Isaiah 1:18-31

New American Standard Bible

Invitation to Debate

¹⁸“Come now, and ^(A)let us ^[a]debate your case,”
Says the Lord,
“^(B)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^(C)If you are willing and obedient,
You will ^(D)eat the best of the land;
²⁰But if you refuse and rebel,
You will be ^(E)devoured by the sword.”
For ^(F)the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

Zion Corrupted; Will Be Redeemed

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

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

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