Isaiah 1:24–31

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^1:24Therefore, the sovereign Lord who commands armies,⁶⁴

the powerful ruler of Israel,⁶⁵ says this:

“Ah, I will seek vengeance⁶⁶ against my adversaries,

I will take revenge against my enemies.⁶⁷

^1:25I will attack you;⁶⁸

I will purify your metal with flux.⁶⁹

I will remove all your slag.⁷⁰

^1:26I will reestablish honest judges as in former times,

wise advisers as in earlier days.⁷¹

Then you will be called, ‘The Just City,

Faithful Town.’ ”

^1:27⁷² Zion will be freed by justice,⁷³

and her returnees by righteousness.⁷⁴

^1:28All rebellious sinners will be shattered,⁷⁵

those who abandon the Lord will perish.

^1:29Indeed, they⁷⁶ will be ashamed of the sacred trees

you⁷⁷ find so desirable;

you will be embarrassed because of the sacred orchards⁷⁸

where you choose to worship.

^1:30For you will be like a tree whose leaves wither,

like an orchard⁷⁹ that is unwatered.

^1:31The powerful will be like⁸⁰ a thread of yarn,

their deeds like a spark;

both will burn together,

and no one will put out the fire.

Read in Logos

Footnotes

64 Heb “the master, the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts].” On the title “the Lord who commands armies,” see the note at v. .
65 Heb “the powerful [one] of Israel.”
66 Heb “console myself” (i.e., by getting revenge); “pour out my wrath on.”
67 The Lord here identifies with the oppressed and comes as their defender and vindicator.
68 Heb “turn my hand against you.” The second person pronouns in vv. 25–26 are feminine singular. Personified Jerusalem is addressed. The idiom “turn the hand against” has the nuance of “strike with the hand, attack,” in Ps 81:15 (81:14 ); Ezek 38:12; Am 1:8; Zech 13:7. In Jer 6:9 it is used of gleaning grapes.
69 Heb “I will purify your dross as [with] flux.” “Flux” refers here to minerals added to the metals in a furnace to prevent oxides from forming. For this interpretation of II בֹּר (bor), see II בֹּר and 750 סִיג.
70 The metaphor comes from metallurgy; slag is the substance left over after the metallic ore has been refined.
71 Heb “I will restore your judges as in the beginning; and your counselors as in the beginning.” In this context, where social injustice and legal corruption are denounced (see v. 23), the “judges” are probably government officials responsible for making legal decisions, while the “advisers” are probably officials who helped the king establish policies. Both offices are also mentioned in 3:2.
72 The third person reference to the Lord in v. 28 indicates that the prophet is again (see vv. 21–24a) speaking. Since v. 27 is connected to v. 28 by a conjunction, it is likely that the prophet’s words begin with v. 27.
73 Heb “Zion will be ransomed with justice.” Both cola in this verse end with similar terms: justice and righteousness (and both are preceded by a בְּ [bet] preposition). At issue is whether these virtues describe the means or result of the deliverance and whether they delineate God’s justice/righteousness or that of the covenant people. If the righteousness of Israelite returnees is in view, the point seems to be that the reestablishment of Zion as a center of justice (God’s people living in conformity with God’s demand for equity and justice) will deliver the city from its past humiliation and restore it to a place of prominence (see 2:2–4; cf. E. Kissane, Isaiah, 1:19). Most scholars conclude that “righteousness and “justice” refers to God alone (J. Ridderbos, Isaiah [], 50; J. Watts, Isaiah [], 1:; E. J. Young, Isaiah [], 1:; cf. , ) or serves as a double reference to both divine and human justice and righteousness (J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah, 51; J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah [], 1:; H. Wildberger, Isaiah, 1:). If it refers to both sides of the coin, these terms highlight the objective divine work of redemption and the subjective human response of penitence (Motyer, 51).
74 The Hebrew text has, “her repentant ones/returnees with righteousness.” The form שָׁבֶיהָ (shaveha, “her repentant ones”), as pointed in , is a masculine plural Qal participle from שׁוּב (shuv, “return”). Used substantivally, it refers to the “returning (i.e., repentant) ones.” It is possible that the parallel line (with its allusion to being freed by a ransom payment) suggests that the form be repointed to שִׁבְיָהּ (shivyah, “her captivity”), a reading that has support from the . Some slightly emend the form to read וְשָׁבָה (véshavah, “and will return”). According to this view, the verb from the first line applies to the second line as well with the following translation as a result: “she will be released when fairness is restored.” Regardless, it makes best sense in the context to regard this as a reference to repentant Israelites returning to the land of promise. This understanding provides a better contrast with the rebels and sinners in 1:28.
75 Heb “and [there will be] a shattering of rebels and sinners together.”
76 The Hebrew text (and the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa) has the third person here, though a few Hebrew (and Targums) read the second person, which is certainly more consistent with the following context. The third person form is the more difficult reading and probably original. This disagreement in person has caused some to emend the first verb (3rd plural) to a 2nd plural form (followed by most English translations). The textual apparatus suggests that the 2nd plural form be read even though there is only sparse textual evidence. , , and the change all the 2nd person verbs in 1:29–31 to 3rd person verbs. It is likely that the change to a 2nd person form represents an attempt at syntactical harmonization (J. de Waard, Isaiah, 10). The abrupt change from 3rd person to 2nd person may have been intentional for rhetorical impact ( §144.p). The rapid change from exclamation (they did!) to reproach (you desired!) might be regarded as a rhetorical figure focusing attention on the addressees and their conditions (de Waard, 10; E. König, Stilistik, Rhetorik, Poetik, 239). This use of the 3rd person could also be understood as an impersonal third person: “one will be ashamed” (de Waard, 10). In v. 29 the prophet continues his description of the sinners (v. 28), but then suddenly makes a transition to direct address (switching from 3rd to 2nd person) in the middle of his sentence.
77 The second person pronouns in vv. 29–30 are masculine plural, indicating that the rebellious sinners (v. 28) are addressed.
78 Or “gardens” (so , , , ); “groves.”
79 Or “a garden” (so , , , , ).
80 Heb “will become” (so , ).

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

Therefore 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.

I will turn my hand against you

and will smelt away your dross as with lye

and remove all your alloy.

And 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.”

Zion shall be redeemed by justice,

and those in her who repent, by righteousness.

But rebels and sinners shall be broken together,

and those who forsake the Lord shall be consumed.

For they shall be ashamed of the oaks

that you desired;

and you shall blush for the gardens

that you have chosen.

For you shall be like an oak

whose leaf withers,

and like a garden without water.

And the strong shall become tinder,

and his work a spark,

and both of them shall burn together,

with none to quench them.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

Therefore the Lord, the Lord Almighty,

the Mighty One of Israel, declares:

“Ah! I will vent my wrath on my foes

and avenge myself on my enemies.

I will turn my hand against you;

I will thoroughly purge away your dross

and remove all your impurities.

I will restore your leaders as in days of old,

your rulers as at the beginning.

Afterward you will be called

the City of Righteousness,

the Faithful City.”

Zion will be delivered with justice,

her penitent ones with righteousness.

But rebels and sinners will both be broken,

and those who forsake the Lord will perish.

“You will be ashamed because of the sacred oaks

in which you have delighted;

you will be disgraced because of the gardens

that you have chosen.

You will be like an oak with fading leaves,

like a garden without water.

The mighty man will become tinder

and his work a spark;

both will burn together,

with no one to quench the fire.”

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Therefore the Lord God of Armies,

the Mighty One of Israel, declares:

“Ah, I will get even with my foes;

I will take revenge against my enemies.

I will turn my hand against you

and will burn away your dross completely;

I will remove all your impurities.

I will restore your judges to what they were at first,

and your advisers to what they were at the start.

Afterward you will be called the Righteous City,

a Faithful Town.”

Zion will be redeemed by justice,

those who repent, by righteousness.

At the same time both rebels and sinners will be broken,

and those who abandon the Lord will perish.

Indeed, they will be ashamed of the sacred trees

you desired,

and you will be embarrassed because of the garden shrines

you have chosen.

For you will become like an oak

whose leaves are withered,

and like a garden without water.

The strong one will become tinder,

and his work a spark;

both will burn together,

with no one to extinguish the flames.

NLTNew Living Translation

Therefore, the Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies,

the Mighty One of Israel, says,

“I will take revenge on my enemies

and pay back my foes!

I will raise my fist against you.

I will melt you down and skim off your slag.

I will remove all your impurities.

Then I will give you good judges again

and wise counselors like you used to have.

Then Jerusalem will again be called the Home of Justice

and the Faithful City.”

Zion will be restored by justice;

those who repent will be revived by righteousness.

But rebels and sinners will be completely destroyed,

and those who desert the Lord will be consumed.

You will be ashamed of your idol worship

in groves of sacred oaks.

You will blush because you worshiped

in gardens dedicated to idols.

You will be like a great tree with withered leaves,

like a garden without water.

The strongest among you will disappear like straw;

their evil deeds will be the spark that sets it on fire.

They and their evil works will burn up together,

and no one will be able to put out the fire.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Therefore, the declaration of the Lord Yahweh of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel:

“Ah, I will be relieved of my enemies,

and I will avenge myself on my foes.

And I will turn my hand against you;

I will purify your dross like lye,

and I will remove all of your tin.

And I will restore your judges, as at the first,

and your counselors, as at the beginning.

After this you will be called the city of righteousness,

faithful city.

Zion will be redeemed by justice,

and those of her who repent, by righteousness.

But the destruction of rebels and sinners shall be together,

and those who forsake Yahweh will perish.

For you will be ashamed of the oaks in which you delighted,

and you will be disgraced because of the gardens that you have chosen.

For you shall be like an oak withering its leaves,

and like a garden where there is no water for her.

And the strong man shall become like tinder,

and his work like a spark.

And both of them shall burn together,

and there is not one to quench them.”

KJV 1900King James Version

Therefore saith the Lord, the Lord of hosts, the mighty One of Israel,

Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries,

And avenge me of mine enemies:

And I will turn my hand upon thee,

And purely purge away thy dross,

And take away all thy tin:

And I will restore thy judges as at the first,

And thy counsellers as at the beginning:

Afterward thou shalt be called,

The city of righteousness, the faithful city.

Zion shall be redeemed with judgment,

And her converts with righteousness.

And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together,

And they that forsake the Lord shall be consumed.

For they shall be ashamed of the oaks which ye have desired,

And ye shall be confounded for the gardens that ye have chosen.

For ye shall be as an oak whose leaf fadeth,

And as a garden that hath no water.

And the strong shall be as tow,

And the maker of it as a spark,

And they shall both burn together, and none shall quench them.

Public Domain