Superscription
1 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.
Rebellious Judah
2 Hear, heavens,
and listen, earth,
for Yahweh has spoken:
“I reared children
and I brought them up,
but they rebelled against me.
3 An ox knows its owner
and a donkey the manger of its master.
Israel does not know;
my people do not understand.
4 Ah, sinful nation,
a people heavy with iniquity,
offspring of evildoers,
children who deal corruptly.
They have forsaken Yahweh;
they have despised the holy one of Israel.
They are estranged and gone backward.
5 Why do you want to be beaten again?
You continue in rebellion.
The whole of the head is sick,
and the whole of the heart is faint.
6 From the sole of the foot and up to the head
there is no health in it;
bruise and sore and bleeding wound have not been cleansed,
and they have not been bound up
and not softened with the oil.
7 Your country is desolate,
your cities are burned with fire;
As for your land, aliens are devouring it in your presence,
and it is desolate, like devastation by foreigners.
8 And the daughter of Zion is left like a booth in a vineyard,
like a shelter in a cucumber field,
like a city that is besieged.[a]
9 If Yahweh of hosts had not left us survivors,[b]
we would have been as few as Sodom,
we would have become like Gomorrah.
10 Hear the word of Yahweh, rulers of Sodom!
Listen to the teaching of our God, people of Gomorrah!
11 What is the abundance of your sacrifices to me? says Yahweh.
I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams
and the fat of fattened animals
and I do not delight in the blood of bulls
and ram-lambs and goats.
12 When you come to appear before me,
who asked for this from your hand:
you trampling my courts?
13 You must not continue[c] to bring offerings[d] of futility,
incense—it is an abomination to me;
new moon and Sabbath, the calling of a convocation—
I cannot endure iniquity with solemn assembly.
14 Your new moons and your appointed festivals my soul hates;
they have become to me like a burden,
I am not able to bear them.
15 And when you stretch out your hands,
I will hide my eyes from you;
even though you make many prayers,[e]
I will not be listening.
Your hands are full of blood. 16 Wash! Make yourselves clean!
Remove the evil of your doings from before my eyes!
Cease to do evil! 17 Learn to do good!
Seek justice! Rescue the oppressed!
Defend the orphan! Plead for the widow!
18 “Come now, and let us argue,” says Yahweh.
“Even though your sins are like scarlet, they will be white like snow;
even though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.
19 If you are willing and you are obedient,
you shall eat the good of the land.
20 But if you refuse and you rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword.
For the mouth of Yahweh has spoken.”
Purifying Jerusalem
21 How has a faithful city become like a whore?
Full of justice, righteousness lodged in her, but now murderers.
22 Your silver has become as dross;
Your wine is diluted with waters.
23 Your princes are rebels
and companions of thieves.
Every one loves a bribe
and runs after gifts.
They do not defend the orphan
and the legal dispute of the widow does not come before them.
24 Therefore, the declaration of the Lord Yahweh of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel:
“Ah, I will be relieved of my enemies,
and I will avenge myself on my foes.
25 And I will turn my hand against you;
I will purify your dross like lye,
and I will remove all of your tin.
26 And I will restore your judges, as at the first,
and your counselors, as at the beginning.
After this you will be called[f] the city of righteousness,
faithful city.
27 Zion will be redeemed by justice,
and those of her who repent, by righteousness.
28 But the destruction of rebels and sinners shall be together,
and those who forsake Yahweh will perish.
29 For you[g] will be ashamed of the oaks in which you delighted,
and you will be disgraced because of the gardens that you have chosen.
30 For you shall be like an oak withering its leaves,
and like a garden where there is no water for her.
31 And the strong man shall become like tinder,
and his work like a spark.
And both of them shall burn together,
and there is not one to quench them.”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 1:8 Or “preserved”
- Isaiah 1:9 Hebrew “survivor”
- Isaiah 1:13 Literally “increase” or “add to”
- Isaiah 1:13 Hebrew “offering”
- Isaiah 1:15 Hebrew “prayer”
- Isaiah 1:26 Literally “it will be called for you”
- Isaiah 1:29 Literally “they,” but a few manuscripts read “you,” which fits the context better