Isaiah 5

1 Now will I sing to my well-beloved a song of my beloved concerning his vineyard. My well-beloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill:

Let me sing for my well beloved a song of my beloved about his vineyard. My beloved had a vineyard on a very fruitful hill.

2 And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones of it, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a wine-press therein: and he expected that it would bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes.

He dug it up, gathered out its stones, planted it with the choicest vine, built a tower in its midst, and also cut out a winepress in it. He looked for it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes.

3 And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard.

"Now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, please judge between me and my vineyard.

4 What more could have been done to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? Why, when I expected that it would bring forth grapes, brought it forth 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 And now come; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it shall be eaten up; [and] break down the wall of it, and it shall be trodden 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 of it, and it will be trampled down.

6 And I will lay it waste: it shall not be pruned, nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it.

I will lay it a wasteland. It 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."

7 For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts [is] the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry.

For the vineyard of YHWH of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for justice, but, look, oppression; for righteousness, but, look, a cry of distress.

8 Woe to them that join house to house, [that] lay field to field, till [there is] no place, that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth!

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 midst of the land.

9 In my ears [said] the LORD of hosts, Of a truth many houses shall be desolate, [even] great and fair, without inhabitant.

In my ears, YHWH of hosts says: "Surely many houses will be desolate, even great and beautiful, unoccupied.

10 Yes, ten acres of vineyard shall yield one bath, and the seed of a homer shall yield an ephah.

For ten acres of vineyard shall yield one bath, and a homer of seed shall yield an ephah."

11 Woe to them that rise early in the morning, [that] they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, [till] wine inflameth 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 And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts: but they regard not the work of the LORD, neither consider the operation of his hands.

The harp, lyre, tambourine, and flute, with wine, are at their feasts; but they do not regard the work of YHWH, neither have they considered the operation of his hands.

13 Therefore my people have gone into captivity, because [they have] no knowledge: and their honorable men [are] famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst.

Therefore my people go into captivity for lack of knowledge. Their honorable men are famished, and their multitudes are parched with thirst.

14 Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it. (Sheol h7585)

Therefore Sheol has enlarged its desire, and opened its mouth without measure; and their glory, their multitude, their pomp, and he who rejoices among them, descend into it. (Sheol h7585)

15 And the mean man shall be brought down, and the mighty man shall be humbled, and the eyes of the lofty shall be abased.

So man is brought low, mankind is humbled, and the eyes of the arrogant ones are humbled;

16 But the LORD of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness.

but YHWH of hosts is exalted in justice, and God the Holy One is sanctified in righteousness.

17 Then shall the lambs feed after their manner, and the waste places of the fat ones shall strangers eat.

Then the lambs will graze as in their pasture, and kids will eat the ruins of the rich.

18 Woe to them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart-rope:

Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of falsehood, and wickedness as with cart rope;

19 That say, Let him make speed, [and] hasten his work, that we may see [it]: and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come, that we may know [it]!

Who say, "Let him make speed, let him hasten his work, that we may see it; and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near and come, that we may know it."

20 Woe to them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for 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 [them that are] wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!

Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight.

22 Woe to [them that are] mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink:

Woe to those who are mighty to drink wine, and champions at mixing strong drink;

23 Who justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!

who acquit the guilty for a bribe, but deny justice for the innocent.

24 Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, [so] their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and 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 law of YHWH of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.

25 Therefore is the anger of the LORD kindled against his people, and he hath stretched forth his hand against them, and hath smitten them: and the hills trembled, and their carcasses [were] torn in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand [is] stretched out still.

Therefore YHWH'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 midst of the streets. For all this, his anger is not turned away, but his hand is still stretched out.

26 And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from afar, and will hiss to them from the end of the earth: and behold, they shall come with speed swiftly:

He will lift up a banner to the nations from far, and he will whistle for them from the far regions of the earth. Look, they will come speedily and swiftly.

27 None shall be weary nor stumble among them; none shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed, nor the latchet of their shoes be broken:

None shall be weary nor stumble among them; none shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the belt of their waist be untied, nor the latchet of their shoes be broken:

28 Whose arrows [are] sharp, and all their bows bent, their horses' hoofs shall be counted like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind:

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 [shall be] like a lion, they shall roar like young lions: yes, they shall roar, and lay hold of the prey, and shall carry [it] away safe, and none shall deliver [it].

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 And in that day they shall roar against them like the roaring of the sea: and if [one] looketh to the land, behold darkness [and] sorrow, and the light is darkened in its heavens.

They will roar against them in that day like the roaring of the sea. If one looks to the land look, darkness and distress. The light is darkened in its clouds.