Isaiah 1

1  THE VISION [seen by spiritual perception] of Isaiah son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah [the kingdom] and Jerusalem [its capital] in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.2  Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth! For the Lord has spoken: I have nourished and brought up sons and have made them great and exalted, but they have rebelled against Me and broken away from Me.3  The ox [instinctively] knows his owner, and the donkey his master’s crib, but Israel does not know or recognize Me [as Lord], My people do not consider or understand.4  Ah, sinful nation, a people loaded with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, sons who deal corruptly! They have forsaken the Lord, they have despised and shown contempt and provoked the Holy One of Israel to anger, they have become utterly estranged (alienated).5  Why should you be stricken and punished any more [since it brings no correction]? You will revolt more and more. The whole head is sick, and the whole heart is faint (feeble, sick, and nauseated).6  From the sole of the foot even to the head there is no soundness or health in [the nation’s body]--but wounds and bruises and fresh and bleeding stripes; they have not been pressed out and closed up or bound up or softened with oil. [No one has troubled to seek a remedy.]7  [Because of your detestable disobedience] your country lies desolate, your cities are burned with fire; your land--strangers devour it in your very presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by aliens.8  And the Daughter of Zion [Jerusalem] is left like a [deserted] booth in a vineyard, like a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, like a besieged city [spared, but in the midst of desolation].9  Except the Lord of hosts had left us a very small remnant [of survivors], we should have been like Sodom, and we should have been like Gomorrah. 10  Hear [O Jerusalem] the word of the Lord, you rulers or judges of [another] Sodom! Give ear to the law and the teaching of our God, you people of [another] Gomorrah!11  To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me [unless they are the offering of the heart]? says the Lord. I have had enough of the burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed beasts [without obedience]; and I do not delight in the blood of bulls or of lambs or of he-goats [without righteousness].12  When you come to appear before Me, who requires of you that your [unholy feet] trample My courts?13  Bring no more offerings of vanity (emptiness, falsity, vainglory, and futility); [your hollow offering of] incense is an abomination to Me; the New Moons and Sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot endure--[it is] iniquity and profanation, even the solemn meeting.14  Your New Moon festivals and your [hypocritical] appointed feasts My soul hates. They are an oppressive burden to Me; I am weary of bearing them.15  And when you spread forth your hands [in prayer, imploring help], I will hide My eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood!16  Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes! Cease to do evil,17  Learn to do right! Seek justice, relieve the oppressed, and correct the oppressor. Defend the fatherless, plead for the widow.18  Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord. 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 good of the land;20  But if you refuse and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken it.21  How the faithful city has become an [idolatrous] harlot, she who was full of justice! Uprightness and right standing with God [once] lodged in her--but now murderers.22  Your silver has become dross, your wine is mixed with water.23  Your princes are rebels and companions of thieves; everyone loves bribes and runs after compensation and rewards. They judge not for the fatherless nor defend them, neither does the cause of the widow come to them [for they delay or turn a deaf ear].24  Therefore says the Lord, the Lord of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will appease Myself on My adversaries and avenge Myself on My enemies.25  And I will bring My hand again upon you and thoroughly purge away your dross [as with lye] and take away all your tin or alloy.26  And I will restore your judges as at the first, and your counselors as at the beginning; afterward you shall be called the City of Righteousness, the Faithful City.27  Zion shall be redeemed with justice, and her [returned] converts with righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God).28  But the crushing and destruction of rebels and sinners shall be together, and they who forsake the Lord shall be consumed.29  For you will be ashamed [of the folly and degradation] of the oak or terebinth trees in which you found [idolatrous] pleasure, and you will blush with shame for the [idolatrous worship which you practice in the passion-inflaming] gardens which you have chosen.30  For you shall be like an oak or terebinth whose leaf withers, and like a garden that has no water.31  And the strong shall become like tow and become tinder, and his work like a spark, and they shall both burn together, with none to quench them.

Isaiah 1

Heading

1 Here is the message about Judah and Jerusalems that was revealed to Isaiah son of Amoz during the time when Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah reigned over Judah.ts

Obedience, not Sacrifice

2 Listen, O heavens,
pay attention, O earth!s
For the Lord speaks:
“I raised children,ts I brought them up,s
buts they have rebelleds against me!

3 An ox recognizes its owner,
a donkey recognizes where its owner puts its food;t
but Israel does not recognize me,t
my people do not understand.”

4 s The sinful nation is as good as dead,t
the people weighed down by evil deeds.
They are offspring who do wrong,
childrent who do wicked things.
They have abandoned the Lord,
and rejected the Holy One of Israel.s
They are alienated from him.t

5 s Why do you insist on being battered?
Why do you continue to rebel?t
Your head has a massive wound,t
your whole body is weak.t

6 From the soles of your feet to your head,
there is no spot that is unharmed.t
There are only bruises, cuts,
and open wounds.
They have not been cleansedt or bandaged,
nor have they been treatedt with olive oil.s

7 Your land is devastated,
your cities burned with fire.
Right before your eyes your crops
are being destroyed by foreign invaders.t
They leave behind devastation and destruction.t

8 Daughter Ziont is left isolated,
like a hut in a vineyard,
or a shelter in a cucumber field;
she is a besieged city.t

9 If the Lord who commands armiest had not left us a few survivors,
we would have quickly become like Sodom,s
we would have become like Gomorrah.

10 Listen to the Lord’s word,
you leaders of Sodom!s
Pay attention to our God’s rebuke,t
people of Gomorrah!

11 “Of what importance to me are your many sacrifices?”ts
says the Lord.
“I am stuffed witht burnt sacrifices
of rams and the fat from steers.
The blood of bulls, lambs, and goats
I do not want.s

12 When you enter my presence,
do you actually think I want this –
animals trampling on my courtyards?t

13 Do not bring any more meaninglesst offerings;
I consider your incense detestable!s
You observe new moon festivals, Sabbaths, and convocations,
but I cannot tolerate sin-stained celebrations!t

14 I hate your new moon festivals and assemblies;
they are a burden
that I am tired of carrying.

15 When you spread out your hands in prayer,
I look the other way;t
when you offer your many prayers,
I do not listen,
because your hands are covered with blood.s

16 s Wash! Cleanse yourselves!
Remove your sinful deedss
from my sight.
Stop sinning!

17 Learn to do what is right!
Promote justice!
Give the oppressed reason to celebrate!t
Take up the cause of the orphan!
Defend the rights of the widow!t

18 s Come, let’s consider your options,”t says the Lord.
“Though your sins have stained you like the color red,
you can becomet white like snow;
though they are as easy to see as the color scarlet,
you can becomet white like wool.t

19 If you have a willing attitude and obey,t
then you will again eat the good crops of the land.

20 But if you refuse and rebel,
you will be devoureds by the sword.”
Know for certain that the Lord has spoken.t

Purifying Judgment

21 How tragic that the once-faithful city
has become a prostitute!t
She was once a center oft justice,
fairness resided in her,
but now only murderers.t

22 Yourt silver has become scum,t
your beer is diluted with water.s

23 Your officials are rebels,t
they associate witht thieves.
All of them love bribery,
and look fort payoffs.s
They do not take up the cause of the orphan,s
or defend the rights of the widow.s

24 Therefore, the sovereign Lord who commands armies,t
the powerful ruler of Israel,t says this:
“Ah, I will seek vengeancet against my adversaries,
I will take revenge against my enemies.s

25 I will attack you;t
I will purify your metal with flux.t
I will remove all your slag.s

26 I will reestablish honest judges as in former times,
wise advisers as in earlier days.t
Then you will be called, ‘The Just City,
Faithful Town.’”

27 s Zion will be freed by justice,t
and her returnees by righteousness.s

28 All rebellious sinners will be shattered,t
those who abandon the Lord will perish.

29 Indeed, theys will be ashamed of the sacred trees
yout find so desirable;
you will be embarrassed because of the sacred orchardst
where you choose to worship.

30 For you will be like a tree whose leaves wither,
like an orchardt that is unwatered.

31 The powerful will be liket a thread of yarn,
their deeds like a spark;
both will burn together,
and no one will put out the fire.