1 T he vision of Isaiah 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 has spoken: I have nourished and brought up sons and have made them great and exalted, but they have rebelled against Me and broken away from 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 knows his owner, and the donkey his master’s crib, but Israel does not know or recognize Me, My people do not consider or understand.

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 loaded with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, sons who deal corruptly! They have forsaken the Lord, they have despised and shown contempt and provoked the Holy One of Israel to anger, they have become utterly estranged (alienated).

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 you be stricken and punished any more ? You will revolt more and more. The whole head is sick, and the whole heart is faint (feeble, sick, and nauseated).

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 to the head there is no soundness or health in —but wounds and bruises and fresh and bleeding stripes; they have not been pressed out and closed up or bound up or softened with oil.

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 lies desolate, your cities are burned with fire; your land—strangers devour it in your very presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by aliens.

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 like a booth in a vineyard, like a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, like 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 us a very small remnant, we should have been like Sodom, and we should have been like 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, you rulers or judges of Sodom! Give ear to the law and the teaching of our God, you 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 to Me ? says the Lord. I have had enough of the burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed beasts; and I do not delight in the blood of bulls 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 you come to appear before Me, who requires of you that your trample 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 offerings of vanity (emptiness, falsity, vainglory, and futility); incense is an abomination to Me; the New Moons and Sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot endure— iniquity and profanation, 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 Moon festivals and your appointed feasts My soul hates. They are an oppressive burden to Me; I am weary of bearing 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 you spread forth your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; even though you 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 yourselves, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doings from before My 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 right! Seek justice, relieve the oppressed, and correct the oppressor. Defend 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, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be like 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 you are willing and obedient, you 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 you refuse and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword. For the mouth of the Lord has 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 the faithful city has become an harlot, she who was full of justice! Uprightness and right standing with God lodged in her—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 Y our silver has become dross, your wine is mixed with water.

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

23 Y our princes are rebels and companions of thieves; everyone loves bribes and runs after compensation and rewards. They judge not for the fatherless nor defend them, neither does the cause of the widow come to 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 says the Lord, the Lord of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will appease Myself on My adversaries and avenge Myself on My 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 bring My hand again upon you and thoroughly purge away your dross and take away all your tin or alloy.

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 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.

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 justice, and her converts with righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God).

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 B ut the crushing and destruction of rebels and sinners shall be together, and they who 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 you will be ashamed of the oak or terebinth trees in which you found pleasure, and you will blush with shame for the gardens which you 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 you shall be like an oak or terebinth whose leaf withers, and like a garden that has 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 become like tow and become tinder, and his work like a spark, and they shall both burn together, with none to 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.