²¹ See how the faithful city
    has become a prostitute!^(A)
She once was full of justice;
    righteousness^(B) used to dwell in her—
    but now murderers!^(C)
22 Your silver has become dross,^(D)
    your choice wine is diluted with water.
²³ Your rulers are rebels,^(E)
    partners with thieves;^(F)
they all love bribes^(G)
    and chase after gifts.
They do not defend the cause of the fatherless;
    the widow’s case does not come before them.^(H)

²⁴ Therefore the Lord, the Lord Almighty,
    the Mighty One^(I) of Israel, declares:
“Ah! I will vent my wrath on my foes
    and avenge^(J) myself on my enemies.^(K)
25 I will turn my hand against you;^[a](L)
    I will thoroughly purge^(M) away your dross^(N)
    and remove all your impurities.^(O)
26 I will restore your leaders as in days of old,^(P)
    your rulers as at the beginning.
Afterward you will be called^(Q)
    the City of Righteousness,^(R)
    the Faithful City.^(S)”

¹⁰ See, I have refined^(A) you, though not as silver;
    I have tested^(B) you in the furnace^(C) of affliction.

²⁷ “I have made you a tester^(A) of metals
    and my people the ore,
that you may observe
    and test their ways.
²⁸ They are all hardened rebels,^(B)
    going about to slander.^(C)
They are bronze and iron;^(D)
    they all act corruptly.
²⁹ The bellows blow fiercely
    to burn away the lead with fire,
but the refining^(E) goes on in vain;
    the wicked are not purged out.
³⁰ They are called rejected silver,^(F)
    because the Lord has rejected them.”^(G)