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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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