Isaiah 1:21-26
English Standard Version
The Unfaithful City
21 How the faithful city
(A)has become a whore,[a]
(B)she who was full of justice!
Righteousness lodged in her,
but now murderers.
22 (C)Your silver has become dross,
your best wine mixed with water.
23 Your princes are rebels
and companions of thieves.
Everyone (D)loves a bribe
and runs after gifts.
(E)They do not bring justice to the fatherless,
and the widow's cause does not come to them.
24 Therefore the (F)Lord declares,
the Lord of hosts,
the (G)Mighty One of Israel:
“Ah, I will get relief from my enemies
(H)and avenge myself on my foes.
25 (I)I will turn my hand against you
and will smelt away your (J)dross as with lye
and remove all your alloy.
26 And I will restore your judges (K)as at the first,
and your counselors as at the beginning.
Afterward (L)you shall be called the city of righteousness,
the faithful city.”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 1:21 Or become unchaste
Isaiah 1:21-26
International Standard Version
Diagnosis and Judgment
21 “How the faithful city
has become a whore,
she who used to be filled with justice!
Righteousness used to reside within her,
but now only murderers live there.
22 Your silver has[a] become dross,
your best wine is diluted with water.
23 Your princes are rebels
and companions of thieves.
All of them are lovers of[b] bribes
and are runners[c] after gifts.
They don’t bring justice to orphans,[d]
and the widow’s case never comes up for review in their court.”[e]
Restoration and Redemption
24 Therefore this is what the Lord God of the Heavenly Armies,
the one who is Israel’s Mighty One, declares:
“Now I’ll get relief from his[f] enemies
and avenge myself on his[g] foes.
25 When I turn[h] my attention to you,[i]
I’ll refine your dross as in a furnace.[j]
I’ll remove[k] all your alloy.
26 Let me restore[l] your judges as at the first,
and your counselors as at the beginning.
Afterward you’ll be called ‘The Righteous City’
and ‘The Faithful City of Zion’.[m]
Footnotes
- Isaiah 1:22 So MT; 1QIsaa reads have
- Isaiah 1:23 So 1QIsaa LXX; MT reads Everyone loves
- Isaiah 1:23 So 1QIsaa LXX; MT reads and run
- Isaiah 1:23 Or to the fatherless
- Isaiah 1:23 Lit. comes before them
- Isaiah 1:24 So 1QIsaa; 4QIsaf MT LXX Vulgate read my
- Isaiah 1:24 So 1QIsaa; LXX MT read my
- Isaiah 1:25 So 1QIsaa; LXX MT read And let me turn
- Isaiah 1:25 Lit. my hand against you
- Isaiah 1:25 1QIsaa lacks as in a furnace; MT reads as lye
- Isaiah 1:25 So 1QIsaa 4QIsaf; MT reads Let me remove
- Isaiah 1:26 1QIsaa MT; 4QIsaf reads I will restore
- Isaiah 1:26 So LXX; the Heb. lacks Zion
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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