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 concerning Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah son of Amoz saw during 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.
Listen, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, for the LORD has spoken: “I have raised children and brought them up, 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.
The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master’s manger, but Israel does not know; My people do not understand.”
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.
Alas, O sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a brood of evildoers, children of depravity! They have forsaken the LORD; they have despised the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on Him.
5 Wherefore are ye stricken any more? Ye do add apostasy! Every head is become diseased, and every heart [is] sick.
Why do you want more beatings? Why do you keep rebelling? Your head has a massive wound, and your whole heart is afflicted.
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.
From the sole of your foot to the top of your head, there is no soundness— only wounds and welts and festering sores neither cleansed nor bandaged nor soothed with 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 land is desolate; your cities are burned with fire. Foreigners devour your fields before you— a desolation demolished by strangers.
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.
And the Daughter of Zion is abandoned like a shelter in a vineyard, like a shack in a cucumber field, like a city besieged.
9 Unless Jehovah of Hosts had left to us a remnant, Shortly — as Sodom we had been, To Gomorrah we had been like!
Unless the LORD of Hosts had left us a few survivors, we would have become like Sodom, we would have resembled Gomorrah.
10 Hear the word of Jehovah, ye rulers of Sodom, Give ear to the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah,
Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom; listen to the instruction 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 good to Me is your multitude of sacrifices?” says the LORD. “I am full from the burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed cattle; I take no 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, who has required this of you— this trampling of 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!
Bring your worthless offerings no more; your incense is detestable to Me— your New Moons, Sabbaths, and convocations. I cannot endure iniquity in a solemn assembly.
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 hate your New Moons and your appointed feasts. They have become a burden to Me; I am weary of bearing them.
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 spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; even though you multiply your prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with 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 and cleanse yourselves. Remove your evil deeds from My sight. Stop doing evil!
17 Seek judgment, make happy the oppressed, Judge the fatherless, strive [for] the widow.
Learn to do right; seek justice and correct the oppressor. Defend the fatherless and plead the case of the widow.”
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 now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are as red as crimson, they will become like wool.
19 If ye are willing, and have hearkened, The good of the land ye consume,
If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best of the land.
20 And if ye refuse, and have rebelled, [By] the sword ye are consumed, For the mouth of Jehovah hath spoken.
But if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.”
21 How hath a faithful city become a harlot? I have filled it [with] judgment, Righteousness lodgeth in it — now murderers.
See how the faithful city has become a harlot! She once was full of justice; righteousness resided within her, but now only murderers!
22 Thy silver hath become dross, Thy drink polluted with water.
Your silver has become dross; your fine wine is diluted with water.
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 rulers are rebels, friends of thieves. They all love bribes and chasing after rewards. They do not defend the fatherless, and the plea of the widow never comes before them.
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,
Therefore the Lord GOD of Hosts, the Mighty One of Israel, declares: “Ah, I will be relieved of My foes and avenge Myself on My enemies.
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 My hand against you; I will thoroughly purge your dross; I will remove all your 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 restore your judges as at first, and your counselors as at the beginning. After that you will be called the City of Righteousness, the Faithful City.”
27 Zion in judgment is redeemed, And her captivity in righteousness.
Zion will be redeemed with justice, her repentant ones with righteousness.
28 And the destruction of transgressors and sinners [is] together, And those forsaking Jehovah are consumed.
But rebels and sinners will together be shattered, and those who forsake the LORD will perish.
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.
Surely you will be ashamed of the sacred oaks in which you have delighted; you will be embarrassed by the gardens that you have chosen.
30 For ye are as an oak whose leaf is fading, And as a garden that hath no water.
For you will become like an oak whose leaves are withered, like a garden without 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!
The strong man will become tinder and his work will be a spark; both will burn together, with no one to quench the flames.
