Isaiah 1
1
1The #Num. 12:6vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the #2 Chr. 26—32days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
The Wickedness of Judah
2#Jer. 2:12Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth!
For the Lord has spoken:
“I have nourished and brought up children,
And they have rebelled against Me;
3#Jer. 8:7The ox knows its owner
And the donkey its master’s crib;
But Israel #Jer. 9:3, 6does not know,
My people do not consider.”
4Alas, sinful nation,
A people laden with iniquity,
#Is. 57:3, 4; Matt. 3:7A brood of evildoers,
Children who are corrupters!
They have forsaken the Lord,
They have provoked to anger
The Holy One of Israel,
They have turned away backward.
5#Jer. 5:3Why should you be stricken again?
You will revolt more and more.
The whole head is sick,
And the whole heart faints.
6From the sole of the foot even to the head,
There is no soundness in it,
But wounds and bruises and putrefying sores;
They have not been closed or bound up,
Or soothed with ointment.
7#Deut. 28:51, 52; 2 Chr. 36:19Your country is desolate,
Your cities are burned with fire;
Strangers devour your land in your presence;
And it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.
8So the daughter of Zion is left #Job 27:18as a booth in a vineyard,
As a hut in a garden of cucumbers,
#Jer. 4:17As a besieged city.
9#2 Kin. 25:11, 22; Lam. 3:22Unless the Lord of hosts
Had left to us a very small remnant,
We would have become like #Gen. 19:24; Rom. 9:29Sodom,
We would have been made like Gomorrah.
10Hear the word of the Lord,
You rulers #Deut. 32:32of Sodom;
Give ear to the law of our God,
You people of Gomorrah:
11“To what purpose is the multitude of your #(1 Sam. 15:22)sacrifices to Me?”
Says the Lord.
“I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams
And the fat of fed cattle.
I do not delight in the blood of bulls,
Or of lambs or goats.
12“When you come #Ex. 23:17to appear before Me,
Who has required this from your hand,
To trample My courts?
13Bring no more #Matt. 15:9futile sacrifices;
Incense is an abomination to Me.
The New Moons, the Sabbaths, and #Joel 1:14the calling of assemblies—
I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting.
14Your #Num. 28:11New Moons and your #Lam. 2:6appointed feasts
My soul hates;
They are a trouble to Me,
I am weary of bearing them.
15#Prov. 1:28When you spread out your hands,
I will hide My eyes from you;
#Ps. 66:18; Is. 59:1–3; Mic. 3:4Even though you make many prayers,
I will not hear.
Your hands are full of blood.
16“Wash#Jer. 4:14 yourselves, make yourselves clean;
Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes.
#Rom. 12:9Cease to do evil,
17Learn to do good;
Seek justice,
Rebuke the oppressor;
Defend the fatherless,
Plead for the widow.
18“Come now, and let us #Is. 43:26; Mic. 6:2reason together,”
Says the Lord,
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
#Ps. 51:7; (Is. 43:25); Rev. 7:14They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool.
19If you are willing and obedient,
You shall eat the good of the land;
20But if you refuse and rebel,
You shall be devoured by the sword”;
#Is. 40:5; 58:14; Mic. 4:4; (Titus 1:2)For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.
The Degenerate City
21#Is. 57:3–9; Jer. 2:20How the faithful city has become a harlot!
It was full of justice;
Righteousness lodged in it,
But now #Mic. 3:1–3murderers.
22#Jer. 6:28Your silver has become dross,
Your wine mixed with water.
23#Hos. 9:15Your princes are rebellious,
And #Prov. 29:24companions of thieves;
#Jer. 22:17Everyone loves bribes,
And follows after rewards.
They #Is. 10:2; Jer. 5:28; Ezek. 22:7; Zech. 7:10do not defend the fatherless,
Nor does the cause of the widow come before them.
24Therefore the Lord says,
The Lord of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel,
“Ah, #Deut. 28:63I will rid Myself of My adversaries,
And take vengeance on My enemies.
25I will turn My hand against you,
And #Is. 48:10; Ezek. 22:19–22; Mal. 3:3thoroughly purge away your dross,
And take away all your alloy.
26I will restore your judges #Jer. 33:7–11as at the first,
And your counselors as at the beginning.
Afterward #Is. 33:5; Zech. 8:3you shall be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city.”
27Zion shall be redeemed with justice,
And her penitents with righteousness.
28The #Job 31:3; Ps. 9:5; (Is. 66:24; 2 Thess. 1:8, 9)destruction of transgressors and of sinners shall be together,
And those who forsake the Lord shall be consumed.
29For they shall be ashamed of the terebinth trees
Which you have desired;
And you shall be embarrassed because of the gardens
Which you have chosen.
30For you shall be as a terebinth whose leaf fades,
And as a garden that has no water.
31#Ezek. 32:21The strong shall be as tinder,
And the work of it as a spark;
Both will burn together,
And no one shall #Is. 66:24; Matt. 3:12; Mark 9:43quench them.
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Isaiah 1: NKJV
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The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Isaiah 1
1
1 #
2 Kgs 15.1–7; 15.32—16.20; 18.1—20.21; 2 Chr 26.1—32.33 This book contains the messages about Judah and Jerusalem which God revealed to Isaiah son of Amoz during the time when Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were kings of Judah.
God Reprimands his People
2The LORD said, “Earth and sky, listen to what I am saying! The children I brought up have rebelled against me. 3Cattle know who owns them, and donkeys know where their master feeds them. But that is more than my people Israel know. They don't understand at all.”
4You are doomed, you sinful nation, you corrupt and evil people! Your sins drag you down! You have rejected the LORD, the holy God of Israel, and have turned your backs on him. 5Why do you keep on rebelling? Do you want to be punished even more? Israel, your head is already covered with wounds, and your heart and mind are sick. 6From head to foot there is not a healthy spot on your body. You are covered with bruises and sores and open wounds. Your wounds have not been cleaned or bandaged. No ointment has been put on them.
7Your country has been devastated, and your cities have been burnt to the ground. While you look on, foreigners take over your land and bring everything to ruin. 8Jerusalem alone is left, a city under siege — as defenceless as a guard's hut in a vineyard or a shed in a cucumber field. 9#Gen 19.24; Rom 9.29If the LORD Almighty had not let some of the people survive, Jerusalem would have been totally destroyed, just as Sodom and Gomorrah were.
10Jerusalem, your rulers and your people are like those of Sodom and Gomorrah. Listen to what the LORD is saying to you. Pay attention to what our God is teaching you. 11#Amos 5.21–22He says, “Do you think I want all these sacrifices you keep offering to me? I have had more than enough of the sheep you burn as sacrifices and of the fat of your fine animals. I am tired of the blood of bulls and sheep and goats. 12Who asked you to bring me all this when you come to worship me? Who asked you to do all this tramping about in my Temple? 13It's useless to bring your offerings. I am disgusted with the smell of the incense you burn. I cannot stand your New Moon Festivals, your Sabbaths, and your religious gatherings; they are all corrupted by your sins. 14I hate your New Moon Festivals and holy days; they are a burden that I am tired of bearing.
15“When you lift your hands in prayer, I will not look at you. No matter how much you pray, I will not listen, for your hands are covered with blood. 16Wash yourselves clean. Stop all this evil that I see you doing. Yes, stop doing evil 17and learn to do right. See that justice is done — help those who are oppressed, give orphans their rights, and defend widows.”
18The LORD says, “Now, let's settle the matter. You are stained red with sin, but I will wash you as clean as snow.#1.18 sin, but… snow; or sin; do you think I will wash you as clean as snow? Although your stains are deep red, you will be as white as wool.#1.18 Although your… wool; or Your stains are deep red; do you think you will be as white as wool? 19If you will only obey me, you will eat the good things the land produces. 20But if you defy me, you are doomed to die. I, the LORD, have spoken.”
The Sinful City
21The city that once was faithful is behaving like a whore! At one time it was filled with righteous people, but now only murderers remain. 22Jerusalem, you were once like silver, but now you are worthless; you were like good wine, but now you are only water. 23Your leaders are rebels and friends of thieves; they are always accepting gifts and bribes. They never defend orphans in court or listen when widows present their case.
24So now, listen to what the LORD Almighty, Israel's powerful God, is saying: “I will take revenge on you, my enemies, and you will cause me no more trouble. 25I will take action against you. I will purify you just as metal is refined, and will remove all your impurity. 26I will give you rulers and advisers like those you had long ago. Then Jerusalem will be called the righteous, faithful city.”
27Because the LORD is righteous, he will save Jerusalem and everyone there who repents. 28But he will crush everyone who sins and rebels against him; he will kill everyone who forsakes him.
29You will be sorry that you ever worshipped trees and planted sacred gardens.#1.29 sacred gardens: People believed that dedicating a garden to a fertility god would cause him to bless their crops. 30You will wither like a dying oak, like a garden that no one waters. 31Just as straw is set on fire by a spark, so powerful people will be destroyed by their own evil deeds, and no one will be able to stop the destruction.
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Good News Bible with Deuterocanonicals/Apocrypha. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.