Isaiah 1

Modern

Literal

Judah’s Rebellion

¹This is the vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah son of Amoz saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

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

²Listen, O heavens, and give ear, O earth,

for the LORD has spoken:

“I have raised children and brought them up,

but they have rebelled against Me.

²Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, for YHWH has spoken: “Sons I have brought up and raised up, and they have rebelled against Me.

³The ox knows its owner,

and the donkey its master’s manger,

but Israel does not know;

My people do not understand.”

³An ox has known his owner and a donkey the trough of its master; Israel has not known; my people have not understood.”

⁴Alas, O sinful nation,

a people laden with iniquity,

a brood of evildoers,

children who act corruptly!

They have forsaken the LORD;

they have despised the Holy One of Israel

and turned their backs on Him.

⁴Alas, O sinning nation, a people heavy with iniquity, a seed doing evil, sons bringing corruption! They have forsaken YHWH, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they have become estranged backward.

⁵Why do you want more beatings?

Why do you keep rebelling?

Your head has a massive wound,

and your whole heart is afflicted.

⁵For what should you be struck still? Should you continue in rebellion? The whole head is sick, and the whole heart is faint.

⁶From the sole of your foot to the top of your head,

there is no soundness—

only wounds and welts and festering sores

neither cleansed nor bandaged nor soothed with oil.

⁶From the sole of the foot and to the head, no soundness is in it—wounds and fresh stripes and blows; they have not been pressed and not bound up and not soothed with oil.

⁷Your land is desolate;

your cities are burned with fire.

Foreigners devour your fields before you—

a desolation demolished by strangers.

⁷Your land is a desolation, your cities burnt with fire, your ground in front of you, strangers devour it, and it is a desolation, as overthrown by strangers.

⁸And the Daughter of Zion is abandoned

like a shelter in a vineyard,

like a shack in a cucumber field,

like a city besieged.

⁸And the daughter of Zion has been left like a shelter in a vineyard, like a lodge in a cucumber field, like a city besieged.

⁹Unless the LORD of Hosts

had left us a few survivors,^a

we would have become like Sodom,

we would have resembled Gomorrah.^b

⁹Unless YHWH of Hosts had left to us a very small remnant, we would have become like Sodom, we would have resembled Gomorrah.

Meaningless Offerings

¹⁰Hear the word of the LORD,

you rulers of Sodom;

listen to the instruction of our God,

you people of Gomorrah!

¹⁰Hear the word of YHWH, chiefs of Sodom; give ear to the Instruction of our God, people of Gomorrah!

¹¹“What good to Me is your multitude of sacrifices?”

says the LORD.

“I am full from the burnt offerings of rams

and the fat of well-fed cattle;

I take no delight in the blood of bulls

and lambs and goats.

¹¹“What to Me is the multitude of your sacrifices?” Says YHWH. “I have had my fill of burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of well-fed cattle, and in the blood of bulls and lambs and he-goats I take no delight.

¹²When you come to appear before Me,

who has required this of you—

this trampling of My courts?

¹²When you come to appear before My face, who has sought this from your hand, to trample My courts?

¹³Bring your worthless offerings no more;

your incense is detestable to Me.

New Moons, Sabbaths, and convocations—

I cannot endure iniquity in a solemn assembly.

¹³You shall not add to bring an offering of worthlessness; incense, it is an abomination to Me, New Moons and Sabbaths and the calling of assemblies—I cannot endure iniquity, in a solemn assembly!

¹⁴I hate your New Moons

and your appointed feasts.

They have become a burden to Me;

I am weary of bearing them.

¹⁴Your New Moons and your appointed feasts, My soul hates; they are to Me as a burden; I am weary of bearing them.

¹⁵When you spread out your hands in prayer,

I will hide My eyes from you;

even though you multiply your prayers,

I will not listen.

Your hands are covered with blood.

¹⁵And in your spreading forth your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; even though you multiply prayers, I will not be listening. Your hands are full of blood!

¹⁶Wash and cleanse yourselves.

Remove your evil deeds from My sight.

Stop doing evil!

¹⁶Wash, cleanse yourselves; turn aside the evil of your deeds from before My eyes. Cease to do evil.

¹⁷Learn to do right;

seek justice and correct the oppressor.^a

Defend the fatherless

and plead the case of the widow.”

¹⁷Learn to do good, seek justice, rebuke the oppressor, bring justice for the fatherless, contend for the widow.”

¹⁸“Come now, let us reason together,”

says the LORD.

“Though your sins are like scarlet,

they will be as white as snow;

though they are as red as crimson,

they will become like wool.

¹⁸“Come now, and let us reason together,” says YHWH. “Though your sins may be like scarlet, they will be white like snow; though they are red like crimson, they will become like wool.

¹⁹If you are willing and obedient,

you will eat the best of the land.

¹⁹If you are willing and obey, then the good of the land you will eat.

²⁰But if you resist and rebel,

you will be devoured by the sword.”

For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

²⁰And if you refuse and rebel, by the sword you will be devoured.” For the mouth of YHWH has spoken.

The Corruption of Zion

²¹See how the faithful city has become a harlot!

She once was full of justice;

righteousness resided within her,

but now only murderers!

²¹How the faithful city has become like a prostitute! She was full of justice, righteousness lodged with her—and now murderers are there!

²²Your silver has become dross;

your fine wine is diluted with water.

²²Your silver has become as dross, your wine is weakened with water.

²³Your rulers are rebels,

friends of thieves.

They all love bribes

and chasing after rewards.

They do not defend the fatherless,

and the plea of the widow never comes before them.

²³Your princes are rebels and companions of thieves, everyone is loving a bribe and pursuing rewards. The fatherless they do not defend and the case of the widow does not come to them.

²⁴Therefore the Lord GOD of Hosts,

the Mighty One of Israel, declares:

“Ah, I will be relieved of My foes

and avenge Myself on My enemies.

²⁴Thus is the declaration of the Lord YHWH of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel: “Ah, I will be relieved of My adversaries, and avenge Myself on My enemies.

²⁵I will turn My hand against you;

I will thoroughly purge your dross;

I will remove all your impurities.

²⁵And I will turn My hand against you and will refine as with lye your dross, and I will turn aside all your alloys.

²⁶I will restore your judges as at first,

and your counselors as at the beginning.

After that you will be called the City of Righteousness,

the Faithful City.”

²⁶And I will restore your judges as at the first, and your counselors as at the beginning. After this it shall be called for you the city of righteousness—the Faithful City.”

²⁷Zion will be redeemed with justice,

her repentant ones with righteousness.

²⁷Zion with justice shall be redeemed, and her repentant ones with righteousness.

²⁸But rebels and sinners will together be shattered,

and those who forsake the LORD will perish.

²⁸And the breaking of rebels and sinners will be together, and those abandoning YHWH will be consumed.

²⁹Surely you will be ashamed of the sacred oaks

in which you have delighted;

you will be embarrassed by the gardens

that you have chosen.

²⁹For they will be ashamed of the Oaks that you have desired, and you will be embarrassed by the gardens that you have chosen.

³⁰For you will become like an oak whose leaves are withered,

like a garden without water.

³⁰For you will be like an oak at the withering of its leaf, and a garden for which there is no water.

³¹The strong man will become tinder

and his work will be a spark;

both will burn together,

with no one to quench the flames.

³¹And the strong one will become as tinder, and his work as a spark, and both of them will burn together, and none will quench them!