Isaiah 1

₂Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth;

for the Lord has spoken:

“Children have I reared and brought up,

but they have rebelled against me.

₃The ox knows its owner,

and the donkey its master’s crib,

but Israel does not know,

my people do not understand.”

₄Ah, sinful nation,

a people laden with iniquity,

offspring of evildoers,

children who deal corruptly!

They have forsaken the Lord,

they have despised the Holy One of Israel,

they are utterly estranged.

₅Why will you still be struck down?

Why will you continue to rebel?

The whole head is sick,

and the whole heart faint.

₆From the sole of the foot even to the head,

there is no soundness in it,

but bruises and sores

and raw wounds;

they are not pressed out or bound up

or softened with oil.

₇Your country lies desolate;

your cities are burned with fire;

in your very presence

foreigners devour your land;

it is desolate, as overthrown by foreigners.

₈And the daughter of Zion is left

like a booth in a vineyard,

like a lodge in a cucumber field,

like a besieged city.

₉If the Lord of hosts

had not left us a few survivors,

we should have been like Sodom,

and become like Gomorrah.

₁₀Hear the word of the Lord,

you rulers of Sodom!

Give ear to the teaching of our God,

you people of Gomorrah!

₁₁“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 appear before me,

who has required of you

this trampling of my courts?

₁₃Bring no more vain offerings;

incense is an abomination to me.

New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations—

I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly.

₁₄Your new moons and your appointed feasts

my soul hates;

they have become a burden to me;

I am weary of bearing them.

₁₅When you spread out your hands,

I will hide my eyes from you;

even though you make many prayers,

I will not listen;

your hands are full of blood.

₁₆Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean;

remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes;

cease to do evil,

₁₇learn to do good;

seek justice,

correct oppression;

bring justice to the fatherless,

plead the widow’s cause.

₁₈“Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord:

though your sins are like scarlet,

they shall be as white as snow;

though they are red like crimson,

they shall become like wool.

₁₉If you are willing and obedient,

you shall eat the good of the land;

₂₀but if you refuse and rebel,

you shall be eaten by the sword;

for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

₂₁How the faithful city

has become a whore,

she who was full of justice!

Righteousness lodged in her,

but now murderers.

₂₂Your silver has become dross,

your best wine mixed with water.

₂₃Your princes are rebels

and companions of thieves.

Everyone loves a bribe

and runs after gifts.

They do not bring justice to the fatherless,

and the widow’s cause does not come to them.

₂₄Therefore the Lord declares,

the Lord of hosts,

the Mighty One of Israel:

“Ah, I will get relief from my enemies

and avenge myself on my foes.

₂₅I will turn my hand against you

and will smelt away your dross as with lye

and remove all your alloy.

₂₆And I will restore your judges as at the first,

and your counselors as at the beginning.

Afterward you shall be called the city of righteousness,

the faithful city.”

₂₇Zion shall be redeemed by justice,

and those in her who repent, by righteousness.

₂₈But rebels and sinners shall be broken together,

and those who forsake the Lord shall be consumed.

₂₉For they shall be ashamed of the oaks

that you desired;

and you shall blush for the gardens

that you have chosen.

₃₀For you shall be like an oak

whose leaf withers,

and like a garden without water.

₃₁And the strong shall become tinder,

and his work a spark,

and both of them shall burn together,

with none to quench them.