1Here is the vision about Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah saw. It came to him when Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah were ruling. They were kings of Judah. Isaiah was the son of Amoz.
The Nation Refuses to Obey the Lord
2Listen to me, you heavens! Pay attention to me, earth!
The Lord has said,
“I raised children. I brought them up.
But they have refused to obey me.
3The ox knows its master.
The donkey knows where its owner feeds it.
But Israel does not know me.
My people do not understand me.”
4How terrible it will be for this sinful nation!
They are loaded down with guilt.
They are people who do nothing but evil.
They are children who are always sinning.
They have deserted the Lord.
They have turned against the Holy One of Israel.
They have turned their backs on him.
5Israel, why do you want to be beaten all the time?
Why do you always refuse to obey the Lord?
Your head is covered with wounds.
Your whole heart is weak.
6There isn’t a healthy spot on your body.
You are not healthy from the bottom of your feet to the top of your head.
You have nothing but wounds, cuts
and open sores.
They haven’t been cleaned up or bandaged
or treated with olive oil.
7Your country has been deserted.
Your cities have been burned down.
The food from your fields is being eaten up by outsiders.
They are doing it right in front of you.
Your land has been completely destroyed.
It looks as if strangers have taken it over.
8The city of Zion is left like a shed
where someone stands guard in a vineyard.
It is left like a hut in a cucumber field.
It’s like a city being attacked.
9The Lord who rules over all
has let some people live through that time of trouble.
If he hadn’t, we would have become like Sodom.
We would have been like Gomorrah.
10Rulers of Sodom,
hear the Lord’s message.
People of Gomorrah,
listen to the instruction of our God.
11“Do you think I need any more of your sacrifices?”
asks the Lord.
“I have more than enough of your burnt offerings.
I have more than enough of rams
and the fat of your fattest animals.
I do not find any pleasure
in the blood of your bulls, lambs and goats.
12Who asked you to bring all these animals
when you come to worship me?
Who asked you and your animals
to walk all over my courtyards?
13Stop bringing offerings that do not mean anything to me!
I hate your incense.
I can’t stand your worthless gatherings.
I can’t stand the way you celebrate your New Moon feasts,
Sabbath days and special services.
14Your New Moon feasts and your other appointed feasts
I hate with my whole being.
They have become a heavy load to me.
I am tired of carrying it.
15You might spread out your hands toward me when you pray.
But I do not look at you.
You might even offer many prayers.
But I am not listening to them.
Your hands are covered with the blood of the people you have murdered.
16So wash and make yourselves clean.
Get your evil actions out of my sight!
Stop doing what is wrong!
17Learn to do what is right!
Treat people fairly.
Help those who are treated badly.
Stand up in court for children whose fathers have died.
And do the same thing for widows.
18“Come. Let us settle this matter,”
says the Lord.
“Even though your sins are bright red,
they will be as white as snow.
Even though they are deep red,
they will be white like wool.
19But you have to be willing to change and obey me.
If you are, you will eat the good things that grow on the land.
20But if you are not willing to obey me,
you will be killed by swords.”
The Lord has spoken.
21See how the faithful city of Jerusalem
has become like a prostitute!
Once it was full of people who treated others fairly.
Those who did what was right used to live in it.
But now murderers live there!
22Jerusalem, your silver isn’t pure anymore.
Your best wine has been made weak with water.
23Your rulers refuse to obey the Lord.
They join forces with robbers.
All of them love to accept money from those who want special favors.
They are always looking for gifts from other people.
They don’t stand up in court for children whose fathers have died.
They don’t do it for widows either.
24The Lord is the Mighty One of Israel.
The Lord who rules over all announces,
“Israel, you have become my enemies.
I will act against you in my anger.
I will pay you back for what you have done.
25I will turn my power against you.
I will make you completely ‘clean.’
I will remove everything that is not pure.
26I will give you leaders like the ones you had long ago.
I will give you rulers like those you had at the beginning.
Then you will be called
the City That Does What Is Right.
You will also be called the Faithful City.”
27Zion will be saved when justice is done.
Those who are sorry for their sins will be saved
when what is right is done.
28But sinners and those who refuse to obey the Lord will be destroyed.
And those who desert the Lord will die.
29“Israel, you take delight in worshiping among the sacred oak trees.
You will be full of shame for doing that.
You have chosen to worship in the sacred gardens.
You will be dishonored for doing that.
30You will be like an oak tree whose leaves are dying.
You will be like a garden that doesn’t have any water.
31Your strongest men will become like dry pieces of wood.
Their worship of other gods will be the spark that lights the fire.
Everything will be burned up.
No one will be there to put the fire out.”
1Ang aklat na itoʼy tungkol sa ipinahayag ng Dios kay Isaias na anak ni Amoz. Tungkol ito sa Juda at Jerusalem noong magkakasunod na naghari sa Juda sina Uzia, Jotam, Ahaz, at Hezekia.
Ang Makasalanang Bansa
2Pakinggan ninyo langit at lupa, dahil sinabi ng Panginoon, “Inalagaan koʼt pinalaki ang mga Israelita na aking mga anak, pero nagrebelde sila sa akin. 3Kahit ang mga bakaʼy kilala ang kanilang tagapag-alaga,1:3 ang kanilang tagapag-alaga: sa Hebreo, ang mga nagmamay-ari sa kanya. at ang mga asnoʼy alam kung saang sabsaban sila pinapakain ng nagmamay-ari sa kanila, pero ang mga mamamayan kong Israelita ay hindi nakakakilala sa akin.”
4Sila ay bansang makasalanan, mga taong punong-puno ng kasamaan, lahi ng mga gumagawa ng masama at mapaminsala. Itinakwil nila at kinutya ang Panginoon, ang Banal na Dios ng Israel, at siyaʼy tinalikuran nila.
5Mga taga-Israel, bakit patuloy kayong nagrerebelde? Gusto pa ba ninyong maparusahan? Para kayong tao na puro sugat ang ulo at ang pusoʼy puno ng sakit. 6Mula ulo hanggang talampakan, walang bahagi na walang sugat, pasa at pamamaga. Hindi ito nahuhugasan, o nabebendahan, o nagagamot.
7Hindi na mapakinabangan ang inyong bansa; sinunog ng mga dayuhan ang mga lungsod ninyo. Kitang-kita ninyong sinasamsam nila ang mga bunga ng inyong pananim. Sinisira nila ang inyong lupain hanggang sa hindi na mapakinabangan. 8Walang natira kundi ang Jerusalem.1:8 Jerusalem: sa Hebreo, anak na babae ng Zion. Para itong silungan sa isang ubasan o isang kubol sa taniman ng mga pipino na mag-isang nakatayo, at para ring lungsod na pinalibutan ng kaaway. 9Kung ang Panginoong Makapangyarihan ay hindi nagtira ng ilan sa atin, natulad na sana tayo sa Sodom at Gomora.
10Kayong mga pinuno at mga mamamayan ng Jerusalem na katulad ng mga taga-Sodom at Gomora, pakinggan ninyo ang salita at kautusan ng Panginoon na ating Dios. 11Sinabi niya, “Balewala sa akin ang napakarami ninyong handog. Sawang-sawa na ako sa inyong mga handog na sinusunog – ang mga tupa at ang mga taba ng mga pinatabang hayop. Hindi ako nalulugod sa dugo ng mga toro, tupa at mga kambing. 12Sino ang nag-utos sa inyo na dalhin ang lahat ng ito kapag sumasamba kayo sa akin? Sino ang nag-utos sa inyong tumapak sa aking templo? 13Tigilan nʼyo na ang pagdadala ng mga handog na walang silbi. Nasusuklam ako sa amoy ng mga insenso ninyo. Hindi ko na matiis ang mga pagtitipon nʼyo kapag Pista ng Pagsisimula ng Buwan at kapag Araw ng Pamamahinga, dahil kahit na nagtitipon kayo, gumagawa kayo ng kasamaan. 14Nasusuklam ako sa inyong mga Pista ng Bagong Buwan at sa iba pa ninyong mga pista. Sobra-sobra na! Hindi ko na ito matiis!
15“Kapag mananalangin kayo hindi ko kayo papansinin. Kahit paulit-ulit pa kayong manalangin hindi ko kayo pakikinggan dahil marami kayong pinatay na tao. 16Linisin ninyo ang inyong sarili. Tigilan na ninyo ang paggawa ng kasamaan sa aking harapan. 17Pag-aralan ninyong gumawa ng mabuti at pairalin ang katarungan. Sawayin ninyo ang mga nang-aapi1:17 Sawayin ninyo ang mga nang-aapi: o, Tulungan ninyo ang mga inaapi. at ipagtanggol ninyo ang karapatan ng mga ulila at mga biyuda.”
18Sinabi pa ng Panginoon, “Halikayoʼt pag-usapan natin ito. Kahit gaano man karumi ang inyong mga kasalanan, lilinisin ko iyan para maging malinis kayo. 19Kung susunod lang kayo sa akin ay pagpapalain ko kayo.1:19 pagpapalain ko kayo: o, makakakain kayo ng pinakamagandang ani ng lupain. 20Pero kung patuloy kayong magrerebelde, tiyak na mamamatay kayo.”
Mangyayari nga ito dahil sinabi ng Panginoon.
Ang Makasalanang Lungsod
21Tingnan ninyo ang lungsod ng Jerusalem. Matapat ito noon, pero ngayoʼy para nang babaeng bayaran. Datiʼy mga taong matuwid ang mga nakatira rito, pero ngayon ay mga mamamatay-tao. 22Jerusalem, datiʼy mahalaga ka tulad ng pilak, pero ngayon ay wala ka nang silbi. Noon para kang mamahaling alak, pero ngayon ay para ka nang alak na may halong tubig. 23Ang mga pinuno moʼy mga suwail at kasabwat ng mga magnanakaw. Gusto nila palagi ng suhol, at nanghihingi ng mga regalo. Hindi nila ipinagtatanggol ang karapatan ng mga ulila at hindi rin nila pinapakinggan ang daing ng mga biyuda.
24Kaya sinabi ng Panginoon, ang Makapangyarihang Dios ng Israel, “Gagaan ang kalooban ko kapag naparusahan ko na kayong mga taga-Jerusalem na aking mga kaaway. 25Parurusahan ko kayo para magbago kayo, katulad ng pilak na dinadalisay sa apoy. 26Muli ko kayong bibigyan ng mga pinuno at mga tagapayo, katulad noong una. At ang lungsod ninyo ay tatawaging lungsod ng mga matuwid at tapat na mga tao.”
27Magsisisi ang mga tao sa Jerusalem,1:27 Jerusalem: sa Hebreo, Zion. at ito ay ililigtas ng Dios at magiging matuwid ang pagtrato ng mga pinuno sa lahat ng mga mamamayan. 28Pero lilipulin niya ang mga suwail at mga makasalanan, ang mga taong tumalikod sa Panginoon.
29Mapapahiya kayo na mga taga-Jerusalem dahil sa pagsamba ninyo sa mga puno ng ensina at sa mga sagradong halamanan. 30Matutulad kayo sa isang nalalantang puno ng ensina, at sa isang halamanang hindi nadidiligan. 31Ang mga makapangyarihan sa inyo ay magiging katulad ng tuyong kahoy na madaling masunog, at ang masasama nilang gawa ay magiging parang tilamsik ng apoy na susunog sa kanila. Walang makakapatay sa apoy na iyon.
