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.”
The Unfaithful City
21 How the faithful city
she who was full of justice!
Righteousness lodged in her,
but now murderers.
22 Your silver has become ddross,
your best wine mixed with water.
23 eYour princes are rebels
and companions of thieves.
Everyone loves a bribe
and runs after gifts.
They do not bring justice to the fatherless,
and the widow’s cause does not come to them.
24 Therefore the Lord declares,
the Lord of hosts,
fthe Mighty One of Israel:
“Ah, I will get relief from my enemies
and avenge myself on my foes.
25 I will turn my hand against you
and will smelt away your dross as with lye
and remove all your alloy.
26 And I will restore your judges as at the first,
and your counselors as at the beginning.
Afterward you shall be called the city of righteousness,
the faithful city.”
27 Zion shall be redeemed by justice,
and those in her who repent, by righteousness.
28 But rebels and sinners shall be broken together,
and those who forsake the Lord shall be consumed.
Greeting
1 aPeter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those who are elect exiles of the bDispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 according to the cforeknowledge of God the Father, in the dsanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for esprinkling with his blood:
May grace and peace be multiplied to you.
Born Again to a Living Hope
3 fBlessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be gborn again to a living hhope ithrough the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an jinheritance that is kimperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation lready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you mrejoice, though now nfor a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the otested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the prevelation of Jesus Christ. 8 qThough you have not seen him, you love him. rThough you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours ssearched and inquired carefully, 11 inquiring what person or time1 the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he tpredicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent uglories. 12 It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things vthat have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you wby the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, xthings into which angels long to look.
