Isaiah 1:15-26

New American Standard Bible

¹⁵So when you ^(A)spread out your hands in prayer,
^(B)I will hide My eyes from you;
Yes, even though you ^(C)offer many prayers,
I will not be listening.
^(D)Your hands are ^[a]covered with blood.

¹⁶“^(E)Wash yourselves, ^(F)make yourselves clean;
^(G)Remove the evil of your deeds from My sight.
^(H)Stop doing evil,
¹⁷Learn to do good;
^(I)Seek justice,
Rebuke the oppressor,
^(J)Obtain justice for the orphan,
Plead for the widow’s case.

Invitation to Debate

¹⁸“Come now, and ^(K)let us ^[b]debate your case,”
Says the Lord,
“^(L)Though your sins are as scarlet,
They shall become as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be like wool.
¹⁹^(M)If you are willing and obedient,
You will ^(N)eat the best of the land;
²⁰But if you refuse and rebel,
You will be ^(O)devoured by the sword.”
For ^(P)the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

Zion Corrupted; Will Be Redeemed

²¹How the faithful city has become a ^(Q)prostitute,
She who was full of justice!
Righteousness once dwelt in her,
But now murderers.
²²Your silver has become ^[c]waste matter,
Your drink diluted with water.
²³Your ^(R)rulers are rebels
And companions of thieves;
Everyone ^(S)loves a bribe
And chases after gifts.
They ^(T)do not obtain justice for the ^[d]orphan,
Nor does the widow’s case come before them.

²⁴Therefore the Lord ^[e]God of armies,
The ^(U)Mighty One of Israel, declares,
“Ah, I will have satisfaction against My adversaries,
And ^(V)avenge Myself on My enemies.
²⁵I will also turn My hand against you,
And ^(W)smelt away your impurities as with lye;
And I will remove all your slag.
²⁶Then I will restore your ^(X)judges as at first,
And your counselors as at the beginning;
After that you will be called the ^(Y)city of righteousness,
A faithful city.”