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

The Wickedness of Judah

Hear, O heavens, and listen, O earth,
    for the Lord has spoken:
I reared children and brought them up,
    but they have rebelled against me.(B)
The ox knows its owner
    and the donkey its master’s crib,
but Israel does not know;
    my people do not understand.(C)

Woe, sinful nation,
    people laden with iniquity,
offspring who do evil,
    children who act corruptly,
who have forsaken the Lord,
    who have despised the Holy One of Israel,
    [[who are utterly estranged!]][a](D)

Why do you seek further beatings?
    Why do you continue to rebel?
The whole head is injured,
    and the whole heart faint.(E)
From the sole of the foot to the head,
    there is no soundness in it,
only bruises and sores
    and bleeding wounds;
they have not been drained or bound up
    or softened with oil.(F)

Your country lies desolate;
    your cities are burned with fire;
in your very presence
    aliens devour your land;
    it is desolate, as overthrown by foreigners.(G)
And daughter Zion is left
    like a booth in a vineyard,
like a shelter in a cucumber field,
    like a besieged city.
If the Lord of hosts
    had not left us a few survivors,
we would have been like Sodom
    and become like Gomorrah.(H)

10 Hear the word of the Lord,
    you rulers of Sodom!
Listen to the teaching of our God,
    you people of Gomorrah!(I)
11 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 fed beasts;
I do not delight in the blood of bulls
    or of lambs or of goats.(J)

12 When you come to appear before me,[b]
    who asked this from your hand?
    Trample my courts no more!(K)
13 Bringing offerings is futile;
    incense is an abomination to me.
New moon and Sabbath and calling of convocation—
    I cannot endure solemn assemblies with iniquity.(L)
14 Your new moons and your appointed festivals
    my soul hates;
they have become a burden to me;
    I am weary of bearing them.(M)
15 When you stretch out your hands,
    I will hide my eyes from you;
even though you make many prayers,
    I will not listen;
    your hands are full of blood.(N)
16 Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean;
    remove your evil deeds
    from before my eyes;
cease to do evil;(O)
17     learn to do good;
seek justice;
    rescue the oppressed;
defend the orphan;
    plead for the widow.(P)

18 Come now, let us argue it out,
    says the Lord:
If your sins are like scarlet,
    will they become like snow?
If they are red like crimson,
    will they become like wool?(Q)
19 If you are willing and obedient,
    you shall eat the good of the land,(R)
20 but if you refuse and rebel,
    you shall be devoured by the sword,
    for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.(S)

The Degenerate City

21 How the faithful city
    has become a prostitute!
    She that was full of justice,
righteousness lodged in her—
    but now murderers!(T)
22 Your silver has become dross;
    your wine is mixed with water.(U)
23 Your princes are rebels
    and companions of thieves.
Everyone loves a bribe
    and runs after gifts.
They do not defend the orphan,
    and the widow’s cause does not come before them.(V)

24 Therefore says the Sovereign, the Lord of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel:
Surely I will pour out my wrath on my enemies
    and avenge myself on my foes!(W)
25 I will turn my hand against you;
    I will smelt away your dross as with lye
    and remove all your alloy.(X)
26 And I will restore your judges as at the first
    and your counselors as at the beginning.
Afterward you shall be called the city of righteousness,
    the faithful city.(Y)

27 Zion shall be redeemed by justice,
    and those in her who repent, by righteousness.
28 But rebels and sinners shall be destroyed together,
    and those who forsake the Lord shall be consumed.(Z)
29 For you shall be ashamed of the oaks
    in which you delighted,
and you shall blush for the gardens
    that you have chosen.(AA)
30 For you shall be like an oak
    whose leaf withers
    and like a garden without water.
31 The strong shall become like tinder
    and their work like a spark;
they and their work shall burn together,
    with no one to quench them.(AB)

Footnotes

  1. 1.4 Gk OL lack: Heb adds who are utterly estranged
  2. 1.12 Or see my face

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

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.
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)

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.

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)
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)

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)
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.
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)

Your hands(BK) are full of blood!(BL)

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

  1. Isaiah 1:17 Or justice. / Correct the oppressor
  2. Isaiah 1:25 That is, against Jerusalem