The avision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem bin the days of cUzziah, dJotham, eAhaz, and fHezekiah, kings of Judah.
The Wickedness of Judah
2 aHear, O heavens, and give ear, O bearth;
for the Lord has spoken:
“Children chave I reared and brought up,
but they have rebelled against me.
3 The ox aknows its owner,
and the donkey its master’s crib,
but Israel does anot know,
my people do not understand.”
4 Ah, sinful nation,
a people laden with iniquity,
aoffspring of evildoers,
children who deal corruptly!
They have forsaken the Lord,
they have bdespised cthe Holy One of Israel,
they are utterly destranged.
5 Why will you still be astruck down?
Why will you bcontinue to rebel?
The whole head is sick,
and the whole heart faint.
6 aFrom the sole of the foot even to the head,
there is no soundness in it,
but bruises and sores
and raw wounds;
they are bnot pressed out or bound up
or softened with oil.
7 aYour country lies desolate;
your cities are burned with fire;
in your very presence
foreigners devour your land;
it is desolate, as overthrown by foreigners.
8 And athe daughter of Zion is left
like a bbooth in a vineyard,
like a lodge in a cucumber field,
like a besieged city.
9 aIf the Lord of hosts
had not left us ba few survivors,
we should have been like cSodom,
and become like cGomorrah.
10 Hear the word of the Lord,
you rulers of abSodom!
Give ear to the teaching of our God,
you people of bGomorrah!
11 a“What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices?
says the Lord;
I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams
and the fat of well‑fed beasts;
I do not delight in the blood of bulls,
or of lambs, or of goats.
12 “When you come to aappear before me,
who has required of you
this trampling of my courts?
13 Bring no more vain offerings;
incense is an abomination to me.
aNew moon and Sabbath and the bcalling of convocations—
I cannot endure ciniquity and dsolemn assembly.
14 Your anew moons and your appointed feasts
my soul hates;
they have become a burden to me;
I am weary of bearing them.
15 When you aspread out your hands,
I will hide my eyes from you;
beven though you make many prayers,
I will not listen;
cyour hands are full of blood.
16 aWash yourselves; make yourselves clean;
remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes;
bcease to do evil,
17 learn to do good;
aseek justice,
correct oppression;
bbring justice to the fatherless,
plead the widow’s cause.
18 “Come now, alet us reason together, says the Lord:
though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as bwhite as snow;
though they are red like crimson,
they shall become like wool.
19 aIf you are willing and obedient,
you shall eat the good of the land;
20 but if you refuse and rebel,
you shall be eaten by the sword;
afor the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
The Unfaithful City
21 How the faithful city
ahas become a whore,
bshe who was full of justice!
Righteousness lodged in her,
but now murderers.
22 aYour silver has become dross,
your best wine mixed with water.
23 Your princes are rebels
and companions of thieves.
Everyone aloves a bribe
and runs after gifts.
bThey do not bring justice to the fatherless,
and the widow’s cause does not come to them.
24 Therefore the aLord declares,
the Lord of hosts,
the bMighty One of Israel:
“Ah, I will get relief from my enemies
cand avenge myself on my foes.
25 aI will turn my hand against you
and will smelt away your bdross as with lye
and remove all your alloy.
26 And I will restore your judges aas at the first,
and your counselors as at the beginning.
Afterward byou shall be called the city of righteousness,
the faithful city.”
27 aZion shall be redeemed by justice,
and those in her who repent, by righteousness.
28 aBut rebels and sinners shall be broken together,
and those who forsake the Lord shall be consumed.
29 aFor they shall be ashamed of bthe oaks
that you desired;
and you shall blush for cthe gardens
that you have chosen.
30 For you shall be alike an oak
whose leaf withers,
and like a garden without water.
31 And the strong shall become atinder,
and his work a spark,
and both of them shall burn together,
with bnone to quench them.