Isaiah 1

1 The vision of Isaiah son of Amoz, that he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.⋮

2 Hear, heavens, and give ear, earth; for Yahweh has spoken: “I have nourished and brought up children, but they have rebelled against me.⋮

3 The ox knows his owner, and the donkey his master's feeding trough, but Israel does not know, Israel does not understand.”⋮

4 Woe! Nation, sinners, a people weighed down with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, sons who act corruptly! They have abandoned Yahweh, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they have estranged themselves from him.⋮

5 Why are you still being beaten? Why do you rebel more and more? The whole head is sick, the whole heart is weak.⋮

6 From the sole of the foot to the head there is no part unharmed; only wounds, and bruises, and fresh open wounds; they have not been closed, cleansed, bandaged, nor treated with oil.⋮

7 Your country is ruined; your cities are burned; your fields—in your presence, strangers are destroying them— abandoned devastation, overthrown by strangers.⋮

8 The daughter of Zion is left like a hut in a vineyard, like a shed in a garden of cucumbers, like a besieged city.⋮

9 If Yahweh of hosts had not left for us a small remnant, we would have been like Sodom, we would have been like Gomorrah.⋮

10 Hear the word of Yahweh, you rulers of Sodom; listen to the law of our God, you people of Gomorrah:⋮

11 “What is the multitude of your sacrifices to me?” says Yahweh. “I have had enough of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fatted beasts; and in the blood of bulls, lambs, or goats I do not delight.⋮

12 When you come to appear before me, who has required this of you, to trample my courts?⋮

13 Bring no more meaningless offerings; incense is an abomination to me; your new moon and Sabbath assemblies—I cannot tolerate these wicked assemblies.⋮

14 I hate your new moons and your appointed feasts; they are a burden to me; I am tired of enduring them.⋮

15 So when you spread out your hands in prayer, I hide my eyes from you; even though you offer many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood.⋮

16 Wash, cleanse yourselves; remove the evil of your deeds from my sight; stop being evil;⋮

17 learn to do good; seek justice, make straight the oppression, give justice to the fatherless, defend the widow.”⋮

18 “Come now, and let us reason together,” says Yahweh; “though your sins are like scarlet, they will be white like snow; though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool.⋮

19 If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good of the land,⋮

20 but if you refuse and rebel, the sword will devour you,” for the mouth of Yahweh has spoken it.⋮

21 How the faithful city has become a prostitute! She who was full of justice—she was full of righteousness, but now she is full of murderers.⋮

22 Your silver has become impure, your wine mixed with water.⋮

23 Your princes are rebels and companions of thieves; everyone loves bribes and runs after payoffs. They do not defend the fatherless, nor does the widow's legal plea come before them.⋮

24 Therefore this is the declaration of the Lord Yahweh of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel: “Woe to them! I will take vengeance against my adversaries, and avenge myself against my enemies;⋮

25 I will turn my hand against you, refine away your dross as with lye, and take away all your dross.⋮

26 I will restore your judges as at the first, and your counselors as at the beginning; after that you will be called the city of righteousness, a faithful town.”⋮

27 Zion will be redeemed by justice, and her repentant ones by righteousness.⋮

28 Rebels and sinners will be crushed together, and those who abandon Yahweh will be done away with.⋮

29 “For you will be ashamed of the sacred oak trees that you desired, and you will be embarrassed by the gardens that you have chosen.⋮

30 For you will be like an oak whose leaf fades, and like a garden that has no water.⋮

31 The strong man will be like tinder, and his work like a spark; they will both burn together, and no one will quench them.”⋮