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Judah, a Sinful Nation

The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz concerning (A)Judah and Jerusalem, which he beheld in the days of (B)Uzziah, (C)Jotham, (D)Ahaz, and (E)Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

(F)Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O (G)earth;
For [a]Yahweh speaks,
(H)Sons I have reared and raised up,
But they have (I)transgressed against Me.
An ox knows its owner,
And a donkey its master’s manger,
But Israel (J)does not know;
My people (K)do not perceive.”

Alas, sinful nation,
People heavy with iniquity,
(L)Seed of evildoers,
Sons who (M)act corruptly!
They have (N)forsaken Yahweh;
They have (O)spurned the Holy One of Israel;
They have [b]become estranged [c]from Him.

Where will you be stricken again,
As you (P)continue in your rebellion?
The whole head is (Q)sick,
And the whole heart is faint.
(R)From the sole of the foot even to the head
There is (S)nothing sound in it,
Only bruises, wounds, and raw wounds,
(T)Not pressed out, not bandaged,
Not softened with oil.

Your (U)land is desolate;
Your cities are burned with fire;
Your fields—strangers are devouring them in your presence;
It is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.
The daughter of Zion is left like a shelter in a vineyard,
Like a watchman’s hut in a cucumber field, like a besieged city.
(V)Unless Yahweh of hosts
Had left us a few (W)survivors,
We would be like (X)Sodom,
We would be like Gomorrah.

10 Hear (Y)the word of Yahweh,
You rulers of (Z)Sodom;
Give ear to the law of our God,
You people of Gomorrah.
11 (AA)What are your multiplied sacrifices to Me?”
Says Yahweh.
“I [d]have had enough of burnt offerings of rams
And the fat of fed cattle;
And in the blood of bulls, lambs, or goats [e]I take no pleasure.
12 When you come (AB)to appear before Me,
Who requires [f]of you this trampling of My courts?
13 Bring your worthless offerings no longer,
(AC)Incense is an abomination to Me.
(AD)New moon and sabbath, the (AE)calling of convocation—
I cannot (AF)endure wickedness and the solemn assembly.
14 My soul hates your new moon festivals and your (AG)appointed times,
They have become a burden to Me;
I am (AH)weary of bearing them.
15 So when you (AI)spread out your hands in prayer,
(AJ)I will hide My eyes from you;
Indeed, even though you (AK)multiply prayers,
I will not listen.
(AL)Your hands are full of blood.

16 (AM)Wash yourselves, (AN)purify yourselves;
(AO)Remove the evil of your deeds from before My eyes.
(AP)Cease to do evil,
17 Learn to do good;
(AQ)Seek justice,
Reprove the ruthless,
(AR)Execute justice for the [g]orphan,
Plead for the widow.

18 “Come now, and (AS)let us reason together,”
Says Yahweh,
(AT)Though your sins are as scarlet,
They will be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They will be like wool.
19 (AU)If you are willing and obey,
You will (AV)eat the best of the land;
20 But if you refuse and rebel,
You will be (AW)eaten by the sword.”
For (AX)the mouth of Yahweh has spoken.

Zion Will Be Redeemed with Justice

21 How the faithful city has become a (AY)harlot,
She who was full of justice!
Righteousness once lodged in her,
But now murderers.
22 Your silver has become dross,
Your drink diluted with water.
23 Your (AZ)rulers are rebels
And companions of thieves;
Everyone (BA)loves a bribe
And pursues rewards.
They (BB)do not execute justice for the [h]orphan,
Nor does the widow’s plea come before them.

24 Therefore the Lord, Yahweh of hosts,
The (BC)Mighty One of Israel, declares,
“Ah, I will be comforted concerning My adversaries,
And I will (BD)avenge Myself on My enemies.
25 I will also turn My hand against you,
And will (BE)smelt away your dross as with lye
And will remove all your alloy.
26 Then I will have your (BF)judges return as at the first,
And your counselors as at the beginning;
Afterwards you will be called the (BG)city of righteousness,
A faithful town.”

27 Zion will be (BH)redeemed with justice
And her [i]repentant ones with righteousness.
28 But [j]transgressors and sinners will be (BI)broken together,
And those who forsake Yahweh will come to an end.
29 For [k]you will be ashamed of the [l](BJ)oaks which you have desired,
And you will be humiliated because of the (BK)gardens which you have chosen.
30 For you will be like [m]an oak whose (BL)leaf withers away
Or as a garden that has no water.
31 And the strong man will become tinder,
His work also a spark.
Thus they shall both (BM)burn together,
And there will be (BN)none to quench them.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 1:2 The personal covenant name of God, a form of I AM WHO I AM, cf. Ex 3:14-15
  2. Isaiah 1:4 Or turned away
  3. Isaiah 1:4 Lit backward
  4. Isaiah 1:11 Or am sated with
  5. Isaiah 1:11 Or I do not desire, cf. Ps 40:6
  6. Isaiah 1:12 Lit of your hand
  7. Isaiah 1:17 Or fatherless
  8. Isaiah 1:23 Or fatherless
  9. Isaiah 1:27 Or returnees
  10. Isaiah 1:28 Lit breaking of transgressors and sinners shall be together
  11. Isaiah 1:29 As in some mss; M.T. they
  12. Isaiah 1:29 Or terebinths
  13. Isaiah 1:30 Or a terebinth

Judah Called to Repentance

The (A)vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the (B)days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

The Wickedness of Judah

(C)Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth!
For the Lord has spoken:
“I have nourished and brought up children,
And they have rebelled against Me;
(D)The ox knows its owner
And the donkey its master’s [a]crib;
But Israel (E)does not know,
My people do not [b]consider.”

Alas, sinful nation,
A people [c]laden with iniquity,
(F)A [d]brood of evildoers,
Children who are corrupters!
They have forsaken the Lord,
They have provoked to anger
The Holy One of Israel,
They have turned away backward.

(G)Why should you be stricken again?
You will revolt more and more.
The whole head is sick,
And the whole heart faints.
From the sole of the foot even to the head,
There is no soundness in it,
But wounds and bruises and putrefying sores;
They have not been closed or bound up,
Or soothed with ointment.

(H)Your country is desolate,
Your cities are burned with fire;
Strangers devour your land in your presence;
And it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.
So the daughter of Zion is left (I)as a [e]booth in a vineyard,
As a hut in a garden of cucumbers,
(J)As a besieged city.
(K)Unless the Lord of hosts
Had left to us a very small remnant,
We would have become like (L)Sodom,
We would have been made like Gomorrah.

10 Hear the word of the Lord,
You rulers (M)of Sodom;
Give ear to the law of our God,
You people of Gomorrah:
11 “To what purpose is the multitude of your (N)sacrifices to Me?”
Says the Lord.
“I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams
And the fat of fed cattle.
I do not delight in the blood of bulls,
Or of lambs or goats.

12 “When you come (O)to appear before Me,
Who has required this from your hand,
To trample My courts?
13 Bring no more (P)futile[f] sacrifices;
Incense is an abomination to Me.
The New Moons, the Sabbaths, and (Q)the calling of assemblies—
I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting.
14 Your (R)New Moons and your (S)appointed feasts
My soul hates;
They are a trouble to Me,
I am weary of bearing them.
15 (T)When you [g]spread out your hands,
I will hide My eyes from you;
(U)Even though you make many prayers,
I will not hear.
Your hands are full of [h]blood.

16 “Wash(V) yourselves, make yourselves clean;
Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes.
(W)Cease to do evil,
17 Learn to do good;
Seek justice,
Rebuke [i]the oppressor;
[j]Defend the fatherless,
Plead for the widow.

18 “Come now, and let us (X)reason together,”
Says the Lord,
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
(Y)They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool.
19 If you are willing and obedient,
You shall eat the good of the land;
20 But if you refuse and rebel,
You shall be devoured by the sword”;
(Z)For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

The Degenerate City

21 (AA)How the faithful city has become a [k]harlot!
It was full of justice;
Righteousness lodged in it,
But now (AB)murderers.
22 (AC)Your silver has become dross,
Your wine mixed with water.
23 (AD)Your princes are rebellious,
And (AE)companions of thieves;
(AF)Everyone loves bribes,
And follows after rewards.
They (AG)do not defend the fatherless,
Nor does the cause of the widow come before them.

24 Therefore the Lord says,
The Lord of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel,
“Ah, (AH)I will [l]rid Myself of My adversaries,
And [m]take vengeance on My enemies.
25 I will turn My hand against you,
And (AI)thoroughly[n] purge away your dross,
And take away all your alloy.
26 I will restore your judges (AJ)as at the first,
And your counselors as at the beginning.
Afterward (AK)you shall be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city.”

27 Zion shall be redeemed with justice,
And her [o]penitents with righteousness.
28 The (AL)destruction of transgressors and of sinners shall be together,
And those who forsake the Lord shall be consumed.
29 For [p]they shall be ashamed of the [q]terebinth trees
Which you have desired;
And you shall be embarrassed because of the gardens
Which you have chosen.
30 For you shall be as a terebinth whose leaf fades,
And as a garden that has no water.
31 (AM)The strong shall be as tinder,
And the work of it as a spark;
Both will burn together,
And no one shall (AN)quench them.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 1:3 manger or feed trough
  2. Isaiah 1:3 understand
  3. Isaiah 1:4 Lit. heavy, weighed down
  4. Isaiah 1:4 offspring, seed
  5. Isaiah 1:8 shelter
  6. Isaiah 1:13 worthless
  7. Isaiah 1:15 Pray
  8. Isaiah 1:15 bloodshed
  9. Isaiah 1:17 Some ancient vss. the oppressed
  10. Isaiah 1:17 Vindicate
  11. Isaiah 1:21 Unfaithful
  12. Isaiah 1:24 be relieved of
  13. Isaiah 1:24 avenge Myself
  14. Isaiah 1:25 refine with lye
  15. Isaiah 1:27 Lit. returners
  16. Isaiah 1:29 So with MT, LXX, Vg.; some Heb. mss., Tg. you
  17. Isaiah 1:29 Sites of pagan worship