The Message Bible MSG
English Standard Version ESV
1 The vision that Isaiah son of Amoz saw regarding Judah and Jerusalem during the times of the kings of Judah: Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah.
1
The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
2 Heaven and earth, you're the jury. Listen to God's case: "I had children and raised them well, and they turned on me.
2
Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; for the LORD has spoken: "Childrenhave I reared and brought up, but they have rebelled against me.
3 The ox knows who's boss, the mule knows the hand that feeds him, But not Israel. My people don't know up from down.
3
The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master's crib, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand."
4 Shame! Misguided God-dropouts, staggering under their guilt-baggage, Gang of miscreants, band of vandals - My people have walked out on me, their God, turned their backs on The Holy of Israel, walked off and never looked back.
4
Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, children who deal corruptly! They have forsaken the LORD, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they are utterly estranged.
5 "Why bother even trying to do anything with you when you just keep to your bullheaded ways? You keep beating your heads against brick walls. Everything within you protests against you.
5
Why will you still be struck down? Why will you continue to rebel? The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.
6 From the bottom of your feet to the top of your head, nothing's working right. Wounds and bruises and running sores - untended, unwashed, unbandaged.
6
From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness in it, but bruises and sores and raw wounds; they are not pressed out or bound up or softened with oil.
7 Your country is laid waste, your cities burned down. Your land is destroyed by outsiders while you watch, reduced to rubble by barbarians.
7
Your 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 Daughter Zion is deserted - like a tumbledown shack on a dead-end street, Like a tarpaper shanty on the wrong side of the tracks, like a sinking ship abandoned by the rats.
8
And the daughter of Zion is left like a booth in a vineyard, like a lodge in a cucumber field, like a besieged city.
9 If God-of-the-Angel-Armies hadn't left us a few survivors, we'd be as desolate as Sodom, doomed just like Gomorrah.
9
If the LORD of hosts had not left us a few survivors, we should have been like Sodom, and become like Gomorrah.
10 "Listen to my Message, you Sodom-schooled leaders. Receive God's revelation, you Gomorrah-schooled people.
10
Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom! Give ear to the teaching of our God, you people of Gomorrah!
11 "Why this frenzy of sacrifices?" God's asking. "Don't you think I've had my fill of burnt sacrifices, rams and plump grain-fed calves? Don't you think I've had my fill of blood from bulls, lambs, and goats?
11
"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 before me, who ever gave you the idea of acting like this, Running here and there, doing this and that - all this sheer commotion in the place provided for worship?
12
"When you come to appear before me, who has required of you this trampling of my courts?
13 "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!
13
Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations-- I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly.
14 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.
14
Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates; they have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them.
15 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.
15
When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood.
16 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.
16
Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil,
17 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
17
learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause.
18 "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.
18
"Come now, 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 become like wool.
19 If you'll willingly obey, you'll feast like kings.
19
If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land;
20 But if you're willful and stubborn, you'll die like dogs." That's right. God says so. Those Who Walk Out on God
20
but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be eaten by the sword; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken."
21 Oh! Can you believe it? The chaste city has become a whore! She was once all justice, everyone living as good neighbors, And now they're all at one another's throats.
21
How the faithful city has become a whore, she who was full of justice! Righteousness lodged in her, but now murderers.
22 Your coins are all counterfeits. Your wine is watered down.
22
Your silver has become dross, your best wine mixed with water.
23 Your leaders are turncoats who keep company with crooks. They sell themselves to the highest bidder and grab anything not nailed down. They never stand up for the homeless, never stick up for the defenseless.
23
Your princes are rebels and companions of thieves. Everyone loves a bribe and runs after gifts. They do not bring justice to the fatherless, and the widow's cause does not come to them.
24 This Decree, therefore, of the Master, God-of-the-Angel-Armies, the Strong One of Israel: "This is it! I'll get my oppressors off my back. I'll get back at my enemies.
24
Therefore the Lord declares, the LORD of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel: "Ah, I will get relief from my enemies and avenge myself on my foes.
25 I'll give you the back of my hand, purge the junk from your life, clean you up.
25
I will turn my hand against you and will smelt away your dross as with lye and remove all your alloy.
26 I'll set honest judges and wise counselors among you just like it was back in the beginning. Then you'll be renamed City-That-Treats-People-Right, the True-Blue City."
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 God's right ways will put Zion right again. God's right actions will restore her penitents.
27
Zion shall be redeemed by justice, and those in her who repent, by righteousness.
28 But it's curtains for rebels and God-traitors, a dead end for those who walk out on God.
28
But rebels and sinners shall be broken together, and those who forsake the LORD shall be consumed.
29 "Your dalliances in those oak grove shrines will leave you looking mighty foolish, All that fooling around in god and goddess gardens that you thought was the latest thing.
29
For they shall be ashamed of the oaks that you desired; and you shall blush for the gardens that you have chosen.
30 You'll end up like an oak tree with all its leaves falling off, Like an unwatered garden, withered and brown.
30
For you shall be like an oak whose leaf withers, and like a garden without water.
31 'The Big Man' will turn out to be dead bark and twigs, and his 'work,' the spark that starts the fire That exposes man and work both as nothing but cinders and smoke."
31
And the strong shall become tinder, and his work a spark, and both of them shall burn together, with none to quench them.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.