Isaiah 1 - International Standard Version (ISV)

The Vision of Isaiah

1 This^[a] is the vision that Amoz’s son Isaiah^[b] had about Judah and Jerusalem during the reigns^[c] of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

Rebellious Judah

² Listen, you heavens,
and let the^[d] earth pay attention,
because the Lord has spoken:

“I reared children
and brought them to adulthood,
but then they rebelled against me.
³ The ox knows its owner,
and the donkey its master’s feeding trough,
but^[e] Israel doesn’t know,
and^[f] my people don’t understand.

⁴ “Oh, you sinful nation!
You people burdened down by iniquity!
You offspring of those who keep practicing what is evil!
You corrupt children!

“They’ve abandoned the Lord;
they’ve despised the Holy One of Israel;
in their estrangement, they’ve walked away from me.^[g]

⁵ “Why will you still be struck down?
Why will you continue to rebel?
Your whole head is sick,
and your whole heart is faint.
⁶ From the sole of your foot to the top of your head,
there’s no soundness evident^[h]—
only bruises, sores,
and festering wounds
that haven’t been cleaned out,
bandaged, or treated^[i] with oil.”

God’s Diagnosis

⁷ “Your country lies desolate;
your cities have been incinerated.
Before your very eyes,
foreigners are devouring your land—
they’ve brought devastation on it,^[j]
while the land is^[k] overthrown by foreigners.

⁸ “The daughter of Zion is left abandoned,
like a booth in a vineyard,
like a hut in a cucumber field,
or like a city under siege.
⁹ If the Lord of the Heavenly Armies
hadn’t left us a few survivors,
we would be like Sodom;
we would be like Gomorrah.

¹⁰ “Listen to what the Lord says,
you rulers of Sodom,
and^[l] pay attention to the teaching of our God,
you people of Gomorrah!

¹¹ “How do your voluminous sacrifices benefit me?”
the Lord is asking.
“I’ve had enough of burnt offerings of rams
and the fat of well-fed beasts.
I don’t enjoy the blood of bulls,
lambs, or goats.

¹² “When you come to present yourselves in my presence,^[m]
who has required you
to trample on my courts?
¹³ Stop bringing useless offerings!
Incense is detestable to me,
as are your New Moons, Sabbaths, and calling of convocations.
I cannot stand iniquity within^[n] a solemn assembly.
¹⁴ As for your New Moons and your appointed festivals,
I abhor^[o] them.
They’ve become a burden to me;
I’ve grown weary of carrying that burden.^[p]
15 When you spread out your hands in prayer,^[q]
I’ll hide my eyes from you.
Even though you pray repeatedly,
I won’t listen.
Your hands are full of blood,
your fingers drenched^[r] with iniquity.”^[s]

An Invitation to Reconciliation

¹⁶ “Wash yourselves,
and^[t] make yourselves clean;
remove your evil behavior
from my presence;
stop practicing what is evil.
¹⁷ Learn to practice what is good;
seek justice,
alleviate oppression,^[u]
defend orphans^[v] in court,
and^[w] plead the widow’s case.

¹⁸ “Please come,
and let’s reason together,” implores the Lord.
“Even though your^[x] sins are like scarlet,
they’ll be white like snow.
Though they’re like crimson,^[y]
they’ll become like wool.
¹⁹ If you’re willing and obedient,
you’ll eat the best that the land produces;
²⁰ but^[z] if you refuse and rebel,
you’ll be devoured by the sword,^[aa]
because the Lord^[ab] has spoken.”

Diagnosis and Judgment

²¹ “How the faithful city
has become a whore,
she who used to be filled with justice!
Righteousness used to reside within her,
but now only murderers live there.
²² Your silver has^[ac] become dross,
your best wine is diluted with water.
²³ Your princes are rebels
and companions of thieves.
All of them are lovers of^[ad] bribes
and are runners^[ae] after gifts.
They don’t bring justice to orphans,^[af]
and the widow’s case never comes up for review in their court.”^[ag]

Restoration and Redemption

²⁴ Therefore this is what the Lord God of the Heavenly Armies,
the one who is Israel’s Mighty One, declares:

“Now I’ll get relief from his^[ah] enemies
and avenge myself on his^[ai] foes.
²⁵ When I turn^[aj] my attention to you,^[ak]
I’ll refine your dross as in a furnace.^[al]
I’ll remove^[am] all your alloy.
²⁶ Let me restore^[an] your judges as at the first,
and your counselors as at the beginning.
Afterward you’ll be called ‘The Righteous City’
and ‘The Faithful City of Zion’.^[ao]

²⁷ “Zion^[ap] will be redeemed by justice,
and her repentant ones^[aq] by righteousness.
²⁸ Rebels and sinners will be broken together,
and those who forsake the Lord will be consumed.
²⁹ They’ll be ashamed of the oak trees
that you desired;
and you’ll blush because of the gardens
that you have chosen.
³⁰ You’ll be like an oak
whose leaf is withering,
like an unwatered garden.
³¹ Your^[ar] strong one^[as] will be like tinder,
and your work^[at] a spark;
both of them will burn together,
with no one to quench the flames that burn^[au] them.”

Footnotes

1. Isaiah 1:1 This book has been translated from the Great Isaiah Scroll (1QIsa^a) of the DSS. The MT, LXX, Syr, Targ, and other ancient texts are compared in footnotes where they may vary from 1QIsa^a and other DSS mss. Some of these ancient readings were incorporated instead of the DSS Isaiah text.
2. Isaiah 1:1 The Heb. name Isaiah means The Lord has saved
3. Isaiah 1:1 Lit. days
4. Isaiah 1:2 So 1QIsa^a; the Heb. lacks the
5. Isaiah 1:3 So 4QIsa^j; 1QIsa^a MT lack but
6. Isaiah 1:3 So 4QIsa^j; 1QIsa^a MT lack and
7. Isaiah 1:4 Lit. they’ve gone back
8. Isaiah 1:6 Lit. soundness in it
9. Isaiah 1:6 Or softened
10. Isaiah 1:7 So 1QIsa^a; MurIsa MT LXX read Devastated
11. Isaiah 1:7 DSS MT lack the land is
12. Isaiah 1:10 So 1:10 1QIsa^a Syr; MT LXX Targ Vulgate lack and
13. Isaiah 1:12 Lit. come for my face to appear
14. Isaiah 1:13 Lit. and
15. Isaiah 1:14 Lit. festivals, my soul abhors
16. Isaiah 1:14 Lit. carrying them
17. Isaiah 1:15 DSS MT lack in prayer
18. Isaiah 1:15 DSS lack drenched
19. Isaiah 1:15 MT 4QIsa^f lack this line
20. Isaiah 1:16 So 1QIsa^a; 4QIsa^f MT lack and
21. Isaiah 1:17 Or rescue the oppressed
22. Isaiah 1:17 Or defend the fatherless
23. Isaiah 1:17 DSS MT lack and
24. Isaiah 1:18 Lit. your (pl.)
25. Isaiah 1:18 So 1QIsa^a LXX; 4QIsa^f MT read they’re red like crimson
26. Isaiah 1:20 So 1QIsa^a LXX Targ Syr; 4QIsa^f lacks but
27. Isaiah 1:20 So 1QIsa^a Targ Syr; LXX reads the sword will devour you
28. Isaiah 1:20 Lit. Lord’s mouth
29. Isaiah 1:22 So MT; 1QIsa^a reads have
30. Isaiah 1:23 So 1QIsa^a LXX; MT reads Everyone loves
31. Isaiah 1:23 So 1QIsa^a LXX; MT reads and run
32. Isaiah 1:23 Or to the fatherless
33. Isaiah 1:23 Lit. comes before them
34. Isaiah 1:24 So 1QIsa^a; 4QIsa^f MT LXX Vulgate read my
35. Isaiah 1:24 So 1QIsa^a; LXX MT read my
36. Isaiah 1:25 So 1QIsa^a; LXX MT read And let me turn
37. Isaiah 1:25 Lit. my hand against you
38. Isaiah 1:25 1QIsa^a lacks as in a furnace; MT reads as lye
39. Isaiah 1:25 So 1QIsa^a 4QIsa^f; MT reads Let me remove
40. Isaiah 1:26 1QIsa^a MT; 4QIsa^f reads I will restore
41. Isaiah 1:26 So LXX; the Heb. lacks Zion
42. Isaiah 1:27 So MT; 1QIsa^a reading unclear
43. Isaiah 1:27 So 1QIsa^a MT 4QIsa^f; LXX reads her captivity
44. Isaiah 1:31 Lit. Your (pl.); so 1QIsa^a Vulgate. The
45. Isaiah 1:31 LXX MT read Their strength
46. Isaiah 1:31 So 1QIsa^a; MT reads their work; LXX reads their deeds
47. Isaiah 1:31 DSS MT lack the flames that burn