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Isaiah 1
International Standard Version
Isaiah 1
International Standard Version
The Vision of Isaiah
1 This[a] is the vision that Amoz’s son Isaiah[b] had about Judah and Jerusalem during the reigns[c] of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
Rebellious Judah
2 Listen, you heavens,
and let the[d] earth pay attention,
because the Lord has spoken:
“I reared children
and brought them to adulthood,
but then they rebelled against me.
3 The ox knows its owner,
and the donkey its master’s feeding trough,
but[e] Israel doesn’t know,
and[f] my people don’t understand.
4 “Oh, you sinful nation!
You people burdened down by iniquity!
You offspring of those who keep practicing what is evil!
You corrupt children!
“They’ve abandoned the Lord;
they’ve despised the Holy One of Israel;
in their estrangement, they’ve walked away from me.[g]
5 “Why will you still be struck down?
Why will you continue to rebel?
Your whole head is sick,
and your whole heart is faint.
6 From the sole of your foot to the top of your head,
there’s no soundness evident[h]—
only bruises, sores,
and festering wounds
that haven’t been cleaned out,
bandaged, or treated[i] with oil.”
God’s Diagnosis
7 “Your country lies desolate;
your cities have been incinerated.
Before your very eyes,
foreigners are devouring your land—
they’ve brought devastation on it,[j]
while the land is[k] overthrown by foreigners.
8 “The daughter of Zion is left abandoned,
like a booth in a vineyard,
like a hut in a cucumber field,
or like a city under siege.
9 If the Lord of the Heavenly Armies
hadn’t left us a few survivors,
we would be like Sodom;
we would be like Gomorrah.
10 “Listen to what the Lord says,
you rulers of Sodom,
and[l] pay attention to the teaching of our God,
you people of Gomorrah!
11 “How do your voluminous sacrifices benefit me?”
the Lord is asking.
“I’ve had enough of burnt offerings of rams
and the fat of well-fed beasts.
I don’t enjoy the blood of bulls,
lambs, or goats.
12 “When you come to present yourselves in my presence,[m]
who has required you
to trample on my courts?
13 Stop bringing useless offerings!
Incense is detestable to me,
as are your New Moons, Sabbaths, and calling of convocations.
I cannot stand iniquity within[n] a solemn assembly.
14 As for your New Moons and your appointed festivals,
I abhor[o] them.
They’ve become a burden to me;
I’ve grown weary of carrying that burden.[p]
15 When you spread out your hands in prayer,[q]
I’ll hide my eyes from you.
Even though you pray repeatedly,
I won’t listen.
Your hands are full of blood,
your fingers drenched[r] with iniquity.”[s]
An Invitation to Reconciliation
16 “Wash yourselves,
and[t] make yourselves clean;
remove your evil behavior
from my presence;
stop practicing what is evil.
17 Learn to practice what is good;
seek justice,
alleviate oppression,[u]
defend orphans[v] in court,
and[w] plead the widow’s case.
18 “Please come,
and let’s reason together,” implores the Lord.
“Even though your[x] sins are like scarlet,
they’ll be white like snow.
Though they’re like crimson,[y]
they’ll become like wool.
19 If you’re willing and obedient,
you’ll eat the best that the land produces;
20 but[z] if you refuse and rebel,
you’ll be devoured by the sword,[aa]
because the Lord[ab] has spoken.”
Diagnosis and Judgment
21 “How the faithful city
has become a whore,
she who used to be filled with justice!
Righteousness used to reside within her,
but now only murderers live there.
22 Your silver has[ac] become dross,
your best wine is diluted with water.
23 Your princes are rebels
and companions of thieves.
All of them are lovers of[ad] bribes
and are runners[ae] after gifts.
They don’t bring justice to orphans,[af]
and the widow’s case never comes up for review in their court.”[ag]
Restoration and Redemption
24 Therefore this is what the Lord God of the Heavenly Armies,
the one who is Israel’s Mighty One, declares:
“Now I’ll get relief from his[ah] enemies
and avenge myself on his[ai] foes.
25 When I turn[aj] my attention to you,[ak]
I’ll refine your dross as in a furnace.[al]
I’ll remove[am] all your alloy.
26 Let me restore[an] your judges as at the first,
and your counselors as at the beginning.
Afterward you’ll be called ‘The Righteous City’
and ‘The Faithful City of Zion’.[ao]
27 “Zion[ap] will be redeemed by justice,
and her repentant ones[aq] by righteousness.
28 Rebels and sinners will be broken together,
and those who forsake the Lord will be consumed.
29 They’ll be ashamed of the oak trees
that you desired;
and you’ll blush because of the gardens
that you have chosen.
30 You’ll be like an oak
whose leaf is withering,
like an unwatered garden.
31 Your[ar] strong one[as] will be like tinder,
and your work[at] a spark;
both of them will burn together,
with no one to quench the flames that burn[au] them.”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 1:1 This book has been translated from the Great Isaiah Scroll (1QIsaa) of the DSS. The MT, LXX, Syr, Targ, and other ancient texts are compared in footnotes where they may vary from 1QIsaa and other DSS mss. Some of these ancient readings were incorporated instead of the DSS Isaiah text.
- Isaiah 1:1 The Heb. name Isaiah means The Lord has saved
- Isaiah 1:1 Lit. days
- Isaiah 1:2 So 1QIsaa; the Heb. lacks the
- Isaiah 1:3 So 4QIsaj; 1QIsaa MT lack but
- Isaiah 1:3 So 4QIsaj; 1QIsaa MT lack and
- Isaiah 1:4 Lit. they’ve gone back
- Isaiah 1:6 Lit. soundness in it
- Isaiah 1:6 Or softened
- Isaiah 1:7 So 1QIsaa; MurIsa MT LXX read Devastated
- Isaiah 1:7 DSS MT lack the land is
- Isaiah 1:10 So 1:10 1QIsaa Syr; MT LXX Targ Vulgate lack and
- Isaiah 1:12 Lit. come for my face to appear
- Isaiah 1:13 Lit. and
- Isaiah 1:14 Lit. festivals, my soul abhors
- Isaiah 1:14 Lit. carrying them
- Isaiah 1:15 DSS MT lack in prayer
- Isaiah 1:15 DSS lack drenched
- Isaiah 1:15 MT 4QIsaf lack this line
- Isaiah 1:16 So 1QIsaa; 4QIsaf MT lack and
- Isaiah 1:17 Or rescue the oppressed
- Isaiah 1:17 Or defend the fatherless
- Isaiah 1:17 DSS MT lack and
- Isaiah 1:18 Lit. your (pl.)
- Isaiah 1:18 So 1QIsaa LXX; 4QIsaf MT read they’re red like crimson
- Isaiah 1:20 So 1QIsaa LXX Targ Syr; 4QIsaf lacks but
- Isaiah 1:20 So 1QIsaa Targ Syr; LXX reads the sword will devour you
- Isaiah 1:20 Lit. Lord’s mouth
- Isaiah 1:22 So MT; 1QIsaa reads have
- Isaiah 1:23 So 1QIsaa LXX; MT reads Everyone loves
- Isaiah 1:23 So 1QIsaa LXX; MT reads and run
- Isaiah 1:23 Or to the fatherless
- Isaiah 1:23 Lit. comes before them
- Isaiah 1:24 So 1QIsaa; 4QIsaf MT LXX Vulgate read my
- Isaiah 1:24 So 1QIsaa; LXX MT read my
- Isaiah 1:25 So 1QIsaa; LXX MT read And let me turn
- Isaiah 1:25 Lit. my hand against you
- Isaiah 1:25 1QIsaa lacks as in a furnace; MT reads as lye
- Isaiah 1:25 So 1QIsaa 4QIsaf; MT reads Let me remove
- Isaiah 1:26 1QIsaa MT; 4QIsaf reads I will restore
- Isaiah 1:26 So LXX; the Heb. lacks Zion
- Isaiah 1:27 So MT; 1QIsaa reading unclear
- Isaiah 1:27 So 1QIsaa MT 4QIsaf; LXX reads her captivity
- Isaiah 1:31 Lit. Your (pl.); so 1QIsaa Vulgate. The
- Isaiah 1:31 LXX MT read Their strength
- Isaiah 1:31 So 1QIsaa; MT reads their work; LXX reads their deeds
- Isaiah 1:31 DSS MT lack the flames that burn
Isaiah 1
New International Version
Isaiah 1
New International Version
1 The vision(A) concerning Judah and Jerusalem(B) that Isaiah son of Amoz saw(C) during the reigns of Uzziah,(D) Jotham,(E) Ahaz(F) and Hezekiah,(G) kings of Judah.
A Rebellious Nation
2 Hear me, you heavens! Listen, earth!(H)
For the Lord has spoken:(I)
“I reared children(J) and brought them up,
but they have rebelled(K) against me.
3 The ox knows(L) its master,
the donkey its owner’s manger,(M)
but Israel does not know,(N)
my people do not understand.(O)”
4 Woe to the sinful nation,
a people whose guilt is great,(P)
a brood of evildoers,(Q)
children given to corruption!(R)
They have forsaken(S) the Lord;
they have spurned the Holy One(T) of Israel
and turned their backs(U) on him.
5 Why should you be beaten(V) anymore?
Why do you persist(W) in rebellion?(X)
Your whole head is injured,
your whole heart(Y) afflicted.(Z)
6 From the sole of your foot to the top of your head(AA)
there is no soundness(AB)—
only wounds and welts(AC)
and open sores,
not cleansed or bandaged(AD)
or soothed with olive oil.(AE)
7 Your country is desolate,(AF)
your cities burned with fire;(AG)
your fields are being stripped by foreigners(AH)
right before you,
laid waste as when overthrown by strangers.(AI)
8 Daughter Zion(AJ) is left(AK)
like a shelter in a vineyard,
like a hut(AL) in a cucumber field,
like a city under siege.
9 Unless the Lord Almighty
had left us some survivors,(AM)
we would have become like Sodom,
we would have been like Gomorrah.(AN)
10 Hear the word of the Lord,(AO)
you rulers of Sodom;(AP)
listen to the instruction(AQ) of our God,
you people of Gomorrah!(AR)
11 “The multitude of your sacrifices—
what are they to me?” says the Lord.
“I have more than enough of burnt offerings,
of rams and the fat of fattened animals;(AS)
I have no pleasure(AT)
in the blood of bulls(AU) and lambs and goats.(AV)
12 When you come to appear before me,
who has asked this of you,(AW)
this trampling of my courts?
13 Stop bringing meaningless offerings!(AX)
Your incense(AY) is detestable(AZ) to me.
New Moons,(BA) Sabbaths and convocations(BB)—
I cannot bear your worthless assemblies.
14 Your New Moon(BC) feasts and your appointed festivals(BD)
I hate with all my being.(BE)
They have become a burden to me;(BF)
I am weary(BG) of bearing them.
15 When you spread out your hands(BH) in prayer,
I hide(BI) my eyes from you;
even when you offer many prayers,
I am not listening.(BJ)
16 Wash(BM) and make yourselves clean.
Take your evil deeds out of my sight;(BN)
stop doing wrong.(BO)
17 Learn to do right;(BP) seek justice.(BQ)
Defend the oppressed.[a](BR)
Take up the cause of the fatherless;(BS)
plead the case of the widow.(BT)
18 “Come now, let us settle the matter,”(BU)
says the Lord.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;(BV)
though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool.(BW)
19 If you are willing and obedient,(BX)
you will eat the good things of the land;(BY)
20 but if you resist and rebel,(BZ)
you will be devoured by the sword.”(CA)
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.(CB)
21 See how the faithful city
has become a prostitute!(CC)
She once was full of justice;
righteousness(CD) used to dwell in her—
but now murderers!(CE)
22 Your silver has become dross,(CF)
your choice wine is diluted with water.
23 Your rulers are rebels,(CG)
partners with thieves;(CH)
they all love bribes(CI)
and chase after gifts.
They do not defend the cause of the fatherless;
the widow’s case does not come before them.(CJ)
24 Therefore the Lord, the Lord Almighty,
the Mighty One(CK) of Israel, declares:
“Ah! I will vent my wrath on my foes
and avenge(CL) myself on my enemies.(CM)
25 I will turn my hand against you;[b](CN)
I will thoroughly purge(CO) away your dross(CP)
and remove all your impurities.(CQ)
26 I will restore your leaders as in days of old,(CR)
your rulers as at the beginning.
Afterward you will be called(CS)
the City of Righteousness,(CT)
the Faithful City.(CU)”
27 Zion will be delivered with justice,
her penitent(CV) ones with righteousness.(CW)
28 But rebels and sinners(CX) will both be broken,
and those who forsake(CY) the Lord will perish.(CZ)
29 “You will be ashamed(DA) because of the sacred oaks(DB)
in which you have delighted;
you will be disgraced because of the gardens(DC)
that you have chosen.
30 You will be like an oak with fading leaves,(DD)
like a garden without water.
31 The mighty man will become tinder
and his work a spark;
both will burn together,
with no one to quench the fire.(DE)”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 1:17 Or justice. / Correct the oppressor
- Isaiah 1:25 That is, against Jerusalem
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.