1 ² Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth;
for Yahweh has spoken:
"Sons have I reared and brought up,
but they have rebelled against me.
1 ³ The ox knows its owner,
and the ass its master's crib;
but Israel does not know,
my people does not understand."

1 ⁴ Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity,
offspring of evildoers, sons who deal corruptly!
They have forsaken Yahweh,
they have despised the Holy One of Israel,
they are utterly estranged.

1 ⁵ Why will you still be smitten,
that you continue to rebel?
The whole head is sick,
and the whole heart faint.
1 ⁶ From the sole of the foot even to the head,
there is no soundness in it,
but bruises and sores and bleeding wounds;
they are not pressed out, or bound up,
or softened with oil.

1 ⁷ Your country lies desolate,
your cities are burned with fire;
in your very presence
aliens devour your land;
it is desolate,
as overthrown by aliens.
1 ⁸ And the daughter of Zion is left
like a booth in a vineyard,
like a lodge in a cucumber field,
like a besieged city.

1 ⁹ If Yahweh of hosts
had not left us a few survivors,
we should have been like Sodom,
and become like Gomorrah.

1 ¹⁰ Hear the word of Yahweh,
you rulers of Sodom!
Give ear to the teaching of our God,
you people of Gomorrah!
1 ¹¹ "What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices?
says Yahweh;
I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams
and the fat of fed beasts;
I do not delight in the blood of bulls,
or of lambs, or of he-goats.

1 ¹² "When you come to appear before me,
who requires of you this trampling of my courts?
1 ¹³ Bring no more vain offerings;
incense is an abomination to me.
New moon and sabbath and the calling of assemblies -
I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly.
1 ¹⁴ Your new moons and your appointed feasts
my soul hates;
they have become a burden to me,
I am weary of bearing them.
1 ¹⁵ When you spread forth your hands,
I will hide my eyes from you;
even though you make many prayers,
I will not listen;
your hands are full of blood.
1 ¹⁶ Wash yourselves;
make yourselves clean;
remove the evil of your doings from before my eyes;
cease to do evil,
1 ¹⁷ learn to do good;
seek justice, correct oppression;
defend the fatherless, plead for the widow.

1 ¹⁸ "Come now, let us reason together,
says Yahweh:
though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red like crimson,
they shall become like wool.
1 ¹⁹ If you are willing and obedient,
you shall eat the good of the land;
1 ²⁰ But if you refuse and rebel,
you shall be devoured by the sword;
for the mouth of Yahweh has spoken."