Isaiah 1
1 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.
The vision which Esaias the son of Amos saw, which he saw against Juda, and against Jerusalem, in the reign of Ozias, and Joatham, and Achaz, and Ezekias, who reigned over Judea.
2 Heavens, listen! Earth, pay attention! For the Lord has spoken! I brought up children, I cared for them, but they have rebelled against me.
Hear, O heaven, and listen, O earth: for the Lord has spoken, [saying], I have begotten and reared up children, but they have rebelled against me.
3 An ox knows its owner, and a donkey knows its feeding trough; but my people don't know me, they don't understand me.
The ox knows his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel does not know me, and the people has not regarded me.
4 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.
Ah sinful nation, a people full of sins, an evil seed, lawless children: you have forsaken the Lord, and provoked the Holy One of Israel.
5 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.
Why should you be struck [any] more, transgressing more and more? the whole head is pained, and the whole heart sad.
6 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.
From the feet to the head, there is no soundness in them; neither wound, nor bruise, nor festering ulcer [are healed]: it is not possible to apply a plaister, nor oil, nor bandages.
7 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.
Your land is desolate, your cities burnt with fire: your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is made desolate, overthrown by strange nations.
8 The daughter of Zion is left like a shack in a vineyard, like a hut in a cucumber field, like a city under attack.
The daughter of Sion shall be deserted as a tent in a vineyard, and as a storehouse of fruits in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city.
9 If the Lord Almighty hadn't let a few of us survive, we would have become like Sodom and Gomorrah.
And if the Lord of Sabaoth had not left us a seed, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been made like Gomorrha.
10 Listen to what the Lord has to say, you rulers of Sodom! Pay attention to the instructions of our God, you people of Gomorrah!
Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodoma; attend to the law of God, you people of Gomorrha.
11 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!
Of what [value] to me is the abundance of your sacrifices? says the Lord: I am full of whole burnt offerings of rams; and I delight not in the fat of lambs, and the blood of bulls and goats:
12 When you come to appear before me in worship, who asked you to proudly tramp around my courts?
neither shall you come [with these] to appear before me; for who has required these things at your hands? You shall no more tread my court.
13 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.
Though you bring fine flour, [it is] vain; incense is an abomination to me; I can’t bear your new moons, and your sabbaths, and the great day;
14 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!
[your] fasting, and rest from work, your new moons also, and your feasts my soul hates: you have become loathsome to me; I will no more pardon your sins.
15 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.
When you stretch forth your hands, I will turn away mine eyes from you: and though you make many supplications, I will not listen to you; for your hands are full of blood.
16 Wash yourselves and clean yourselves up. Get rid of your sins—I don't want to see them! Stop doing evil!
Wash you, be clean; remove your iniquities from your souls before mine eyes; cease from your iniquities;
17 Learn to do good; strive for justice, condemn those who oppress others; support the rights of orphans, take up cases to defend widows.
learn to do well; diligently seek judgement, deliver him that is suffering wrong, plead for the orphan, and obtain justice for the widow.
18 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.
And come, let us reason together, says the Lord: and though your sins be as purple, I will make them white as snow; and though they be as scarlet, I will make [them] white as wool.
19 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.
And if you be willing, and listen to me, you shall eat the good of the land:
20 But if you are defiant, and if you are rebellious, you'll be killed by the sword. This is what the Lord has declared!
but if you be not willing, nor listen to me, a sword shall devour you: for the mouth of the Lord has spoken this.
21 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.
How has the faithful city Sion, [once] full of judgement, become a harlot! wherein righteousness lodged, but now murderers.
22 Your silver has become worthless waste; you wine has been watered down.
Your silver is worthless, your wine merchants mix the wine with water.
23 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.
Your princes are rebellious, companions of thieves, loving bribes, seeking after rewards; not pleading for orphans, and not heeding the cause of widows.
24 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!
Therefore thus says the Lord, the Lord of hosts, Woe to the mighty [men] of Israel; for my wrath shall not cease against mine adversaries, and I will execute judgement on mine enemies.
25 I will turn against you. I will refine you in a furnace, removing all impurities.
And I will bring my hand upon you, and purge you completely, and I will destroy the rebellious, and will take away from you all transgressors.
26 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.
And I will establish your judges as before, and your counsellors as at the beginning: and afterward you shall be called the city of righteousness, the faithful mother-city of Sion.
27 Zion will be rescued by justice, those who repent by doing right.
For her captives shall be saved with judgement, and with mercy.
28 But rebels and sinners will be destroyed together, and those who abandon the Lord will die.
And the transgressors and the sinners shall be crushed together, and they that forsake the Lord shall be utterly consumed.
29 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.
For they shall be ashamed of their idols, which they delighted in, and they are made ashamed of the gardens which they coveted.
30 As a result you will become like an oak whose leaves have withered, a dried-out garden that has no water.
For they shall be as a turpentine tree that has cast its leaves, and as a garden that has no water.
31 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.
And their strength shall be as a thread of tow, and their works as sparks, and the transgressors and the sinners shall be burnt up together, and there shall be none to quench [them].
