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The Wickedness of Judah

Hear, O heavens, and listen, O earth,
    for the Lord has spoken:
I reared children and brought them up,
    but they have rebelled against me.(A)
The ox knows its owner
    and the donkey its master’s crib,
but Israel does not know;
    my people do not understand.(B)

Woe, sinful nation,
    people laden with iniquity,
offspring who do evil,
    children who act corruptly,
who have forsaken the Lord,
    who have despised the Holy One of Israel,
    [[who are utterly estranged!]][a](C)

Why do you seek further beatings?
    Why do you continue to rebel?
The whole head is injured,
    and the whole heart faint.(D)
From the sole of the foot to the head,
    there is no soundness in it,
only bruises and sores
    and bleeding wounds;
they have not been drained or bound up
    or softened with oil.(E)

Your country lies desolate;
    your cities are burned with fire;
in your very presence
    aliens devour your land;
    it is desolate, as overthrown by foreigners.(F)
And daughter Zion is left
    like a booth in a vineyard,
like a shelter in a cucumber field,
    like a besieged city.
If the Lord of hosts
    had not left us a few survivors,
we would have been like Sodom
    and become like Gomorrah.(G)

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Footnotes

  1. 1.4 Gk OL lack: Heb adds who are utterly estranged

Rebellious Judah

Listen, you heavens,
    and let the[a] earth pay attention,
        because the Lord has spoken:

“I reared children
    and brought them to adulthood,
        but then they rebelled against me.
The ox knows its owner,
    and the donkey its master’s feeding trough,
but[b] Israel doesn’t know,
    and[c] my people don’t understand.

“Oh, you sinful nation!
    You people burdened down by iniquity!
You offspring of those who keep practicing what is evil!
    You corrupt children!

“They’ve abandoned the Lord;
    they’ve despised the Holy One of Israel;
        in their estrangement, they’ve walked away from me.[d]

“Why will you still be struck down?
    Why will you continue to rebel?
Your whole head is sick,
    and your whole heart is faint.
From the sole of your foot to the top of your head,
    there’s no soundness evident[e]
only bruises, sores,
    and festering wounds
that haven’t been cleaned out,
    bandaged, or treated[f] with oil.”

God’s Diagnosis

“Your country lies desolate;
    your cities have been incinerated.
Before your very eyes,
    foreigners are devouring your land—
they’ve brought devastation on it,[g]
    while the land is[h] overthrown by foreigners.

“The daughter of Zion is left abandoned,
    like a booth in a vineyard,
like a hut in a cucumber field,
    or like a city under siege.
If the Lord of the Heavenly Armies
    hadn’t left us a few survivors,
we would be like Sodom;
    we would be like Gomorrah.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 1:2 So 1QIsaa; the Heb. lacks the
  2. Isaiah 1:3 So 4QIsaj; 1QIsaa MT lack but
  3. Isaiah 1:3 So 4QIsaj; 1QIsaa MT lack and
  4. Isaiah 1:4 Lit. they’ve gone back
  5. Isaiah 1:6 Lit. soundness in it
  6. Isaiah 1:6 Or softened
  7. Isaiah 1:7 So 1QIsaa; MurIsa MT LXX read Devastated
  8. Isaiah 1:7 DSS MT lack the land is