1The vision of [the prophet] Isaiah the son of Amoz concerning [the kingdom of] Judah and [its capital] Jerusalem, which he saw [as revealed by God] during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

2Hear, O heavens, and listen, O earth;

For the Lord has spoken:

“I have reared and brought up sons,

But they have rebelled against Me and have broken away.

3The ox [instinctively] knows its owner,

And the donkey its master’s feeding trough,

But Israel does not know [Me as Lord],

My people do not understand.”

4Ah, sinful nation,

A people loaded down with wickedness [with sin, with injustice, with wrongdoing],

Offspring of evildoers,

Sons who behave corruptly!

They have abandoned (rejected) the Lord,

They have despised the Holy One of Israel [provoking Him to anger],

They have turned away from Him.

5Why should you be stricken and punished again [since no change results from it]?

You [only] continue to rebel.

The whole head is sick

And the whole heart is faint and sick.

6From the sole of the foot even to the head

There is nothing healthy in the nation’s body,

Only bruises, welts, and raw wounds,

Not pressed out or bandaged,

Nor softened with oil [as a remedy].

7Your land lies desolate [because of your disobedience],

Your cities are burned with fire,

Your fields—strangers are devouring them in your very presence;

It is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.

8The Daughter of Zion (Jerusalem) is left like a [deserted] shelter in a vineyard,

Like a watchman’s hut in a cucumber field, like a besieged city [isolated, surrounded by devastation].

9If the Lord of hosts

Had not left us a few survivors,

We would be like Sodom,

We would be like Gomorrah.

God Has Had Enough

10Hear the word of the Lord [rulers of Jerusalem],

You rulers of [another] Sodom,

Listen to the law and instruction of our God,

You people of [another] Gomorrah.

11“What are your multiplied sacrifices to Me [without your repentance]?”

Says the Lord.

“I have had enough of [your] burnt offerings of rams

And the fat of well-fed cattle [without your obedience];

And I take no pleasure in the blood of bulls or lambs or goats [offered without repentance].

12When you come to appear before Me,

Who requires this of you, this trampling of My [temple] courts [by your sinful feet]?

13Do not bring worthless offerings again,

[Your] incense is repulsive to Me;

[Your] New Moon and Sabbath [observances], the calling of assemblies—

I cannot endure wickedness [your sin, your injustice, your wrongdoing] and [the squalor of] the festive assembly.

14I hate [the hypocrisy of] your New Moon festivals and your appointed feasts.

They have become a burden to Me;

I am weary of bearing them.

15So when you spread out your hands [in prayer, pleading for My help],

I will hide My eyes from you;

Yes, even though you offer many prayers,

I will not be listening.

Your hands are full of blood!

16“Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean;

Get your evil deeds out of My sight.

Stop doing evil,

17Learn to do good.

Seek justice,

Rebuke the ruthless,

Defend the fatherless,

Plead for the [rights of the] widow [in court].

“Let Us Reason”

18“Come now, and let us reason together,”

Says the Lord.

“#There was a legend among the rabbis that on the Day of Atonement a scarlet woolen thread was tied to the door of the temple, and when the scapegoat reached the wilderness (Lev 16:10), if the sins of Israel were forgiven the thread would miraculously turn white.Though your sins are like scarlet,

They shall be as white as snow;

Though they are red like crimson,

They shall be like wool.

19If you are willing and obedient,

You shall eat the best of the land;

20But if you refuse and rebel,

You shall be devoured by the sword.”

For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

Zion Corrupted, to Be Redeemed

21How the faithful city has become a prostitute [idolatrous, despicable],

She who was full of justice!

Right standing with God once lodged in her,

But now murderers.

22Your silver has turned to #Lit galena.lead,

Your wine is diluted with water.

23Your rulers are rebels

And companions of thieves;

Everyone loves bribes

And chases after gifts.

They do not defend the fatherless,

Nor does the widow’s cause come before them [instead they delay or turn a deaf ear].

24Therefore the Lord God of hosts,

The Mighty One of Israel, declares:

“Ah, I will be freed of My adversaries

And avenge Myself on My enemies.

25And I will turn My hand against you,

And will [thoroughly] purge away your dross as with lye

And remove all your tin (impurity).

26Then I will restore your judges as at the first,

And your counselors as at the beginning;

Afterward you will be called the city of righteousness,

The faithful city.”

27Zion will be redeemed with justice

And her repentant ones with righteousness.

28But rebels and sinners will be crushed and destroyed together,

And those who abandon (turn away from) the Lord will be consumed (perish).

29For you will be ashamed [of the degradation] of the oaks in which you took [idolatrous] pleasure,

And you will be ashamed of the gardens [of passion] which you have chosen [for pagan worship].

30For you will be like an oak whose leaf withers and dies

And like a garden that has no water.

31The strong man will become tinder,

And his work a spark.

So both will burn together

And there will be none to quench them.

Amplified® Bible

The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631

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Isaiah 1

1THE VISION OF ISAIAH THE SON OF AMOZ, WHICH HE SAW CONCERNING JUDAH AND JERUSALEM; IN THE DAYS OF UZZIAH, JOTHAM, AHAZ, HEZEEIAH, KINGS OF JUDAH.

2 Hear, O ye heavens; and give ear, O earth:

For Jehovah speaketh.

I have nourished and brought up children;

And they have rebelled against me.

3The ox knoweth his owner,

And the ass his master's crib:

But Israel doth not know;

My people doth not consider.

4Wo to the sinful nation, people laden with iniquity,

Seed of evil-doers, children that are corrupters:

They have forsaken Jehovah,

They have despised the Holy One of Israel;

They are gone away backward.

5Upon what part will ye be smitten any more, should you still revolt?

The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint:

6From the sole of the foot even unto the crown of the head, there is no soundness;

But wounds, and lashes, and fresh stripes:

They have not been pressed out, neither bound up,

Nor mollified with oil.

7Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire;

Your land, strangers devour it before your eyes;

It is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.

8And the daughter of Zion is left alone, as a shed in a vineyard;

As a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a city that is saved.

9Except Jehovah of hosts had left unto us the smallest remnant,

We had been as Sodom, we had become like unto Gomorrah.

10Hear ye the word of Jehovah, O ye princes of Sodom!

Give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah!

11Why to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? saith Jehovah:

I am cloyed with the burnt-offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts;

And in the blood of bullocks, and of lambs, and of he-goats, I have no delight.

12When ye come to appear before me,

Who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts?

13Bring no more insincere oblation,

Incense! it is an abomination unto me;

The new moon, the sabbath, and the proclaiming of an assembly,

I cannot endure: it is iniquity, even the solemn assembly.

14Your new moons, and your appointed festivals, my soul hateth:

They are a burden unto me; I am weary of bearing them.

15And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you;

Even when ye multiply prayer, I will not hear:

Your hands are full of blood.

16Wash ye, make ye clean;

Remove ye far away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes;

Cease to do evil:

17Learn to do good; seek after justice; correct the evil-doer;

Do justice to the orphan; plead for the widow.

18Come now, and let us reason together, saith Jehovah:

Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow;

Though they be red as crimson, they shall be as wool.

19If ye be willing and obedient,

Ye shall eat the good of the land;

20But if ye refuse and rebel,

Ye shall be devoured with the sword:

For the mouth of Jehovah hath spoken it.

21How is the faithful city become an harlot!

She that was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in her;

But now murderers!

22Thy silver is become dross;

Thy wine mixed with water.

23Thy princes are rebellious, and associates of robbers;

Every one of them loveth a bribe, and hunteth after rewards:

For the orphan they procure no justice;

And the cause of the widow cometh not before them.

24Wherefore saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, the mighty One of Israel:

Ah! I will ease me of mine adversaries,

And avenge me of mine enemies.

25And I will direct mine hand against thee,

And entirely melt out thy dross,

And remove all thy tin:

26And I will restore thy judges, as at the first;

And thy counsellors, as at the beginning: Afterward thou shalt be called,

The town of righteousness, the faithful city.

27Zion shall be redeemed with judgment,

And those that return unto her, with righteousness.

28But the destruction of revolters and of sinners shall be together;

And they that forsake Jehovah shall perish.

29Then shall men be ashamed of the grove of teberinths, which are your delight;

And ye shall blush for the gardens, which ye have loved:

30For ye shall be as the teberinth, whose leaves are withered;

And as a garden, wherein there is no water.

31The powerful shall become as tow,

And his work as a spark of fire;

And they shall burn both of them together; and none shall quench them.

Translated by Rev John Jones (Ioan Tegid).Published at Oxford in 1830, second edition 1842.

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Isaiah 1

Isaiah 1