The (A)vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem (B)in the days of (C)Uzziah, (D)Jotham, (E)Ahaz, and (F)Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

The Wickedness of Judah

(G)Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O (H)earth;
    for the Lord has spoken:
“Children[a] (I)have I reared and brought up,
    but they have rebelled against me.
The ox (J)knows its owner,
    and the donkey its master's crib,
but Israel does (K)not know,
    my people do not understand.”

Ah, sinful nation,
    a people laden with iniquity,
(L)offspring of evildoers,
    children who deal corruptly!
They have forsaken the Lord,
    they have (M)despised (N)the Holy One of Israel,
    they are utterly (O)estranged.

Why will you still be (P)struck down?
    Why will you (Q)continue to rebel?
The whole head is sick,
    and the whole heart faint.
(R)From the sole of the foot even to the head,
    there is no soundness in it,
but bruises and sores
    and raw wounds;
they are (S)not pressed out or bound up
    or softened with oil.

(T)Your country lies desolate;
    your cities are burned with fire;
in your very presence
    foreigners devour your land;
    it is desolate, as overthrown by foreigners.
And (U)the daughter of Zion is left
    like a (V)booth in a vineyard,
like a lodge in a cucumber field,
    like a besieged city.

(W)If the Lord of hosts
    had not left us (X)a few survivors,
we should have been like (Y)Sodom,
    and become like (Z)Gomorrah.

10 Hear the word of the Lord,
    you rulers of (AA)(AB)Sodom!
Give ear to the teaching[b] of our God,
    you people of (AC)Gomorrah!
11 (AD)“What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices?
    says the Lord;
I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams
    and the fat of well-fed beasts;
I do not delight in the blood of bulls,
    or of lambs, or of goats.

12 “When you come to (AE)appear before me,
    who has required of you
    this trampling of my courts?
13 Bring no more vain offerings;
    incense is an abomination to me.
(AF)New moon and Sabbath and the (AG)calling of convocations—
    I cannot endure (AH)iniquity and (AI)solemn assembly.
14 Your (AJ)new moons and your appointed feasts
    my soul hates;
they have become a burden to me;
    I am weary of bearing them.
15 When you (AK)spread out your hands,
    I will hide my eyes from you;
(AL)even though you make many prayers,
    I will not listen;
    (AM)your hands are full of blood.
16 (AN)Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean;
    remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes;
(AO)cease to do evil,
17     learn to do good;
(AP)seek justice,
    correct oppression;
(AQ)bring justice to the fatherless,
    plead the widow's cause.

18 “Come now, (AR)let us reason[c] together, says the Lord:
though your sins are like scarlet,
    they shall be as (AS)white as snow;
though they are red like crimson,
    they shall become like wool.
19 (AT)If you are willing and obedient,
    you shall eat the good of the land;
20 but if you refuse and rebel,
    you shall be eaten by the sword;
    (AU)for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

The Unfaithful City

21 How the faithful city
    (AV)has become a whore,[d]
    (AW)she who was full of justice!
Righteousness lodged in her,
    but now murderers.
22 (AX)Your silver has become dross,
    your best wine mixed with water.
23 Your princes are rebels
    and companions of thieves.
Everyone (AY)loves a bribe
    and runs after gifts.
(AZ)They do not bring justice to the fatherless,
    and the widow's cause does not come to them.

24 Therefore the (BA)Lord declares,
    the Lord of hosts,
    the (BB)Mighty One of Israel:
“Ah, I will get relief from my enemies
    (BC)and avenge myself on my foes.
25 (BD)I will turn my hand against you
    and will smelt away your (BE)dross as with lye
    and remove all your alloy.
26 And I will restore your judges (BF)as at the first,
    and your counselors as at the beginning.
Afterward (BG)you shall be called the city of righteousness,
    the faithful city.”

27 (BH)Zion shall be redeemed by justice,
    and those in her who repent, by righteousness.
28 (BI)But rebels and sinners shall be broken together,
    and those who forsake the Lord shall be consumed.
29 (BJ)For they[e] shall be ashamed of (BK)the oaks
    that you desired;
and you shall blush for (BL)the gardens
    that you have chosen.
30 For you shall be (BM)like an oak
    whose leaf withers,
    and like a garden without water.
31 And the strong shall become (BN)tinder,
    and his work a spark,
and both of them shall burn together,
    with (BO)none to quench them.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 1:2 Or Sons; also verse 4
  2. Isaiah 1:10 Or law
  3. Isaiah 1:18 Or dispute
  4. Isaiah 1:21 Or become unchaste
  5. Isaiah 1:29 Some Hebrew manuscripts you

Judah Called to Repentance

The (A)vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the (B)days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

The Wickedness of Judah

(C)Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth!
For the Lord has spoken:
“I have nourished and brought up children,
And they have rebelled against Me;
(D)The ox knows its owner
And the donkey its master’s [a]crib;
But Israel (E)does not know,
My people do not [b]consider.”

Alas, sinful nation,
A people [c]laden with iniquity,
(F)A [d]brood of evildoers,
Children who are corrupters!
They have forsaken the Lord,
They have provoked to anger
The Holy One of Israel,
They have turned away backward.

(G)Why should you be stricken again?
You will revolt more and more.
The whole head is sick,
And the whole heart faints.
From the sole of the foot even to the head,
There is no soundness in it,
But wounds and bruises and putrefying sores;
They have not been closed or bound up,
Or soothed with ointment.

(H)Your country is desolate,
Your cities are burned with fire;
Strangers devour your land in your presence;
And it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.
So the daughter of Zion is left (I)as a [e]booth in a vineyard,
As a hut in a garden of cucumbers,
(J)As a besieged city.
(K)Unless the Lord of hosts
Had left to us a very small remnant,
We would have become like (L)Sodom,
We would have been made like Gomorrah.

10 Hear the word of the Lord,
You rulers (M)of Sodom;
Give ear to the law of our God,
You people of Gomorrah:
11 “To what purpose is the multitude of your (N)sacrifices to Me?”
Says the Lord.
“I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams
And the fat of fed cattle.
I do not delight in the blood of bulls,
Or of lambs or goats.

12 “When you come (O)to appear before Me,
Who has required this from your hand,
To trample My courts?
13 Bring no more (P)futile[f] sacrifices;
Incense is an abomination to Me.
The New Moons, the Sabbaths, and (Q)the calling of assemblies—
I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting.
14 Your (R)New Moons and your (S)appointed feasts
My soul hates;
They are a trouble to Me,
I am weary of bearing them.
15 (T)When you [g]spread out your hands,
I will hide My eyes from you;
(U)Even though you make many prayers,
I will not hear.
Your hands are full of [h]blood.

16 “Wash(V) yourselves, make yourselves clean;
Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes.
(W)Cease to do evil,
17 Learn to do good;
Seek justice,
Rebuke [i]the oppressor;
[j]Defend the fatherless,
Plead for the widow.

18 “Come now, and let us (X)reason together,”
Says the Lord,
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
(Y)They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool.
19 If you are willing and obedient,
You shall eat the good of the land;
20 But if you refuse and rebel,
You shall be devoured by the sword”;
(Z)For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

The Degenerate City

21 (AA)How the faithful city has become a [k]harlot!
It was full of justice;
Righteousness lodged in it,
But now (AB)murderers.
22 (AC)Your silver has become dross,
Your wine mixed with water.
23 (AD)Your princes are rebellious,
And (AE)companions of thieves;
(AF)Everyone loves bribes,
And follows after rewards.
They (AG)do not defend the fatherless,
Nor does the cause of the widow come before them.

24 Therefore the Lord says,
The Lord of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel,
“Ah, (AH)I will [l]rid Myself of My adversaries,
And [m]take vengeance on My enemies.
25 I will turn My hand against you,
And (AI)thoroughly[n] purge away your dross,
And take away all your alloy.
26 I will restore your judges (AJ)as at the first,
And your counselors as at the beginning.
Afterward (AK)you shall be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city.”

27 Zion shall be redeemed with justice,
And her [o]penitents with righteousness.
28 The (AL)destruction of transgressors and of sinners shall be together,
And those who forsake the Lord shall be consumed.
29 For [p]they shall be ashamed of the [q]terebinth trees
Which you have desired;
And you shall be embarrassed because of the gardens
Which you have chosen.
30 For you shall be as a terebinth whose leaf fades,
And as a garden that has no water.
31 (AM)The strong shall be as tinder,
And the work of it as a spark;
Both will burn together,
And no one shall (AN)quench them.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 1:3 manger or feed trough
  2. Isaiah 1:3 understand
  3. Isaiah 1:4 Lit. heavy, weighed down
  4. Isaiah 1:4 offspring, seed
  5. Isaiah 1:8 shelter
  6. Isaiah 1:13 worthless
  7. Isaiah 1:15 Pray
  8. Isaiah 1:15 bloodshed
  9. Isaiah 1:17 Some ancient vss. the oppressed
  10. Isaiah 1:17 Vindicate
  11. Isaiah 1:21 Unfaithful
  12. Isaiah 1:24 be relieved of
  13. Isaiah 1:24 avenge Myself
  14. Isaiah 1:25 refine with lye
  15. Isaiah 1:27 Lit. returners
  16. Isaiah 1:29 So with MT, LXX, Vg.; some Heb. mss., Tg. you
  17. Isaiah 1:29 Sites of pagan worship