19 (A)If you are willing and obedient,
You will (B)eat the best of the land;
20 But if you refuse and rebel,
You will be (C)devoured by the sword.”
For (D)the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

Zion Corrupted; Will Be Redeemed

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

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

27 Zion will be (N)redeemed with justice
And her [d]repentant ones with righteousness.
28 But [e]wrongdoers and sinners together will be (O)broken,
And those who abandon the Lord will come to an end.
29 [f]You certainly will be ashamed of the [g](P)oaks which you have desired,
And you will be embarrassed by the (Q)gardens which you have chosen.
30 For you will be like an [h]oak whose (R)leaf withers away,
Or like a garden that has no water.
31 The strong man will become like [i]flax fiber,
And his work a spark.
So they shall both (S)burn together
And there will be (T)no one to extinguish them.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 1:22 Lit dross
  2. Isaiah 1:23 Or fatherless
  3. Isaiah 1:24 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  4. Isaiah 1:27 Or returning
  5. Isaiah 1:28 Lit a breaking of wrongdoers and sinners together
  6. Isaiah 1:29 As in some mss; MT They
  7. Isaiah 1:29 Or terebinths
  8. Isaiah 1:30 Or terebinth
  9. Isaiah 1:31 Lit tow

19 If you are willing and obedient,(A)
    you will eat the good things of the land;(B)
20 but if you resist and rebel,(C)
    you will be devoured by the sword.”(D)
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.(E)

21 See how the faithful city
    has become a prostitute!(F)
She once was full of justice;
    righteousness(G) used to dwell in her—
    but now murderers!(H)
22 Your silver has become dross,(I)
    your choice wine is diluted with water.
23 Your rulers are rebels,(J)
    partners with thieves;(K)
they all love bribes(L)
    and chase after gifts.
They do not defend the cause of the fatherless;
    the widow’s case does not come before them.(M)

24 Therefore the Lord, the Lord Almighty,
    the Mighty One(N) of Israel, declares:
“Ah! I will vent my wrath on my foes
    and avenge(O) myself on my enemies.(P)
25 I will turn my hand against you;[a](Q)
    I will thoroughly purge(R) away your dross(S)
    and remove all your impurities.(T)
26 I will restore your leaders as in days of old,(U)
    your rulers as at the beginning.
Afterward you will be called(V)
    the City of Righteousness,(W)
    the Faithful City.(X)

27 Zion will be delivered with justice,
    her penitent(Y) ones with righteousness.(Z)
28 But rebels and sinners(AA) will both be broken,
    and those who forsake(AB) the Lord will perish.(AC)

29 “You will be ashamed(AD) because of the sacred oaks(AE)
    in which you have delighted;
you will be disgraced because of the gardens(AF)
    that you have chosen.
30 You will be like an oak with fading leaves,(AG)
    like a garden without water.
31 The mighty man will become tinder
    and his work a spark;
both will burn together,
    with no one to quench the fire.(AH)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 1:25 That is, against Jerusalem