Isaiah 1

1 ¹Di vision of Isaiah, pikin of Amoz, wey concern Judah and Jerusalem for di time of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, wey be kings of Judah.

²Hear, una heavens, and listen, earth, because our Papa wey dey for heaven don talk: “Pikin wey I raise and bring up, but dem don rebel against me.

People Wey Forget Dem Papa

³“Cow know im owner, and donkey know di place wey im master dey feed am, but Israel no know, my people no understand. ⁴Ah, nation wey full of sin, people wey guilt don heavy for dem body, pikin of people wey dey do bad-bad, pikin wey dey do corrupt! Dem don forsake our Papa, dem don despise di Holy One of Israel—our Papa—dem don turn dem back comot. ^a a v4 Di Holy One of Israel na di special title wey prophet Isaiah dey take call our Papa. E go show more than twenty times for im book — e dey name di Papa as di holy one wey don tie imsef for Covenant to people wey dey always forget am. ⁵Why una wan make dem still beat una? Why una dey continue to rebel? Di whole head don sick, and di whole heart don weak. ⁶From di sole of di foot go reach di top of di head, no place dey healthy—na only wound, mark, and sore wey open, wey dem never clean or tie or rub oil for am. ⁷Una land don become empty, dem don burn una cities with fire; for una very front, strangers dey chop una farm—e don scatter, strangers don overthrow am. ⁸And dem leave di daughter of Zion like small shelter for vineyard, like hut for cucumber farm, like city wey enemy don surround. ^b b v8 People wey dey watch farm for harvest time dey build shelter wey no go last for di farm; after harvest, di shelter go empty — e be picture of how person dey lonely wey dem don leave am.

⁹If di Papa of heaven army no bin leave small people wey survive for us, we for don become like Sodom, we for don be like Gomorrah.

¹⁰Hear di word of our Papa, una rulers of Sodom! Listen to di instruction of our Papa, una people of Gomorrah!

¹¹Wetin be all dis una sacrifice wey no dey finish to me?” na so our Papa talk. “I don belleful with burnt offering of ram and di fat of animal wey dem don fatten; I no dey enjoy di blood of bull and lamb and goat. ¹²When una come appear for my front, na who ask dis from una— dis to dey trample my courts anyhow? ¹³Stop to bring offering wey no get meaning! Una incense dey make me vex. New moon, Sabbath, di time una dey call people gather—I no fit stand wickedness wey una mix with una holy gathering. ^c c v13 Di New Moon na festival wey dem dey do every month to mark di beginning of each month with sacrifice and rest. ¹⁴Una new moon and una feast wey dem set, my soul hate dem; dem don become load for me—I don tire to dey carry dem. ¹⁵When una stretch una hand to pray, I go hide my eye from una; even when una pray plenty prayer, I no go dey listen. Una hand full of blood. ¹⁶Wash unasef; make unasef clean. Comot una evil deed from my eye; stop to dey do wrong. ¹⁷Learn to do good; find justice, correct di person wey dey oppress. Defend di pikin wey no get papa and mama, stand up for di widow. ¹⁸Come now, make we settle dis thing together,” na so our Papa talk. “Even though una sin dey red like scarlet, e go white like snow; even though e red like crimson, e go become like wool. ¹⁹If una gree and obey, una go chop di good things of di land; ²⁰but if una refuse and rebel, sword go chop una. Because di mouth of our Papa don talk.”

Di City Wey Dey Faithful

²¹See how di city wey dey faithful don become ashawo! Before, e full of justice; correct-and-holy way bin dey live inside am—but now na people wey dey kill. ²²Una silver don become slag wey no get value, una fine wine dem don mix with water. ²³Una rulers na rebel, dem be padi to thief; all of dem love bribe and dey run after gift. Dem no dey defend di pikin wey no get papa and mama, and dem no dey hear di case of di widow.

²⁴So na dis be di declaration of di Sovereign Papa, di Papa of heaven army, di Mighty One of Israel—our Papa: Ah, I go get relief from my enemy dem and bring justice against my opponent. ^d d v24 Di Mighty One of Israel na anoda compound name wey Isaiah dey take call our Papa — e dey name im strength wey e dey use for im people. As dem pack am here with two oda title, dis verse dey name our Papa for im fullness as e rise to act. ²⁵I go turn my hand against una; I go melt comot una slag like with lye and remove all di dirty for una body. ²⁶I go restore una judges like for di days of old, una counsellor like for di beginning. After, dem go call una di City of Correct-and-holy Way, di City Wey Dey Faithful. ²⁷Justice go redeem Zion, and correct-and-holy way go redeem di people wey dey inside am wey repent. ²⁸But dem go break rebel and sinner together, and di people wey forsake our Papa go finish. ²⁹Shame go catch una because of di sacred oak tree wey una bin dey enjoy; una face go red because of di garden wey una don choose. ³⁰Because una go be like oak tree wey im leaf don dry, like garden wey no get water. ³¹Di strong man go become dry thing wey dey catch fire quick and im work go be spark; di two go burn together, and nobody go dey to quench dem.