Isaiah 1:21-31

Complete Jewish Bible

²¹ How the faithful city has become a whore!
Once she was filled with justice,
righteousness lodged in her;
but now murderers!
²² Your silver is no longer pure,
your wine is watered down.
²³ Your leaders are rebels, friends of thieves.
They all love bribes and run after gifts.
They give no justice to orphans,
the widow’s complaint doesn’t catch their attention.

²⁴ “Therefore,” says the Lord, Adonai-Tzva’ot,
the Mighty One of Isra’el,
“I will free myself of my adversaries,
I will take vengeance on my enemies.
²⁵ But I will also turn my hand against you!
I will cleanse your impurities as with lye
and remove all your alloyed base metal.
²⁶ I will restore your judges as at first
and your advisers as at the beginning.
After that, you will be called
the City of Righteousness, Faithful City.
²⁷ Tziyon will be redeemed by justice;
and those in her who repent, by righteousness.

²⁸ “Rebels and sinners together will be broken
and those who abandon Adonai be consumed.
²⁹ You will be ashamed of the sacred oaks you desired,
you will blush at the gardens you chose;
³⁰ for you will be like an oak whose leaf fades,
like a garden without any water.
³¹ The strong will be like tinder
and [the idol’s] maker like a spark;
both will burn together,
and no one will put them out.”