Isaiah 1:7-23

⁷Your country has been devastated, your towns burned down, your fields stripped bare by foreigners right in front of you, as they turn it all into a wasteland.

⁸The daughter of Zion is left like a shack in a vineyard, like a hut in a cucumber field, like a city under attack.

⁹If the Lord Almighty hadn't let a few of us survive, we would have become like Sodom and Gomorrah.

¹⁰Listen to what the Lord has to say, you rulers of Sodom! Pay attention to the instructions of our God, you people of Gomorrah!

¹¹What use are all your many sacrifices to me? asks the Lord. I am sick and tired of your burnt offerings of rams and the fat of sacrificial animals. I don't delight in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats!

¹²When you come to appear before me in worship, who asked you to proudly tramp around my courts?

¹³Don't bring me any more meaningless offerings; your incense is offensive to me. Your new moon festivals and Sabbath observations and your calling of special religious meetings—I can't stand them because they're evil, as are your solemn assemblies.

¹⁴I detest your new moon and yearly festivals with my whole being! They've become just a burden to me—I can't bear them anymore!

¹⁵When you hold up your hands to me in prayer, I'll look away. Even though you pray many prayers, I won't pay attention to them, because your hands are full of blood.

¹⁶Wash yourselves and clean yourselves up. Get rid of your sins—I don't want to see them! Stop doing evil!

¹⁷Learn to do good; strive for justice, condemn those who oppress others; support the rights of orphans, take up cases to defend widows.

¹⁸Come on, let's argue this out, says the Lord. Even though your sins are like scarlet, they will become white like snow. Even though they are red like crimson, they will become like wool.

¹⁹If you really want this, and if you do as you're told, then you yourselves will eat the best things that the land produces.

²⁰But if you are defiant, and if you are rebellious, you'll be killed by the sword. This is what the Lord has declared!

²¹The city that used to be faithful has turned into a prostitute! Once she operated on principles of justice and followed what was right, but now only murderers live there.

²²Your silver has become worthless waste; you wine has been watered down.

²³Your leaders are rebels, friends of thieves. They all love bribes and want to get kickbacks. They don't defend the rights of orphans, and refuse to take cases to help widows.