Isaiah 1
1
1These are the visions that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. He saw these visions during the years when Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were kings of Judah.#1:1 These kings reigned from 792 to 686 b.c.
A Message for Rebellious Judah
2Listen, O heavens! Pay attention, earth!
This is what the Lord says:
“The children I raised and cared for
have rebelled against me.
3Even an ox knows its owner,
and a donkey recognizes its master’s care—
but Israel doesn’t know its master.
My people don’t recognize my care for them.”
4Oh, what a sinful nation they are—
loaded down with a burden of guilt.
They are evil people,
corrupt children who have rejected the Lord.
They have despised the Holy One of Israel
and turned their backs on him.
5Why do you continue to invite punishment?
Must you rebel forever?
Your head is injured,
and your heart is sick.
6You are battered from head to foot—
covered with bruises, welts, and infected wounds—
without any soothing ointments or bandages.
7Your country lies in ruins,
and your towns are burned.
Foreigners plunder your fields before your eyes
and destroy everything they see.
8Beautiful Jerusalem#1:8 Hebrew The daughter of Zion. stands abandoned
like a watchman’s shelter in a vineyard,
like a lean-to in a cucumber field after the harvest,
like a helpless city under siege.
9If the Lord of Heaven’s Armies
had not spared a few of us,#1:9 Greek version reads a few of our children. Compare Rom 9:29.
we would have been wiped out like Sodom,
destroyed like Gomorrah.
10Listen to the Lord, you leaders of “Sodom.”
Listen to the law of our God, people of “Gomorrah.”
11“What makes you think I want all your sacrifices?”
says the Lord.
“I am sick of your burnt offerings of rams
and the fat of fattened cattle.
I get no pleasure from the blood
of bulls and lambs and goats.
12When you come to worship me,
who asked you to parade through my courts with all your ceremony?
13Stop bringing me your meaningless gifts;
the incense of your offerings disgusts me!
As for your celebrations of the new moon and the Sabbath
and your special days for fasting—
they are all sinful and false.
I want no more of your pious meetings.
14I hate your new moon celebrations and your annual festivals.
They are a burden to me. I cannot stand them!
15When you lift up your hands in prayer, I will not look.
Though you offer many prayers, I will not listen,
for your hands are covered with the blood of innocent victims.
16Wash yourselves and be clean!
Get your sins out of my sight.
Give up your evil ways.
17Learn to do good.
Seek justice.
Help the oppressed.
Defend the cause of orphans.
Fight for the rights of widows.
18“Come now, let’s settle this,”
says the Lord.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
I will make them as white as snow.
Though they are red like crimson,
I will make them as white as wool.
19If you will only obey me,
you will have plenty to eat.
20But if you turn away and refuse to listen,
you will be devoured by the sword of your enemies.
I, the Lord, have spoken!”
Unfaithful Jerusalem
21See how Jerusalem, once so faithful,
has become a prostitute.
Once the home of justice and righteousness,
she is now filled with murderers.
22Once like pure silver,
you have become like worthless slag.
Once so pure,
you are now like watered-down wine.
23Your leaders are rebels,
the companions of thieves.
All of them love bribes
and demand payoffs,
but they refuse to defend the cause of orphans
or fight for the rights of widows.
24Therefore, the Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies,
the Mighty One of Israel, says,
“I will take revenge on my enemies
and pay back my foes!
25I will raise my fist against you.
I will melt you down and skim off your slag.
I will remove all your impurities.
26Then I will give you good judges again
and wise counselors like you used to have.
Then Jerusalem will again be called the Home of Justice
and the Faithful City.”
27Zion will be restored by justice;
those who repent will be revived by righteousness.
28But rebels and sinners will be completely destroyed,
and those who desert the Lord will be consumed.
29You will be ashamed of your idol worship
in groves of sacred oaks.
You will blush because you worshiped
in gardens dedicated to idols.
30You will be like a great tree with withered leaves,
like a garden without water.
31The strongest among you will disappear like straw;
their evil deeds will be the spark that sets it on fire.
They and their evil works will burn up together,
and no one will be able to put out the fire.
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Isaiah 1: NLT
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Isaiah 1
1
Judah’s Rebellion
(2 Chronicles 28:5–15)
1This is the vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah son of Amoz saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
2Listen, O heavens, and give ear, O earth,
for the Lord has spoken:
“I have raised children and brought them up,
but they have rebelled against Me.
3The ox knows its owner,
and the donkey its master’s manger,
but Israel does not know;
My people do not understand.”
4Alas, O sinful nation,
a people laden with iniquity,
a brood of evildoers,
children of depravity!
They have forsaken the Lord;
they have despised the Holy One of Israel
and turned their backs on Him.
5Why do you want more beatings?
Why do you keep rebelling?
Your head has a massive wound,
and your whole heart is afflicted.
6From the sole of your foot to the top of your head,
there is no soundness—
only wounds and welts and festering sores
neither cleansed nor bandaged nor soothed with oil.
7Your land is desolate;
your cities are burned with fire.
Foreigners devour your fields before you—
a desolation demolished by strangers.
8And the Daughter of Zion is abandoned
like a shelter in a vineyard,
like a shack in a cucumber field,
like a city besieged.
9Unless the Lord of Hosts
had left us a few survivors,#1:9 LXX had left us descendants
we would have become like Sodom,
we would have resembled Gomorrah.#1:9 Cited in Romans 9:29
Meaningless Offerings
10Hear the word of the Lord,
you rulers of Sodom;
listen to the instruction of our God,
you people of Gomorrah!
11“What good to Me is your multitude of sacrifices?”
says the Lord.
“I am full from the burnt offerings of rams
and the fat of well-fed cattle;
I take no delight in the blood of bulls
and lambs and goats.
12When you come to appear before Me,
who has required this of you—
this trampling of My courts?
13Bring your worthless offerings no more;
your incense is detestable to Me—
your New Moons, Sabbaths, and convocations.
I cannot endure iniquity
in a solemn assembly.
14I hate your New Moons
and your appointed feasts.
They have become a burden to Me;
I am weary of bearing them.
15When you spread out your hands in prayer,
I will hide My eyes from you;
even though you multiply your prayers,
I will not listen.
Your hands are covered with blood.
16Wash and cleanse yourselves.
Remove your evil deeds from My sight.
Stop doing evil!
17Learn to do right;
seek justice and correct the oppressor.#1:17 Or and encourage the oppressed
Defend the fatherless
and plead the case of the widow.”
18“Come now, let us reason together,”
says the Lord.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
they will be as white as snow;
though they are as red as crimson,
they will become like wool.
19If you are willing and obedient,
you will eat the best of the land.
20But if you resist and rebel,
you will be devoured by the sword.”
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.
The Corruption of Zion
21See how the faithful city has become a harlot!
She once was full of justice;
righteousness resided within her,
but now only murderers!
22Your silver has become dross;
your fine wine is diluted with water.
23Your rulers are rebels,
friends of thieves.
They all love bribes
and chasing after rewards.
They do not defend the fatherless,
and the plea of the widow never comes before them.
24Therefore the Lord GOD of Hosts,
the Mighty One of Israel, declares:
“Ah, I will be relieved of My foes
and avenge Myself on My enemies.
25I will turn My hand against you;
I will thoroughly purge your dross;
I will remove all your impurities.
26I will restore your judges as at first,
and your counselors as at the beginning.
After that you will be called the City of Righteousness,
the Faithful City.”
27Zion will be redeemed with justice,
her repentant ones with righteousness.
28But rebels and sinners will together be shattered,
and those who forsake the Lord will perish.
29Surely you will be ashamed of the sacred oaks
in which you have delighted;
you will be embarrassed by the gardens
that you have chosen.
30For you will become like an oak whose leaves are withered,
like a garden without water.
31The strong man will become tinder
and his work will be a spark;
both will burn together,
with no one to quench the flames.
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