Isaiah 1:2–20

The Wickedness of Judah

²Hear, O heavens, and listen, O earth,

for the Lord has spoken:

I reared children and brought them 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.^*

⁴Woe, sinful nation,

people laden with iniquity,

offspring who do evil,

children who act corruptly,

who have forsaken the Lord,

who have despised the Holy One of Israel,

[[who are utterly estranged!]]^a*

⁵Why do you seek further beatings?

Why do you continue to rebel?

The whole head is injured,

and the whole heart faint.^*

⁶From the sole of the foot to the head,

there is no soundness in it,

only bruises and sores

and bleeding wounds;

they have not been drained or bound up

or softened with oil.^*

⁷Your country lies desolate;

your cities are burned with fire;

in your very presence

aliens devour your land;

it is desolate, as overthrown by foreigners.^*

⁸And daughter Zion is left

like a booth in a vineyard,

like a shelter in a cucumber field,

like a besieged city.

⁹If the Lord of hosts

had not left us a few survivors,

we would have been like Sodom

and become like Gomorrah.^*

¹⁰Hear the word of the Lord,

you rulers of Sodom!

Listen to the teaching of our God,

you people of Gomorrah!^*

¹¹What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices?

says the Lord;

I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams

and the fat of fed beasts;

I do not delight in the blood of bulls

or of lambs or of goats.^*

¹²When you come to appear before me,^b

who asked this from your hand?

Trample my courts no more!^*

¹³Bringing offerings is futile;

incense is an abomination to me.

New moon and Sabbath and calling of convocation—

I cannot endure solemn assemblies with iniquity.^*

¹⁴Your new moons and your appointed festivals

my soul hates;

they have become a burden to me;

I am weary of bearing them.^*

¹⁵When you stretch 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.^*

¹⁶Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean;

remove your evil deeds

from before my eyes;

cease to do evil;^*

¹⁷learn to do good;

seek justice;

rescue the oppressed;

defend the orphan;

plead for the widow.^*

¹⁸Come now, let us argue it out,

says the Lord:

If your sins are like scarlet,

will they become like snow?

If they are red like crimson,

will they become like 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.^*