1
The
1vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem
2in the days of
3Uzziah,
4Jotham,
5Ahaz, and
6Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
The Wickedness of Judah
2 7Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O
8earth; for the LORD has spoken: "Children
9have I reared and brought up, but they have rebelled against me.
3
The ox
10knows its owner, and the donkey its master's crib, but Israel does
11not know, my people do not understand."
4
Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity,
12offspring of evildoers, children who deal corruptly! They have forsaken the LORD, they have
13despised
14the Holy One of Israel, they are utterly
15estranged.
5
Why will you still be
16struck down? Why will you
17continue to rebel? The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.
6
18From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness in it, but bruises and sores and raw wounds; they are
19not pressed out or bound up or softened with oil.
7
20Your country lies desolate; your cities are burned with fire; in your very presence foreigners devour your land; it is desolate, as overthrown by foreigners.
8
And
21the daughter of Zion is left like a
22booth in a vineyard, like a lodge in a cucumber field, like a besieged city.
9
23If the LORD of hosts had not left us
24a few survivors, we should have been like
25Sodom, and become like
26Gomorrah.
10
Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom! Give ear to the teaching of our God, you people of
27Gomorrah!
11
28"What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the LORD; I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats.
12
"When you come to
29appear before me, who has required of you this trampling of my courts?
13
Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to me.
30New moon and Sabbath and the
31calling of convocations-- I cannot endure
32iniquity and
33solemn assembly.
14
Your
34new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates; they have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them.
15
When you
35spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you;
36even though you make many prayers, I will not listen;
37your hands are full of blood.
16
38Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes;
39cease to do evil,
17
learn to do good;
40seek justice, correct oppression;
41bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause.
18
"Come now,
42let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as
43white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.
19
44If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land;
20
but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be eaten by the sword;
45for the mouth of the LORD has spoken."
The Unfaithful City
21 How the faithful city
46has become a whore,
47she who was full of justice! Righteousness lodged in her, but now murderers.
22
48Your silver has become dross, your best wine mixed with water.
23
Your princes are rebels and companions of thieves. Everyone
49loves a bribe and runs after gifts.
50They do not bring justice to the fatherless, and the widow's cause does not come to them.
24
Therefore the
51Lord declares, the LORD of hosts, the
52Mighty One of Israel: "Ah, I will get relief from my enemies
53and avenge myself on my foes.
25
54I will turn my hand against you and will smelt away your
55dross as with lye and remove all your alloy.
26
And I will restore your judges
56as at the first, and your counselors as at the beginning. Afterward
57you shall be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city."
27
58Zion shall be redeemed by justice, and those in her who repent, by righteousness.
28
59But rebels and sinners shall be broken together, and those who forsake the LORD shall be consumed.
29
60For they shall be ashamed of
61the oaks that you desired; and you shall blush for
62the gardens that you have chosen.
30
For you shall be
63like an oak whose leaf withers, and like a garden without water.
31
And the strong shall become
64tinder, and his work a spark, and both of them shall burn together, with
65none to quench them.