Isaiah 1:18 (LSB)

Passage

“Come now, and let us reason together,” Says Yahweh, “Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool.

Nearby Context

Isaiah 1:16 “Wash yourselves, purify yourselves; Remove the evil of your deeds from before My eyes. Cease to do evil,

Isaiah 1:17 Learn to do good; Seek justice, Reprove the ruthless, Execute justice for the orphan, Plead for the widow.

Isaiah 1:18 “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says Yahweh, “Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool.

Isaiah 1:19 If you are willing and obey, You will eat the best of the land;

Isaiah 1:20 But if you refuse and rebel, You will be eaten by the sword.” For the mouth of Yahweh has spoken.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "come", "reason", "together", "says", "yahweh", "though", "sins", and "scarlet". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "come" and "reason", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 17's "Learn to do good Seek justice Reprove..." into verse 19's "If you are willing and obey You...", so "come" and "reason" 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 "come" and "reason" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.