Isaiah 1:4-18

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

⁵Why should ye be smitten anymore, 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 plaster, 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 Zion 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 to Gomorrah.

¹⁰Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of Sodom; attend to the law of God, thou people of Gomorrah.

¹¹Of what value to me is the abundance of your sacrifices? saith 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 ye come with these to appear before me; for who has required these things at your hands? Ye shall no more tread my court.

¹³Though ye bring fine flour, it is vain; incense is an abomination to me; I cannot 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: ye have become loathsome to me; I will no more pardon your sins.

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

¹⁶Wash you, be clean; remove your iniquities from your souls before mine 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, saith 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.