1 The vision a concerning Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah b son of Amoz saw during the reigns , of Kings Uzziah, c Jotham, d Ahaz, e and Hezekiah f of Judah. g
Judah on Trial
2 Listen, heavens, and pay attention, earth, h
for the LORD has spoken:
“I have raised children and brought them up,
but they have rebelled against me. i
3 The ox knows its owner,
and the donkey its master’s feeding trough,
but Israel does not know;
my people do not understand.” j
4 Oh sinful nation,
people weighed down with iniquity, k
brood of evildoers, l
depraved children!
They have abandoned m the LORD;
they have despised n the Holy One of Israel; o
they have turned their backs on him.
5 Why do you want more beatings?
Why do you keep on rebelling?
The whole head is hurt,
and the whole heart is sick.
6 From the sole of the foot even to the head, p
no spot is uninjured q—
wounds, welts, and festering sores
not cleansed, bandaged,
or soothed with oil.
7 Your land is desolate,
your cities burned down; r
foreigners devour your fields
right in front of you—
a desolation, like a place demolished by foreigners.
8 Daughter Zion s is abandoned
like a shelter in a vineyard,
like a shack in a cucumber field,
like a besieged city.
9 If the LORD of Armies t
had not left us a few survivors, u
we would be like Sodom,
we would resemble Gomorrah. v
10 Hear the word of the LORD, w
you rulers of Sodom!
Listen to the instruction of our God,
you people of Gomorrah! x
11 “What are all your sacrifices to me? ”
asks the LORD.
“I have had enough of burnt offerings and rams
and the fat of well-fed cattle;
I have no desire for the blood of bulls,
lambs, or male goats. y
12 When you come to appear before me,
who requires this from you—
this trampling of my courts?
13 Stop bringing useless offerings. z
Your incense is detestable to me.
New Moons and Sabbaths, a
and the calling of solemn assemblies b—
I cannot stand iniquity c with a festival.
14 I hate your New Moons and prescribed festivals.
They have become a burden to me;
I am tired of putting up with them.
15 When you spread out your hands in prayer, d
I will refuse to look at you;
even if you offer countless prayers,
I will not listen. e
Your hands are covered with blood. f
Purification of Jerusalem
16 “Wash yourselves. Cleanse yourselves. g
Remove your evil deeds from my sight.
Stop doing evil. h
17 Learn to do what is good.
Pursue justice. i
Correct the oppressor.
Defend the rights of the fatherless.
Plead the widow’s cause.
18 “Come, let us settle this,” j
says the LORD.
“Though your sins are scarlet,
they will be as white as snow; k
though they are crimson red,
they will be like wool.
19 If you are willing and obedient,
you will eat the good things of the land. l
20 But if you refuse and rebel,
you will be devoured by the sword.” m
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken. n
21 The faithful town—
what an adulteress she has become!
She was once full of justice.
Righteousness once dwelt in her,
but now, murderers!
22 Your silver has become dross to be discarded,
your beer is diluted with water.
23 Your rulers are rebels,
friends of thieves. o
They all love graft
and chase after bribes. p
They do not defend the rights of the fatherless,
and the widow’s case never comes before them. q
24 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. r
25 I will turn my hand against you s
and will burn away your dross completely;
I will remove all your impurities. t
26 I will restore your judges u to what they were at first,
and your advisers to what they were at the start.
Afterward you will be called the Righteous City, v
a Faithful Town.”
27 Zion will be redeemed by justice,
those who repent, by righteousness. w
28 At the same time both rebels and sinners will be broken,
and those who abandon the LORD will perish.
29 Indeed, they will be ashamed of the sacred trees
you desired, x
and you will be embarrassed because of the garden shrines
you have chosen. y
30 For you will become like an oak
whose leaves are withered,
and like a garden without water. z
31 The strong one will become tinder,
and his work a spark;
both will burn together, a
with no one to extinguish the flames. b
A. Judgment and comfort: Part one (1:1–2:5). 1:1–4. Isaiah calls on heaven and earth to witness against God’s people (1:2) in language reminiscent of the Song of Moses (Dt 32:1; cf. Dt 30:19; Mc 6:1–2). God’s people have severed their relationship with him, their Father. Though God has treated them as his children, and Judah has received great benefits, the people foolishly abandon their heritage. They have become fools, who do not “know” and “do not understand” (1:3). Their folly has led to open rebellion against their suzerain (covenant) Lord. They have forsaken their loyalty to the Lord and replaced it with hatred and apostasy. They are not children of God but a “brood of evildoers” (1:4). They have rejected “the Holy One of Israel,” the God who not only sovereignly rules over his people but also has promised to dwell in their midst so as to sanctify them.
1:5–9. Yet the Lord has severely judged Judah not to destroy her but in order to get her attention. Her wounds symbolize the extent to which God has patiently dealt with his people (1:5–6). He has used wars, oppression, desolation, and famine to bring his people to their senses and to himself (1:7). The desolation may very well reflect the situation in 701 BC, when Sennacherib despoiled the land, destroyed the cities, and nearly took the city of Jerusalem. Were it not for the grace of God, Judah would have been destroyed like Sodom and Gomorrah (1:9). The leaders were at fault for bringing judgment on Judah. Clearly God did not intend to destroy her from under the face of the sun. The “Daughter Zion” (Jerusalem, remnant) is spared like “a shelter” (1:8). The intent of God’s judgment is purification, and to that end he is patient and merciful.
1:10–17. The leaders are corrupt, like the people of Sodom and Gomorrah (1:10; cf. Gn 18:20). They are reminded of God’s law, which requires righteousness as a prerequisite for bringing offerings and sacrifices (1:11–14; cf. Dt 33:19). The prophet is not antagonistic to offerings and sacrifices, feasts and festivals, and prayer; but he knows that God rejects any act of worship when it is little more than an empty ritual. The requirements of ritual purity must be kept, and sacrifices are to be offered from a pure heart.
1:18–20. The proper response, then, to the grace of God is obedient faith. Obedient faith entails the willingness to remove and cleanse oneself from the evil of one’s generation, to love one’s neighbor, and to receive divine cleansing and forgiveness (1:18). True repentance results in faithful obedience, as an expression of gratitude and the willingness to obey God (1:19). The remnant that has survived the ordeal may again be restored to enjoy God’s blessings. God has graciously opened up a future for them, but for those who rebel, judgment is sure to come (1:20).
1:21–26. In a lament, the prophet speaks about the filth of Jerusalem. Rather than resembling pure silver in the practice of justice, righteousness, and faithfulness, the city’s silver has become dross (1:21–22). Isaiah reflects on the era of David and Solomon as one in which Israel was characterized by justice, righteousness, and loyalty to the Lord, because these leaders upheld God’s law. But Jerusalem has become faithless, like an adulteress. She is as worthless as beer diluted with water. People and leaders are all alike: each one is out for him- or herself (1:23). God, the great and merciful King, has seen their insensitivities and will come to the defense of the poor. He will bring them through another judgment in order to remove the “foes” (1:24–26). God’s “enemies” are all those who do not do his will, and it is significant that he addresses the covenant community.
1:27–31. God will certainly distinguish between the righteous and the wicked. The future belongs to the remnant, which repents by doing righteousness, but judgment will make an end of rebels and idolaters (1:27–29). Isaiah then compares the people as a whole to the effects of a drought in which the leaves of an oak fall off and the garden is burned up (1:30). However, the oak still stands and the garden is still there. Hard times may come upon the godly, but they will persevere. The wicked, however, will be utterly consumed as by fire (1:31).