Isaiah, 1

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

1. This is what Isaiah son of Amoz foretold concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

2. Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the LORD hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.

2. Listen, O heavens! Give heed, O earth! for the Lord speaks: "I raised children, I brought them up, but they have risen against me.

3. The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: [but] Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.

3. The ox knows its master and the ass its owner's manger, but Israel does not know me, my people do not understand.

4. Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward.

4. A sinful nation, a people weighed down with iniquity, a wicked race, perverted children! They have turned away from Yahweh and despised the Holy One of Israel.

5. Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.

5. Shall I strike you again and again; people always rebelling, Your whole head is diseased and your heart also afflicted.

6. From the sole of the foot even unto the head [there is] no soundness in it; [but] wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.

6. From the soles of your feet to the top of your head - all is wounds and bruises, sores uncleaned and unbound, not eased with soothing ointment.

7. Your country [is] desolate, your cities [are] burned with fire: your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and [it is] desolate, as overthrown by strangers.

7. Your country lies desolate, your cities razed by fire. Aliens have devoured the harvest before your very eyes, and you were left in ruins.

8. And the daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city.

8. The Daughter of Zion is left like a shanty in a vineyard, like a hut in a melon field, like a hamleted town.

9. Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, [and] we should have been like unto Gomorrah.

9. Had not Yahweh of hosts left us a small remnant, we would resemble Sodom, we would be like Gomorrah.

10. Hear the word of the LORD, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah.

10. Hear the warning of Yahweh, rulers of Sodom. Listen to the word of God, people of Gomorrah.

11. To what purpose [is] the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats.

11. "What do I care," says Yahweh "for your endless sacrifices? I am fed up with your burnt offerings, and the fat of your bulls. The blood of fatlings, and lambs and he-goats I abhor.

12. When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts?

12. When you come before me and trample on my courts, who asked you to visit me?

13. Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; [it is] iniquity, even the solemn meeting.

13. I am fed up with your oblations. I grow sick with your incense. Your New Moons, Sabbaths and meetings, evil with holy assemblies, I can no longer bear.

14. Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear [them].

14. I hate your New Moons and appointed feasts they burden me.

15. And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.

15. When you stretch out your hands I will close my eyes; the more you pray, the more I refuse to listen, for your hands are bloody.

16. Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;

16. Wash and make yourselves clean. Remove from my sight the evil of your deeds. Put an end to your wickedness

17. Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.

17. and learn to do good. Seek justice and keep in line the abusers; give the fatherless their rights and defend the widow."

18. Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

18. "Come," says the Lord, "let us reason together. Though your sins be like scarlet, they will be white as snow; though they be as crimson red, they will be white as wool.

19. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:

19. If you will obey me, you will eat the goods of the earth;

20. But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken [it].

20. but if you resist and rebel, the sword will eat you instead." Truly the Lord has spoken.

21. How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers.

21. Zion, the faithful city, has become a harlot! She who abounded in justice, in whom righteousness lodged, has become a hideout of murderers!

22. Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water:

22. Your silver has turned to dross, your best wine thinned with water.

23. Thy princes [are] rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them.

23. Your rulers are tyrants, partners of thieves. They love a bribe and look around for gifts. No one protects the orphan, or listens to the claim of the widow.

24. Therefore saith the Lord, the LORD of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies:

24. This is why the Lord speaks, Yahweh Sabaoth, the Mighty One of Israel: "I will subdue my foes and exact payment from my enemies.

25. And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin:

25. I will turn my hand against you, I will smelt away your dross and remove your impurities.

26. And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city.

26. I will restore your judges, I will give back your counselors, as it was in the beginning. Then you will be called the City of Righteousness, the Faithful City."

27. Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness.

27. The deliverance of Zion will be like a judgment there will be a remnant: the just ones.

28. And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners [shall be] together, and they that forsake the LORD shall be consumed.

28. But rebels and sinners alike will be destroyed, and those who desert the Lord will likewise perish.

29. For they shall be ashamed of the oaks which ye have desired, and ye shall be confounded for the gardens that ye have chosen.

29. Yes, you will be ashamed of your sacred oaks which have given you delight; you will blush for your gardens which you have chosen.

30. For ye shall be as an oak whose leaf fadeth, and as a garden that hath no water.

30. You will be like an oak, the leaves of which wither, and like a garden which runs out of water.

31. And the strong shall be as tow, and the maker of it as a spark, and they shall both burn together, and none shall quench [them].

31. The strongman will be as tinder and all his work a spark: both will burn together and no one will quench the fire.