Isaiah 1

1 The visions of Isaiah, the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

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.

2 Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth! For Jehovah speaketh: “I have nourished and brought up children, And they have rebelled against me.

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.

3 The ox knoweth his owner, And the ass his master's crib; But Israel doth not know; My people do not consider.”

An ox hath known its owner, And an ass the crib of its master, Israel hath not known, My people hath not understood.

4 Ah, sinful nation! a people laden with iniquity! A race of evil-doers! degenerate children! They have forsaken Jehovah; they have despised the Holy One of Israel; They have gone backward.

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.

5 Where can ye be smitten again, Since ye renew your rebellion? The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint;

Wherefore are ye stricken any more? Ye do add apostasy! Every head is become diseased, and every heart [is] sick.

6 From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness in it; It is all bruises, and stripes, and flesh wounds, Neither pressed, nor bound up, nor softened with ointment.

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.

7 Your country is desolate; Your cities are burnt with fire; Your ground, strangers devour it before your eyes; It is become desolate, destroyed by an enemy.

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!

8 And the daughter of Zion is left as a shed in a vineyard, As a hut in a garden of cucumbers, As a besieged city.

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.

9 Had not Jehovah of hosts left us a small remnant, We had soon become as Sodom; We had been like to Gomorrah.

Unless Jehovah of Hosts had left to us a remnant, Shortly — as Sodom we had been, To Gomorrah we had been like!

10 Hear ye the word of Jehovah, ye princes of Sodom! Give ear to the instruction of our God, ye people of Gomorrah!

Hear the word of Jehovah, ye rulers of Sodom, Give ear to the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah,

11 What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? saith Jehovah; I am satiated with burnt-offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; In the blood of bullocks and of lambs and of goats I have no delight.

'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.

12 When ye come to appear before me, Who hath required this of you, to tread my courts?

When ye come in to appear before Me, Who hath required this of your hand, To trample My courts?

13 Bring no more false oblations! Incense is an abomination to me, The new moon also, and the sabbath, and the calling of the assembly; Iniquity and festivals I cannot endure.

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!

14 Your new moons and your feasts my soul hateth; They are a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them.

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.

15 When ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you; Yea, when ye multiply prayers, I will not hear: Your hands are full of blood!

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.

16 Wash you; make you clean; Put away your evil doings from before mine eyes;

Wash ye, make ye pure, Turn aside the evil of your doings, from before Mine eyes, Cease to do evil, learn to do good.

17 Cease to do evil; Learn to do well; Seek justice; relieve the oppressed; Defend the fatherless; plead for the widow!

Seek judgment, make happy the oppressed, Judge the fatherless, strive [for] the widow.

18 Come, now, and let us argue together, saith Jehovah. Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; Though they be red as crimson, they shall be like wool.

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!

19 If ye be willing and obedient, Ye shall consume the good of the land.

If ye are willing, and have hearkened, The good of the land ye consume,

20 But if ye refuse, and be rebellious, The sword shall consume you; For the mouth of Jehovah hath said it.

And if ye refuse, and have rebelled, [By] the sword ye are consumed, For the mouth of Jehovah hath spoken.

21 How is the faithful city become a harlot, She that was full of equity! Once justice dwelt in her, but now murderers!

How hath a faithful city become a harlot? I have filled it [with] judgment, Righteousness lodgeth in it — now murderers.

22 Thy silver is become dross; Thy wine is adulterated with water.

Thy silver hath become dross, Thy drink polluted with water.

23 Thy princes are faithless, companions of thieves; Every one of them loveth gifts, and seeketh rewards; They render not justice to the fatherless, And the cause of the widow cometh not before them.

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.

24 Wherefore, thus saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel: Ha! I will ease me of mine adversaries, And avenge me of mine enemies.

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,

25 And I will again turn my hand toward thee, And wholly purge away thy dross, And take away all thy alloy.

And I turn back My hand upon thee, And I refine as purity thy dross, And I turn aside all thy tin,

26 And I will restore thee judges, as at the first, And counsellors, as at the beginning. Then shalt thou be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city.

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.'

27 Through justice shall Zion be delivered, And her reformed sons through righteousness.

Zion in judgment is redeemed, And her captivity in righteousness.

28 But destruction shall fall at once on the rebels and sinners; Yea, they that forsake Jehovah shall be consumed.

And the destruction of transgressors and sinners [is] together, And those forsaking Jehovah are consumed.

29 For ye shall be ashamed of the terebinths in which ye delighted; Ye shall blush for the gardens which ye loved;

For [men] are ashamed because of the oaks That ye have desired, And ye are confounded because of the gardens That ye have chosen.

30 And ye shall be as a terebinth-tree whose leaves are withered, And as a garden in which is no water.

For ye are as an oak whose leaf is fading, And as a garden that hath no water.

31 The strong shall become tow, And his work a spark of fire; Both shall burn together, And none shall quench them.

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!