Isaiah 1:10-31

New King James Version

¹⁰Hear the word of the Lord,
You rulers ^(A)of Sodom;
Give ear to the law of our God,
You people of Gomorrah:
¹¹“To what purpose is the multitude of your ^(B)sacrifices to Me?”
Says the Lord.
“I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams
And the fat of fed cattle.
I do not delight in the blood of bulls,
Or of lambs or goats.

¹²“When you come ^(C)to appear before Me,
Who has required this from your hand,
To trample My courts?
¹³Bring no more ^(D)futile^[a] sacrifices;
Incense is an abomination to Me.
The New Moons, the Sabbaths, and ^(E)the calling of assemblies—
I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting.
¹⁴Your ^(F)New Moons and your ^(G)appointed feasts
My soul hates;
They are a trouble to Me,
I am weary of bearing them.
¹⁵^(H)When you ^[b]spread out your hands,
I will hide My eyes from you;
^(I)Even though you make many prayers,
I will not hear.
Your hands are full of ^[c]blood.

¹⁶“Wash^(J) yourselves, make yourselves clean;
Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes.
^(K)Cease to do evil,
¹⁷Learn to do good;
Seek justice,
Rebuke ^[d]the oppressor;
^[e]Defend the fatherless,
Plead for the widow.

¹⁸“Come now, and let us ^(L)reason together,”
Says the Lord,
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
^(M)They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as 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”;
^(N)For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

The Degenerate City

²¹^(O)How the faithful city has become a ^[f]harlot!
It was full of justice;
Righteousness lodged in it,
But now ^(P)murderers.
²²^(Q)Your silver has become dross,
Your wine mixed with water.
²³^(R)Your princes are rebellious,
And ^(S)companions of thieves;
^(T)Everyone loves bribes,
And follows after rewards.
They ^(U)do not defend the fatherless,
Nor does the cause of the widow come before them.

²⁴Therefore the Lord says,
The Lord of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel,
“Ah, ^(V)I will ^[g]rid Myself of My adversaries,
And ^[h]take vengeance on My enemies.
²⁵I will turn My hand against you,
And ^(W)thoroughly^[i] purge away your dross,
And take away all your alloy.
²⁶I will restore your judges ^(X)as at the first,
And your counselors as at the beginning.
Afterward ^(Y)you shall be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city.”

²⁷Zion shall be redeemed with justice,
And her ^[j]penitents with righteousness.
²⁸The ^(Z)destruction of transgressors and of sinners shall be together,
And those who forsake the Lord shall be consumed.
²⁹For ^[k]they shall be ashamed of the ^[l]terebinth trees
Which you have desired;
And you shall be embarrassed because of the gardens
Which you have chosen.
³⁰For you shall be as a terebinth whose leaf fades,
And as a garden that has no water.
³¹^(AA)The strong shall be as tinder,
And the work of it as a spark;
Both will burn together,
And no one shall ^(AB)quench them.