1 T he vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

This is the special dream of Isaiah the son of Amoz, about Judah and Jerusalem, which he saw during the rule of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

2 H ear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the Lord hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.

Listen, O heavens, and hear, O earth, for the Lord has spoken: “I have brought up and have taken care of sons, but they have turned against Me.

3 T he ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.

An ox knows its owner. A donkey knows where to find the food its owner gives it. But Israel does not know. My people do not understand.”

4 A h sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward.

O sinful nation, people weighed down with sin, children of those who do wrong, sons who act in a sinful way! They have left the Lord. They have hated the Holy One of Israel. They have turned away from Him.

5 W hy should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.

Where will you be punished again, since you still fight against the Lord? Your whole head is sick, and your whole heart is weak.

6 F rom the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.

From the bottom of the foot even to the head, there is no good part. There are only sores from beatings and open sores. They are not taken care of or covered or made soft with oil.

7 Y our country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire: your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.

Your land lies waste. Your cities are burned with fire. Strangers are eating the food of your fields in front of you. It lies waste, as destroyed by strangers.

8 A nd the daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city.

The people of Zion are left like a tent in a grape-field, like a watchman’s house in a vegetable field, like a city closed in by armies.

9 E xcept the Lord of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah.

If the Lord of All had not left some people, we would have all been destroyed like those who lived in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.

10 H ear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah.

Hear the Word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom. Listen to the teaching of our God, you people of Gomorrah.

11 T o what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the Lord: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats.

“What are your many gifts given in worship to Me?” says the Lord. “I have had enough burnt gifts of rams and the fat of cattle. And I am not pleased with the blood of bulls, lambs, or goats.

12 W hen ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts?

When you come to show yourselves before Me, who says you must walk and walk around My open spaces?

13 B ring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting.

Do not bring your gifts of no worth any more. Your special perfume is a hated thing to Me. The new moon and Day of Rest, this calling together of the people, I cannot put up with. I cannot put up with your sin and your meetings of worship.

14 Y our new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them.

I hate your new moons and your special suppers. They have become heavy upon Me. I am tired of carrying them.

15 A nd when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.

So when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you. Even if you pray many times, I will not listen. Your hands are full of blood.

16 W ash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;

“Wash yourselves. Make yourselves clean. Take your sinful actions from My eyes. Stop doing sinful things.

17 l earn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.

Learn to do good. Look for what is right and fair. Speak strong words to those who make it hard for people. Stand up for the rights of those who have no parents. Help the woman whose husband has died.

18 C ome now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

“Come now, let us think about this together,” says the Lord. “Even though your sins are bright red, they will be as white as snow. Even though they are dark red, they will be like wool.

19 I f ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:

If you are willing and obey, you will eat the best of the land.

20 b ut if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

But if you are not willing and turn against Me, you will be destroyed by the sword.” For the mouth of the Lord has spoken. The Sinful City

21 H ow is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers.

The faithful city has become like a woman who sells the use of her body. At one time she was full of what was right and fair! Those who are right and good lived in her, but now those who kill.

22 T hy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water:

Your silver has lost its worth. Your wine is mixed with water.

23 t hy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them.

Your rulers have turned against what is right. They are the friends of robbers. Every one loves to get pay in secret for wrong-doing, and they run after gifts. They do not stand for the rights of those who have no parents. And they never hear the cry for help of the woman whose husband has died.

24 T herefore saith the Lord, the Lord of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies:

So the Lord God of All, the Powerful One of Israel, says, “I will put an end to those who fight against Me. I will punish those who hate Me.

25 a nd I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin:

I will turn My hand against you and burn what is of no worth in you. And I will take away from you all that is not pure.

26 a nd I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city.

Then I will give you judges as at the first, and your wise men as at the beginning. After that you will be called the city that is right and good, a faithful city.”

27 Z ion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness.

Zion will be saved by being fair. Those who are sorry for their sins and turn from them will be saved by being right and good.

28 A nd the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together, and they that forsake the Lord shall be consumed.

But wrong-doers and sinners will be crushed together. Those who turn away from the Lord will come to an end.

29 F or they shall be ashamed of the oaks which ye have desired, and ye shall be confounded for the gardens that ye have chosen.

For you will be ashamed of the oaks where you worshiped. You will be ashamed of the gardens you have chosen.

30 F or ye shall be as an oak whose leaf fadeth, and as a garden that hath no water.

For you will be like an oak tree whose leaf dries up, or like a garden that has no water.

31 A nd the strong shall be as tow, and the maker of it as a spark, and they shall both burn together, and none shall quench them.

The strong man will become easy to burn, and his work also a fire. They will burn together, and there will be no one to put the fire out.