King James Version

Isaiah 1:21

How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers.

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Hebrew

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אֵיכָה֙eykhahhowאֵיךְparticle, interrogative — “how”H349how? or how!; also wherehow, what.הָיְתָ֣הhayetahbeהָיָהverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “be”, a completed actionH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.לְזוֹנָ֔הlezonahto commit fornicationזָנָהpreposition, verb, qal, participle, absolute — “to commit fornication”, a verb used as a describing wordH2181to commit adultery (usually of the female, and less often of simple fornication, rarely of involuntary ravishment); figuratively, to commit idolatry (the Jewish people being regarded as the spouse of Jehovah)(cause to) commit fornication, [idiom] continually, [idiom] great, (be an, play the) harlot, (cause to be, play the) whore, (commit, fall to) whoredom, (cause to) go a-whoring, whorish.קִרְיָ֖הqiryahcityקִרְיָהnoun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “city”, the ordinary formH7151building; a citycity.נֶאֱמָנָ֑הneemanahbelieveאָמַןverb, niphal, participle, absolute — “believe”, a verb used as a describing wordH539properly, to build up or support; to foster as a parent or nurse; figuratively to render (or be) firm or faithful, to trust or believe, to be permanent or quiet; morally to be true or certain;hence, assurance, believe, bring up, establish, [phrase] fail, be faithful (of long continuance, stedfast, sure, surely, trusty, verified), nurse, (-ing father), (put), trust, turn to the right.מְלֵאֲתִ֣יmeleatifruitמְלֵאָהadjective, adjective, feminine, singular, construct — “fruit”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH4395something fulfilled, i.e. abundance (of produce)(first of ripe) fruit, fulness.מִשְׁפָּ֗טmishpatlawמִשְׁפָּטnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “law”, the ordinary formH4941properly, a verdict (favorable or unfavorable) pronounced judicially, especially a sentence or formal decree (human or (participant's) divine law, individual or collective), including the act, the place, the suit, the crime, and the penalty; abstractly, justice, including a participant's right or privilege (statutory or customary), or even a style[phrase] adversary, ceremony, charge, [idiom] crime, custom, desert, determination, discretion, disposing, due, fashion, form, to be judged, judgment, just(-ice, -ly), (manner of) law(-ful), manner, measure, (due) order, ordinance, right,…צֶ֛דֶקtsedeqrightצֶדֶקnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “right”, the ordinary formH6664the right (natural, moral or legal); also (abstractly) equity or (figuratively) prosperity[idiom] even, ([idiom] that which is altogether) just(-ice), (un-)right(-eous) (cause, -ly, -ness).יָלִ֥יןyalinbe leftלוּןverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “be left”, an unfinished actionH3885to stop (usually over night); by implication, to stay permanently; hence (in a bad sense) to be obstinate (especially in words, to complain)abide (all night), continue, dwell, endure, grudge, be left, lie all night, (cause to) lodge (all night, in, -ing, this night), (make to) murmur, remain, tarry (all night, that night).בָּ֖הּbahinבָּ֖הּpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “in”inוְעַתָּ֥הveatahand this timeעַתָּהconjunction, adverb — “and this time”H6258at this time, whether adverb, conjunction or expletivehenceforth, now, straightway, this time, whereas.מְרַצְּחִֽיםmeratschimmurderרָצַחverb, piel, participle, absolute — “murder”, a verb used as a describing wordH7523properly, to dash in pieces, i.e. kill (a human being), especially to murderput to death, kill, (man-) slay(-er), murder(-er).

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

How is the faithful city become a harlot! She that was full of justice, righteousness lodged in her, but now murderers.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

How is the faithful city become a harlot! she that was full of justice! righteousness lodged in her, but now murderers.

Young’s Literal Translation

How hath a faithful city become a harlot? I have filled it [with] judgment, Righteousness lodgeth in it — now murderers.

World English Bible

How the faithful city has become a prostitute! She was full of justice. Righteousness lodged in her, but now there are murderers.

Darby Translation

How is the faithful city become a harlot! It was full of judgment; righteousness used to lodge in it, but now murderers.

Douay-Rheims

How is the faithful city, that was full of judgment, become a harlot? justice dwelt in it, but now murderers.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

How is the faithful city become a harlot! She that was full of justice, righteousness lodged in her, but now murderers.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

How has the faithful city Sion, once full of judgment, become a harlot! wherein righteousness lodged, but now murderers.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Πῶς ἐγένετο πόρνη πόλις πιστὴ Σιὼν πλήρης κρίσεως; ἐν ᾗ δικαιοσύνη ἐκοιμήθη ἐν αὐτῇ, νῦν δὲ φονευταί.