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This is the vision Isaiah son of Amoz saw about what would happen to Judah and Jerusalem. Isaiah saw these things while Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were kings of Judah.

God’s Case Against His Children

Heaven and earth, listen,
    because the Lord is speaking:
“I raised my children and helped them grow up,
    but they have turned against me.
An ox knows its master,
    and a donkey knows where its owner feeds it,
but the people of Israel do not know me;
    my people do not understand.”

How terrible! Israel is a nation of sin,
    a people loaded down with guilt,
a group of children doing evil,
    children who are full of evil.
They have left the Lord;
    they hate God, the Holy One of Israel,
    and have turned away from him as if he were a stranger.

Why should you continue to be punished?
    Why do you continue to turn against him?
Your whole head is hurt,
    and your whole heart is sick.
There is no healthy spot
    from the bottom of your foot to the top of your head;
    you are covered with wounds, hurts, and open sores
that are not cleaned and covered,
    and no medicine takes away the pain.

Your land is ruined;
    your cities have been burned with fire.
While you watch,
    your enemies are stealing everything from your land;
    it is ruined like a country destroyed by enemies.
Jerusalem is left alone
    like an empty shelter in a vineyard,
like a hut left in a field of melons,
    like a city surrounded by enemies.
The Lord All-Powerful
    allowed a few of our people to live.
    Otherwise we would have been completely destroyed
    like the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.

10 Jerusalem, your rulers are like those of Sodom,
    and your people are like those of Gomorrah.
Hear the word of the Lord;
    listen to the teaching of our God!
11 The Lord says,
    “I do not want all these sacrifices.
I have had enough of your burnt sacrifices
    of male sheep and fat from fine animals.
I am not pleased
    by the blood of bulls, lambs, and goats.
12 You come to meet with me,
    but who asked you to do
    all this running in and out of my Temple’s rooms?
13 Don’t continue bringing me worthless sacrifices!
    I hate the incense you burn.
I can’t stand your New Moons, Sabbaths, and other feast days;
    I can’t stand the evil you do in your holy meetings.
14 I hate your New Moon feasts
    and your other yearly feasts.
They have become a heavy weight on me,
    and I am tired of carrying it.
15 When you raise your arms to me in prayer,
    I will refuse to look at you.
Even if you say many prayers,
    I will not listen to you,
because your hands are full of blood.
16 Wash yourselves and make yourselves clean.
    Stop doing the evil things I see you do.
Stop doing wrong.
17 Learn to do good.
Seek justice.
    Punish those who hurt others.
Help the orphans.
    Stand up for the rights of widows.”

18 The Lord says,
    “Come, let us talk about these things.
Though your sins are like scarlet,
    they can be as white as snow.
Though your sins are deep red,
    they can be white like wool.
19 If you become willing and obey me,
    you will eat good crops from the land.
20 But if you refuse to obey and if you turn against me,
    you will be destroyed by your enemies’ swords.”
The Lord himself said these things.

Jerusalem Is Not Loyal to God

21 The city of Jerusalem once followed the Lord,
    but she is no longer loyal to him.
She used to be filled with fairness;
    people there lived the way God wanted.
    But now, murderers live there.
22 Jerusalem, you have become like the scum left when silver is purified;
    you are like wine mixed with water.
23 Your rulers are rebels
    and friends of thieves.
They all accept money for doing wrong,
    and they are paid to cheat people.
They don’t seek justice for the orphans
    or listen to the widows’ needs.
24 So the Lord God All-Powerful,
    the Mighty One of Israel, says:
“You, my enemies, will not cause me any more trouble.
    I will pay you back for what you did.
25 I will turn against you
    and clean away all your wrongs as if with soap;
    I will take all the worthless things out of you.
26 I will bring back judges as you had long ago;
    your counselors will be like those you had in the beginning.
Then you will be called the City That Is Right with God,
    the Loyal City.”

27 By doing what is fair,
    Jerusalem will be free again.
By doing what is right,
    her people who come back to the Lord will have freedom.
28 But sinners and those who turn against him will be destroyed;
    those who have left the Lord will die.

29 “You will be ashamed,
    because you have worshiped gods under the oak trees.
You will be disgraced,
    because you have worshiped idols in your gardens.
30 You will be like an oak whose leaves are dying
    or like a garden without water.
31 Powerful people will be like small, dry pieces of wood,
    and their works will be like sparks.
They will burn together,
    and no one will be able to put out that fire.”

The vision(A) concerning Judah and Jerusalem(B) that Isaiah son of Amoz saw(C) during the reigns of Uzziah,(D) Jotham,(E) Ahaz(F) and Hezekiah,(G) kings of Judah.

A Rebellious Nation

Hear me, you heavens! Listen, earth!(H)
    For the Lord has spoken:(I)
“I reared children(J) and brought them up,
    but they have rebelled(K) against me.
The ox knows(L) its master,
    the donkey its owner’s manger,(M)
but Israel does not know,(N)
    my people do not understand.(O)

Woe to the sinful nation,
    a people whose guilt is great,(P)
a brood of evildoers,(Q)
    children given to corruption!(R)
They have forsaken(S) the Lord;
    they have spurned the Holy One(T) of Israel
    and turned their backs(U) on him.

Why should you be beaten(V) anymore?
    Why do you persist(W) in rebellion?(X)
Your whole head is injured,
    your whole heart(Y) afflicted.(Z)
From the sole of your foot to the top of your head(AA)
    there is no soundness(AB)
only wounds and welts(AC)
    and open sores,
not cleansed or bandaged(AD)
    or soothed with olive oil.(AE)

Your country is desolate,(AF)
    your cities burned with fire;(AG)
your fields are being stripped by foreigners(AH)
    right before you,
    laid waste as when overthrown by strangers.(AI)
Daughter Zion(AJ) is left(AK)
    like a shelter in a vineyard,
like a hut(AL) in a cucumber field,
    like a city under siege.
Unless the Lord Almighty
    had left us some survivors,(AM)
we would have become like Sodom,
    we would have been like Gomorrah.(AN)

10 Hear the word of the Lord,(AO)
    you rulers of Sodom;(AP)
listen to the instruction(AQ) of our God,
    you people of Gomorrah!(AR)
11 “The multitude of your sacrifices—
    what are they to me?” says the Lord.
“I have more than enough of burnt offerings,
    of rams and the fat of fattened animals;(AS)
I have no pleasure(AT)
    in the blood of bulls(AU) and lambs and goats.(AV)
12 When you come to appear before me,
    who has asked this of you,(AW)
    this trampling of my courts?
13 Stop bringing meaningless offerings!(AX)
    Your incense(AY) is detestable(AZ) to me.
New Moons,(BA) Sabbaths and convocations(BB)
    I cannot bear your worthless assemblies.
14 Your New Moon(BC) feasts and your appointed festivals(BD)
    I hate with all my being.(BE)
They have become a burden to me;(BF)
    I am weary(BG) of bearing them.
15 When you spread out your hands(BH) in prayer,
    I hide(BI) my eyes from you;
even when you offer many prayers,
    I am not listening.(BJ)

Your hands(BK) are full of blood!(BL)

16 Wash(BM) and make yourselves clean.
    Take your evil deeds out of my sight;(BN)
    stop doing wrong.(BO)
17 Learn to do right;(BP) seek justice.(BQ)
    Defend the oppressed.[a](BR)
Take up the cause of the fatherless;(BS)
    plead the case of the widow.(BT)

18 “Come now, let us settle the matter,”(BU)
    says the Lord.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
    they shall be as white as snow;(BV)
though they are red as crimson,
    they shall be like wool.(BW)
19 If you are willing and obedient,(BX)
    you will eat the good things of the land;(BY)
20 but if you resist and rebel,(BZ)
    you will be devoured by the sword.”(CA)
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.(CB)

21 See how the faithful city
    has become a prostitute!(CC)
She once was full of justice;
    righteousness(CD) used to dwell in her—
    but now murderers!(CE)
22 Your silver has become dross,(CF)
    your choice wine is diluted with water.
23 Your rulers are rebels,(CG)
    partners with thieves;(CH)
they all love bribes(CI)
    and chase after gifts.
They do not defend the cause of the fatherless;
    the widow’s case does not come before them.(CJ)

24 Therefore the Lord, the Lord Almighty,
    the Mighty One(CK) of Israel, declares:
“Ah! I will vent my wrath on my foes
    and avenge(CL) myself on my enemies.(CM)
25 I will turn my hand against you;[b](CN)
    I will thoroughly purge(CO) away your dross(CP)
    and remove all your impurities.(CQ)
26 I will restore your leaders as in days of old,(CR)
    your rulers as at the beginning.
Afterward you will be called(CS)
    the City of Righteousness,(CT)
    the Faithful City.(CU)

27 Zion will be delivered with justice,
    her penitent(CV) ones with righteousness.(CW)
28 But rebels and sinners(CX) will both be broken,
    and those who forsake(CY) the Lord will perish.(CZ)

29 “You will be ashamed(DA) because of the sacred oaks(DB)
    in which you have delighted;
you will be disgraced because of the gardens(DC)
    that you have chosen.
30 You will be like an oak with fading leaves,(DD)
    like a garden without water.
31 The mighty man will become tinder
    and his work a spark;
both will burn together,
    with no one to quench the fire.(DE)

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 1:17 Or justice. / Correct the oppressor
  2. Isaiah 1:25 That is, against Jerusalem