Isaiah 1 — Legacy Standard Bible

Judah, a Sinful Nation

1The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz concerning ^aJudah and Jerusalem, which he beheld in the days of ^bUzziah, ^cJotham, ^dAhaz, and ^eHezekiah, kings of Judah.

²^aHear, O heavens, and give ear, O ^bearth;For ¹Yahweh speaks,“^cSons I have reared and raised up,But they have ^dtransgressed against Me.³“An ox knows its owner,And a donkey its master’s manger,But Israel ^adoes not know;My people ^bdo not perceive.”⁴Alas, sinful nation,People heavy with iniquity,^aSeed of evildoers,Sons who ^bact corruptly!They have ^cforsaken Yahweh;They have ^dspurned the Holy One of Israel;They have ¹become estranged ²from Him.⁵Where will you be stricken again,As you ^acontinue in your rebellion?The whole head is ^bsick,And the whole heart is faint.⁶^aFrom the sole of the foot even to the headThere is ^bnothing sound in it,Only bruises, wounds, and raw wounds,^cNot pressed out, not bandaged,Not softened with oil.⁷Your ^aland is desolate;Your cities are burned with fire;Your fields—strangers are devouring them in your presence;It is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.⁸The daughter of Zion is left like a shelter in a vineyard,Like a watchman’s hut in a cucumber field, like a besieged city.⁹^aUnless Yahweh of hostsHad left us a few ^bsurvivors,We would be like ^cSodom,We would be like Gomorrah.¹⁰Hear ^athe word of Yahweh,You rulers of ^bSodom;Give ear to the law of our God,You people of Gomorrah.¹¹“^aWhat are your multiplied sacrifices to Me?”Says Yahweh.“I ¹have had enough of burnt offerings of ramsAnd the fat of fed cattle;And in the blood of bulls, lambs, or goats ²I take no pleasure.¹²“When you come ^ato appear before Me,Who requires ¹of you this trampling of My courts?¹³“Bring your worthless offerings no longer,^aIncense is an abomination to Me.^bNew moon and sabbath, the ^ccalling of convocation—I cannot ^dendure wickedness and the solemn assembly.¹⁴“My soul hates your new moon festivals and your ^aappointed times,They have become a burden to Me;I am ^bweary of bearing them.¹⁵“So when you ^aspread out your hands in prayer,^bI will hide My eyes from you;Indeed, even though you ^cmultiply prayers,I will not listen.^dYour hands are full of blood.¹⁶“^aWash yourselves, ^bpurify yourselves;^cRemove the evil of your deeds from before My eyes.^dCease to do evil,¹⁷Learn to do good;^aSeek justice,Reprove the ruthless,^bExecute justice for the ¹orphan,Plead for the widow.¹⁸“Come now, and ^alet us reason together,”Says Yahweh,“^bThough your sins are as scarlet,They will be as white as snow;Though they are red like crimson,They will be like wool.¹⁹“^aIf you are willing and obey,You will ^beat the best of the land;²⁰But if you refuse and rebel,You will be ^aeaten by the sword.”For ^bthe mouth of Yahweh has spoken.

Zion Will Be Redeemed with Justice

²¹How the faithful city has become a ^aharlot,She who was full of justice!Righteousness once lodged in her,But now murderers.²²Your silver has become dross,Your drink diluted with water.²³Your ^arulers are rebelsAnd companions of thieves;Everyone ^bloves a bribeAnd pursues rewards.They ^cdo not execute justice for the ¹orphan,Nor does the widow’s plea come before them.²⁴Therefore the Lord, Yahweh of hosts,The ^aMighty One of Israel, declares,“Ah, I will be comforted concerning My adversaries,And I will ^bavenge Myself on My enemies.²⁵“I will also turn My hand against you,And will ^asmelt away your dross as with lyeAnd will remove all your alloy.²⁶“Then I will have your ^ajudges return as at the first,And your counselors as at the beginning;Afterwards you will be called the ^bcity of righteousness,A faithful town.”²⁷Zion will be ^aredeemed with justiceAnd her ¹repentant ones with righteousness.²⁸But ¹transgressors and sinners will be ^abroken together,And those who forsake Yahweh will come to an end.²⁹For ¹you will be ashamed of the ²^,^aoaks which you have desired,And you will be humiliated because of the ^bgardens which you have chosen.³⁰For you will be like ¹an oak whose ^aleaf withers awayOr as a garden that has no water.³¹And the strong man will become tinder,His work also a spark.Thus they shall both ^aburn together,And there will be ^bnone to quench them.