19 (A)If you are willing and obedient,
You will (B)eat the best of the land;
20 But if you refuse and rebel,
You will be (C)devoured by the sword.”
For (D)the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

Zion Corrupted; Will Be Redeemed

21 How the faithful city has become a (E)prostitute,
She who was full of justice!
Righteousness once dwelt in her,
But now murderers.
22 Your silver has become [a]waste matter,
Your drink diluted with water.
23 Your (F)rulers are rebels
And companions of thieves;
Everyone (G)loves a bribe
And chases after gifts.
They (H)do not obtain justice for the [b]orphan,
Nor does the widow’s case come before them.

24 Therefore the Lord [c]God of armies,
The (I)Mighty One of Israel, declares,
“Ah, I will have satisfaction against My adversaries,
And (J)avenge Myself on My enemies.
25 I will also turn My hand against you,
And (K)smelt away your impurities as with lye;
And I will remove all your slag.
26 Then I will restore your (L)judges as at first,
And your counselors as at the beginning;
After that you will be called the (M)city of righteousness,
A faithful city.”

27 Zion will be (N)redeemed with justice
And her [d]repentant ones with righteousness.
28 But [e]wrongdoers and sinners together will be (O)broken,
And those who abandon the Lord will come to an end.
29 [f]You certainly will be ashamed of the [g](P)oaks which you have desired,
And you will be embarrassed by the (Q)gardens which you have chosen.
30 For you will be like an [h]oak whose (R)leaf withers away,
Or like a garden that has no water.
31 The strong man will become like [i]flax fiber,
And his work a spark.
So they shall both (S)burn together
And there will be (T)no one to extinguish them.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 1:22 Lit dross
  2. Isaiah 1:23 Or fatherless
  3. Isaiah 1:24 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  4. Isaiah 1:27 Or returning
  5. Isaiah 1:28 Lit a breaking of wrongdoers and sinners together
  6. Isaiah 1:29 As in some mss; MT They
  7. Isaiah 1:29 Or terebinths
  8. Isaiah 1:30 Or terebinth
  9. Isaiah 1:31 Lit tow

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