Study Desk

Hear the word of the Lord ,^(ao) you rulers of Sodom;^(ap) listen to the instruction^(aq) of our God, you people of Gomorrah!^(ar)

"The multitude of your sacrifices— what are they to me?" says the Lord . "I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals;^(as) I have no pleasure^(at) in the blood of bulls^(au) and lambs and goats.^(av)

When you come to appear before me, who has asked this of you,^(aw) this trampling of my courts?

Stop bringing meaningless offerings!^(ax) Your incense^(ay) is detestable^(az) to me. New Moons,^(ba) Sabbaths and convocations^(bb)— I cannot bear your worthless assemblies.

Your New Moon^(bc) feasts and your appointed festivals^(bd) I hate with all my being.^(be) They have become a burden to me;^(bf) I am weary^(bg) of bearing them.

When you spread out your hands^(bh) in prayer, I hide^(bi) my eyes from you; even when you offer many prayers, I am not listening.^(bj) Your hands^(bk) are full of blood!^(bl)

Wash^(bm) and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight;^(bn) stop doing wrong.^(bo)

Learn to do right;^(bp) seek justice.^(bq) Defend the oppressed.^[a](br) Take up the cause of the fatherless;^(bs) plead the case of the widow.^(bt)

"Come now, let us settle the matter,"^(bu) says the Lord . "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;^(bv) though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.^(bw)

If you are willing and obedient,^(bx) you will eat the good things of the land;^(by)

but if you resist and rebel,^(bz) you will be devoured by the sword."^(ca) For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.^(cb)

See how the faithful city has become a prostitute!^(cc) She once was full of justice; righteousness^(cd) used to dwell in her— but now murderers!^(ce)

Your silver has become dross,^(cf) your choice wine is diluted with water.

Your rulers are rebels,^(cg) partners with thieves;^(ch) they all love bribes^(ci) and chase after gifts. They do not defend the cause of the fatherless; the widow's case does not come before them.^(cj)

Therefore the Lord, the Lord Almighty, the Mighty One^(ck) of Israel, declares: "Ah! I will vent my wrath on my foes and avenge^(cl) myself on my enemies.^(cm)

I will turn my hand against you;^[b](cn) I will thoroughly purge^(co) away your dross^(cp) and remove all your impurities.^(cq)

I will restore your leaders as in days of old,^(cr) your rulers as at the beginning. Afterward you will be called^(cs) the City of Righteousness,^(ct) the Faithful City.^(cu)"

Zion will be delivered with justice, her penitent^(cv) ones with righteousness.^(cw)

But rebels and sinners^(cx) will both be broken, and those who forsake^(cy) the Lord will perish.^(cz)

"You will be ashamed^(da) because of the sacred oaks^(db) in which you have delighted; you will be disgraced because of the gardens^(dc) that you have chosen.

You will be like an oak with fading leaves,^(dd) like a garden without water.

The mighty man will become tinder and his work a spark; both will burn together, with no one to quench the fire.^(de)"

The Mountain of the Lord ^(a)

This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:^(b)

In the last days^(c) the mountain^(d) of the Lord 's temple will be established as the highest of the mountains;^(e) it will be exalted^(f) above the hills, and all nations will stream to it.^(g)

Many peoples^(h) will come and say, "Come, let us go⁽ⁱ⁾ up to the mountain^(j) of the Lord , to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths." The law^(k) will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.^(l)

He will judge^(m) between the nations and will settle disputes⁽ⁿ⁾ for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.^(o) Nation will not take up sword against nation,^(p) nor will they train for war anymore.

Come, descendants of Jacob,^(q) let us walk in the light^(r) of the Lord .

You, Lord , have abandoned^(s) your people, the descendants of Jacob.^(t) They are full of superstitions from the East; they practice divination^(u) like the Philistines^(v) and embrace^(w) pagan customs.^(x)

Their land is full of silver and gold;^(y) there is no end to their treasures.^(z) Their land is full of horses;^(aa) there is no end to their chariots.^(ab)

Their land is full of idols;^(ac) they bow down^(ad) to the work of their hands,^(ae) to what their fingers^(af) have made.

So people will be brought low^(ag) and everyone humbled^(ah)— do not forgive them.^[a](ai)

Go into the rocks, hide^(aj) in the ground from the fearful presence of the Lord and the splendor of his majesty!^(ak)

The eyes of the arrogant^(al) will be humbled^(am) and human pride^(an) brought low;^(ao) the Lord alone will be exalted^(ap) in that day.^(aq)

The Lord Almighty has a day^(ar) in store for all the proud^(as) and lofty,^(at) for all that is exalted^(au) (and they will be humbled),^(av)

for all the cedars of Lebanon,^(aw) tall and lofty,^(ax) and all the oaks of Bashan,^(ay)

for all the towering mountains and all the high hills,^(az)

for every lofty tower^(ba) and every fortified wall,^(bb)

for every trading ship^[b](bc) and every stately vessel.

The arrogance of man will be brought low^(bd) and human pride humbled;^(be) the Lord alone will be exalted in that day,^(bf)

and the idols^(bg) will totally disappear.^(bh)

People will flee to caves^(bi) in the rocks and to holes in the ground^(bj) from the fearful presence^(bk) of the Lord and the splendor of his majesty,^(bl) when he rises to shake the earth.^(bm)

In that day^(bn) people will throw away to the moles and bats^(bo) their idols of silver and idols of gold,^(bp) which they made to worship.^(bq)

They will flee to caverns in the rocks^(br) and to the overhanging crags from the fearful presence of the Lord and the splendor of his majesty,^(bs) when he rises^(bt) to shake the earth.^(bu)

Stop trusting in mere humans,^(bv) who have but a breath^(bw) in their nostrils. Why hold them in esteem?^(bx)

See now, the Lord, the Lord Almighty, is about to take from Jerusalem and Judah both supply and support:^(a) all supplies of food^(b) and all supplies of water,^(c)

the hero and the warrior,^(d) the judge and the prophet, the diviner^(e) and the elder,^(f)

the captain of fifty^(g) and the man of rank,^(h) the counselor, skilled craftsman⁽ⁱ⁾ and clever enchanter.^(j)

"I will make mere youths their officials; children will rule over them."^(k)

People will oppress each other— man against man, neighbor against neighbor.^(l) The young will rise up against the old, the nobody against the honored.

A man will seize one of his brothers in his father's house, and say, "You have a cloak, you be our leader; take charge of this heap of ruins!"

But in that day^(m) he will cry out, "I have no remedy.⁽ⁿ⁾ I have no food^(o) or clothing in my house; do not make me the leader of the people."^(p)

Jerusalem staggers, Judah is falling;^(q) their words^(r) and deeds^(s) are against the Lord , defying^(t) his glorious presence.

The look on their faces testifies^(u) against them; they parade their sin like Sodom;^(v) they do not hide it. Woe to them! They have brought disaster^(w) upon themselves.

Tell the righteous it will be well^(x) with them, for they will enjoy the fruit of their deeds.^(y)

Woe to the wicked!^(z) Disaster^(aa) is upon them! They will be paid back^(ab) for what their hands have done.^(ac)

Youths^(ad) oppress my people, women rule over them. My people, your guides lead you astray;^(ae) they turn you from the path.

The Lord takes his place in court;^(af) he rises to judge^(ag) the people.

The Lord enters into judgment^(ah) against the elders and leaders of his people: "It is you who have ruined my vineyard; the plunder^(ai) from the poor^(aj) is in your houses.

What do you mean by crushing my people^(ak) and grinding^(al) the faces of the poor?"^(am) declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.^(an)

The Lord says, "The women of Zion^(ao) are haughty, walking along with outstretched necks,^(ap) flirting with their eyes, strutting along with swaying hips, with ornaments jingling on their ankles.

Therefore the Lord will bring sores on the heads of the women of Zion; the Lord will make their scalps bald.^(aq)"

In that day^(ar) the Lord will snatch away their finery: the bangles and headbands and crescent necklaces,^(as)

the earrings and bracelets^(at) and veils,^(au)

the headdresses^(av) and anklets and sashes, the perfume bottles and charms,

the signet rings and nose rings,^(aw)

the fine robes and the capes and cloaks,^(ax) the purses

and mirrors, and the linen garments^(ay) and tiaras^(az) and shawls.

Instead of fragrance^(ba) there will be a stench;^(bb) instead of a sash,^(bc) a rope; instead of well-dressed hair, baldness;^(bd) instead of fine clothing, sackcloth;^(be) instead of beauty,^(bf) branding.^(bg)

Your men will fall by the sword,^(bh) your warriors in battle.^(bi)

The gates^(bj) of Zion will lament and mourn;^(bk) destitute,^(bl) she will sit on the ground.^(bm)

¹In that day^(a) seven women will take hold of one man^(b) and say, "We will eat our own food^(c) and provide our own clothes; only let us be called by your name. Take away our disgrace!"^(d)

In that day^(e) the Branch of the Lord ^(f) will be beautiful^(g) and glorious, and the fruit^(h) of the land will be the pride and glory⁽ⁱ⁾ of the survivors^(j) in Israel.

Those who are left in Zion,^(k) who remain^(l) in Jerusalem, will be called holy,^(m) all who are recorded⁽ⁿ⁾ among the living in Jerusalem.

The Lord will wash away the filth^(o) of the women of Zion;^(p) he will cleanse^(q) the bloodstains^(r) from Jerusalem by a spirit^[a] of judgment^(s) and a spirit^[b] of fire.^(t)

Then the Lord will create^(u) over all of Mount Zion^(v) and over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night;^(w) over everything the glory^[c](x) will be a canopy.^(y)

It will be a shelter^(z) and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge^(aa) and hiding place from the storm^(ab) and rain.

I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard:^(a) My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside.

He dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines.^(b) He built a watchtower^(c) in it and cut out a winepress^(d) as well. Then he looked for a crop of good grapes, but it yielded only bad fruit.^(e)

"Now you dwellers in Jerusalem and people of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard.^(f)

What more could have been done for my vineyard than I have done for it?^(g) When I looked for good grapes, why did it yield only bad?^(h)

Now I will tell you what I am going to do to my vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it will be destroyed;⁽ⁱ⁾ I will break down its wall,^(j) and it will be trampled.^(k)

I will make it a wasteland,^(l) neither pruned nor cultivated, and briers and thorns^(m) will grow there. I will command the clouds not to rain⁽ⁿ⁾ on it."

The vineyard^(o) of the Lord Almighty is the nation of Israel, and the people of Judah are the vines he delighted in. And he looked for justice,^(p) but saw bloodshed; for righteousness,^(q) but heard cries of distress.^(r)

Woe^(s) to you who add house to house and join field to field^(t) till no space is left and you live alone in the land.

The Lord Almighty^(u) has declared in my hearing:^(v) "Surely the great houses will become desolate,^(w) the fine mansions left without occupants.

A ten-acre vineyard will produce only a bath^[a] of wine; a homer^[b] of seed will yield only an ephah^[c] of grain."^(x)

Woe^(y) to those who rise early in the morning to run after their drinks, who stay up late at night till they are inflamed with wine.^(z)

They have harps and lyres at their banquets, pipes^(aa) and timbrels^(ab) and wine, but they have no regard^(ac) for the deeds of the Lord , no respect for the work of his hands.^(ad)

Therefore my people will go into exile^(ae) for lack of understanding;^(af) those of high rank^(ag) will die of hunger and the common people will be parched with thirst.^(ah)

Therefore Death^(ai) expands its jaws, opening wide its mouth;^(aj) into it will descend their nobles and masses with all their brawlers and revelers.^(ak)

So people will be brought low^(al) and everyone humbled,^(am) the eyes of the arrogant^(an) humbled.

But the Lord Almighty will be exalted^(ao) by his justice,^(ap) and the holy God will be proved holy^(aq) by his righteous acts.

Then sheep will graze as in their own pasture;^(ar) lambs will feed^[d] among the ruins of the rich.