Isaiah 5

Parable of the Vineyard

1Let me sing now for my beloved A song of my beloved about His vineyard. My beloved had a 1vineyard on 2a fertile hill.2He dug it all around, cleared it of stones, And planted it with 3the 4choicest vine. And He built a tower in the middle of it, And also carved out a 5wine vat in it; Then He 6expected it to produce good grapes, But it produced only 7worthless ones.

3“And now, you inhabitants of Jerusalem and people of Judah, 8Judge between Me and My vineyard.49What more was there to do for My vineyard 10that I have not done in it? Why, when I expected it to produce good grapes did it produce 11worthless ones?5So now let Me tell you what I am going to do to My vineyard: I will 12remove its hedge and it will be consumed; I will 13break down its wall and it will become 14trampled ground.6I will 15lay it waste; It will not be pruned nor hoed, But briars and thorns will come up. I will also command the clouds not to 16rain on it.”

7For the 17vineyard of the Lord of armies is the house of Israel, And the people of Judah are His delightful plant. So He waited for justice, but behold, there was 18bloodshed; For righteousness, but behold, a cry for help.

Woes for the Wicked

8Woe to those who 19attach house to house and join field to field, Until there is no more room, And you alone are a landowner in the midst of the land!9In my ears the Lord of armies has sworn, “20Many houses shall certainly become 21desolate, Even great and fine ones, without occupants.10For 22ten acres of vineyard will yield only one 23bath of wine, And a 2425homer of seed will yield only an 26ephah of grain.”11Woe to those who rise early in the morning so that they may pursue 27intoxicating drink, Who stay up late in the evening so that wine may inflame them!12Their banquets are accompanied by lyre and 28harp, by tambourine and flute, and by wine; But they 29do not pay attention to the deeds of the Lord, Nor do they consider the work of His hands.

13Therefore My people go into exile for their 30lack of knowledge; And their 3132nobles are famished, And their multitude is parched with thirst.14Therefore 33Sheol has enlarged its 34throat and opened its mouth beyond measure; And 35Jerusalem’s splendor, her multitude, her noise of revelry, and the jubilant within her, descend into it.15So the common people will be humbled and the person of importance brought low, 36The eyes of the haughty also will be brought low.16But the 37Lord of armies will be 38exalted in judgment, And the holy God will show Himself 39holy in righteousness.1740Then the lambs will graze as in their pasture, And strangers will eat in the ruins of the 41wealthy.

18Woe to those who drag 42wrongdoing with the cords of 43deceit, And sin as if with cart ropes;1944Who say, “Let Him hurry, let Him do His work quickly, so that we may see it; And let the plan of the Holy One of Israel approach And come to pass, so that we may know it!”20Woe to those who 45call evil good, and good evil; Who 4647substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who 48substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!21Woe to those who are 49wise in their own eyes And 50clever in their own sight!2251Woe to those who are heroes in drinking wine, And valiant men in mixing intoxicating drink,2352Who declare the wicked innocent for a bribe, And 53take away the 54rights of the ones who are in the right!

24Therefore, 55as a tongue of fire consumes stubble, And dry grass collapses in the flame, So their 56root will become 57like rot, and their blossom 58blow away like dust; For they have 59rejected the Law of the Lord of armies, And discarded the word of the Holy One of Israel.25For this reason the 60anger of the Lord has burned against His people, And He has stretched out His hand against them and struck them. And the 61mountains quaked, and their 62corpses 63lay like refuse in the middle of the streets. 64Despite all this, His anger 65is not spent, But His 66hand is still stretched out.

26He will also lift up a 67flag to the distant 68nation, And 69whistle for it 70from the ends of the earth; And behold, it will 71come with speed swiftly.2772No one in it is tired or stumbles, No one slumbers or sleeps; Nor is the 73undergarment at his waist loosened, Nor his sandal strap broken.287475Its arrows are sharp and all its bows are bent; The hoofs of its horses 76seem like flint, and its chariot 77wheels like a storm wind.29Its 78roaring is like a lioness, and it roars like young lions; It growls as it 79seizes the prey And carries it off with 80no one to save it.30And it will 81roar against it on that day like the roaring of the sea. If one 82looks across to the land, behold, there is darkness and distress; Even the light is darkened by its clouds.