1 The avision of bIsaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of cUzziah, dJotham, eAhaz, and fHezekiah, kings of Judah.
The Wickedness of Judah
2 gHear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth;
for the Lord has spoken:
h“Children1 have I reared and brought up,
but they have rebelled against me.
3 iThe ox knows its owner,
and the donkey its master’s crib,
but Israel does not know,
my people do not understand.”
4 Ah, sinful nation,
a people laden with iniquity,
joffspring of evildoers,
children who deal corruptly!
They have kforsaken the Lord,
they have ldespised the Holy One of Israel,
they are utterly mestranged.
5 Why will you still be struck down?
Why will you continue to rebel?
The whole head is sick,
and the whole heart faint.
6 From the sole of the foot even to the head,
there is no soundness in it,
but bruises and sores
and raw wounds;
they are not pressed out or bound up
or softened with oil.
7 Your country lies desolate;
your cities are burned with fire;
in your very presence
foreigners devour your land;
it is desolate, as overthrown by foreigners.
8 And the daughter of Zion is left
like a booth in a vineyard,
like a lodge in a cucumber field,
like a besieged city.
9 nIf the Lord of hosts
had not left us a few survivors,
we should have been like oSodom,
and become like Gomorrah.
10 Hear the word of the Lord,
you rulers of pSodom!
Give ear to the teaching2 of our God,
you people of Gomorrah!
11 q“What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices?
says the Lord;
I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams
and the fat of well-fed beasts;
I do not delight in the blood of bulls,
or of lambs, or of goats.
12 “When you come to rappear before me,
who has required of you
this trampling of my courts?
13 Bring no more vain offerings;
incense is an abomination to me.
New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations—
I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly.
14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts
my soul hates;
they have become a sburden to me;
I am tweary of bearing them.
15 When you uspread out your hands,
I will hide my eyes from you;
even though you make many prayers,
vI will not listen;
your hands are full of blood.
16 wWash yourselves; make yourselves clean;
remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes;
cease to do evil,
17 learn to do good;
seek justice,
correct oppression;
bring justice to the xfatherless,
plead the widow’s cause.
18 “Come now, let us reason3 together, says the Lord:
though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as ywhite as snow;
though they are red like crimson,
they shall become like wool.
19 zIf you are willing and obedient,
you shall eat the good of the land;
20 but aif you refuse and rebel,
you shall be eaten by the sword;
bfor the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
Wisdom from Above
13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter ljealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, mdo not boast and be false to the truth. 15 This is not the nwisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, odemonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be pdisorder and every vile practice. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of qmercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18 And a rharvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who smake peace.
