Isaiah 1

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« Song of Solomon 8Isaiah 2 »
BBE WEB

The corruptions prevailing among the Jews

The vision of Isaiah, the son of Amoz, which he saw about Judah and Jerusalem, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. The 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.
Give ear, O heavens, and you, O earth, to the word which the Lord has said: I have taken care of my children till they became men, but their hearts have been turned away from me. Hear, heavens, and listen, earth; for Yahweh has spoken: “I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.
Even the ox has knowledge of its owner, and the ass of the place where its master puts its food: but Israel has no knowledge, my people give no thought to me. The ox knows his owner, and the donkey his master’s crib; but Israel doesn’t know, my people don’t consider.”
O nation full of sin, a people weighted down with crime, a generation of evil-doers, false-hearted children: they have gone away from the Lord, they have no respect for the Holy One of Israel, their hearts are turned back from him. Ah sinful nation, a people loaded with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children who deal corruptly! They have forsaken Yahweh. They have despised the Holy One of Israel. They are estranged and backward.
Why will you have more and more punishment? why keep on in your evil ways? Every head is tired and every heart is feeble. Why should you be beaten more, that you revolt more and more? The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.
The body, from head to foot, is all diseased; it is a mass of open wounds, marks of blows, and broken flesh: the flow of blood has not been stopped, and no oil has been put on the wounds. From the sole of the foot even to the head there is no soundness in it: wounds, welts, and open sores. They haven’t been closed, neither bandaged, neither soothed with oil.
Your country has become waste; your towns are burned with fire; as for your land, it is overturned before your eyes, made waste and overcome by men from strange lands. Your country is desolate. Your cities are burned with fire. Strangers devour your land in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.
And the daughter of Zion has become like a tent in a vine-garden, like a watchman's house in a field of fruit, like a town shut in by armies. The daughter of Zion is left like a shelter in a vineyard, like a hut in a field of melons, like a besieged city.
If the Lord of armies had not kept some at least of us safe, we would have been like Sodom, and the fate of Gomorrah would have been ours. Unless Yahweh of Armies had left to us a very small remnant, we would have been as Sodom; we would have been like Gomorrah.

Severe censures

Give ear to the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom; let your hearts be turned to the law of our God, you people of Gomorrah. Hear the word of Yahweh, you rulers of Sodom! Listen to the law of our God, you people of Gomorrah!
What use to me is the number of the offerings which you give me? says the Lord; your burned offerings of sheep, and the best parts of fat cattle, are a weariness to me; I take no pleasure in the blood of oxen, or of lambs, or of he-goats. “What are the multitude of your sacrifices to me?,” says Yahweh. “I have had enough of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed animals. I don’t delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of male goats.
At whose request do you come before me, making my house unclean with your feet? When you come to appear before me, who has required this at your hand, to trample my courts?
Give me no more false offerings; the smoke of burning flesh is disgusting to me, so are your new moons and Sabbaths and your holy meetings. Bring no more vain offerings. Incense is an abomination to me; new moons, Sabbaths, and convocations: I can’t bear with evil assemblies.
Your new moons and your regular feasts are a grief to my soul: they are a weight in my spirit; I am crushed under them. My soul hates your New Moons and your appointed feasts. They are a burden to me. I am weary of bearing them.
And when your hands are stretched out to me, my eyes will be turned away from you: even though you go on making prayers, I will not give ear: your hands are full of blood. When you spread forth your hands, I will hide my eyes from you. Yes, when you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood.

Words urging repentance

Be washed, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doings from before my eyes; let there be an end of sinning; Wash yourselves, make yourself clean. Put away the evil of your doings from before my eyes. Cease to do evil.
Take pleasure in well-doing; let your ways be upright, keep down the cruel, give a right decision for the child who has no father, see to the cause of the widow. Learn to do well. Seek justice. Relieve the oppressed. Judge the fatherless. Plead for the widow.”
Come now, and let us have an argument together, says the Lord: how may your sins which are red like blood be white as snow? how may their dark purple seem like wool? “Come now, and let us reason together,” says Yahweh: “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
If you will give ear to my word and do it, the good things of the land will be yours; If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land;
But if your hearts are turned against me, I will send destruction on you by the sword; so the Lord has said. but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured with the sword; for the mouth of Yahweh has spoken it.”

The state of Judah is lamented; with gracious promises of the gospel times

The upright town has become untrue; there was a time when her judges gave right decisions, when righteousness had a resting-place in her, but now she is full of those who take men's lives. How the faithful city has become a prostitute! She was full of justice; righteousness lodged in her, but now murderers.
Your silver is no longer true metal, your wine is mixed with water. Your silver has become dross, your wine mixed with water.
Your chiefs have gone against the Lord, they have become friends of thieves; every one of them is looking for profit and going after rewards; they do not give right decisions for the child who has no father, and they do not let the cause of the widow come before them. Your princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves. Everyone loves bribes, and follows after rewards. They don’t judge the fatherless, neither does the cause of the widow come to them.
For this reason the Lord, the Lord of armies, the Strong One of Israel, has said, I will put an end to my haters, and send punishment on those who are against me; Therefore the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, the Mighty One of Israel, says: “Ah, I will get relief from my adversaries, and avenge myself of my enemies;
And my hand will again be on you, washing away what is unclean as with soap, and taking away all your false metal; and I will turn my hand on you, thoroughly purge away your dross, and will take away all your tin.
And I will give you judges again as at the first, and wise guides as in the past; then you will be named, The Town of Righteousness, the true town. 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, a faithful town.’
Upright acts will be the price of Zion's forgiveness, and by righteousness will men be living there. Zion shall be redeemed with justice, and her converts with righteousness.
But a common destruction will overtake sinners and evil-doers together, and those who have gone away from the Lord will be cut off. But the destruction of transgressors and sinners shall be together, and those who forsake Yahweh shall be consumed.
For you will be put to shame because of the trees of your desire, and because of the gardens of your pleasure. For they shall be ashamed of the oaks which you have desired, and you shall be confounded for the gardens that you have chosen.
For you will be like a tree whose leaves have become dry, and like a garden without water. For you shall be as an oak whose leaf fades, and as a garden that has no water.
And the strong will be as food for the fire, and his work as a flame; and they will be burned together, with no one to put out the fire. The strong will be like tinder, and his work like a spark. They will both burn together, and no one will quench them.”
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