Isaiah 1
1
1This is the vision of Isaiah son of Amoz. God showed Isaiah what would happen to Judah and Jerusalem. Isaiah saw this during the time when Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were kings of Judah.
God’s Case Against Israel
2Heaven and earth, listen! This is what the Lord says:
“I raised my children and helped them grow up,
but they have turned against me.
3A bull knows its master,
and a donkey knows where its owner feeds it.
But Israel does not know me.
My people do not understand.”
4Oh, what a sinful nation! Their guilt is like a heavy weight that they must carry. They are evil, destructive children.#1:4 They … children Or “They are destructive children of evil parents.” They left the Lord and insulted the Holy One of Israel. They turned away and treated him like a stranger.
5What good will it do to keep punishing you? You will continue to rebel. Your whole head and heart are already sick and aching.#1:5 Your whole … aching Or “Every head and heart is already sick and aching.” 6From the bottom of your feet to the top of your head, every part of your body has wounds, cuts, and open sores. You have not taken care of them. Your wounds have not been cleaned and bandaged.
7Your land is in ruins, and your cities are in flames. Your enemies have taken your land, and foreigners are taking what it produces. It looks like some foreigners destroyed it.#1:7 It looks … destroyed it Or “It looks like the land of the foreigners that was destroyed.” This might refer to civil war in Israel or to some time when God destroyed foreign nations, such as Sodom and Gomorrah.
Warnings for Jerusalem
8The city of Jerusalem#1:8 city of Jerusalem Literally, “daughter Zion.” See “Zion” in the Word List. is now like an empty shed left in a vineyard. It is like an old straw hut abandoned in a field of cucumbers or like a city surrounded by enemies. 9If the Lord All-Powerful had not allowed a few people to live, we would have been destroyed completely like the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. And that almost happened!
10You officers of Sodom, listen to the Lord’s message. You people of Gomorrah,#1:10 officers of Sodom … Gomorrah Here, this refers to leaders and people from Judah. listen to God’s teaching. 11The Lord says, “Why do you continue giving me all these sacrifices? I have had enough of your sacrifices of rams and the fat from well-fed animals. I don’t want the blood of those bulls, sheep, and goats. 12When you people come to meet with me, you trample everything in my yard. Who told you to do this?
13“Don’t keep bringing me those worthless sacrifices. I hate the incense you give me. I cannot stand your festivals for the New Moon, the Sabbath, and other special meeting days. I hate the evil you do during those holy times together. 14I hate your monthly meetings and councils. They have become like heavy weights to me, and I am tired of carrying them.
15“When you raise your arms to pray to me, I will refuse to look at you. You will say more and more prayers, but I will refuse to listen because your hands are covered with blood.
16“Wash yourselves and make yourselves clean. Stop doing the evil things I see you do. Stop doing wrong. 17Learn to do good. Treat people fairly. Punish those who hurt others. Speak up for the widows and orphans. Argue their cases for them in court.
18“I, the Lord, am the one speaking to you. Come, let’s discuss this. Even if your sins are as dark as red dye, that stain can be removed and you will be as pure as wool that is as white as snow.
19“If you listen to what I say, you will get the good things from this land. 20But if you refuse to listen and rebel against me, your enemies will destroy you.”
The Lord himself said this.
Unfaithful Jerusalem
21Look at Jerusalem. She was a faithful city. What made her become like a prostitute? In the past, Jerusalem was filled with justice, and goodness should live there now. Instead, there are murderers.
22Once you were like pure silver, but now you are like the impurities that people throw away when the silver is purified. You are like good wine that has been weakened with water. 23Your rulers are rebels and friends of thieves. They demand bribes and accept money for doing wrong. They take money to cheat people, and they don’t speak up for widows and orphans. They will not even listen to their cries for help.
24Because of this, the Lord GOD All-Powerful, the Mighty One of Israel, says, “Look, I will get relief from my enemies. You will not cause me any more trouble. 25People use lye to clean silver. In the same way, I will clean away all your wrongs. I will remove all the impurities from you. 26I will bring back the kind of judges you had in the beginning. Your counselors will be like those you had long ago. Then you will be called ‘The Good and Faithful City.’”
27God is good and does what is right, so he will rescue Zion and the people who come back to him. 28But all the criminals and sinners will be destroyed. Those who stopped following the Lord will be removed.
29In the future, you will be ashamed of the oak trees and special gardens#1:29 special gardens Gardens where people worshiped false gods. you chose to worship, 30because you will be like an oak tree whose leaves are dying. You will be like a garden dying without water. 31Powerful people will be like small, dry pieces of wood, and what they did will be like the sparks that start a fire. These people and their works will both burn up, and no one will be able to put out that fire.
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© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
Isaias (Isaiah) 1
1
1THE vision of Isaias the son of Amos I which he saw concerning Juda and Jerusalem in the days of Ozias, Joathan, Achaz, and Ezechias, kings of Juda
2Hear, O ye heavens, and give ear, O earth, for the Lord hath spoken. I have brought up children, and exalted them: but they have despised me.
3The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel hath not known me, and my people hath not understood.
4Woe to the sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a wicked seed, ungracious children: they have forsaken the Lord, they have blasphemed the Holy One of Israel, they are gone away backwards.
5For what shall I strike you any more, you that increase transgression? the whole head is sick, and the whole heart is sad.
6From the sole of the foot unto the top of the head, there is no soundness therein: wounds and bruises and swelling sores: they are not bound up, nor dressed, nor fomented with oil.
7Your land is desolate, your cities are burnt with fire: your country strangers devour before your face, and it shall be desolate as when wasted by enemies.
8And the daughter of Sion shall be left as a covert in a vineyard, and as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, and as a city that is laid waste.
9Except the Lord of hosts had left us seed, we had been as Sodom, and we should have been like to Gomorrha.
10Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of Sodom, give ear to the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrha.
11To what purpose do you offer me the multitude of your victims, saith the Lord? I am full, I desire not holocausts of rams, and fat of fatlings, and blood of calves, and lambs, and buck goats.
12When you came to appear before me, who required these things at your hands, that you should walk in my courts?
13Offer sacrifice no more in vain: incense is an abomination tome. The new moons, and the sabbaths, and other festivals I will not abide, your assemblies are wicked.
14My soul hateth your new moons, and your solemnities: they are become troublesome to me, I am weary of bearing them.
15And when you stretch forth your hands, I will turn away my eyes from you: and when you multiply prayer, I will not hear: for your hands are full of blood.
16Wash yourselves, be clean, take away the evil of your devices from my eyes: cease to do perversely,
17Learn to do well: seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge for the fatherless, defend the widow.
18And then come, and accuse me, saith the Lord: if your sins be as scarlet, they shall be made as white as snow: and if they be red as crimson, they shall be white as wool.
19If you be willing, and will hearken to me, you shall eat the good things of the land.
20But if you will not, and will provoke me to wrath: the sword shall devour you because the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.
21How is the faithful city, that was full of judgment, become a harlot? justice dwelt in it, but now murderers.
22Thy silver is turned into dress: thy wine is mingled with water.
23Thy princes are faithless, companions of thieves: they all love bribes, the run after rewards. They judge not for the fatherless: and the widow's cometh not in to them.
24Therefore saith the Lord the God of hosts, the mighty one of Israel: Ah! I will comfort myself over my adversaries: and I will be revenged of my enemies.
25And I will turn my hand to thee, and I will clean purge away thy dress, and I will take away all thy tin.
26And I will restore thy judges as they were before and thy counsellors as of old. After this thou shalt be called the city of the just, a faithful city.
27Sion shall be redeemed in judgment: and they shall bring her back in justice.
28And he shall destroy the wicked and the sinners together: and they that have forsaken the Lord shall be consumed:
29For they shall be confounded for the idols to which they have sacrificed. And you shall be ashamed of the gardens which you have chosen,
30When you shall be as an oak with the leaves falling off and as a garden without water.
31And your strength shall be as the ashes of tow, and your work as a spark. And both shall burn together: and there shall be none to quench it.
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An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.