¹The 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.[#Nu 12:6; #Isa 2:1]

The Wickedness of Judah

²Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth.[#Dt 32:1; Mic 1:2]

For the Lord has spoken:

I have nourished and brought up children,

and they have rebelled against Me;

³the ox knows his owner,

and the donkey his master’s crib,

but Israel does not know;

My people do not consider.

⁴Alas, sinful nation,

a people laden with iniquity,

a brood of evildoers,

children who deal corruptly!

They have forsaken the Lord ,

they have provoked the Holy One of Israel to anger,

they are estranged and backward.

⁵Why should you be beaten again,

that you revolt more and more?

The whole head is sick,

and the whole heart faint.

⁶From the sole of the foot even to the head

there is no soundness in it.

Wounds, bruises,

and open sores;

they have not been closed,

nor bandaged, nor soothed with oil.

⁷Your country is desolate,

your cities are burned with fire;

strangers devour your land

in your presence;

and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.

⁸The daughter of Zion is left[#Isa 10:32]

like a shelter in a vineyard,

like a hut in a field of melons,

like a besieged city.

⁹Unless the Lord of Hosts

had left to us a very small remnant,

we would have been as Sodom;

we would have been like Gomorrah.

¹⁰Hear the word of the Lord ,

you rulers of Sodom;

listen to the law of our God,

you people of Gomorrah:

¹¹For what purpose is the multitude

of your sacrifices to Me? says the Lord .

I am full of the burnt offerings of rams,

and the fat of fed animals.

I do not delight in the blood of bulls,

or of lambs, or of male goats.

¹²When you come to appear before Me,[#Ex 23:17; 34:23]

who has required this at your hand,

to trample My courts?

¹³Bring no more vain offerings;

incense is an abomination to Me.

New Moons, Sabbaths, and convocations —

I cannot bear with evil assemblies.

¹⁴My soul hates

your New Moons and your appointed feasts;

they are a burden to Me;

I am weary of bearing them.

¹⁵When you reach out your hands,

I will hide My eyes from you;

even when you make many prayers,

I will not hear.

Your hands are full of blood.

¹⁶Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean;[#Ps 26:6]

put away the evil from your deeds, from before My eyes.

Cease to do evil,

¹⁷learn to do good; seek justice,[#Zep 2:3]

relieve the oppressed;

judge the fatherless,

plead for the widow.

¹⁸Come now, and let us reason together,

says 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.

¹⁹If you are willing and obedient,

you shall eat the good of the land;

²⁰but if you refuse and rebel,

you shall be devoured with the sword;

for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it.

The Degenerate City

²¹How the faithful city

has become a prostitute!

She was full of justice;

righteousness lodged in her,

but now murderers.

²²Your silver has become dross,

your wine mixed with water.

²³Your princes are rebellious

and companions of thieves;

everyone loves a bribe

and follows after rewards.

They do not defend the fatherless,

nor does the cause of the widow come before them.

²⁴Therefore the Lord, the Lord of Hosts,

the Mighty One of Israel, says:

Ah, I will get relief from My adversaries,

and avenge Myself on My enemies.

²⁵And I will turn My hand against you,

thoroughly purge away your dross,

and take away all your impurities.

²⁶I 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.

²⁷Zion shall be redeemed with justice

and her converts with righteousness.

²⁸But the destruction of the transgressors and sinners shall be together,[#Job 31:3]

and those who forsake the Lord shall be consumed.

²⁹For they shall be ashamed of the oaks

which you have desired,

and you shall be humiliated for the gardens

that you have chosen.

³⁰For you shall be as an oak whose leaf fades,

and as a garden that has no water.

³¹The strong shall be as tinder,

and his work like a spark;

they will both burn together,

and no one will quench them.