1The vision, either prophesy, of Isaiah, the son of Amoz, which he saw on Judah and Jerusalem, in the days of Uzziah, of Jotham, of Ahaz, and of Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

2Ye heavens, hear, and thou earth, perceive with ears, for the Lord spake. I have nourished and I have enhanced sons; soothly they have despised me.

3An ox knew his lord, and an ass knew the cratch of his lord; but Israel knew not me, and my people under-stood not.

4Woe to the sinful folk, to the people heavy in wickedness, to the wayward seed, to the cursed sons; they have forsaken the Lord, they have blasphemed the Holy of Israel, they be alienated [away] backward.

5On what thing shall I smite you more, that increase trespassing? Each head is sick, and each heart is mourning.

6From the sole of the foot till to the noll, health is not therein; wound, and wanness, and beating swelling that is not bound about, neither cured by medicine, neither nursed with oil.

7Your land is forsaken, your cities be burnt by fire; aliens devour your country before you, and it shall be desolate as in the destroying of enemies.

8And the daughter of Zion, that is, Jerusalem, shall be forsaken as a shadowing place in a vineyard, and as an hulk in a place where gourds waxed, and as a city which is wasted.

9If the Lord of hosts had not left seed to us, we had been as Sodom, and we had been like as Gomorrah.

10Ye princes of men of Sodom, hear the word of the Lord; and ye people of Gomorrah, perceive with ears the law of your God.

11Whereto offer ye to me [or What to me] the multitude of your sacrifices? saith the Lord. I am full; I would not the burnt sacrifices of wethers, and the inner fatness of fat beasts, and the blood of calves, and of lambs, and of bucks of goats.

12When ye came before my sight, who asked of your hands these things, that ye should go in my foreyards?

13Offer ye no more sacrifice in vain; incense is abomination to me; I shall not suffer new moon, and sabbath, and other feasts. For your companies be wicked;

14my soul hateth your calends and your solemnities; those be dis-easeful to me, I travailed with suffering.

15And when ye stretch forth your hands, I shall turn away mine eyes from you; and when ye multiply prayer, I shall not hear; for why your hands be full of blood.

16Be ye washed, be ye clean; do ye away the evil of your thoughts from mine eyes; cease ye to do waywardly,

17learn ye to do well. Seek ye doom, help ye him that is oppressed, deem ye to the fatherless and motherless child, defend ye a widow.

18And come ye, and prove ye me, saith the Lord. Though your sins be as blood-red, those shall be made white as snow; and though they be red as vermilion, they shall be white as wool.

19If ye will, and hear me, ye shall eat the goods of [the] earth.

20That if ye do not, and ye stir me to wrathfulness [or wrath], sword shall devour you; for why the mouth of the Lord spake.

21How is the faithful city full of doom made an whore? rightfulness [or rightwiseness] dwelled therein; but now men-quellers dwell therein.

22Thy silver is turned into dross, either filth; thy wine is meddled [or mingled] with water.

23Thy princes be unfaithful, the fellows of thieves; all love gifts, and follow yieldings, either meeds; they deem not to a fatherless child, and the cause of a widow entereth not to them.

24For this thing, saith the Lord God of hosts, the Strong of Israel, Alas! I shall be comforted on mine enemies, and I shall be avenged of mine enemies.

25And I shall turn mine hand to thee, and I shall seethe out thy filth to the clean, and I shall do away all thy tin.

26And I shall restore thy judges, as they were before, and thy counsellors, as in eld [or old] time. After these things thou shalt be called the city of the rightful [or rightwise], a faithful city.

27Zion shall be again-bought in doom, and they shall bring it again into rightfulness [or rightwiseness];

28and God shall all-break [the] cursed men and [the] sinners together, and they that forsake the Lord, shall be wasted.

29For they shall be ashamed of [the] idols, to which they made sacrifice; and ye shall be ashamed on the orchards, which ye choosed.

30When ye shall be as an oak, when the leaves fall down, and as an orchard without water.

31And your strength shall be as a dead spark of stubble, either of hards of flax, and your work shall be as a quick spark; and ever either shall be burnt together, and none shall be that shall quench.

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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