Esias 1:4-23

⁴Ah sinful nation, a people full of sins, an evil seed, lawless children: you° have forsaken the Lord, and provoked the Holy One of Israel.

⁵Why should you° be struck any more, transgressing more and more? the whole head is pained, and the whole heart sad.

⁶From the feet to the head, there is no soundness in them; neither wound, nor bruise, nor festering ulcer are healed: it is not possible to apply a plaister, nor oil, nor bandages.

⁷Your land is desolate, your cities burned with fire: your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is made desolate, overthrown by strange nations.

⁸The daughter of Sion shall be deserted as a tent in a vineyard, and as a storehouse of fruits in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city.

⁹And if the Lord of Sabaoth had not left us a seed, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been made like Gomorrha.

¹⁰Hear the word of the Lord, you° rulers of Sodoma; attend to the law of God, you people of Gomorrha.

¹¹Of what value to me is the abundance of your sacrifices? says the Lord: I am full of whole burnt offerings of rams; and I delight not in the fat of lambs, and the blood of bulls and goats:

¹²neither shall you° come with these to appear before me; for who has required these things at your hands? You° shall no more tread my court.

¹³Though you° bring fine flour, it is vain; incense is an abomination to me; I can’t bear your new moons, and your sabbaths, and the great day;

¹⁴your fasting, and rest from work, your new moons also, and your feasts my soul hates: you° have become loathsome to me; I will no more pardon your sins.

¹⁵When you° stretch forth your hands, I will turn away my eyes from you: and though you° make many supplications, I will not listen to you; for your hands are full of blood.

¹⁶Wash you, be clean; remove your iniquities from your souls before my eyes; cease from your iniquities;

¹⁷learn to do well; diligently seek judgment, deliver him that is suffering wrong, plead for the orphan, and obtain justice for the widow.

¹⁸And come, let us reason together, says the Lord: and though your sins be as purple, I will make them white as snow; and though they be as scarlet, I will make them white as wool.

¹⁹And if you° be willing, and listen to me, you° shall eat the good of the land:

²⁰but if you° be not willing, nor listen to me, a sword shall devour you: for the mouth of the Lord has spoken this.

²¹How has the faithful city Sion, once full of judgment, become a harlot! wherein righteousness lodged, but now murderers.

²²Your silver is worthless, your wine merchants mix the wine with water.

²³Your princes are rebellious, companions of thieves, loving bribes, seeking after rewards; not pleading for orphans, and not heeding the cause of widows.