Isaiah 1
1
1The vision about Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah, Amoz’s son, saw in the days of Judah’s kings Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah.
Rebels condemned
2Hear you heavens, and listen earth,
for the LORD has spoken:
I reared children; I raised them,
and they turned against me!
3An ox knows its owner,
and a donkey its master’s feeding trough.
But Israel doesn’t know;
my people don’t behave intelligently.
4Doom! Sinful nation, people weighed down with crimes,
evildoing offspring, corrupt children!
They have abandoned the LORD,
despised the holy one of Israel;
they turned their backs on God.
5Why do you invite further beatings?
Why continue to rebel?
Everyone’s head throbs,
and everyone’s heart fails.
6From head to toe, none are well—
only bruises, cuts, and raw wounds,
not treated, not bandaged,
not soothed with oil.
7Your country is deserted,
your cities burned with fire;
your land—strangers are devouring it in plain sight.
It’s a wasteland, as when foreigners raid.
8Daughter Zion is left like a small shelter in a vineyard,
like a hut in a cucumber field,
like a city besieged.#1.8 LXX, Vulg; MT spared
9If the LORD of heavenly forces had not spared a few of us,
we would be like Sodom; we would resemble Gomorrah.
Hands filled with bloodshed
10Hear the LORD’s word, you leaders of Sodom.
Listen to our God’s teaching,
people of Gomorrah!
11What should I think about all your sacrifices?
says the LORD.
I’m fed up with entirely burned offerings of rams
and the fat of well-fed beasts.
I don’t want the blood of bulls, lambs, and goats.
12When you come to appear before me,
who asked this from you,
this trampling of my temple’s courts?
13Stop bringing worthless offerings.
Your incense repulses me.
New moon, sabbath, and the calling of an assembly—
I can’t stand wickedness with celebration!
14I hate your new moons and your festivals.
They’ve become a burden that I’m tired of bearing.
15When you extend your hands,
I’ll hide my eyes from you.
Even when you pray for a long time,
I won’t listen.
Your hands are stained with blood.
16Wash! Be clean!
Remove your ugly deeds from my sight.
Put an end to such evil;
17learn to do good.
Seek justice:
help the oppressed;#1.17 LXX, Vulg; MT lead the oppressor
defend the orphan;
plead for the widow.
18Come now, and let’s settle this,
says the LORD.
Though your sins are like scarlet,
they will be white as snow.
If they are red as crimson,
they will become like wool.
19If you agree and obey,
you will eat the best food of the land.
20But if you refuse and rebel,
you will be devoured by the sword.
The LORD has said this.
Zion will be redeemed
21This faithful town has become a prostitute!
She was full of justice;
righteousness lived in her—
but now murderers.
22Your silver has become impure;
your beer is diluted with water.
23Your princes are rebels,
companions of thieves.
Everyone loves a bribe and pursues gifts.
They don’t defend the orphan,
and the widow’s cause never reaches them.
24Therefore, says the LORD God of heavenly forces,
the mighty one of Israel:
Doom! I will vent my anger against my foes;
I will take it out on my enemies,
25and I will turn my hand against you.
I will refine your impurities as with lye,
and remove all your cinders.
26Then I will restore your judges as in earlier times,
and your counselors as at the beginning.
After this you will be called Righteous City, Faithful Town.
27Zion will be redeemed by justice,
and those who change their lives by righteousness.
28But God will shatter rebels and sinners alike;
those who abandon the LORD will be finished.
29You will be ashamed of the oaks you once desired,
and embarrassed by the gardens you once chose.
30You will be like an oak with withering leaves,
like a garden without water.
31The strong will be like dry twigs,
their deeds like sparks;
the two will burn together,
with no one to extinguish them.
Currently Selected:
Isaiah 1: CEB
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
2011 Common English Bible. All rights reserved.
Isaiah 1
1
Rebellion of God’s People
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.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
Amplified® Bible
Copyright © 2015 by
The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631
All rights reserved. http://www.lockman.org