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¹ A Vision of Isaiah, the sonne of Amoz, which he sawe concerning Iudah and Ierusalem: in the dayes of Vzziah, Iotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah Kings of Iudah.

² Heare, O heauens, and hearken, O earth: for the Lorde hath sayde, I haue nourished and brought vp children, but they haue rebelled against me.³ The oxe knoweth his owner, and the asse his masters crib: but Israel hath not knowen: my people hath not vnderstand.⁴ Ah, sinfull nation, a people laden with iniquitie: a seede of the wicked, corrupt children: they haue forsaken the Lord: they haue prouoked the holy one of Israel to anger: they are gone backewarde.⁵ Wherefore shoulde ye be smitten any more? for ye fall away more and more: the whole head is sicke, and the whole heart is heauie.⁶ From the sole of the foote vnto the head, there is nothing whole therein, but wounds, and swelling, and sores full of corruption: they haue not bene wrapped, nor bound vp, nor mollified with oyle.⁷ Your land is waste: your cities are burnt with fire: strangers deuoure your lande in your presence, and it is desolate like the ouerthrowe of strangers.⁸ And the daughter of Zion shall remaine like a cotage in a vineyarde, like a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, and like a besieged citie.⁹ Except the Lorde of hostes had reserued vnto vs, euen a small remnant: we should haue bene as Sodom, and should haue bene like vnto Gomorah.

¹⁰ Heare the worde of the Lorde, O princes of Sodom: hearken vnto the Law of our God, O people of Gomorah.¹¹ What haue I to doe with the multitude of your sacrifices, sayth the Lorde? I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, & of the fat of fed beasts: and I desire not the blood of bullocks, nor of lambs, nor of goates.¹² When ye come to appeare before me, who required this of your hands to tread in my courts?¹³ Bring no mo oblations, in vaine: incense is an abomination vnto me: I can not suffer your newe moones, nor Sabbaths, nor solemne dayes (it is iniquitie) nor solemne assemblies.¹⁴ My soule hateth your newe moones and your appointed feastes: they are a burden vnto me: I am weary to beare them.¹⁵ And when you shall stretch out your hands, I wil hide mine eyes from you: and though ye make many prayers, I wil not heare: for your hands are full of blood.

¹⁶ Wash you, make you cleane: take away the euill of your workes from before mine eyes: cease to doe euill.¹⁷ Learne to doe well: seeke iudgement, relieue the oppressed: iudge the fatherlesse and defend the widowe.¹⁸ Come nowe, and let vs reason together, sayth the Lord: though your sinnes were as crimsin, they shalbe made white as snowe: though they were red like skarlet, they shalbe as wooll.¹⁹ If ye consent and obey, ye shall eate the good things of the land.²⁰ But if ye refuse and be rebellious, ye shalbe deuoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

²¹ Howe is the faithfull citie become an harlot? it was full of iudgement, and iustice lodged therein, but now they are murtherers.²² Thy siluer is become drosse: thy wine is mixt with water.²³ Thy Princes are rebellious and companions of theeues: euery one loueth giftes, and followeth after rewards: they iudge not the fatherlesse, neither doeth the widowes cause come before them.²⁴ Therefore sayth the Lorde God of hostes, the mightie one of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine aduersaries, & auenge me of mine enemies.²⁵ Then I will turne mine hand vpon thee, and burne out thy drosse, till it be pure, and take away all thy tinne.²⁶ And I will restore thy iudges as at the first, and thy counsellers as at the beginning: afterward shalt thou be called a citie of righteousnes, and a faithfull citie.²⁷ Zion shalbe redeemed in iudgement, and they that returne in her, in iustice.²⁸ And the destruction of the transgressers and of the sinners shalbe together: and they that forsake the Lord, shalbe consumed.²⁹ For they shalbe confounded for the okes, which ye haue desired, and ye shall be ashamed of the gardens, that ye haue chosen.³⁰ For ye shalbe as an oke, whose leafe fadeth: and as a garden that hath no water.³¹ And the strong shalbe as towe, and the maker thereof, as a sparke: and they shall both burne together, and none shall quench them.