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

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 heavens, And give ear, O earth, for Yahweh, hath spoken: —Sons, have I brought up, and advanced, And, 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.

An ox knoweth, his owner, And an ass his masters crib, —Israel, doth not know, My people doth not consider.

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.

Alas! a nation—committing sin, a people—burdened with iniquity, a seed—practising wickedness, sons—acting corruptly. They have forsaken Yahweh despised the Holy One of Israel, —Are estranged and gone back.

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 ye be smitten any more? Ye would again turn aside! The whole head is sick, And the whole heart faint:

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 sole of the foot even unto the head, there is in it no soundness, Bruise and stripe and newly-made wound, —They have not been pressed out, nor bound up, nor soothed with oil.

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 country—is a desolation, Your cities—are consumed with fire, —Your soil—right before your eyes, foreigners are devouring it, And it is a desolation a very overthrow by foreigners;

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.

And left is the Daughter of Zion, Like a hut in a vineyard, —Like a lodge in a gourd-plot Like a city besieged.

9 If the Lord Almighty hadn't let a few of us survive, we would have become like Sodom and Gomorrah.

If, Yahweh of hosts, had not left us a very small remnant, Like Sodom, had we become, Gomorrah, had we resembled.

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 Yahweh, ye rulers of Sodom, —Give ear to the instruction of our God, ye people of Gomorrah: —

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 use to me, is your multitude of sacrifices: Saith Yahweh: I am sated with ascending-offerings of rams and the fat of fed beasts, —In the blood of bulls and young rams and he-goats, have I no pleasure.

12 When you come to appear before me in worship, who asked you to proudly tramp around my courts?

When ye enter to see my face, Who hath required this at your hand trampling my courts?

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.

Ye shall not again bring in an empty, present, Incense, an abomination, is that unto me! New moon, and sabbath calling an assembly—I cannot endure, iniquity and sacred festival!

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 new moons and your appointed feasts, my soul, hateth, —They have become unto me a burden I am too weary to bear:

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.

Even when ye spread forth your open palms, I hide mine eyes from you; Yea, though ye multiply prayers, I am not hearkening, —Your hands, with deeds of blood, are filled.

16 Wash yourselves and clean yourselves up. Get rid of your sins—I don't want to see them! Stop doing evil!

Wash you make you clean, Put away the wickedness of your doings from before mine eyes, —Cease to do evil.

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—Seek justice, Correct the oppressor, —Vindicate the fatherless, Plead the cause of 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.

Come, I pray you, and let us settle the dispute Saith Yahweh, —Though your sins be found like scarlet, As snow, shall they be made white, Though they appear red like crimson, As wool, shall they become.

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.

If ye be willing—and hearken Of the good of the land, shall ye eat;

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 ye refuse and rebel, With the sword, shall ye be devoured, For, the mouth of Yahweh, hath spoken it.

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 hath she become unchaste!—The city that was Faithful, —Full of justice, Righteousness lodged in her, But, now, murderers!

22 Your silver has become worthless waste; you wine has been watered down.

Thy silver, hath become dross, —Thy wine, weakened 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.

Thy rulers, are unruly, and companions of thieves, Every one of the people, loveth a bribe, and runneth after rewards, —The fatherless, they do not vindicate, And, the plea of the widow, reacheth them not.

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, Declareth the Lord Yahweh of hosts, The Mighty One of Israel, —Alas! I must appease me on mine adversaries, I must avenge me on mine enemies

25 I will turn against you. I will refine you in a furnace, removing all impurities.

That I may turn my hand against thee, And smelt away, as with potash, thy dross, And remove all thine alloy;

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.

That I may restore thy Judges as at the first, and thy Counsellors as at the beginning, —After that, shalt thou be called Righteous citadel, Trusty city, —

27 Zion will be rescued by justice, those who repent by doing right.

Zion, with justice shall be redeemed, —And her returning ones, with righteousness;

28 But rebels and sinners will be destroyed together, and those who abandon the Lord will die.

And the downfall of transgressors and sinners, shall be, together, —And, they who forsake Yahweh, shall be brought to an end;

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 turn pale on account of the oaks which ye desired, —And ye shall blush on account of the gardens which ye had chosen;

30 As a result you will become like an oak whose leaves have withered, a dried-out garden that has no water.

For ye shall be as an oak with its leaf faded, And as a garden that hath 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.

Then shall the strong one become tow, And his work a spark, —And they shall both blaze together And there be none to quench the fire.