Read the Bible

Rebellion of God's People

¹ The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz concerning ^(C1)Judah and Jerusalem, which he saw during the ^(F1)reigns of ^(C2)Uzziah, ^(C3)Jotham, ^(C4)Ahaz, and ^(C5)Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

^2 (C1)Listen, heavens, and hear, ^(C2)earth;
For the LORD has spoken:
"^(C3)Sons I have raised and brought up,
But they have ^(C4)revolted against Me.

³ "An ox knows its owner,
And a donkey its master's manger,
But Israel ^(C1)does not know,
My people ^(C2)do not understand."

⁴ Oh, sinful nation,
People weighed down with guilt,
^(F1)(C1)Offspring of evildoers,
Sons who ^(C2)act corruptly!
They have ^(C3)abandoned the LORD,
They have ^(C4)despised the Holy One of Israel,
They have turned away ^(F2)from Him.

⁵ Where will you be stricken again,
As you ^(C1)continue in your rebellion?
The entire head is ^(C2)sick
And the entire heart is faint.

^6 (C1)From the sole of the foot even to the head
There is ^(C2)nothing healthy in it,
Only bruises, slashes, and raw wounds;
^(C3)Not pressed out nor bandaged,
Nor softened with oil.

⁷ Your ^(C1)land is desolate,
Your cities are burned with fire;
As for your fields, strangers are devouring them in front of you;
It is desolation, as overthrown by strangers.

⁸ The daughter of Zion is left like a shelter in a vineyard,
Like a watchman's hut in a cucumber field, like a city under watch.

^9 (C1)If the LORD of armies
Had not left us a few ^(C2)survivors,
We would be like ^(C3)Sodom,
We would be like Gomorrah.

God Has Had Enough

¹⁰ Hear ^(C1)the word of the LORD,
You rulers of ^(C2)Sodom;
Listen to the instruction of our God,
You people of Gomorrah!

¹¹ "^(C1)What are your many sacrifices to Me?"
Says the LORD.
"I ^(F1)have had enough of burnt offerings of rams
And the fat of fattened cattle;
And I take no pleasure in the blood of bulls, lambs, or goats.

¹² "When you come ^(C1)to appear before Me,
Who requires ^(F1)of you this trampling of My courtyards?

¹³ "Do not go on bringing your worthless offerings,
^(C1)Incense is an abomination to Me.
^(C2)New moon and Sabbath, the ^(C3)proclamation of an assembly—
I cannot ^(C4)endure wrongdoing and the festive assembly.

¹⁴ "^(F1)I hate your new moon festivals and your ^(C1)appointed feasts,
They have become a burden to Me;
I am ^(C2)tired of bearing them.

¹⁵ "So when you ^(C1)spread out your hands in prayer,
^(C2)I will hide My eyes from you;
Yes, even though you ^(C3)offer many prayers,
I will not be listening.
^(C4)Your hands are ^(F1)covered with blood.

¹⁶ "^(C1)Wash yourselves, ^(C2)make yourselves clean;
^(C3)Remove the evil of your deeds from My sight.
^(C4)Stop doing evil,

¹⁷ Learn to do good;
^(C1)Seek justice,
Rebuke the oppressor,
^(C2)Obtain justice for the orphan,
Plead for the widow's case.

Invitation to Debate

¹⁸ "Come now, and ^(C1)let us ^(F1)debate your case,"
Says the LORD,
"^(C2)Though your sins are as scarlet,
They shall become as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be like wool.

¹⁹ "^(C1)If you are willing and obedient,
You will ^(C2)eat the best of the land;

²⁰ But if you refuse and rebel,
You will be ^(C1)devoured by the sword."
For ^(C2)the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

Zion Corrupted; Will Be Redeemed

²¹ How the faithful city has become a ^(C1)prostitute,
She who was full of justice!
Righteousness once dwelt in her,
But now murderers.

²² Your silver has become ^(F1)waste matter,
Your drink diluted with water.

²³ Your ^(C1)rulers are rebels
And companions of thieves;
Everyone ^(C2)loves a bribe
And chases after gifts.
They ^(C3)do not obtain justice for the ^(F1)orphan,
Nor does the widow's case come before them.

²⁴ Therefore the Lord ^(F1)GOD of armies,
The ^(C1)Mighty One of Israel, declares,
"Ah, I will have satisfaction against My adversaries,
And ^(C2)avenge Myself on My enemies.

²⁵ "I will also turn My hand against you,
And ^(C1)smelt away your impurities as with lye;
And I will remove all your slag.

²⁶ "Then I will restore your ^(C1)judges as at first,
And your counselors as at the beginning;
After that you will be called the ^(C2)city of righteousness,
A faithful city."

²⁷ Zion will be ^(C1)redeemed with justice
And her ^(F1)repentant ones with righteousness.

²⁸ But ^(F1)wrongdoers and sinners together will be ^(C1)broken,
And those who abandon the LORD will come to an end.

^29 (F1)You certainly will be ashamed of the ^(F2)(C1)oaks which you have desired,
And you will be embarrassed by the ^(C2)gardens which you have chosen.

³⁰ For you will be like an ^(F1)oak whose ^(C1)leaf withers away,
Or like a garden that has no water.

³¹ The strong man will become like ^(F1)flax fiber,
And his work a spark.
So they shall both ^(C1)burn together
And there will be ^(C2)no one to extinguish them.