Isaiah 1:24–31

²⁴The Lord is the Mighty One of Israel.

The Lord who rules over all announces,

“Israel, you have become my enemies.

I will pay you back for what you have done.

Then you will not trouble me anymore.

²⁵I will turn my powerful hand against you.

I will make you completely clean.

I will remove everything that is not pure.

²⁶I will give judges to you like the ones you had long ago.

I will give you advisers like those you had at the beginning.

Then you will be called

The City That Does What Is Right.

You will also be called The Faithful City.”

²⁷Zion will be saved when others are treated fairly.

Those who are sorry for their sins will be saved

when what is right is done.

²⁸But sinners and those who refuse to obey the Lord will be destroyed.

And those who desert the Lord will die.

²⁹Israel, you take delight in worshiping among the sacred oak trees.

You will be full of shame for doing that.

You have chosen to worship in the sacred gardens.

You will be dishonored for doing that.

³⁰You will be like an oak tree whose leaves are dying.

You will be like a garden that doesn’t have any water.

³¹Your strongest men will become like dry pieces of wood.

Their worship of other gods will be the spark that lights the fire.

Everything will be burned up.

No one will be there to put the fire out.