Isaiah 1

¹ The vision which Isaiah, son of Amoz, had concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

² Hear, O heavens, and listen, O earth, for the LORD speaks: Sons have I raised and reared, but they have disowned me!

³ An ox knows its owner, and an ass, its master's manger; But Israel does not know, my people has not understood.

⁴ Ah! sinful nation, people laden with wickedness, evil race, corrupt children! They have forsaken the LORD, spurned the Holy One of Israel, apostatized.

⁵ Where would you yet be struck, you that rebel again and again? The whole head is sick, the whole heart faint.

⁶ From the sole of the foot to the head there is no sound spot: Wound and welt and gaping gash, not drained, or bandaged, or eased with salve.

⁷ Your country is waste, your cities burnt with fire; Your land before your eyes strangers devour (a waste, like Sodom overthrown)--

⁸ And daughter Zion is left like a hut in a vineyard, Like a shed in a melon patch, like a city blockaded.

⁹ Unless the LORD of hosts had left us a scanty remnant, We had become as Sodom, we should be like Gomorrah.

¹⁰ Hear the word of the LORD, princes of Sodom! Listen to the instruction of our God, people of Gomorrah!

¹¹ What care I for the number of your sacrifices? says the LORD. I have had enough of whole-burnt rams and fat of fatlings; In the blood of calves, lambs and goats I find no pleasure.

¹² When you come in to visit me, who asks these things of you?

¹³ Trample my courts no more! Bring no more worthless offerings; your incense is loathsome to me. New moon and sabbath, calling of assemblies, octaves with wickedness: these I cannot bear.

¹⁴ Your new moons and festivals I detest; they weigh me down, I tire of the load.

¹⁵ When you spread out your hands, I close my eyes to you; Though you pray the more, I will not listen. Your hands are full of blood!

¹⁶ Wash yourselves clean! Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes; cease doing evil;

¹⁷ learn to do good. Make justice your aim: redress the wronged, hear the orphan's plea, defend the widow.

¹⁸ Come now, let us set things right, says the LORD: Though your sins be like scarlet, they may become white as snow; Though they be crimson red, they may become white as wool.

¹⁹ If you are willing, and obey, you shall eat the good things of the land;

²⁰ But if you refuse and resist, the sword shall consume you: for the mouth of the LORD has spoken!

²¹ How has she turned adulteress, the faithful city, so upright! Justice used to lodge within her, but now, murderers.

²² Your silver is turned to dross, your wine is mixed with water.

²³ Your princes are rebels and comrades of thieves; Each one of them loves a bribe and looks for gifts. The fatherless they defend not, and the widow's plea does not reach them.

²⁴ Now, therefore, says the Lord, the LORD of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel: Ah! I will take vengeance on my foes and fully repay my enemies!

²⁵ I will turn my hand against you, and refine your dross in the furnace, removing all your alloy.

²⁶ I will restore your judges as at first, and your counselors as in the beginning; After that you shall be called city of justice, faithful city.

²⁷ Zion shall be redeemed by judgment, and her repentant ones by justice.

²⁸ Rebels and sinners alike shall be crushed, those who desert the LORD shall be consumed.

²⁹ You shall be ashamed of the terebinths which you prized, and blush for the groves which you chose.

³⁰ You shall become like a tree with falling leaves, like a garden that has no water.

³¹ The strong man shall turn to tow, and his work shall become a spark; Both shall burn together, and there shall be none to quench the flames.