Isaiah 1

Isaiah · Chapter 1

Isaiah 1:18

1The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.2Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the LORD hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.3The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.4Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward.5Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.6From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.7Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire: your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.8And the daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city.9Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah.10Hear the word of the LORD, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah.11To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats.12When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts?13Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting.14Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them.15And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.16Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;17Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.18Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.19If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:20But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.21How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers.22Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water:23Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them.24Therefore saith the LORD, the LORD of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies:25And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin:26And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city.27Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness.28And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together, and they that forsake the LORD shall be consumed.29For they shall be ashamed of the oaks which ye have desired, and ye shall be confounded for the gardens that ye have chosen.30For ye shall be as an oak whose leaf fadeth, and as a garden that hath no water.31And the strong shall be as tow, and the maker of it as a spark, and they shall both burn together, and none shall quench them.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
18Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.“Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are as red as crimson, they will become like wool.Come now, and let us reason together, saith Jehovah: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
comeלְכוּ־le-khu-H1980K
to go: went

הָלַךְ (ha.lakh) : went/go[away] 1) to go, walk, come 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to go, walk, come, depart, proceed, move, go away 1a2) to die, live, manner of life (fig.) 1b) (Piel) 1b1) to walk 1b2) to walk (fig.) 1c) (Hithpael) 1c1) to traverse 1c2) to walk about 1d) (Niphal) to lead, bring, lead away, carry, cause to walk

pleaseנָ֛אna'H4994
please

נָא (na) 1) I (we) pray, now, please 1a) used in entreaty or exhortation

so let us argue our case togetherוְנִוָּֽכְחָ֖הve-ni-va-khe-CHAHH3198
to rebuke

יָכַח (ya.khach) 1) to prove, decide, judge, rebuke, reprove, correct, be right 1a) (Hiphil) 1a1) to decide, judge 1a2) to adjudge, appoint 1a3) to show to be right, prove 1a4) to convince, convict 1a5) to reprove, chide 1a6) to correct, rebuke 1b) (Hophal) to be chastened 1c) (Niphal) to reason, reason together 1d) (Hithp) to argue

he saysיֹאמַ֣רyo-MARH0559
to say

אָמַר (a.mar) 1) to say, speak, utter 1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend 1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called 1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly 1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)

Yahwehיְהוָ֑הYAH-wehH3068G
Lord

אֲדֹנָי (a.do.nai) Lord - a title, spoken in place of Yahweh in Jewish display of reverence Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)

thoughאִם־'im-H0518A
if

אִם (im) : if/whether_or/though 1) if 1a) conditional clauses 1a1) of possible situations 1a2) of impossible situations 1b) oath contexts 1b1) no, not 1c) if...if, whether...or, whether...or...or 1d) when, whenever 1e) since 1f) interrogative particle 1g) but rather

they areיִֽהְי֨וּyih-YUH1961
to be

הָיָה (ha.yah) 1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out 1a) (Qal) 1a1) --- 1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass 1a1b) to come about, come to pass 1a2) to come into being, become 1a2a) to arise, appear, come 1a2b) to become 1a2b1) to become 1a2b2) to become like 1a2b3) to be instituted, be established 1a3) to be 1a3a) to exist, be in existence 1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time) 1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality) 1a3d) to accompany, be with 1b) (Niphal) …

sins yourחֲטָאֵיכֶ֤םcha-ta-'ei-KHEMH2399
sin

חֵטְא (chet) 1) sin 1a) sin 1b) guilt for sin 1c) punishment for sin Aramaic equivalent: cha.ti (חֲטָי "sin" H2408)

like the scarletכַּשָּׁנִים֙ka-sha-NIMH8144
scarlet

שָׁנִי (sha.ni) 1) scarlet, crimson 1a) properly, the insect 'coccus ilicis', the dried body of the female yielding colouring matter from which is made the dye used for cloth to colour it scarlet or crimson

like the snowכַּשֶּׁ֣לֶגka-SHE-legH7950
snow

שֶׁ֫לֶג (she.leg) snow Aramaic equivalent: te.lag (תְּלַג "snow" H8517)

they will become whiteיַלְבִּ֔ינוּyal-BI-nuH3835A
to whiten

לָבֵן (la.ven) 1) to be white 1a) (Hiphil) 1a1) to make white, become white, purify 1a2) to show whiteness, grow white 1b) (Hithpael) to become white, be purified (ethical)

thoughאִם־'im-H0518A
if

אִם (im) : if/whether_or/though 1) if 1a) conditional clauses 1a1) of possible situations 1a2) of impossible situations 1b) oath contexts 1b1) no, not 1c) if...if, whether...or, whether...or...or 1d) when, whenever 1e) since 1f) interrogative particle 1g) but rather

they are redיַאְדִּ֥ימוּya'-DI-muH0119
to redden

אָדֹם (a.dam) 1) to be red, red 1a) (Qal) ruddy (of Nazarites) 1b) (Pual) 1b1) to be rubbed red 1b2) dyed red 1b3) reddened 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to cause to show red 1c2) to glare 1c3) to emit (show) redness 1d) (Hithpael) 1d1) to redden 1d2) to grow red 1d3) to look red

like the crimsonכַתּוֹלָ֖עkha-to-LA'H8438A
worm

תּוֹלָע (to.la) 1) worm, scarlet stuff, crimson 1a) worm-the female 'coccus ilicis' 1b) scarlet stuff, crimson, scarlet 1b1) the dye made from the dried body of the female of the worm "coccus ilicis" Also means: to.le.ah (תּוֹלֵעָה "worm" H8438B)

like the woolכַּצֶּ֥מֶרka-TZE-merH6785
wool

עֲמַר (a.mar) wool Aramaic of tse.mer (צֶ֫מֶר "wool" H6785)

they will beיִהְיֽוּ׃yih-YUH1961
to be

הָיָה (ha.yah) 1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out 1a) (Qal) 1a1) --- 1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass 1a1b) to come about, come to pass 1a2) to come into being, become 1a2a) to arise, appear, come 1a2b) to become 1a2b1) to become 1a2b2) to become like 1a2b3) to be instituted, be established 1a3) to be 1a3a) to exist, be in existence 1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time) 1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality) 1a3d) to accompany, be with 1b) (Niphal) …

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.