Isaiah 1:2–15
2 Listen, heavens, and pay attention, earth,h
for the Lord has spoken:
“I have raised children* and brought them up,
but they have rebelled against me.i
and the donkey its master’s feeding trough,
but Israel does not know;
my people do not understand.”j
people weighed down with iniquity,k
brood of evildoers,l
depraved children!
They have abandonedm the Lord;
they have despisedn the Holy One of Israel;o
they have turned their backs on him.
5 Why do you want more beatings?
Why do you keep on rebelling?
The whole head is hurt,
and the whole heart is sick.
6 From the sole of the foot even to the head,p
no spot is uninjuredq—
wounds, welts, and festering sores
not cleansed, bandaged,
or soothed with oil.
your cities burned down;r
foreigners devour your fields
right in front of you—
a desolation, like a place demolished by foreigners.
8 Daughter Zions is abandoned
like a shelter in a vineyard,
like a shack in a cucumber field,
like a besieged city.
9 If the Lord of Armiest
had not left us a few survivors,u
we would be like Sodom,
we would resemble Gomorrah.v
10 Hear the word of the Lord,w
you rulers of Sodom!
Listen to the instruction of our God,
you people of Gomorrah!x
11 “What are all your sacrifices to me?”
asks the Lord.
“I have had enough of burnt offerings and rams
and the fat of well-fed cattle;
I have no desire for the blood of bulls,
lambs, or male goats.y
12 When you come to appear before me,
who requires this from you—
this trampling of my courts?
13 Stop bringing useless offerings.z
Your incense is detestable to me.
New Moons and Sabbaths,aa
and the calling of solemn assembliesab—
I cannot stand iniquityac with a festival.
14 I hate your New Moons and prescribed festivals.
They have become a burden to me;
I am tired of putting up with them.
15 When you spread out your hands in prayer,ad
I will refuse to look at you;
even if you offer countless prayers,
I will not listen.ae
Your hands are covered with blood.af