Isaiah, Chapter 1:

Verses from Isaiah, Chapter 1 of the book of Isaiah in the Bible.

A rebellious nation

• 1. Visions revealed to Isaiah, son of Amoz, about Judah and Jerusalem during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, monarchs of Judah.
• 2. Attention, heavens! Listen, earth! For the Lord proclaimed: “I raised up children and raised them up, but they rebelled against me.
• 3. The ox knows its master, and the donkey identifies its owner's trough, but Israel ignores it, my people do not understand.”
• 4. Oh, transgressive nation, people burdened with injustice! Generation of evildoers, corrupt descendants! They turned away from the Lord, disdained the Holy One of Israel and abandoned him.
• 5. Why should they continue to be punished? Why persist in the rebellion? The head is completely wounded, the whole heart is afflicted.
• 6. From the sole of the foot to the top of the head there is no sound part; only wounds, bruises and open sores, which have not been cleansed or healed or soothed with oil.
• 7. Their territory is desolate, their cities are burned; your fields are being usurped by strangers in front of you and destroyed as desolation caused by them.
• 8. Only the city of Zion was left like a hut in a vineyard, like a refuge in a cucumber field, like a fenced city.
• 9. If the Lord of hosts had not spared us a remnant, we would have become like Sodom, comparable to Gomorrah.
• 10. Leaders of Sodom, hear the Lord's declaration! People of Gomorrah, pay attention to the teaching of our God!
• 11. “Why do they offer me so many sacrificial offerings?” asks the Lord. “I am fed up with burnt offerings of rams and the fat of strong animals. I do not like the blood of bulls, lambs and goats!
• 12. When you come to meet me, who asked you to set foot in my sacred courtyards?
• 13. Stop bringing empty oblations! The aroma of incense is abominable to me. New moons, Saturdays and convocations! I cannot bear iniquity at your festive gatherings.
• 14. I hate your new moon parties and your designated celebrations. They became a burden to me; I can't stand them anymore!
• 15. When you raise your hands in prayer, I turn my eyes away from you; Even if you multiply your prayers, I will not listen to them! Your hands are full of blood!
• 16. Wash yourselves, purify yourselves! Remove your evil deeds from before my eyes! Stop doing evil,
• 17. learn to do good! Seek justice, put an end to oppression. Fight for the rights of the orphan, defend the cause of the widow.
• 18. “Come, let us reason together,” says the Lord. “Even if your sins are as red as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; although they are red like purple, they will become like wool.
• 19. If you are willing to obey, you will eat the best produce of this land;
• 20. but if they resist and rebel, they will be consumed by the sword.” For it is the Lord who says it!
• 21. See how the loyal city has become a harlot! Once filled with justice and inhabited by righteousness, it is now full of murderers!
• 22. Your silver has become dross, your wine is diluted.
• 23. Their rulers are rebels, companions of thieves; they all love bribes and seek gifts. They do not defend the rights of the orphan, nor do they consider the cause of the widow.
• 24. Therefore the Sovereign, the Lord of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel, declares: “Ah! I will vent my wrath on my adversaries and take revenge on my enemies.
• 25. I will turn my hand against you; I will remove all their dross and purify all their impurities.
• 26. I will restore your judges as they were before; your advisors, as in the beginning. After this you will be called a city of righteousness, a faithful city.”
• 27. Zion will be redeemed with justice, and those who repent with righteousness.
• 28. But the rebels and sinners will be destroyed, and those who forsake the Lord will perish.
• 29. “You will be ashamed of the sacred oaks that you so desired; they will be disappointed with the sacred gardens they chose.
• 30. You will be like a terebinth tree whose leaves wither, like a garden without water.
• 31. The mighty will become as tow, and his work as a spark; Both will be consumed together without anyone being able to put out the fire.”