Isaiah 1
1 The Visions of Isaiah son of Amoz, that he hath seen concerning Judah and Jerusalem, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
This is the vision that Isaiah, son of Amoz, saw about Judah and Jerusalem in the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
2 Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, For Jehovah hath spoken: Sons I have nourished and brought up, And they — they transgressed against Me.
Heavens, listen! Earth, pay attention! For the Lord has spoken! I brought up children, I cared for them, but they have rebelled against me.
3 An ox hath known its owner, And an ass the crib of its master, Israel hath not known, My people hath not understood.
An ox knows its owner, and a donkey knows its feeding trough; but my people don't know me, they don't understand me.
4 Ah, sinning nation, a people heavy [with] iniquity, A seed of evil doers, sons — corrupters! They have forsaken Jehovah, They have despised the Holy One of Israel, They have gone away backward.
What a sinful nation—a people carrying such a load of guilt, an evil generation, corrupt children! They have abandoned the Lord. They have despised Israel's Holy One. They have become strangers. They have gone backwards.
5 Wherefore are ye stricken any more? Ye do add apostasy! Every head is become diseased, and every heart [is] sick.
Are you wanting to be punished? Are you going to continue to rebel? The whole of your head is damaged, and your heart is totally giving out.
6 From the sole of the foot — unto the head, There is no soundness in it, Wound, and bruise, and fresh smiting! They have not been closed nor bound, Nor have they softened with ointment.
You're injured from head to toe, bruised and sore, with open wounds that haven't been cleaned or bandaged or treated with olive oil.
7 Your land [is] a desolation, your cities burnt with fire, Your ground, before you strangers are consuming it, And a desolation as overthrown by strangers!
Your country has been devastated, your towns burned down, your fields stripped bare by foreigners right in front of you, as they turn it all into a wasteland.
8 And left hath been the daughter of Zion, As a booth in a vineyard, As a lodge in a place of cucumbers — as a city besieged.
The daughter of Zion is left like a shack in a vineyard, like a hut in a cucumber field, like a city under attack.
9 Unless Jehovah of Hosts had left to us a remnant, Shortly — as Sodom we had been, To Gomorrah we had been like!
If the Lord Almighty hadn't let a few of us survive, we would have become like Sodom and Gomorrah.
10 Hear the word of Jehovah, ye rulers of Sodom, Give ear to the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah,
Listen to what the Lord has to say, you rulers of Sodom! Pay attention to the instructions of our God, you people of Gomorrah!
11 'Why to Me the abundance of your sacrifices? saith Jehovah, I have been satiated [with] burnt-offerings of rams, And fat of fatlings; And blood of bullocks, and lambs, And he-goats I have not desired.
What use are all your many sacrifices to me? asks the Lord. I am sick and tired of your burnt offerings of rams and the fat of sacrificial animals. I don't delight in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats!
12 When ye come in to appear before Me, Who hath required this of your hand, To trample My courts?
When you come to appear before me in worship, who asked you to proudly tramp around my courts?
13 Add not to bring in a vain present, Incense — an abomination it [is] to Me, New moon, and sabbath, calling of convocation! Rendure not iniquity — and a restraint!
Don't bring me any more meaningless offerings; your incense is offensive to me. Your new moon festivals and Sabbath observations and your calling of special religious meetings—I can't stand them because they're evil, as are your solemn assemblies.
14 Your new moons and your set seasons hath My soul hated, They have been upon me for a burden, I have been weary of bearing.
I detest your new moon and yearly festivals with my whole being! They've become just a burden to me—I can't bear them anymore!
15 And in your spreading forth your hands, I hide mine eyes from you, Also when ye increase prayer, I do not hear, Your hands of blood have been full.
When you hold up your hands to me in prayer, I'll look away. Even though you pray many prayers, I won't pay attention to them, because your hands are full of blood.
16 Wash ye, make ye pure, Turn aside the evil of your doings, from before Mine eyes, Cease to do evil, learn to do good.
Wash yourselves and clean yourselves up. Get rid of your sins—I don't want to see them! Stop doing evil!
17 Seek judgment, make happy the oppressed, Judge the fatherless, strive [for] the widow.
Learn to do good; strive for justice, condemn those who oppress others; support the rights of orphans, take up cases to defend widows.
18 Come, I pray you, and we reason, saith Jehovah, If your sins are as scarlet, as snow they shall be white, If they are red as crimson, as wool they shall be!
Come on, let's argue this out, says the Lord. Even though your sins are like scarlet, they will become white like snow. Even though they are red like crimson, they will become like wool.
19 If ye are willing, and have hearkened, The good of the land ye consume,
If you really want this, and if you do as you're told, then you yourselves will eat the best things that the land produces.
20 And if ye refuse, and have rebelled, [By] the sword ye are consumed, For the mouth of Jehovah hath spoken.
But if you are defiant, and if you are rebellious, you'll be killed by the sword. This is what the Lord has declared!
21 How hath a faithful city become a harlot? I have filled it [with] judgment, Righteousness lodgeth in it — now murderers.
The city that used to be faithful has turned into a prostitute! Once she operated on principles of justice and followed what was right, but now only murderers live there.
22 Thy silver hath become dross, Thy drink polluted with water.
Your silver has become worthless waste; you wine has been watered down.
23 Thy princes [are] apostates, and companions of thieves, Every one loving a bribe, and pursuing rewards, The fatherless they judge not, And the plea of the widow cometh not to them.
Your leaders are rebels, friends of thieves. They all love bribes and want to get kickbacks. They don't defend the rights of orphans, and refuse to take cases to help widows.
24 Therefore — the affirmation of the Lord — Jehovah of Hosts, the Mighty One of Israel: Ah, I am eased of Mine adversaries, And I am avenged of Mine enemies,
So this is what the Lord says, the Lord Almighty, the Mighty One of Israel: Ha! I will take satisfaction in punishing my enemies, by paying back those who hate me!
25 And I turn back My hand upon thee, And I refine as purity thy dross, And I turn aside all thy tin,
I will turn against you. I will refine you in a furnace, removing all impurities.
26 And I give back thy judges as at the first, And thy counsellors as in the beginning, After this thou art called, 'A city of righteousness — a faithful city.'
I will give you good leaders as you used to have before, wise counselors as you had in the beginning. After that you will once again be called the City of Integrity, the Faithful City.
27 Zion in judgment is redeemed, And her captivity in righteousness.
Zion will be rescued by justice, those who repent by doing right.
28 And the destruction of transgressors and sinners [is] together, And those forsaking Jehovah are consumed.
But rebels and sinners will be destroyed together, and those who abandon the Lord will die.
29 For [men] are ashamed because of the oaks That ye have desired, And ye are confounded because of the gardens That ye have chosen.
You will be ashamed about how you enjoyed your pagan worship among the oak trees; you will be embarrassed because you chose the pleasure gardens of idols.
30 For ye are as an oak whose leaf is fading, And as a garden that hath no water.
As a result you will become like an oak whose leaves have withered, a dried-out garden that has no water.
31 And the strong hath been for tow, And his work for a spark, And burned have both of them together, And there is none quenching!
Your strong people will become like tinder, and their work will become like a spark. They will burn together, and nobody will be able to put out the flames.
