Isaiah 1:13-26

English Standard Version

¹³Bring no more vain offerings;
    incense is an abomination to me.
^(A)New moon and Sabbath and the ^(B)calling of convocations—
    I cannot endure ^(C)iniquity and ^(D)solemn assembly.
¹⁴Your ^(E)new moons and your appointed feasts
    my soul hates;
they have become a burden to me;
    I am weary of bearing them.
¹⁵When you ^(F)spread out your hands,
    I will hide my eyes from you;
^(G)even though you make many prayers,
    I will not listen;
    ^(H)your hands are full of blood.
¹⁶^(I)Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean;
    remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes;
^(J)cease to do evil,
¹⁷    learn to do good;
^(K)seek justice,
    correct oppression;
^(L)bring justice to the fatherless,
    plead the widow's cause.

¹⁸“Come now, ^(M)let us reason^[a] together, says the Lord:
though your sins are like scarlet,
    they shall be as ^(N)white as snow;
though they are red like crimson,
    they shall become like wool.
¹⁹^(O)If you are willing and obedient,
    you shall eat the good of the land;
²⁰but if you refuse and rebel,
    you shall be eaten by the sword;
    ^(P)for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

The Unfaithful City

²¹How the faithful city
    ^(Q)has become a whore,^[b]
    ^(R)she who was full of justice!
Righteousness lodged in her,
    but now murderers.
²²^(S)Your silver has become dross,
    your best wine mixed with water.
²³Your princes are rebels
    and companions of thieves.
Everyone ^(T)loves a bribe
    and runs after gifts.
^(U)They do not bring justice to the fatherless,
    and the widow's cause does not come to them.

²⁴Therefore the ^(V)Lord declares,
    the Lord of hosts,
    the ^(W)Mighty One of Israel:
“Ah, I will get relief from my enemies
    ^(X)and avenge myself on my foes.
²⁵^(Y)I will turn my hand against you
    and will smelt away your ^(Z)dross as with lye
    and remove all your alloy.
²⁶And I will restore your judges ^(AA)as at the first,
    and your counselors as at the beginning.
Afterward ^(AB)you shall be called the city of righteousness,
    the faithful city.”