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;
20 But 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
21 How the faithful city has become a (G)prostitute,
She who was full of justice!
Righteousness once dwelt in her,
But now murderers.
22 Your silver has become [b]waste matter,
Your drink diluted with water.
23 Your (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.
24 Therefore 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.
25 I will also turn My hand against you,
And (M)smelt away your impurities as with lye;
And I will remove all your slag.
26 Then 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.”
27 Zion will be (P)redeemed with justice
And her [e]repentant ones with righteousness.
28 But [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.
30 For you will be like an [i]oak whose (T)leaf withers away,
Or like a garden that has no water.
31 The 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.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 1:18 Or argue
- Isaiah 1:22 Lit dross
- Isaiah 1:23 Or fatherless
- Isaiah 1:24 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
- Isaiah 1:27 Or returning
- Isaiah 1:28 Lit a breaking of wrongdoers and sinners together
- Isaiah 1:29 As in some mss; MT They
- Isaiah 1:29 Or terebinths
- Isaiah 1:30 Or terebinth
- Isaiah 1:31 Lit tow
Isaiah 1:18-31
Amplified Bible
“Let Us Reason”
18
“Come now, and let us reason together,”
Says the Lord.
“[a]Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be like wool.
19
“If you are willing and obedient,
You shall eat the best of the land;
20
But if you refuse and rebel,
You shall be devoured by the sword.”
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.
Zion Corrupted, to Be Redeemed
21
How the faithful city has become a prostitute [idolatrous, despicable],
She who was full of justice!
Right standing with God once lodged in her,
But now murderers.
22
Your silver has turned to [b]lead,
Your wine is diluted with water.
23
Your rulers are rebels
And companions of thieves;
Everyone loves bribes
And chases after gifts.
They do not defend the fatherless,
Nor does the widow’s cause come before them [instead they delay or turn a deaf ear].
24
Therefore the Lord God of hosts,
The Mighty One of Israel, declares:
“Ah, I will be freed of My adversaries
And avenge Myself on My enemies.
25
“And I will turn My hand against you,
And will [thoroughly] purge away your dross as with lye
And remove all your tin (impurity).
26
“Then I will restore your judges as at the first,
And your counselors as at the beginning;
Afterward you will be called the city of righteousness,
The faithful city.”
27
Zion will be redeemed with justice
And her repentant ones with righteousness.
28
But rebels and sinners will be crushed and destroyed together,
And those who abandon (turn away from) the Lord will be consumed (perish).
29
For you will be ashamed [of the degradation] of the oaks in which you took [idolatrous] pleasure,
And you will be ashamed of the gardens [of passion] which you have chosen [for pagan worship].
30
For you will be like an oak whose leaf withers and dies
And like a garden that has no water.
31
The strong man will become tinder,
And his work a spark.
So both will burn together
And there will be none to quench them.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 1:18 There was a legend among the rabbis that on the Day of Atonement a scarlet woolen thread was tied to the door of the temple, and when the scapegoat reached the wilderness (Lev 16:10), if the sins of Israel were forgiven the thread would miraculously turn white.
- Isaiah 1:22 Lit galena.
Isaiah 1:18-31
King James Version
18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:
20 But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.
21 How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers.
22 Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water:
23 Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them.
24 Therefore saith the Lord, the Lord of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies:
25 And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin:
26 And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city.
27 Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness.
28 And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together, and they that forsake the Lord shall be consumed.
29 For they shall be ashamed of the oaks which ye have desired, and ye shall be confounded for the gardens that ye have chosen.
30 For ye shall be as an oak whose leaf fadeth, and as a garden that hath no water.
31 And the strong shall be as tow, and the maker of it as a spark, and they shall both burn together, and none shall quench them.
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