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Tuesday, 12 November 2024 - S. Giosafat ( Letture di oggi)

Isaiah 1


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1The vision of Isaiah son of Amoz concerning Judah and Jerusalem, which he received in the reigns ofUzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah kings of Judah.2Listen, you heavens; earth, attend, for Yahweh is speaking, 'I have reared children and brought them up,but they have rebel ed against me.3The ox knows its owner and the donkey its master's crib; Israel does not know, my people do notunderstand.'4Disaster, sinful nation, people weighed down with guilt, race of wrong-doers, perverted children! Theyhave abandoned Yahweh, despised the Holy One of Israel, they have turned away from him.5Where shal I strike you next, if you persist in treason? The whole head is sick, the whole heart isdiseased,6from the sole of the foot to the head there is nothing healthy: only wounds, bruises and open sores notdressed, not bandaged, not soothed with ointment,7your country a desolation, your towns burnt down, your soil, foreigners lay it waste before your eyes, adesolation like devastation by foreigners.8The daughter of Zion is left like a shanty in a vineyard, like a shed in a cucumber field, like a citybesieged.9Had Yahweh Sabaoth not left us a few survivors, we should be like Sodom, we should be the same asGomorrah.10Hear what Yahweh says, you rulers of Sodom; listen to what our God teaches, you people ofGomorrah.11'What are your endless sacrifices to me?' says Yahweh. 'I am sick of burnt offerings of rams and the fatof calves. I take no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.12When you come and present yourselves before me, who has asked you to trample through my courts?13Bring no more futile cereal offerings, the smoke from them fil s me with disgust. New Moons, Sabbaths,assemblies -- I cannot endure solemnity combined with guilt.14Your New Moons and your meetings I utterly detest; to me they are a burden I am tired of bearing.15When you stretch out your hands I turn my eyes away. You may multiply your prayers, I shal not belistening. Your hands are covered in blood,16wash, make yourselves clean. Take your wrong-doing out of my sight. Cease doing evil.17Learn to do good, search for justice, discipline the violent, be just to the orphan, plead for the widow.18'Come, let us talk this over,' says Yahweh. 'Though your sins are like scarlet, they shal be white assnow; though they are red as crimson, they shal be like wool.19If you are willing to obey, you shall eat the good things of the earth.20But if you refuse and rebel, the sword shal eat you instead -- for Yahweh's mouth has spoken.'21The faithful city, what a harlot she has become! Zion, once ful of fair judgement, where saving justiceused to dwell, but now assassins!22Your silver has turned into dross, your wine is watered.23Your princes are rebels, accomplices of brigands. Al of them greedy for presents and eager for bribes,they show no justice to the orphan, and the widow's cause never reaches them.24Hence, the Lord Yahweh Sabaoth, the Mighty One of Israel, says this, 'Disaster, I shall get the better ofmy enemies, I shall avenge myself on my foes.25'I shal turn my hand against you, I shal purge your dross as though with potash, I shal remove al youral oy.26'And I shal restore your judges as at first, your counsel ors as in bygone days, after which you wil becal ed City of Saving Justice, Faithful City.'27Zion wil be redeemed by fair judgement, and those who return, by saving justice.28Rebels and sinners alike wil be destroyed, and those who abandon Yahweh wil perish.29How ashamed you wil be of the terebinths which gave you such delight; and how you wil blush for thegardens which you chose!30For you wil be like a terebinth with faded leaves, like a garden without water;31the strong wil become like tinder, his work like the spark; both wil go up in flames together, with no oneto put them out.