Isaiæ 5
1 Cantabo dilecto meo canticum patruelis mei vineae suae. Vinea facta est dilecto meo in cornu filio olei.
Let me make a song about my loved one, a song of love for his vine-garden. My loved one had a vine-garden on a fertile hill:
2 Et sepivit eam, et lapides elegit ex illa, et plantavit eam electam, et aedificavit turrim in medio eius, et torcular extruxit in ea: et expectavit ut faceret uvas, et fecit labruscas.
And after working the earth of it with a spade, he took away its stones, and put in it a very special vine; and he put up a watchtower in the middle of it, hollowing out in the rock a place for the grape-crushing; and he was hoping that it would give the best grapes, but it gave common grapes.
3 Nunc ergo habitatores Ierusalem, et viri Iuda, iudicate inter me et vineam meam.
And now, you people of Jerusalem and you men of Judah, be the judges between me and my vine-garden.
4 Quid est quod debui ultra facere vineae meae, et non feci ei? an quod expectavi ut faceret uvas, et fecit labruscas?
Is there anything which might have been done for my vine-garden which I have not done? why then, when I was hoping for the best grapes did it give me common grapes?
5 Et nunc ostendam vobis quid ego faciam vineae meae, auferam sepem eius, et erit in direptionem: diruam maceriam eius, et erit in conculcationem.
And now, this is what I will do to my vine-garden: I will take away the circle of thorns round it, and it will be burned up; its wall will be broken down and the beasts of the field will go through it;
6 Et ponam eam desertam: non putabitur, et non fodietur: et ascendent vepres et spinae: et nubibus mandabo ne pluant super eam imbrem.
And I will make it waste; its branches will not be touched with the knife, or the earth worked with the spade; but blackberries and thorns will come up in it: and I will give orders to the clouds not to send rain on it.
7 Vinea enim Domini exercituum domus Israel est: et vir Iuda germen eius delectabile: et expectavi ut faceret iudicium, et ecce iniquitas: et iustitiam, et ecce clamor.
For the vine-garden of the Lord of armies is the people of Israel, and the men of Judah are the plant of his delight: and he was looking for upright judging, and there was blood; for righteousness, and there was a cry for help.
8 Vae qui coniungitis domum ad domum, et agrum agro copulatis usque ad terminum loci: numquid habitabitis vos soli in medio terrae?
Cursed are those who are joining house to house, and putting field to field, till there is no more living-space for any but themselves in all the land!
9 In auribus meis sunt haec, dicit Dominus exercituum. Nisi domus multae desertae fuerint grandes, et pulchrae absque habitatore.
The Lord of armies has said to me secretly, Truly, numbers of great and fair houses will be waste, with no one living in them.
10 Decem enim iugera vinearum facient lagunculam unam, et triginta modii sementis facient modios tres.
For ten fields of vines will only give one measure of wine, and a great amount of seed will only give a small measure of grain.
11 Vae qui consurgitis mane ad ebrietatem sectandam, et potandum usque ad vesperam, ut vino aestuetis.
Cursed are those who get up early in the morning to give themselves up to strong drink; who keep on drinking far into the night till they are heated with wine!
12 Cithara, et lyra, et tympanum, et tibia, et vinum in conviviis vestris: et opus Domini non respicitis, nec opera manuum eius consideratis.
And corded instruments and wind-instruments and wine are in their feasts: but they give no thought to the work of the Lord, and they are not interested in what his hands are doing.
13 Propterea captivus ductus est populus meus, quia non habuit scientiam, et nobiles eius interierunt fame, et multitudo eius siti exaruit.
For this cause my people are taken away as prisoners into strange countries for need of knowledge: and their rulers are wasted for need of food, and their loud-voiced feasters are dry for need of water.
14 Propterea dilatavit infernus animam suam, et aperuit os suum absque ullo termino: et descendent fortes eius, et populus eius, et sublimes, gloriosique eius ad eum. (Sheol h7585)
For this cause the underworld has made wide its throat, opening its mouth without limit: and her glory, and the noise of her masses, and her loud-voiced feasters, will go down into it. (Sheol h7585)
15 Et incurvabitur homo, et humiliabitur vir, et oculi sublimium deprimentur.
And the poor man's head is bent, and the great man goes down on his face, and the eyes of pride are put to shame:
16 Et exaltabitur Dominus exercituum in iudicio, et Deus sanctus sanctificabitur in iustitia.
But the Lord of armies is lifted up as judge, and the Holy God is seen to be holy in righteousness.
17 Et pascentur agni iuxta ordinem suum, et deserta in ubertatem versa advenae comedent.
Then the lambs will get food as in their grass-lands, and the fat cattle will be feasting in the waste places.
18 Vae qui trahitis iniquitatem in funiculis vanitatis, et quasi vinculum plaustri peccatum.
Cursed are those who make use of ox-cords for pulling the evil thing, and the bands of a young ox for their sin!
19 Qui dicitis: Festinet, et cito veniat opus eius, ut videamus: et appropiet, et veniat consilium sancti Israel, et sciemus illud.
Who say, Let him do his work quickly, let him make it sudden, so that we may see it: let the design of the Holy One of Israel come near, so that it may be clear to us.
20 Vae qui dicitis malum bonum, et bonum malum: ponentes tenebras lucem, et lucem tenebras: ponentes amarum in dulce, et dulce in amarum.
Cursed are those who give the name of good to evil, and of evil to what is good: who make light dark, and dark light: who make bitter sweet, and sweet bitter!
21 Vae qui sapientes estis in oculis vestris, et coram vobismetipsis prudentes.
Cursed are those who seem wise to themselves, and who take pride in their knowledge!
22 Vae qui potentes estis ad bibendum vinum, et viri fortes ad miscendam ebrietatem.
Cursed are those who are strong to take wine, and great in making mixed drinks!
23 Qui iustificatis impium pro muneribus, et iustitiam iusti aufertis ab eo.
Who for a reward give support to the cause of the sinner, and who take away the righteousness of the upright from him.
24 Propter hoc, sicut devorat stipulam lingua ignis, et calor flammae exurit; sic radix eorum quasi favilla erit, et germen eorum ut pulvis ascendet. Abiecerunt enim legem Domini exercituum, et eloquium sancti Israel blasphemaverunt.
For this cause, as the waste of the grain is burned up by tongues of fire, and as the dry grass goes down before the flame, so their root will be like the dry stems of grain, and their flower will go up in dust: because they have gone against the law of the Lord of armies, and have given no honour to the word of the Holy One of Israel.
25 Ideo iratus est furor Domini in populum suum, et extendit manum suam super eum, et percussit eum: et conturbati sunt montes, et facta sunt morticina eorum quasi stercus in medio platearum. In his omnibus non est adversus furor eius, sed adhuc manus eius extenta.
For this reason the wrath of the Lord has been burning against his people, and his hand has been stretched out against them in punishment, and the hills were shaking, and their dead bodies were like waste in the open places of the town.
26 Et elevabit signum in nationibus procul, et sibilabit ad eum de finibus terrae: et ecce festinus velociter veniet.
And he will let a flag be lifted up as a sign to a far-off nation, whistling to them from the ends of the earth: and they will come quickly and suddenly.
27 Non est deficiens, neque laborans in eo: non dormitabit, neque dormiet, neque solvetur cingulum renum eius, nec rumpetur corigia calceamenti eius.
There is no weariness among them, and no man is feeble-footed: they come without resting or sleeping, and the cord of their shoes is not broken.
28 Sagittae eius acutae, et omnes arcus eius extenti. Ungulae equorum eius ut silex, et rotae eius quasi impetus tempestatis.
Their arrows are sharp, and every bow is bent: the feet of their horses are like rock, and their wheels are like a rushing storm.
29 Rugitus eius ut leonis, rugiet ut catuli leonum: et frendet et tenebit praedam: et amplexabitur, et non erit qui eruat.
The sound of their armies will be like the voice of a lion, and their war-cry like the noise of young lions: with loud cries they will come down on their food and will take it away safely, and there will be no one to take it out of their hands.
30 Et sonabit super eum in die illa sicut sonitus maris: aspiciemus in terram, et ecce tenebrae tribulationis, et lux obtenebrata est in caligine eius.
And his voice will be loud over him in that day like the sounding of the sea: and if a man's eyes are turned to the earth, it is all dark and full of trouble; and the light is made dark by thick clouds.
