Isaiah 1
1
God’s Message in Troubled Times
1This is the vision Isaiah son of Amoz saw. God showed Isaiah what would happen to Judah and Jerusalem. Isaiah saw these things while Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah were kings of Judah.
God Finds Fault with His People
2Heaven and earth, listen,
because the Lord is speaking:
“I raised my children and helped them grow.
But they have turned against me.
3An 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.”
4Terrible times are coming for Israel, a nation of sin.
The people are loaded down with guilt.
They are like a group of children doing evil.
They are full of evil.
They have left the Lord.
They hate God, the Holy One of Israel.
They have turned away from him.
5Why 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.
6There 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.
Your wounds are not cleaned and covered.
No medicine takes away the pain.
7Your land is ruined.
Your cities have been burned with fire.
While you watch,
your enemies are stealing everything from your land.
Your land is ruined like a country destroyed by enemies.
8Jerusalem is left alone
like an empty shelter in a vineyard.
It is like a hut left in a field of melons.
It is like a city surrounded by enemies.
9The Lord of heaven’s armies
allowed a few of our people to live.
Otherwise we would have been completely destroyed
like the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.
10Jerusalem, your rulers are like those of Sodom.
Your people are like those of Gomorrah.
Hear the word of the Lord.
Listen to the teachings of our God!
11The Lord says,
“I do not want all these sacrifices you give me.
I have had enough of your sacrifices
of male sheep and fat from fine animals.
I am not pleased
by the blood of bulls, sheep and goats.
12You come to meet with me.
But who asked you to do
all this running in and out?
13Don’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 holding your holy meetings.
14I hate your New Moon feasts
and your other yearly feasts.
They have become like heavy weights on me.
I am tired of carrying them.
15You will raise your arms in prayer to me.
But I will refuse to look at you.
Even if you say many prayers,
I will not listen to you.
It’s because your hands are full of blood.
16Wash yourselves and make yourselves clean.
Stop doing the evil things I see you do.
Stop doing wrong!
17Learn to do good.
Be fair to other people.
Punish those who hurt others.
Help the orphans.
Stand up for the rights of widows.”
18The Lord says,
“Come, we will talk these things over.
Your sins are red like deep red cloth.
But they can be as white as snow.
Your sins are bright red.
But you can be white like wool.
19If you will obey me,
you will eat good crops from the land.
20But 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
21The city of Jerusalem once followed the Lord.
But she is no longer loyal to the Lord.
She used to be filled with fairness.
People there lived the way God wanted.
But now, murderers live there.
22Jerusalem, you have become like the scum left when silver is purified.
You are like wine mixed with water.
23Your rulers are rebels.
They are friends of thieves.
They all accept money for doing wrong things.
They are paid to cheat people.
They don’t try to help the orphans.
And they don’t listen to the widows’ needs.
24The Master, the Lord of heaven’s armies,
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.
25I will turn against you.
I will clean away all your wrongs as if with soap.
I will take all the worthless things out of you.
26I will bring back judges as you had long ago.
Your counselors will be like the ones you had in the beginning.
Then you will be called the City That Is Right with God.
You will be called the Loyal City.”
27Because the Lord does what is fair,
he will rescue Jerusalem.
Because the Lord does what is right,
he will save her people who come back to him.
28But 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 false gods under the oak trees.
You will be disgraced
because you have worshiped idols in your gardens.
30You will be like an oak whose leaves are dying.
You will be like a garden without water.
31Powerful people will be like small, dry pieces of wood.
And what they do will be like sparks.
The people and what they do will burn together.
And no one will be able to stop that fire.”
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Isaiah 1: ICB
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Copyright © 2015 by Tommy Nelson™, a Division of Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Isaiah 1
1
Isaiah 1
1 #
Num 12.6; 2 Kings 15.1, 13, 32; 16.1; 18.1; Isa 2.1 The vision of Isaiah son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
The Wickedness of Judah
2 #
Deut 32.1
Hear, O heavens, and listen, O earth,
for the Lord has spoken:
I reared children and brought them up,
but they have rebelled against me.
3 #
Jer 8.7; 9.3, 6 The ox knows its owner
and the donkey its master’s crib,
but Israel does not know;
my people do not understand.
4 #
v 28
; Isa 5.24; 14.20Woe, sinful nation,
people laden with iniquity,
offspring who do evil,
children who act corruptly,
who have forsaken the Lord,
who have despised the Holy One of Israel,
[[who are utterly estranged!]]#1.4 Gk OL lack: Heb adds who are utterly estranged
5 #
Isa 31.6; 33.24 Why do you seek further beatings?
Why do you continue to rebel?
The whole head is injured,
and the whole heart faint.
6 #
Job 2.7; Ps 38.3; Isa 30.26; Lk 10.34 From the sole of the foot to the head,
there is no soundness in it,
only bruises and sores
and bleeding wounds;
they have not been drained or bound up
or softened with oil.
7 #
Isa 6.11; Jer 44.6 Your country lies desolate;
your cities are burned with fire;
in your very presence
aliens devour your land;
it is desolate, as overthrown by foreigners.
8And daughter Zion is left
like a booth in a vineyard,
like a shelter in a cucumber field,
like a besieged city.
9 #
Isa 10.20–22; Rom 9.29 If the Lord of hosts
had not left us a few survivors,
we would have been like Sodom
and become like Gomorrah.
10 #
Isa 3.9; 28.14; Ezek 16.46; Rev 11.8 Hear the word of the Lord,
you rulers of Sodom!
Listen to the teaching of our God,
you people of Gomorrah!
11 #
1 Sam 15.22; Jer 6.20; Mic 6.7 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 fed beasts;
I do not delight in the blood of bulls
or of lambs or of goats.
12 #
Ex 23.17
When you come to appear before me,#1.12 Or see my face
who asked this from your hand?
Trample my courts no more!
13 #
Ex 12.16; 1 Chr 23.31; Isa 66.3; Jer 7.9, 10 Bringing offerings is futile;
incense is an abomination to me.
New moon and Sabbath and calling of convocation—
I cannot endure solemn assemblies with iniquity.
14 #
Lev 23.2; Num 28.11; Isa 7.13; 43.24 Your new moons and your appointed festivals
my soul hates;
they have become a burden to me;
I am weary of bearing them.
15 #
1 Kings 8.22; Isa 8.17; 59.2, 3; Mic 3.4 When you stretch 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 #
Isa 52.11; 55.7; Jer 4.14; 25.5 Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean;
remove your evil deeds
from before my eyes;
cease to do evil;
17 #
Ps 82.3; Isa 58.6; Jer 22.3 learn to do good;
seek justice;
rescue the oppressed;
defend the orphan;
plead for the widow.
18 #
Ps 51.7; Isa 43.26; Rev 7.14 Come now, let us argue it out,
says the Lord:
If your sins are like scarlet,
will they become like snow?
If they are red like crimson,
will they become like wool?
19 #
Deut 30.15, 16 If you are willing and obedient,
you shall eat the good of the land,
20 #
Isa 3.25; 34.16 but if you refuse and rebel,
you shall be devoured by the sword,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.
The Degenerate City
21 #
Isa 59.7; Jer 2.20 How the faithful city
has become a prostitute!
She that was full of justice,
righteousness lodged in her—
but now murderers!
22 #
Ezek 22.18
Your silver has become dross;
your wine is mixed with water.
23 #
Ex 23.8; Jer 5.28; Hos 9.15; Mic 7.3; Zech 7.10 Your princes are rebels
and companions of thieves.
Everyone loves a bribe
and runs after gifts.
They do not defend the orphan,
and the widow’s cause does not come before them.
24 #
Isa 35.4; 49.26 Therefore says the Sovereign, the Lord of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel:
Surely I will pour out my wrath on my enemies
and avenge myself on my foes!
25 #
Mal 3.3
I will turn my hand against you;
I will smelt away your dross as with lye
and remove all your alloy.
26 #
Jer 33.7; Zech 8.3 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.
27Zion shall be redeemed by justice,
and those in her who repent, by righteousness.
28 #
Ps 9.5; Isa 24.20; 2 Thess 1.8, 9 But rebels and sinners shall be destroyed together,
and those who forsake the Lord shall be consumed.
29 #
Isa 57.5; 65.3 For you shall be ashamed of the oaks
in which you delighted,
and you shall blush for the gardens
that you have chosen.
30For you shall be like an oak
whose leaf withers
and like a garden without water.
31 #
Isa 5.24; 66.24; Mt 3.12 The strong shall become like tinder
and their work like a spark;
they and their work shall burn together,
with no one to quench them.
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New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition, copyright © 2021 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.