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The Vision of Isaiah

This[a] is the vision that Amoz’s son Isaiah[b] had about Judah and Jerusalem during the reigns[c] of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

Rebellious Judah

Listen, you heavens,
    and let the[d] earth pay attention,
        because the Lord has spoken:

“I reared children
    and brought them to adulthood,
        but then they rebelled against me.
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.

“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]

“Why will you still be struck down?
    Why will you continue to rebel?
Your whole head is sick,
    and your whole heart is faint.
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.”

God’s Diagnosis

“Your country lies desolate;
    your cities have been incinerated.
Before your very eyes,
    foreigners are devouring your land—
they’ve brought devastation on it,[j]
    while the land is[k] overthrown by foreigners.

“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.
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]

An Invitation to Reconciliation

16 “Wash yourselves,
    and[t] make yourselves clean;
remove your evil behavior
    from my presence;
        stop practicing what is evil.
17 Learn to practice what is good;
    seek justice,
alleviate oppression,[u]
    defend orphans[v] in court,
        and[w] plead the widow’s case.

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.”

Diagnosis and Judgment

21 “How the faithful city
    has become a whore,
        she who used to be filled with justice!
Righteousness used to reside within her,
    but now only murderers live there.
22 Your silver has[ac] become dross,
    your best wine is diluted with water.
23 Your princes are rebels
    and companions of thieves.
All of them are lovers of[ad] bribes
    and are runners[ae] after gifts.
They don’t bring justice to orphans,[af]
    and the widow’s case never comes up for review in their court.”[ag]

Restoration and Redemption

24 Therefore this is what the Lord God of the Heavenly Armies,
    the one who is Israel’s Mighty One, declares:

“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.”

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 1:1 This book has been translated from the Great Isaiah Scroll (1QIsaa) of the DSS. The MT, LXX, Syr, Targ, and other ancient texts are compared in footnotes where they may vary from 1QIsaa and other DSS mss. Some of these ancient readings were incorporated instead of the DSS Isaiah text.
  2. Isaiah 1:1 The Heb. name Isaiah means The Lord has saved
  3. Isaiah 1:1 Lit. days
  4. Isaiah 1:2 So 1QIsaa; the Heb. lacks the
  5. Isaiah 1:3 So 4QIsaj; 1QIsaa MT lack but
  6. Isaiah 1:3 So 4QIsaj; 1QIsaa MT lack and
  7. Isaiah 1:4 Lit. they’ve gone back
  8. Isaiah 1:6 Lit. soundness in it
  9. Isaiah 1:6 Or softened
  10. Isaiah 1:7 So 1QIsaa; MurIsa MT LXX read Devastated
  11. Isaiah 1:7 DSS MT lack the land is
  12. Isaiah 1:10 So 1:10 1QIsaa Syr; MT LXX Targ Vulgate lack and
  13. Isaiah 1:12 Lit. come for my face to appear
  14. Isaiah 1:13 Lit. and
  15. Isaiah 1:14 Lit. festivals, my soul abhors
  16. Isaiah 1:14 Lit. carrying them
  17. Isaiah 1:15 DSS MT lack in prayer
  18. Isaiah 1:15 DSS lack drenched
  19. Isaiah 1:15 MT 4QIsaf lack this line
  20. Isaiah 1:16 So 1QIsaa; 4QIsaf MT lack and
  21. Isaiah 1:17 Or rescue the oppressed
  22. Isaiah 1:17 Or defend the fatherless
  23. Isaiah 1:17 DSS MT lack and
  24. Isaiah 1:18 Lit. your (pl.)
  25. Isaiah 1:18 So 1QIsaa LXX; 4QIsaf MT read they’re red like crimson
  26. Isaiah 1:20 So 1QIsaa LXX Targ Syr; 4QIsaf lacks but
  27. Isaiah 1:20 So 1QIsaa Targ Syr; LXX reads the sword will devour you
  28. Isaiah 1:20 Lit. Lord’s mouth
  29. Isaiah 1:22 So MT; 1QIsaa reads have
  30. Isaiah 1:23 So 1QIsaa LXX; MT reads Everyone loves
  31. Isaiah 1:23 So 1QIsaa LXX; MT reads and run
  32. Isaiah 1:23 Or to the fatherless
  33. Isaiah 1:23 Lit. comes before them
  34. Isaiah 1:24 So 1QIsaa; 4QIsaf MT LXX Vulgate read my
  35. Isaiah 1:24 So 1QIsaa; LXX MT read my
  36. Isaiah 1:25 So 1QIsaa; LXX MT read And let me turn
  37. Isaiah 1:25 Lit. my hand against you
  38. Isaiah 1:25 1QIsaa lacks as in a furnace; MT reads as lye
  39. Isaiah 1:25 So 1QIsaa 4QIsaf; MT reads Let me remove
  40. Isaiah 1:26 1QIsaa MT; 4QIsaf reads I will restore
  41. Isaiah 1:26 So LXX; the Heb. lacks Zion
  42. Isaiah 1:27 So MT; 1QIsaa reading unclear
  43. Isaiah 1:27 So 1QIsaa MT 4QIsaf; LXX reads her captivity
  44. Isaiah 1:31 Lit. Your (pl.); so 1QIsaa Vulgate. The
  45. Isaiah 1:31 LXX MT read Their strength
  46. Isaiah 1:31 So 1QIsaa; MT reads their work; LXX reads their deeds
  47. Isaiah 1:31 DSS MT lack the flames that burn