Isaiah 5
1 Let me sing for my well beloved, a song of my beloved about his vineyard. My well beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill.
Let me sing for my yadid ·beloved· a song of my dod ·beloved lover· about his vineyard. My yadid ·beloved· had a vineyard on a very fruitful hill.
2 He spaded it, removed the stones, and planted it with an excellent kind of vine. He built a tower in the middle of it, and also built a winepress. He waited for it to produce grapes, but it only produced wild grapes.
He dug it up, gathered 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. He looked for it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes.
3 So now, inhabitant of Jerusalem and man of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard.
“Now, inhabitants of Jerusalem [City of peace] and men of Judah [Praised], please judge between me and my vineyard.
4 What more could have been done for my vineyard, that I have not done for it? When I looked for it to produce grapes, why did it produce wild grapes?
What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? Why, when I looked for it to yield grapes, did it yield wild grapes?
5 Now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will remove the hedge, I will turn it into a pasture, I will break down its wall, and it will be trampled down.
Now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will take away its hedge, and it will be eaten up. I will break down its wall, and it will be trampled down.
6 I will lay it waste, and it will not be pruned nor hoed. Instead, briers and thorns will spring up. I will also command the clouds not to rain on it.
I will lay it a wasteland. It won’t be pruned nor hoed, but it will grow briers and thorns. I will also enjoin the clouds that they rain no rain on it.”
7 For the vineyard of Yahweh of hosts is the house of Israel, and the man of Judah his pleasant planting; he waited for justice, but instead, there was killing; for righteousness, but, instead, a shout for help.
For the vineyard of Adonai Tzva'ot [Yahweh Commander of heaven’s armies] is the house of Israel [God prevails], and the men of Judah [Praised] his pleasant plant: and he looked for mishpat ·justice·, but, behold, oppression; for righteousness, but, behold, a cry of distress.
8 Woe to those who join house to house, who join field to field, until no room remains, and you alone remain in the land!
Woe to those who join house to house, who lay field to field, until there is no room, and you are made to dwell alone in the middle of the land!
9 Yahweh of hosts told me, many houses will be empty, even great and impressive ones, without any inhabitant.
In my ears, Adonai Tzva'ot [Yahweh Commander of heaven’s armies] says: “Surely many houses will be desolate, even great and beautiful, unoccupied.
10 For a ten-yoke vineyard will yield only one bath, and one homer of seed will yield only an ephah.
For ten acres of vineyard shall yield one bath [6 hins; 5.9 gal; 22 L], and a homer [6.33 bushels; 59 gal; 220 L] of seed shall yield an ephah [0.63 bushels; 5.9 gal; 22 L].”
11 Woe to those who rise up early in the morning to obtain strong drink, those who linger late into the night until wine inflames them.
Woe to those who rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; who stay late into the night, until wine inflames them!
12 They banquet with harp, lute, tambourine, flute, and wine, but they do not recognize the work of Yahweh, nor have they considered the doings of his hands.
The harp, lyre, tambourine, and flute, with wine, are at their feasts; but they don’t respect the work of Adonai, neither have they considered the operation of his hands.
13 Therefore my people have gone into captivity for lack of understanding; their honored leaders go hungry, and their common people have nothing to drink.
Therefore my people go into captivity for lack of knowledge. Their honorable men are famished, and their multitudes are parched with thirst.
14 Therefore Sheol has made its appetite greater and has opened its mouth very wide; their elite, the people, their leaders, and the revelers and those who are happy among them, descend into Sheol. (Sheol h7585)
Therefore Sheol ·Place of the dead· has enlarged its desire, and opened its mouth without chok ·portion·; and their glory, their multitude, their pomp, and he who rejoices among them, descend into it. (Sheol h7585)
15 Man will be forced to bend down, and mankind will be humbled; the eyes of the lofty will be cast down.
So man is brought low, mankind is humbled, and the eyes of the arrogant ones are humbled;
16 Yahweh of hosts will be exalted in his justice, and God the Holy One will show himself holy by his righteousness.
but Adonai Tzva'ot [Yahweh Commander of heaven’s armies] is exalted in mishpat ·justice·, and God the Holy One is sanctified in righteousness.
17 Then the sheep will feed as in their own pasture, and in the ruins, lambs will graze as foreigners.
Then the lambs will graze as in their pasture, and strangers will eat the ruins of the rich.
18 Woe to those who pull along iniquity with useless cords and who pull along sin as if it were with a cart rope.
Woe to those who draw depravity (moral evil) with cords of falsehood, and wickedness as with cart rope;
19 Woe to those who say, “Let God hurry, let him act quickly, so we can see it happen; and let the plans of the Holy One of Israel come, so that we may know them.”
Who say, “Let him make speed, let him hasten his work, that we may see it; and let the counsel of haKadosh Isra'el [the Holy One of God prevails] draw near and come, that we may know it!”
20 Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who represent darkness as light, and light as darkness; who represent bitter as sweet, and sweet as bitter!
Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own understanding!
Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!
22 Woe to those who are champions at drinking wine, and masters at mixing strong drinks;
Woe to those who are mighty to drink wine, and champions at mixing strong drink;
23 who acquit the wicked for payment, and deprive the innocent of his rights!
who acquit the guilty for a bribe, but deny justice for the innocent!
24 Therefore as the tongue of fire devours stubble, and as the dry grass goes down in flame, so their root will rot, and their blossom will blow away like dust. This will happen because they have rejected the law of Yahweh of hosts, and because they have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
Therefore as the tongue of fire devours the stubble, and as the dry grass sinks down in the flame, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust; because they have rejected the Torah ·Teaching· of Adonai Tzva'ot [Yahweh Commander of heaven’s armies], and despised the word of haKadosh Isra'el [the Holy One of God prevails].
25 Therefore the anger of Yahweh is kindled against his people. He has reached out with his hand against them and has punished them. The mountains tremble, and their corpses are like garbage in the streets. In all these things, his anger does not subside; instead, his hand is still stretched out.
Therefore Adonai’s anger burns against his people, and he has stretched out his hand against them, and has struck them. The mountains tremble, and their dead bodies are as refuse in the middle of the streets. For all this, his anger is not turned away, but his hand is still stretched out.
26 He will lift up a signal flag for far away nations and will whistle for those at the end of the earth. Look, they will come speedily and promptly.
He will lift up a banner to the nations from far, and he will whistle for them from the end of the earth. Behold, they will come speedily and swiftly.
27 None tire or stumble among them; none slumbers or sleeps. Nor are their belts loose, or the thongs of their sandals broken.
No one shall be weary nor stumble among them; no one shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the belt of their waist be untied, nor the strap of their sandals be broken:
28 Their arrows are sharp and all their bows are bent; their horses' hooves are like flint, and their chariot wheels like storms.
whose arrows are sharp, and all their bows bent. Their horses’ hoofs will be like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind.
29 Their roaring will be like a lion; they will roar like young lions. They will growl and seize the prey and drag it away, with none to rescue.
Their roaring will be like a lioness. They will roar like young lions. Yes, they shall roar, and seize their prey and carry it off, and there will be no one to deliver.
30 On that day they will roar against the prey as the sea roars. If anyone looks over the land, he will see darkness and suffering; even the light will be made dark by the clouds.
They will roar against them in that day like the roaring of the sea. If one looks to the land behold, darkness and distress. The light is darkened in its clouds.
