Rhyming Isaiah, Chapter 1

Rhyming Isaiah, Chapter 1

Concerning Judah and Jerusalem,
the vision that the son of Amoz saw,
Isaiah, that these kings reigned, at the times,
Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and as well,
him, Hezekiah, kings of Judah, all.

Hear me you heavens, listen earth, me, hear,
for spoken has the LORD: “I, children, reared,
and brought them up but ‘gainst me they’ve rebelled.
The ox, its master knows, the donkey will,
its owner’s manger, but Is’rael does not
know, nor my people, understand, they don’t.”

Woe to the sinful nation, guilt is great,
a people whose, a brood of evil do’ers,
corruption, children, given to, who are!
The LORD, he is the one whom they’ve forsak’d,
the Holy One of Is’rael, they have spurned
and on him, all their backs, what they have turned.
Why should you e’er be beaten any more?
What of rebellion do you adore?
Your whole head, what is injured, your whole heart,
afflicted. From the sole of your own foot
up to the top of your head, soundness, there
is none — but only wounds, welts, open sores,
not cleansed or bandaged, soothed with olive oil.
Your country, desolate, is, burned with fire,
your cities; all your fields are being stripped,
by foreigners, there, right before your eyes,
laid waste as when, by strangers, over-tipped.

Left, Daughter Zion, like a shelter, is,
a vineyard, in, a hut out in a field
of cucumbers, like one, that’s under siege,
a city. The Almighty LORD, unless,
he had, behind, for us, survivors left,
like Sodom knew, what we would have real’ized,
is what we would have been, Gommorah-like.
Hear, of the LORD, the word, you rulers, high,
of Sodom! Of our God, the teaching, to,
now listen, of Gomorrah, people, you!
“What to me is it, all your multitude
of sacrifices?” says the LORD. “I have
had, of burnt offerings, enough, of rams,
and of the fattened animals, their fat.
I take no pleasure nor delight in that,
the blood of neither bulls nor goats nor lambs.
When you come to appear, here, me, before,
who has asked this of you, that of my courts,
this tramp’ling? Offerings, those meaningless,
stop bringing them! Your incense, I object,
abomination! New Moons, Sabbaths, hence,
your convocations, calling–I detest
assemblies, solemn, with their worthlessness.
Your New Moons and appointed festivals,
my soul hates; they’re a burden, terrible,
to me, they have become unbearable.
When you, in prayer, your hands would outwards spread,
from you, I hide my eyes; you, even when,
prayers, many, offer, I’m not listening.

“Your hands are full of blood! Make yourselves clean,
yourselves, wash. Take them, all your evil deeds,
out from my sight; from evil, you should cease;
learn to do right, and justice, you should seek.
The rights of the oppressed, you should defend.
Take up the cause of them, the fatherless.
As well, what you should plead, the widow’s case.

“Come now, the matter, let us settle it,”
the LORD says. “Though, like scarlet, are your sins,
they shall be white as snow; though they are red
as crimson, they shall be like wool again.

If you are willing and obedient
the good things of the land, what you will eat,
but if you are rebel’ious, you resist,
you will be by the sword devoured, complete.”
For, by his mouth, the LORD has spoken this.

The faithful city, see how she’s become
a prostitute! With justice she was once
full; righteousness, it used to dwell in her–
but, murderers, now! It’s no longer pure:
your silver, how it has become like dross,
it’s mixed with water, all your wine, most choice.
Your rulers, princes, all rebellious,
with thieves, they’ve partnered, their hearts now enmeshed;
bribes, what they love, and after gifts, they chase.
The orphan’s cause, not something they defend,
the widow’s case is never brought to them.

Therefore, the Sovereign and the LORD of hosts,
the Mighty One of Is’rael, says, words, these:

“Ah! I will pour my wrath out on my foes,
no vengeance I’ll spare ‘gainst my enemies!
Against you, I will turn my hand; your dross,
what I will purge away, impurities,
all of them from you they will be removed.
As in the days of old, I will restore
your judges, the beginning, at, I did,
your counselors, just as. Then, afterwards,
of Righteousness, the City, you will be
called, and the Faithful City, simlar’ly.”

With justice, Zion, will, delivered, be,
with righteousness, her penitent, redeemed.
But rebels, sinners both will be destroyed,
they’ll be consumed, those who forsake the LORD.

“For, of the oaks, them, you shall be ashamed,
in which you had delighted; and you’ll blush,
the gardens, for the ones you know by name.
With fading leaves, an oak, you’ll be like such,
a garden without water, you’re the same.
Like tinder, how the mighty man’s become,
a spark, his work; together, joined in flame.
Who’s left to quench the fire? There’s not a one.”