Isaiah 5:12-30

12Their banquets are accompanied by lyre and 1harp, by tambourine and flute, and by wine; But they 2do 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 3lack of knowledge; And their 45nobles are famished, And their multitude is parched with thirst.14Therefore 6Sheol has enlarged its 7throat and opened its mouth beyond measure; And 8Jerusalem’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, 9The eyes of the haughty also will be brought low.16But the 10Lord of armies will be 11exalted in judgment, And the holy God will show Himself 12holy in righteousness.1713Then the lambs will graze as in their pasture, And strangers will eat in the ruins of the 14wealthy.

18Woe to those who drag 15wrongdoing with the cords of 16deceit, And sin as if with cart ropes;1917Who 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 18call evil good, and good evil; Who 1920substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who 21substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!21Woe to those who are 22wise in their own eyes And 23clever in their own sight!2224Woe to those who are heroes in drinking wine, And valiant men in mixing intoxicating drink,2325Who declare the wicked innocent for a bribe, And 26take away the 27rights of the ones who are in the right!

24Therefore, 28as a tongue of fire consumes stubble, And dry grass collapses in the flame, So their 29root will become 30like rot, and their blossom 31blow away like dust; For they have 32rejected the Law of the Lord of armies, And discarded the word of the Holy One of Israel.25For this reason the 33anger of the Lord has burned against His people, And He has stretched out His hand against them and struck them. And the 34mountains quaked, and their 35corpses 36lay like refuse in the middle of the streets. 37Despite all this, His anger 38is not spent, But His 39hand is still stretched out.

26He will also lift up a 40flag to the distant 41nation, And 42whistle for it 43from the ends of the earth; And behold, it will 44come with speed swiftly.2745No one in it is tired or stumbles, No one slumbers or sleeps; Nor is the 46undergarment at his waist loosened, Nor his sandal strap broken.284748Its arrows are sharp and all its bows are bent; The hoofs of its horses 49seem like flint, and its chariot 50wheels like a storm wind.29Its 51roaring is like a lioness, and it roars like young lions; It growls as it 52seizes the prey And carries it off with 53no one to save it.30And it will 54roar against it on that day like the roaring of the sea. If one 55looks across to the land, behold, there is darkness and distress; Even the light is darkened by its clouds.