Isaiah 1-2:

 

1:21 How tragic that the once-faithful city

has become a prostitute!52

She was once a center of53 justice,

fairness resided in her,

but now only murderers.54

1:22 Your55 silver has become scum,56

your beer is diluted with water.57

1:23 Your officials are rebels,58

they associate with59 thieves.

All of them love bribery,

and look for60 payoffs.61

They do not take up the cause of the orphan,62

or defend the rights of the widow.63

1:24 Therefore, the sovereign Lord who commands armies,64

the powerful ruler of Israel,65 says this:

“Ah, I will seek vengeance66 against my adversaries,

I will take revenge against my enemies.67

1:25 I will attack you;68

I will purify your metal with flux.69

I will remove all your slag.70

1:26 I will reestablish honest judges as in former times,

wise advisers as in earlier days.71

Then you will be called, ‘The Just City,

Faithful Town.’”

1:2772 Zion will be freed by justice,73

and her returnees by righteousness.74

1:28 All rebellious sinners will be shattered,75

those who abandon the Lord will perish.

 

2:6 Indeed, O Lord,16 you have abandoned your people,

the descendants of Jacob.

For diviners from the east are everywhere;17

they consult omen readers like the Philistines do.18

Plenty of foreigners are around.19

2:7 Their land is full of gold and silver;

there is no end to their wealth.20

Their land is full of horses;

there is no end to their chariots.21

2:8 Their land is full of worthless idols;

they worship22 the product of their own hands,

what their own fingers have fashioned.

2:9 Men bow down to them in homage,

they lie flat on the ground in worship.23