Isaiah 1

1The 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.

The Wickedness of Judah

2Hear, O heavens, and listen, O earth;

for the Lord has spoken:

I reared children and brought them up,

but they have rebelled against me.

3The ox knows its owner,

and the donkey its master's crib;

but Israel does not know,

my people do not understand.

4Ah, sinful nation,

people laden with iniquity,

offspring who do evil,

children who deal corruptly,

who have forsaken the Lord,

who have despised the Holy One of Israel,

who are utterly estranged!

5Why do you seek further beatings?

Why do you continue to rebel?

The whole head is sick,

and the whole heart faint.

6From the sole of the foot even to the head,

there is no soundness in it,

but bruises and sores

and bleeding wounds;

they have not been drained, or bound up,

or softened with oil.

7Your country lies desolate,

your cities are burned with fire;

in your very presence

aliens devour your land;

it is desolate, as overthrown by foreigners.

8And daughter Zion is left

like a booth in a vineyard,

like a shelter in a cucumber field,

like a besieged city.

9If the Lord of hosts

had not left us a few survivors,

we would have been like Sodom,

and become like Gomorrah.

10Hear the word of the Lord,

you rulers of Sodom!

Listen to the teaching of our God,

you people of Gomorrah!

11What 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.

12When you come to appear before me,#1.12 Or see my face

who asked this from your hand?

Trample my courts no more;

13bringing offerings is futile;

incense is an abomination to me.

New moon and sabbath and calling of convocation—

I cannot endure solemn assemblies with iniquity.

14Your new moons and your appointed festivals

my soul hates;

they have become a burden to me,

I am weary of bearing them.

15When 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.

16Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean;

remove the evil of your doings

from before my eyes;

cease to do evil,

17learn to do good;

seek justice,

rescue the oppressed,

defend the orphan,

plead for the widow.

18Come now, let us argue it out,

says the Lord:

though your sins are like scarlet,

they shall be like snow;

though they are red like crimson,

they shall become like wool.

19If you are willing and obedient,

you shall eat the good of the land;

20but if you refuse and rebel,

you shall be devoured by the sword;

for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

The Degenerate City

21How the faithful city

has become a whore!

She that was full of justice,

righteousness lodged in her—

but now murderers!

22Your silver has become dross,

your wine is mixed with water.

23Your 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.

24Therefore says the Sovereign, the Lord of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel:

Ah, I will pour out my wrath on my enemies,

and avenge myself on my foes!

25I will turn my hand against you;

I will smelt away your dross as with lye

and remove all your alloy.

26And 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.

27Zion shall be redeemed by justice,

and those in her who repent, by righteousness.

28But rebels and sinners shall be destroyed together,

and those who forsake the Lord shall be consumed.

29For you shall be ashamed of the oaks

in which you delighted;

and you shall blush for the gardens

that you have chosen.

30For you shall be like an oak

whose leaf withers,

and like a garden without water.

31The strong shall become like tinder,

and their work#1.31 Or its makers like a spark;

they and their work shall burn together,

with no one to quench them.

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Isaiah 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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