Isaiah 1
Holman Christian Standard Bible
1 The vision(A) concerning Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah(B) son of Amoz saw during the reigns[a][b] of Uzziah,(C) Jotham,(D) Ahaz,(E) and Hezekiah,(F) kings of Judah.(G)
Judah on Trial
2 Listen, heavens, and pay attention, earth,(H)
for the Lord has spoken:
“I have raised children[c] and brought them up,
but they have rebelled against Me.(I)
3 The ox knows its owner,
and the donkey its master’s feeding trough,
but Israel does not know;
My people do not understand.”(J)
4 Oh sinful nation,
people weighed down with iniquity,(K)
brood of evildoers,(L)
depraved children![d]
They have abandoned(M) the Lord;
they have despised(N) the Holy One of Israel;(O)
they have turned their backs on Him.
5 Why do you want more beatings?
Why do you keep on rebelling?
The whole head is hurt,
and the whole heart is sick.
6 From the sole of the foot even to the head,(P)
no spot is uninjured(Q)—
wounds, welts, and festering sores
not cleansed, bandaged,
or soothed with oil.
7 Your land is desolate,
your cities burned with fire;(R)
foreigners devour your fields
before your very eyes—
a desolation demolished by foreigners.
8 Daughter Zion(S) is abandoned
like a shelter in a vineyard,
like a shack in a cucumber field,
like a besieged city.
9 If the Lord of Hosts(T)
had not left us a few survivors,(U)
we would be like Sodom,
we would resemble Gomorrah.(V)
10 Hear the word of the Lord,(W)
you rulers of Sodom!
Listen to the instruction of our God,
you people of Gomorrah!(X)
11 “What are all your sacrifices to Me?”
asks the Lord.
“I have had enough of burnt offerings and rams
and the fat of well-fed cattle;
I have no desire for the blood of bulls,
lambs, or male goats.(Y)
12 When you come to appear before Me,
who requires this from you—
this trampling of My courts?
13 Stop bringing useless offerings.(Z)
Your incense is detestable to Me.
New Moons and Sabbaths,(AA)
and the calling of solemn assemblies(AB)—
I cannot stand iniquity(AC) with a festival.
14 I hate your New Moons and prescribed festivals.
They have become a burden to Me;
I am tired of putting up with them.
15 When you lift up your hands in prayer,(AD)
I will refuse to look at you;
even if you offer countless prayers,
I will not listen.(AE)
Your hands are covered with blood.(AF)
Purification of Jerusalem
16 “Wash yourselves. Cleanse yourselves.(AG)
Remove your evil deeds from My sight.
Stop doing evil.(AH)
17 Learn to do what is good.
Seek justice.(AI)
Correct the oppressor.[e]
Defend the rights of the fatherless.
Plead the widow’s cause.
18 “Come, let us discuss this,”(AJ)
says the Lord.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
they will be as white as snow;(AK)
though they are as red as crimson,
they will be like wool.
19 If you are willing and obedient,
you will eat the good things of the land.(AL)
20 But if you refuse and rebel,
you will be devoured by the sword.”(AM)
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.(AN)
21 The faithful city—
what an adulteress[f] she has become!
She was once full of justice.
Righteousness once dwelt in her—
but now, murderers!
22 Your silver has become dross,[g]
your beer[h] is diluted with water.
23 Your rulers are rebels,
friends of thieves.(AO)
They all love graft
and chase after bribes.(AP)
They do not defend the rights of the fatherless,
and the widow’s case never comes before them.(AQ)
24 Therefore the Lord God of Hosts,
the Mighty One of Israel, declares:
“Ah, I will gain satisfaction from My foes;
I will take revenge against My enemies.(AR)
25 I will turn My hand against you(AS)
and will burn away your dross[i] completely;[j]
I will remove all your impurities.(AT)
26 I will restore your judges(AU) to what they once were,[k]
and your advisers to their former state.[l]
Afterward you will be called the Righteous City,(AV)
a Faithful City.”
27 Zion will be redeemed by justice,
her repentant ones by righteousness.(AW)
28 But both rebels and sinners will be destroyed,
and those who abandon the Lord will perish.
29 Indeed, they[m] will be ashamed of the sacred trees
you desired,(AX)
and you will be embarrassed because of the gardens
you have chosen.(AY)
30 For you will become like an oak
whose leaves are withered,
and like a garden without water.(AZ)
31 The strong one will become tinder,
and his work a spark;
both will burn together,(BA)
with no one to quench the flames.(BB)
Footnotes
- Isaiah 1:1 Lit saw in the days
- Isaiah 1:1 ca 792–686 b.c.
- Isaiah 1:2 Or sons
- Isaiah 1:4 Or sons
- Isaiah 1:17 Or Aid the oppressed
- Isaiah 1:21 Or prostitute
- Isaiah 1:22 Or burnished lead
- Isaiah 1:22 Or wine
- Isaiah 1:25 Or burnished lead
- Isaiah 1:25 Lit dross as with lye
- Isaiah 1:26 Lit judges as at the first
- Isaiah 1:26 Lit advisers as at the beginning
- Isaiah 1:29 Some Hb mss; other Hb mss, Tg read you
Isaiah 1
English Standard Version Anglicised
1 The (A)vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem (B)in the days of (C)Uzziah, (D)Jotham, (E)Ahaz, and (F)Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
The Wickedness of Judah
2 (G)Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O (H)earth;
for the Lord has spoken:
“Children[a] (I)have I reared and brought up,
but they have rebelled against me.
3 The ox (J)knows its owner,
and the donkey its master's crib,
but Israel does (K)not know,
my people do not understand.”
4 Ah, sinful nation,
a people laden with iniquity,
(L)offspring of evildoers,
children who deal corruptly!
They have forsaken the Lord,
they have (M)despised (N)the Holy One of Israel,
they are utterly (O)estranged.
5 Why will you still be (P)struck down?
Why will you (Q)continue to rebel?
The whole head is sick,
and the whole heart faint.
6 (R)From the sole of the foot even to the head,
there is no soundness in it,
but bruises and sores
and raw wounds;
they are (S)not pressed out or bound up
or softened with oil.
7 (T)Your country lies desolate;
your cities are burned with fire;
in your very presence
foreigners devour your land;
it is desolate, as overthrown by foreigners.
8 And (U)the daughter of Zion is left
like a (V)booth in a vineyard,
like a lodge in a cucumber field,
like a besieged city.
9 (W)If the Lord of hosts
had not left us (X)a few survivors,
we should have been like (Y)Sodom,
and become like (Z)Gomorrah.
10 Hear the word of the Lord,
you rulers of (AA)(AB)Sodom!
Give ear to the teaching[b] of our God,
you people of (AC)Gomorrah!
11 (AD)“What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices?
says the Lord;
I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams
and the fat of well-fed beasts;
I do not delight in the blood of bulls,
or of lambs, or of goats.
12 “When you come to (AE)appear before me,
who has required of you
this trampling of my courts?
13 Bring no more vain offerings;
incense is an abomination to me.
(AF)New moon and Sabbath and the (AG)calling of convocations—
I cannot endure (AH)iniquity and (AI)solemn assembly.
14 Your (AJ)new moons and your appointed feasts
my soul hates;
they have become a burden to me;
I am weary of bearing them.
15 When you (AK)spread out your hands,
I will hide my eyes from you;
(AL)even though you make many prayers,
I will not listen;
(AM)your hands are full of blood.
16 (AN)Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean;
remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes;
(AO)cease to do evil,
17 learn to do good;
(AP)seek justice,
correct oppression;
(AQ)bring justice to the fatherless,
plead the widow's cause.
18 “Come now, (AR)let us reason[c] together, says the Lord:
though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as (AS)white as snow;
though they are red like crimson,
they shall become like wool.
19 (AT)If you are willing and obedient,
you shall eat the good of the land;
20 but if you refuse and rebel,
you shall be eaten by the sword;
(AU)for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
The Unfaithful City
21 How the faithful city
(AV)has become a whore,[d]
(AW)she who was full of justice!
Righteousness lodged in her,
but now murderers.
22 (AX)Your silver has become dross,
your best wine mixed with water.
23 Your princes are rebels
and companions of thieves.
Everyone (AY)loves a bribe
and runs after gifts.
(AZ)They do not bring justice to the fatherless,
and the widow's cause does not come to them.
24 Therefore the (BA)Lord declares,
the Lord of hosts,
the (BB)Mighty One of Israel:
“Ah, I will get relief from my enemies
(BC)and avenge myself on my foes.
25 (BD)I will turn my hand against you
and will smelt away your (BE)dross as with lye
and remove all your alloy.
26 And I will restore your judges (BF)as at the first,
and your counsellors as at the beginning.
Afterwards (BG)you shall be called the city of righteousness,
the faithful city.”
27 (BH)Zion shall be redeemed by justice,
and those in her who repent, by righteousness.
28 (BI)But rebels and sinners shall be broken together,
and those who forsake the Lord shall be consumed.
29 (BJ)For they[e] shall be ashamed of (BK)the oaks
that you desired;
and you shall blush for (BL)the gardens
that you have chosen.
30 For you shall be (BM)like an oak
whose leaf withers,
and like a garden without water.
31 And the strong shall become (BN)tinder,
and his work a spark,
and both of them shall burn together,
with (BO)none to quench them.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 1:2 Or Sons; also verse 4
- Isaiah 1:10 Or law
- Isaiah 1:18 Or dispute
- Isaiah 1:21 Or become unchaste
- Isaiah 1:29 Some Hebrew manuscripts you
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