New Living Translation

New American Standard Bible 1995

1These are the visions that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. He saw these visions during the years when Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were kings of Judah. A Message for Rebellious Judah

1The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz concerning Judah and Jerusalem, which he saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

2Listen, O heavens! Pay attention, earth! This is what the LORD says: “The children I raised and cared for have rebelled against me.

2Listen, O heavens, and hear, O earth; For the LORD speaks, "Sons I have reared and brought up, But they have revolted against Me.

3Even an ox knows its owner, and a donkey recognizes its master’s care— but Israel doesn’t know its master. My people don’t recognize my care for them.”

3"An ox knows its owner, And a donkey its master's manger, But Israel does not know, My people do not understand."

4Oh, what a sinful nation they are— loaded down with a burden of guilt. They are evil people, corrupt children who have rejected the LORD. They have despised the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on him.

4Alas, sinful nation, People weighed down with iniquity, Offspring of evildoers, Sons who act corruptly! They have abandoned the LORD, They have despised the Holy One of Israel, They have turned away from Him.

5Why do you continue to invite punishment? Must you rebel forever? Your head is injured, and your heart is sick.

5Where will you be stricken again, As you continue in your rebellion? The whole head is sick And the whole heart is faint.

6You are battered from head to foot— covered with bruises, welts, and infected wounds— without any soothing ointments or bandages.

6From the sole of the foot even to the head There is nothing sound in it, Only bruises, welts and raw wounds, Not pressed out or bandaged, Nor softened with oil.

7Your country lies in ruins, and your towns are burned. Foreigners plunder your fields before your eyes and destroy everything they see.

7Your land is desolate, Your cities are burned with fire, Your fields-- strangers are devouring them in your presence; It is desolation, as overthrown by strangers.

8Beautiful Jerusalem stands abandoned like a watchman’s shelter in a vineyard, like a lean-to in a cucumber field after the harvest, like a helpless city under siege.

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.

9If the LORD of Heaven’s Armies had not spared a few of us, we would have been wiped out like Sodom, destroyed like Gomorrah.

9Unless the LORD of hosts Had left us a few survivors, We would be like Sodom, We would be like Gomorrah.

10Listen to the LORD, you leaders of “Sodom.” Listen to the law of our God, people of “Gomorrah.”

10Hear the word of the LORD, You rulers of Sodom; Give ear to the instruction of our God, You people of Gomorrah.

11“What makes you think I want all your sacrifices?” says the LORD. “I am sick of your burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fattened cattle. I get no pleasure from the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.

11"What are your multiplied sacrifices to Me?" Says the LORD. "I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams And the fat of fed cattle; And I take no pleasure in the blood of bulls, lambs or goats.

12When you come to worship me, who asked you to parade through my courts with all your ceremony?

12"When you come to appear before Me, Who requires of you this trampling of My courts?

13Stop bringing me your meaningless gifts; the incense of your offerings disgusts me! As for your celebrations of the new moon and the Sabbath and your special days for fasting— they are all sinful and false. I want no more of your pious meetings.

13"Bring your worthless offerings no longer, Incense is an abomination to Me. New moon and sabbath, the calling of assemblies-- I cannot endure iniquity and the solemn assembly.

14I hate your new moon celebrations and your annual festivals. They are a burden to me. I cannot stand them!

14"I hate your new moon festivals and your appointed feasts, They have become a burden to Me; I am weary of bearing them.

15When you lift up your hands in prayer, I will not look. Though you offer many prayers, I will not listen, for your hands are covered with the blood of innocent victims.

15"So when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; Yes, even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood.

16Wash yourselves and be clean! Get your sins out of my sight. Give up your evil ways.

16"Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Remove the evil of your deeds from My sight. Cease to do evil,

17Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows.

17Learn to do good; Seek justice, Reprove the ruthless, Defend the orphan, Plead for the widow.

18“Come now, let’s settle this,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.

18"Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool.

19If you will only obey me, you will have plenty to eat.

19"If you consent and obey, You will eat the best of the land;

20But if you turn away and refuse to listen, you will be devoured by the sword of your enemies. I, the LORD, have spoken!” Unfaithful Jerusalem

20"But if you refuse and rebel, You will be devoured by the sword." Truly, the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

21See how Jerusalem, once so faithful, has become a prostitute. Once the home of justice and righteousness, she is now filled with murderers.

21How the faithful city has become a harlot, She who was full of justice! Righteousness once lodged in her, But now murderers.

22Once like pure silver, you have become like worthless slag. Once so pure, you are now like watered-down wine.

22Your silver has become dross, Your drink diluted with water.

23Your leaders are rebels, the companions of thieves. All of them love bribes and demand payoffs, but they refuse to defend the cause of orphans or fight for the rights of widows.

23Your rulers are rebels And companions of thieves; Everyone loves a bribe And chases after rewards. They do not defend the orphan, Nor does the widow's plea come before them.

24Therefore, the Lord, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, the Mighty One of Israel, says, “I will take revenge on my enemies and pay back my foes!

24Therefore the Lord GOD of hosts, The Mighty One of Israel, declares, "Ah, I will be relieved of My adversaries And avenge Myself on My foes.

25I will raise my fist against you. I will melt you down and skim off your slag. I will remove all your impurities.

25"I will also turn My hand against you, And will smelt away your dross as with lye And will remove all your alloy.

26Then I will give you good judges again and wise counselors like you used to have. Then Jerusalem will again be called the Home of Justice and the Faithful City.”

26"Then I will restore your judges as at the first, And your counselors as at the beginning; After that you will be called the city of righteousness, A faithful city."

27Zion will be restored by justice; those who repent will be revived by righteousness.

27Zion will be redeemed with justice And her repentant ones with righteousness.

28But rebels and sinners will be completely destroyed, and those who desert the LORD will be consumed.

28But transgressors and sinners will be crushed together, And those who forsake the LORD will come to an end.

29You will be ashamed of your idol worship in groves of sacred oaks. You will blush because you worshiped in gardens dedicated to idols.

29Surely you will be ashamed of the oaks which you have desired, And you will be embarrassed at the gardens which you have chosen.

30You will be like a great tree with withered leaves, like a garden without water.

30For you will be like an oak whose leaf fades away Or as a garden that has no water.

31The strongest among you will disappear like straw; their evil deeds will be the spark that sets it on fire. They and their evil works will burn up together, and no one will be able to put out the fire.

31The strong man will become tinder, His work also a spark. Thus they shall both burn together And there will be none to quench them.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org