Isaiah 5

1Let me sing for my well beloved a song of my beloved about his vineyard. My beloved had a vineyard on a very fruitful hill. 2gathered out its stones, planted it with the choicest vine, built a tower in the middle of it, and also cut out a wine press therein. but it yielded wild grapes. He dug it up, He looked for it to yield grapes, 3please judge between me and my vineyard. “Now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, 4Why, when I looked for it to yield grapes, did it yield wild grapes? What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? 5I will take away its hedge, and it will be eaten up. I will break down its wall of it, and it will be trampled down. Now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. 6It won’t be pruned nor hoed, but it will grow briers and thorns. I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain on it.” I will lay it a wasteland. 7and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for justice, but, behold, oppression; for righteousness, but, behold, a cry of distress. For the vineyard of Yahweh of Armies is the house of Israel, 8who lay field to field, until there is no room, and you are made to dwell alone in the middle of the land! Woe to those who join house to house, 9even great and beautiful, unoccupied. In my ears, Yahweh of Armies says: “Surely many houses will be desolate, 10* of seed shall yield an ephah.” * For ten acres * of vineyard shall yield one bath, * 11who stay late into the night, until wine inflames them! Woe to those who rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; 12but they don’t respect the work of Yahweh, neither have they considered the operation of his hands. The harp, lyre, tambourine, and flute, with wine, are at their feasts; 13Their honorable men are famished, and their multitudes are parched with thirst. Therefore my people go into captivity for lack of knowledge. 14and opened its mouth without measure; and their glory, their multitude, their pomp, and he who rejoices among them, descend into it. Therefore Sheol * has enlarged its desire, 15mankind is humbled, and the eyes of the arrogant ones are humbled; So man is brought low, 16and God the Holy One is sanctified in righteousness. but Yahweh of Armies is exalted in justice, 17and strangers will eat the ruins of the rich. Then the lambs will graze as in their pasture, 18and wickedness as with cart rope; Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of falsehood, 19and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near and come, that we may know it!” Who say, “Let him make speed, let him hasten his work, that we may see it; 20who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put bitter for sweet, 21and prudent in their own sight! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, 22and champions at mixing strong drink; Woe to those who are mighty to drink wine, 23but deny justice for the innocent! who acquit the guilty for a bribe, 24and as the dry grass sinks down in the flame, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust; and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. Therefore as the tongue of fire devours the stubble, because they have rejected the law of Yahweh of Armies, 25and he has stretched out his hand against them, and has struck them. and their dead bodies are as refuse in the middle of the streets. but his hand is still stretched out. Therefore Yahweh’s anger burns against his people, The mountains tremble, For all this, his anger is not turned away, 26and he will whistle for them from the end of the earth. Behold, they will come speedily and swiftly. He will lift up a banner to the nations from far, 27no one shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the belt of their waist be untied, nor the strap of their sandals be broken: No one shall be weary nor stumble among them; 28and all their bows bent. and their wheels like a whirlwind. whose arrows are sharp, Their horses’ hoofs will be like flint, 29They will roar like young lions. and seize their prey and carry it off, and there will be no one to deliver. Their roaring will be like a lioness. Yes, they shall roar, 30If one looks to the land behold, darkness and distress. The light is darkened in its clouds. They will roar against them in that day like the roaring of the sea.