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.

The vision of Isaiah son of Amoz, that he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem, in the days 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.

Hear, heavens, and give ear, earth; for Yahweh has spoken: “I have nourished and brought up children, 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 his owner, and the donkey his master's feeding trough, but Israel does not know, Israel does 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.

Woe! Nation, sinners, a people weighed down with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, sons who act corruptly! They have abandoned Yahweh, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they have estranged themselves from him.

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

Why are you still being beaten? Why do you rebel more and more? The whole head is sick, the whole heart is weak.

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 the foot to the head there is no part unharmed; only wounds, and bruises, and fresh open wounds; they have not been closed, cleansed, bandaged, nor treated 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 country is ruined; your cities are burned; your fields—in your presence, strangers are destroying them— abandoned devastation, overthrown 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.

The daughter of Zion is left like a hut in a vineyard, like a shed in a garden of cucumbers, like a besieged city.

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

If Yahweh of hosts had not left for us a small remnant, we would have been like Sodom, we would have been like 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 Yahweh, you rulers of Sodom; listen to the law 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 is the multitude of your sacrifices to me?” says Yahweh. “I have had enough of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fatted beasts; and in the blood of bulls, lambs, or goats I do not delight.

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, to trample 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 no more meaningless offerings; incense is an abomination to me; your new moon and Sabbath assemblies—I cannot tolerate these wicked 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 hate your new moons and your appointed feasts; they are a burden to me; I am tired of enduring 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.

So when you spread out your hands in prayer, I hide my eyes from you; even though you offer many prayers, I will not listen; 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, cleanse yourselves; remove the evil of your deeds from my sight; stop being evil;

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

learn to do good; seek justice, make straight the oppression, give justice to the fatherless, defend 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, and let us reason together,” says Yahweh; “though your sins are like scarlet, they will be white like snow; though they are red like crimson, they will be 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 good 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 refuse and rebel, the sword will devour you,” for the mouth of Yahweh has spoken it.

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

How the faithful city has become a prostitute! She who was full of justice—she was full of righteousness, but now she is full of murderers.

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

Your silver has become impure, your wine mixed 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 princes are rebels and companions of thieves; everyone loves bribes and runs after payoffs. They do not defend the fatherless, nor does the widow's legal plea come 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 this is the declaration of the Lord Yahweh of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel: “Woe to them! I will take vengeance against my adversaries, and avenge myself against 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, refine away your dross as with lye, and take away all your dross.

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 the first, and your counselors as at the beginning; after that you will be called the city of righteousness, a faithful town.”

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

Zion will be redeemed by justice, and her repentant ones by righteousness.

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

Rebels and sinners will be crushed together, and those who abandon Yahweh will be done away with.

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.

“For you will be ashamed of the sacred oak trees that you desired, and 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 be like an oak whose leaf fades, and like a 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!

The strong man will be like tinder, and his work like a spark; they will both burn together, and no one will quench them.”