Isaiah 1:13 (DBY)

Passage

Bring no more vain oblations! Incense is an abomination unto me, new moon and sabbath, the calling of convocations wickedness and the solemn meeting I cannot bear.

Nearby Context

Isaiah 1:11 To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith Jehovah. I am sated with burnt-offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and in the blood of bullocks, and of lambs, and of he-goats I take no pleasure.

Isaiah 1:12 When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this from your hand to tread my courts?

Isaiah 1:13 Bring no more vain oblations! Incense is an abomination unto me, new moon and sabbath, the calling of convocations wickedness and the solemn meeting I cannot bear.

Isaiah 1:14 Your new moons and your set feasts my soul hateth: they are a burden to me; I am wearied of bearing [them].

Isaiah 1:15 And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you; yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "bring", "vain", "oblations", "incense", "abomination", "moon", "sabbath", and "calling". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "bring" and "vain", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 12's "When ye come to appear before me..." into verse 14's "Your new moons and your set feasts...", so "bring" and "vain" belong inside that flow. In Isaiah context, the local focus is the Holy One of Israel, judgment and restoration, the servant of the LORD, and Zion's hope.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "bring" and "vain" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.