Isaiah 1

International Standard Version

“I reared children
    and brought them to adulthood,
        but then they rebelled against me.
³ The ox knows its owner,
    and the donkey its master’s feeding trough,
but^[e] Israel doesn’t know,
    and^[f] my people don’t understand.

⁴ “Oh, you sinful nation!
    You people burdened down by iniquity!
You offspring of those who keep practicing what is evil!
    You corrupt children!

“They’ve abandoned the Lord;
    they’ve despised the Holy One of Israel;
        in their estrangement, they’ve walked away from me.^[g]

⁵ “Why will you still be struck down?
    Why will you continue to rebel?
Your whole head is sick,
    and your whole heart is faint.
⁶ From the sole of your foot to the top of your head,
    there’s no soundness evident^[h]—
only bruises, sores,
    and festering wounds
that haven’t been cleaned out,
    bandaged, or treated^[i] with oil.”

⁸ “The daughter of Zion is left abandoned,
    like a booth in a vineyard,
like a hut in a cucumber field,
    or like a city under siege.
⁹ If the Lord of the Heavenly Armies
    hadn’t left us a few survivors,
we would be like Sodom;
    we would be like Gomorrah.

¹⁰ “Listen to what the Lord says,
    you rulers of Sodom,
and^[l] pay attention to the teaching of our God,
    you people of Gomorrah!

¹¹ “How do your voluminous sacrifices benefit me?”
    the Lord is asking.
“I’ve had enough of burnt offerings of rams
    and the fat of well-fed beasts.
I don’t enjoy the blood of bulls,
    lambs, or goats.

¹² “When you come to present yourselves in my presence,^[m]
    who has required you
        to trample on my courts?
¹³ Stop bringing useless offerings!
    Incense is detestable to me,
as are your New Moons, Sabbaths, and calling of convocations.
    I cannot stand iniquity within^[n] a solemn assembly.
¹⁴ As for your New Moons and your appointed festivals,
    I abhor^[o] them.
They’ve become a burden to me;
    I’ve grown weary of carrying that burden.^[p]
15 When you spread out your hands in prayer,^[q]
    I’ll hide my eyes from you.
Even though you pray repeatedly,
    I won’t listen.
Your hands are full of blood,
    your fingers drenched^[r] with iniquity.”^[s]

¹⁸ “Please come,
    and let’s reason together,” implores the Lord.
“Even though your^[x] sins are like scarlet,
    they’ll be white like snow.
Though they’re like crimson,^[y]
    they’ll become like wool.
¹⁹ If you’re willing and obedient,
    you’ll eat the best that the land produces;
²⁰ but^[z] if you refuse and rebel,
    you’ll be devoured by the sword,^[aa]
        because the Lord^[ab] has spoken.”

“Now I’ll get relief from his^[ah] enemies
    and avenge myself on his^[ai] foes.
²⁵ When I turn^[aj] my attention to you,^[ak]
    I’ll refine your dross as in a furnace.^[al]
        I’ll remove^[am] all your alloy.
²⁶ Let me restore^[an] your judges as at the first,
    and your counselors as at the beginning.
Afterward you’ll be called ‘The Righteous City’
    and ‘The Faithful City of Zion’.^[ao]

²⁷ “Zion^[ap] will be redeemed by justice,
    and her repentant ones^[aq] by righteousness.
²⁸ Rebels and sinners will be broken together,
    and those who forsake the Lord will be consumed.
²⁹ They’ll be ashamed of the oak trees
    that you desired;
and you’ll blush because of the gardens
    that you have chosen.
³⁰ You’ll be like an oak
    whose leaf is withering,
        like an unwatered garden.
³¹ Your^[ar] strong one^[as] will be like tinder,
    and your work^[at] a spark;
both of them will burn together,
    with no one to quench the flames that burn^[au] them.”