13-17 “Quit your worship charades.
    I can’t stand your trivial religious games:
Monthly conferences, weekly Sabbaths, special meetings—
    meetings, meetings, meetings—I can’t stand one more!
Meetings for this, meetings for that. I hate them!
    You’ve worn me out!
I’m sick of your religion, religion, religion,
    while you go right on sinning.
When you put on your next prayer-performance,
    I’ll be looking the other way.
No matter how long or loud or often you pray,
    I’ll not be listening.
And do you know why? Because you’ve been tearing
    people to pieces, and your hands are bloody.
Go home and wash up.
    Clean up your act.
Sweep your lives clean of your evildoings
    so I don’t have to look at them any longer.
Say no to wrong.
    Learn to do good.
Work for justice.
    Help the down-and-out.
Stand up for the homeless.
    Go to bat for the defenseless.

Let’s Argue This Out

18-20 “Come. Sit down. Let’s argue this out.”
    This is God’s Message:
“If your sins are blood-red,
    they’ll be snow-white.
If they’re red like crimson,
    they’ll be like wool.
If you’ll willingly obey,
    you’ll feast like kings.
But if you’re willful and stubborn,
    you’ll die like dogs.”
That’s right. God says so.

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17 Learn to do right;(A) seek justice.(B)
    Defend the oppressed.[a](C)
Take up the cause of the fatherless;(D)
    plead the case of the widow.(E)

18 “Come now, let us settle the matter,”(F)
    says the Lord.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
    they shall be as white as snow;(G)
though they are red as crimson,
    they shall be like wool.(H)
19 If you are willing and obedient,(I)
    you will eat the good things of the land;(J)

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 1:17 Or justice. / Correct the oppressor