
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 I hate your new moons and your appointed feasts; they are a burden to me; I am tired of enduring them.
My soul hates your days of proclamation and your solemnities. They have become bothersome to me. I labor to endure 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 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, cleanse yourselves; remove the evil of your deeds from my sight; stop being evil;
Wash, become clean, take away the evil of your intentions from my eyes. Cease to act perversely.
17 learn to do good; seek justice, make straight the oppression, give justice to the fatherless, defend 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,” 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.
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 you are willing and obedient, you will 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 you refuse and rebel, the sword will devour you,” for the mouth of Yahweh has 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 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 has the faithful city, full of judgment, become a harlot? Justice lived in her, but now murderers.
22 Your silver has become impure, your wine mixed with water.
Your silver has turned into dross. Your wine has been mixed 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.
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 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;
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 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 to you. And I will temper your dross unto purity, and I will take away all your 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 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 will be redeemed by justice, and her repentant ones by righteousness.
Zion will be redeemed in judgment, and they will lead her back to justice.
28 Rebels and sinners will be crushed together, and those who abandon Yahweh will be done away with.
And he shall crush the accursed and sinners together. And those who have abandoned the Lord will be consumed.
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 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 you will be like an oak whose leaf fades, and like a garden that has no water.
when you were like an oak with falling leaves, and like a garden without 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 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.
