Isaiah 1

Though Your Sins Are Scarlet, They Shall Be White as Snow

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The Vision of Isaiah Son of Amos

1:1The vision that Isaiah son of Amos saw, which he saw against Judea and against Jerusalem during the reign of Oziah, Joatham, Achaz and Hezekiah, who reigned over Judea.

1:2Listen, heaven, and give ear, earth, because the Lord has spoken: “Sons I begot and raised high, but they rejected Me.

1:3An ox knew the one who acquired it, and a donkey its lord’s manger; but Israel did not know Me, and the people did not understand Me.”

1:4Woe, sinful nation, people full of sins, evil offspring, lawless sons! You abandoned the Lord and provoked the Holy One of Israel to anger.

1:5Why should you be struck further, adding lawlessness? Every head is in pain, and every heart in grief.

1:6From feet to head: for neither a wound nor a bruise nor an inflamed blow is there a poultice to apply, nor oil nor bandages.

1:7Your land is deserted, your cities burned by fire. Your country—foreigners consume it before you; it has been deserted, overturned by foreign peoples.

1:8Daughter Zion will be left like a tent in a vineyard, like a fruit-watcher’s shelter in a cucumber field, like a besieged city.

1:9If the Lord Sabaoth had not left us seed, we would have become like Sodom and been made like Gomorrah.

1:10Hear the Lord’s word, rulers of Sodom! Attend to God’s law, people of Gomorrah!

What Is the Multitude of Your Sacrifices?

1:11“What is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me?” says the Lord. “I am full of ram burnt offerings; fat of lambs and blood of bulls and male goats I do not desire,

1:12not even if you come to appear before Me. For who demanded these things from your hands? To trample My court,

1:13you shall no longer continue. If you bring fine flour, it is futile. Incense is an abomination to Me. Your new moons and sabbaths and a great day I cannot endure; fasting and idleness,

1:14and your new moons and your festivals My soul hates. You have become a surfeit to Me; I will no longer let your sins go.

1:15Whenever you stretch your hands toward Me, I will turn My eyes away from you. Even if you multiply supplication, I will not listen to you, for your hands are full of blood.

1:16Wash yourselves, become clean. Remove the evils from your souls, before My eyes. Cease from your evils.

Learn to Do Good, Seek Judgment

1:17Learn to do good, seek judgment, rescue the wronged. Judge for the orphan and vindicate the widow.

1:18Come, let us debate the case, says the Lord. Though your sins are like purple-red, I will whiten them like snow; though they are like scarlet, I will whiten them like wool.

1:19If you are willing and listen to Me, you will eat the land’s good things.

1:20But if you are unwilling and do not listen to Me, a sword will devour you, for the Lord’s mouth has spoken these things.”

How the Faithful City Has Become a Prostitute

1:21How the faithful city Zion has become a prostitute, full of judgment, in which righteousness lay at rest, but now murderers!

1:22Your silver is unapproved; your retailers mix the wine with water.

1:23Your rulers disobey, partners of thieves, loving gifts and pursuing repayment, not judging for orphans and not attending to widows’ judgment.

1:24Therefore thus says the Master, the Lord Sabaoth: “Woe, mighty ones of Israel! For My anger will not cease among My opponents, and I will exact judgment from My enemies.

1:25I will bring My hand against you and burn you to purity. I will destroy the disobedient, remove all lawless people from you and humble all the arrogant.

1:26I will establish your judges as formerly and your counselors as from the beginning. After these things you will be called City of Righteousness, Faithful Metropolis Zion.

Her Captivity Saved Through Judgment

1:27For her captivity will be saved through judgment and through mercy.

1:28The lawless and sinners will be shattered together, and those abandoning the Lord will be brought to an end.

1:29For they will be ashamed of their idols, which they themselves wanted, and they were disgraced by their gardens, which they desired.

1:30For they will be like a terebinth that has shed its leaves, like a garden that has no water.

1:31Their strength will become a stalk of tow and their works sparks of fire. The lawless and sinners will be burned together, with no one to quench.”

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Saints Translation · Liturgical reading edition · V1 · working draft awaiting specialist review.