Verse

Isaiah chapter 1

English Standard Version

2 Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; for the Lord has spoken: "Children have I reared and brought up, but they have rebelled against me. 3The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master 's crib, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand." 4Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, children who deal corruptly! They have forsaken the Lord, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they are utterly estranged. 5Why will you still be struck down? Why will you continue to rebel? The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. 6 From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness in it, but bruises and sores and raw wounds; they are not pressed out or bound up or softened with oil. 7 Your country lies desolate; your cities are burned with fire; in your very presence foreigners devour your land; it is desolate, as overthrown by foreigners. 8And the daughter of Zion is left like a booth in a vineyard, like a lodge in a cucumber field, like a besieged city. 9 If the Lord of hosts had not left us a few survivors, we should have been like Sodom, and become like Gomorrah. 10Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom! Give ear to the teaching of our God, you people of Gomorrah! 11 "What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the Lord; I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats. 12"When you come to appear before me, who has required of you this trampling of my courts? 13Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations — I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly. 14Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates; they have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them. 15When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood. 16 Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil, 17learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow 's cause. 18"Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. 19 If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; 20but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be eaten by the sword; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken." 21How the faithful city has become a whore, she who was full of justice! Righteousness lodged in her, but now murderers. 22 Your silver has become dross, your best wine mixed with water. 23Your princes are rebels and companions of thieves. Everyone loves a bribe and runs after gifts. They do not bring justice to the fatherless, and the widow 's cause does not come to them. 24Therefore the Lord declares, the Lord of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel: "Ah, I will get relief from my enemies and avenge myself on my foes. 25 I will turn my hand against you and will smelt away your dross as with lye and remove all your alloy. 26And 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, the faithful city." 27 Zion shall be redeemed by justice, and those in her who repent, by righteousness. 28 But rebels and sinners shall be broken together, and those who forsake the Lord shall be consumed. 29 For they shall be ashamed of the oaks that you desired; and you shall blush for the gardens that you have chosen. 30For you shall be like an oak whose leaf withers, and like a garden without water. 31And the strong shall become tinder, and his work a spark, and both of them shall burn together, with none to quench them.
New International Version

New American Standard Bible

2Listen, heavens, and hear, earth; For the Lord has spoken: 'Sons I have raised and brought up, But they have revolted against Me. 3An ox knows its owner, And a donkey its master’s manger, But Israel does not know, My people do not understand.' 4Oh, sinful nation, People weighed down with guilt, Offspring of evildoers, Sons who act corruptly! They have abandoned the Lord, They have despised the Holy One of Israel, They have turned away from Him. 5Where will you be stricken again, As you continue in your rebellion? The entire head is sick And the entire heart is faint. 6From the sole of the foot even to the head There is nothing healthy in it, Only bruises, slashes, and raw wounds; Not pressed out nor bandaged, Nor softened with oil. 7Your land is desolate, Your cities are burned with fire; As for your fields, strangers are devouring them in front of you; It is desolation, as overthrown by strangers. 8The daughter of Zion is left like a shelter in a vineyard, Like a watchman’s hut in a cucumber field, like a city under watch. 9If the Lord of armies Had not left us a few survivors, We would be like Sodom, We would be like Gomorrah. 10Hear the word of the Lord, You rulers of Sodom; Listen to the instruction of our God, You people of Gomorrah! 11'What are your many sacrifices to Me?' Says the Lord. 'I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams And the fat of fattened cattle; And I take no pleasure in the blood of bulls, lambs, or goats. 12When you come to appear before Me, Who requires of you this trampling of My courtyards? 13Do not go on bringing your worthless offerings, Incense is an abomination to Me. New moon and Sabbath, the proclamation of an assembly— I cannot endure wrongdoing and the festive assembly. 14 I hate your new moon festivals and your appointed feasts, They have become a burden to Me; I am tired of bearing them. 15So when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; Yes, even though you offer many prayers, I will not be listening. Your hands are covered with blood. 16'Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Remove the evil of your deeds from My sight. Stop doing evil, 17Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor, Obtain justice for the orphan, Plead for the widow’s case. 18'Come now, and let us debate your case,' Says the Lord, 'Though your sins are as scarlet, They shall become as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be like wool. 19If you are willing and obedient, You will eat the best of the land; 20But if you refuse and rebel, You will be devoured by the sword.' For the mouth of the Lord has spoken. 21How the faithful city has become a prostitute, She who was full of justice! Righteousness once dwelt in her, But now murderers. 22Your silver has become waste matter, Your drink diluted with water. 23Your rulers are rebels And companions of thieves; Everyone loves a bribe And chases after gifts. They do not obtain justice for the orphan, Nor does the widow’s case come before them. 24Therefore the Lord God of armies, The Mighty One of Israel, declares, 'Ah, I will have satisfaction against My adversaries, And avenge Myself on My enemies. 25I will also turn My hand against you, And smelt away your impurities as with lye; And I will remove all your slag. 26Then I will restore your judges as at first, And your counselors as at the beginning; After that you will be called the city of righteousness, A faithful city.' 27Zion will be redeemed with justice And her repentant ones with righteousness. 28But wrongdoers and sinners together will be broken, And those who abandon the Lord will come to an end. 29 You certainly will be ashamed of the oaks which you have desired, And you will be embarrassed by the gardens which you have chosen. 30For you will be like an oak whose leaf withers away, Or like a garden that has no water. 31The strong man will become like flax fiber, And his work a spark. So they shall both burn together And there will be no one to extinguish them.
Christian Standard Bible

New Living Translation

King James Version

New King James Version

2 Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth! For the Lord has spoken: “I have nourished and brought up children, And they have rebelled against Me; 3 The ox knows its owner And the donkey its 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 are corrupters! They have forsaken the Lord, They have provoked to anger The Holy One of Israel, They have turned away backward. 5 Why should you be stricken again? You will revolt more and more. The whole head is sick, And the whole heart faints. 6From the sole of the foot even to the head, There is no soundness in it, But wounds and bruises and putrefying sores; They have not been closed or bound up, Or soothed with ointment. 7 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. 8So the daughter of Zion is left as a booth in a vineyard, As a hut in a garden of cucumbers, As a besieged city. 9 Unless the Lord of hosts Had left to us a very small remnant, We would have become like Sodom, We would have been made like Gomorrah. 10Hear the word of the Lord, You rulers of Sodom; Give ear to the law of our God, You people of Gomorrah: 11“To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me?” Says the Lord. “I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams And the fat of fed cattle. I do not delight in the blood of bulls, Or of lambs or goats. 12“When you come to appear before Me, Who has required this from your hand, To trample My courts? 13Bring no more futile sacrifices; Incense is an abomination to Me. The New Moons, the Sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies— I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting. 14Your New Moons and your appointed feasts My soul hates; They are a trouble to Me, I am weary of bearing them. 15 When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; Even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood. 16“Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, 17Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow. 18“Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are 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 by the sword”; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken. 21 How the faithful city has become a harlot! It was full of justice; Righteousness lodged in it, But now murderers. 22 Your silver has become dross, Your wine mixed with water. 23 Your princes are rebellious, And companions of thieves; Everyone loves bribes, And follows after rewards. They do not defend the fatherless, Nor does the cause of the widow come before them. 24Therefore the Lord says, The Lord of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel, “Ah, I will rid Myself of My adversaries, And take vengeance on My enemies. 25I will turn My hand against you, And thoroughly purge away your dross, And take away all your alloy. 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, the faithful city.” 27Zion shall be redeemed with justice, And her penitents with righteousness. 28The destruction of transgressors and of sinners shall be together, And those who forsake the Lord shall be consumed. 29For they shall be ashamed of the terebinth trees Which you have desired; And you shall be embarrassed because of the gardens Which you have chosen. 30For you shall be as a terebinth whose leaf fades, And as a garden that has no water. 31 The strong shall be as tinder, And the work of it as a spark; Both will burn together, And no one shall quench them.

What does Isaiah chapter 1 mean?

Isaiah's massive book of prophecy begins with just one verse describing who he is and when he served as the Lord's messenger to Judah, the southern part of the divided kingdom of Israel. Isaiah was the son of the otherwise unknown Amoz, and he served as a prophet of the Lord God of Israel from late in the reign of King Uzziah through sometime during the reign of King Hezekiah (Isaiah 1:1).

Isaiah's book begins with the Lord making a case in a kind of lawsuit or arraignment against His people Israel. God serves as both the prosecutor and the judge. He is laying out many of the ways in which the people of Israel have violated their covenant with the Lord (Isaiah 1:2).

After calling the heavens and earth to serve as witnesses or jurors, the Lord sums up the charges: He has brought up Israel as His children, and they have rebelled against Him. Even stubborn donkeys understand who provides their food, but the people of Israel seem to lack this understanding, instead attempting to push away the One who gives them all they need to survive (Isaiah 1:3).

At this point in her history, Israel is a nation saturated with iniquity. Each generation is born from evildoers and continues their corruption. By their sinfulness, they have estranged themselves from the Holy One of Israel, despising and forsaking Him (Isaiah 1:4).

Isaiah asks why his people appear to want to be destroyed. Why else would they continue to live in rebellion? He describes the state of the nation as a kind of spiritual sickness. The head is sick, the heart faint, and the body is unsound. Even though covered with bruises, sores, and open wounds, she will not treat any of her injuries. The nation goes on as if nothing is wrong (Isaiah 1:5–6).

That spiritual sickness has the nation on the path to physical destruction. Isaiah describes a time in Israel's future as if God's judgment has already fallen. The country has been decimated, and the cities are burned to the ground. Invading foreigners have destroyed everything in their path. The once great city of Jerusalem will fall like a hut in an unprotected field (Isaiah 1:7–8).

Isaiah adds that if God had not spared a remnant of survivors, Israel would have been driven into extinction as Sodom and Gomorrah were (Isaiah 1:9–10).

Isaiah begins to quote the Lord, who is not impressed with the offerings and sacrifices of the people of Judah. Their offerings, incense, and celebrations are meaningless and a burden to the Lord because of the rebellion and sinfulness in their hearts (Isaiah 1:11-15).

The Lord tells the people to clean themselves by ending their sinful practices and beginning to do the good work of caring for the poor and the powerless among them. God promises to turn the stains of their sin as white as snow if they will repent. They will eat the "good of the land" if they obey. But If they refuse, they will become the food of the enemy's swords. (Isaiah 1:16-20)

The once faithful city of Jerusalem was known for its justice. Now it has become like a prostitute by worshiping false gods. It has become famous for its injustice. Murderers walk free. The city's leaders hang out with thieves. Everything runs on bribes and corruption, leaving no hope for orphans and widows to receive justice (Isaiah 1:21-23).

The Lord will remove the unfaithful from Israel, however. He will restore justice to Jerusalem. Those who repent will be redeemed. Those who do not will be broken and consumed (Isaiah 1:24-31).
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