Isaiah Chapter 1

Conversational Yahveh Covenant

¹ Visions Isaiah Ben-Amoz Saw

About Judah and Jerusalem

During the Reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz,

and Hezekiah, Kings of Judah

Rebellious Judah

² Listen, earth and sky, Yahveh says,

                              “I brought up sons,

                                    but they’ve rebelled.

                                             ³An ox knows its owner,

                                    and a donkey recognizes its owner’s manger,

                              but Israel doesn’t know me;

                                    my people don’t recognize

                                    that I’m the One who provided for them.”

         ⁴Sinful nation,

            people weighed down with iniquity,

            offspring of sinners who deal falsely,

      you’ve rejected Yahveh,

            despised the Holy One of Israel,

            and turned away from him.                                        

Is 1:1-4

         ⁵Where else can he strike you

            as you just keep on rebelling?

      Your head is sick;

            your heart is faint.

         ⁶There’s nothing healthy in you from head to toe,

            just bruises, sores, and open wounds

                  without compress or bandage,

                  or ointment to soften them.

⁷ Your country lies in ruins;

      your towns have been burned.

Foreigners stole your crops while you watched;

      it’s a wasteland they’ve overthrown.

⁸ Zion is like a shed in a deserted vineyard,

      like a watchman’s hut in an old cucumber patch,

      like a city under siege.

⁹ If Yahveh of Hosts hadn’t left us a few survivors,

      we’d be like Sodom and Gomorrah.                    

Is 1:5-9

¹⁰ Listen to Yahveh’s message, rulers in “Sodom”;

      hear our God’s teaching, people in “Gomorrah”:

¹¹ “Why are you offering me all these sacrifices?

I’ve had enough of your burnt offerings of rams

      and the fat of your grain-fed cattle;

I’m not happy with the blood of bulls, lambs, and goats.

¹² When you show up to worship me, 

         who’s making you tramp on my courts?

¹³ Don’t keep bringing me your worthless offerings;

         I detest their incense.

New moons, Sabbaths, scheduled assemblies—

      I can’t endure any more of your solemn assemblies

            mixed with your sinfulness.

¹⁴ I despise your new moon celebrations and stated festivals;

      they’re a drag to me; I’m tired of them.

¹⁵ When you spread out your hands, I won’t look;

      though you offer lots of prayers, I won’t be listening;

your spread-out hands have bloodshed on them.      

Is 1:10-15

¹⁶ “Take baths and get cleaned up;

      get your sins out of my sight;

      give up doing sinful things.

¹⁷ Learn how to do good, seek out justice,

      correct ruthless people, defend orphans,

      fight for widows’ rights.

¹⁶ “Take baths and get cleaned up;

      get your sins out of my sight.

      Give up doing sinful things.

¹⁷ Learn how to do good, seek out justice,

      correct ruthless people, defend orphans,

      fight for widows’ rights.

¹⁸ “Come, now; let’s talk,” Yahveh says.

         “Though your sins are like scarlet,

            they can be as white as snow;

      if they’re red like crimson,

            they can be like wool.

         ¹⁹If you start obeying me,

            you’ll eat the best in the land.

         ²⁰If you refuse and rebel,

            your enemies’ sword will overwhelm you.”

                                                Yahveh has told you the truth.

Is 1:16-20

Unfaithful Jerusalem

²¹ How the once-faithful city has become a prostitute,

      she that used to be full of justice!

Goodness used to lodge there;

      now murderers do.

²² Your once-pure silver has turned to dross;

      your drink’s been diluted with water.

²³ Your rulers rebel, your friends steal;

everybody likes bribes

      and requires kickbacks;

they don’t defend orphans

      or let widows’ cases come to trial.                      

Is 1:21-23

²⁴ So the Lord Yahveh of Hosts,

      the Mighty One of Israel, says,

“I avenge myself of my enemies;

      I take vengeance on my adversaries;

²⁵ I’ll turn against you;

      I’ll smelt away your dross with lye

            and remove your impurities.

²⁶ I’ll make your judges like they were at first

      and your advisors the way they were in the beginning;

after that, you’ll be called ‘The City of Righteousness,’

      ‘The Faithful City.’”                                           

Is 1:24-26

²⁷ Justice will redeem Zion;

      repentance will lead to goodness.

²⁸ But Yahveh will crush rebels and sinners;

         those who forsake him will meet their end.

²⁹ You’ll be ashamed of the sacred terebinth groves you delighted in,

            embarrassed by the gardens you chose to worship your idols in;

         ³⁰because you’ll be like a terebinth tree with withered leaves

            and a garden with no water.

³¹ The strong will become kindling,

            and their evil work the spark that lights it;

      everything will burn up

            with nobody able to put out the fire.

Is 1:27-31