The Song of the Vineyard
5 I will sing for the one I love
a song about his vineyard:(A)
My loved one had a vineyard
on a fertile hillside.
2 He dug it up and cleared it of stones
and planted it with the choicest vines.(B)
He built a watchtower(C) in it
and cut out a winepress(D) as well.
Then he looked for a crop of good grapes,
but it yielded only bad fruit.(E)
3 “Now you dwellers in Jerusalem and people of Judah,
judge between me and my vineyard.(F)
4 What more could have been done for my vineyard
than I have done for it?(G)
When I looked for good grapes,
why did it yield only bad?(H)
5 Now I will tell you
what I am going to do to my vineyard:
I will take away its hedge,
and it will be destroyed;(I)
I will break down its wall,(J)
and it will be trampled.(K)
6 I will make it a wasteland,(L)
neither pruned nor cultivated,
and briers and thorns(M) will grow there.
I will command the clouds
not to rain(N) on it.”
7 The vineyard(O) of the Lord Almighty
is the nation of Israel,
and the people of Judah
are the vines he delighted in.
And he looked for justice,(P) but saw bloodshed;
for righteousness,(Q) but heard cries of distress.(R)
Woes and Judgments
8 Woe(S) to you who add house to house
and join field to field(T)
till no space is left
and you live alone in the land.
9 The Lord Almighty(U) has declared in my hearing:(V)
“Surely the great houses will become desolate,(W)
the fine mansions left without occupants.
10 A ten-acre vineyard will produce only a bath[a] of wine;
a homer[b] of seed will yield only an ephah[c] of grain.”(X)
11 Woe(Y) to those who rise early in the morning
to run after their drinks,
who stay up late at night
till they are inflamed with wine.(Z)
12 They have harps and lyres at their banquets,
pipes(AA) and timbrels(AB) and wine,
but they have no regard(AC) for the deeds of the Lord,
no respect for the work of his hands.(AD)
13 Therefore my people will go into exile(AE)
for lack of understanding;(AF)
those of high rank(AG) will die of hunger
and the common people will be parched with thirst.(AH)
14 Therefore Death(AI) expands its jaws,
opening wide its mouth;(AJ)
into it will descend their nobles and masses
with all their brawlers and revelers.(AK)
15 So people will be brought low(AL)
and everyone humbled,(AM)
the eyes of the arrogant(AN) humbled.
16 But the Lord Almighty will be exalted(AO) by his justice,(AP)
and the holy God will be proved holy(AQ) by his righteous acts.
17 Then sheep will graze as in their own pasture;(AR)
lambs will feed[d] among the ruins of the rich.
18 Woe(AS) to those who draw sin along with cords(AT) of deceit,
and wickedness(AU) as with cart ropes,
19 to those who say, “Let God hurry;
let him hasten(AV) his work
so we may see it.
The plan of the Holy One(AW) of Israel—
let it approach, let it come into view,
so we may know it.”(AX)
20 Woe(AY) to those who call evil good(AZ)
and good evil,(BA)
who put darkness for light
and light for darkness,(BB)
who put bitter for sweet
and sweet for bitter.(BC)
21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes(BD)
and clever in their own sight.
22 Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine(BE)
and champions at mixing drinks,(BF)
23 who acquit the guilty for a bribe,(BG)
but deny justice(BH) to the innocent.(BI)
24 Therefore, as tongues of fire(BJ) lick up straw(BK)
and as dry grass sinks down in the flames,
so their roots will decay(BL)
and their flowers blow away like dust;(BM)
for they have rejected the law of the Lord Almighty
and spurned the word(BN) of the Holy One(BO) of Israel.
25 Therefore the Lord’s anger(BP) burns against his people;
his hand is raised and he strikes them down.
The mountains shake,(BQ)
and the dead bodies(BR) are like refuse(BS) in the streets.(BT)
Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,(BU)
his hand is still upraised.(BV)
26 He lifts up a banner(BW) for the distant nations,
he whistles(BX) for those at the ends of the earth.(BY)
Here they come,
swiftly and speedily!
27 Not one of them grows tired(BZ) or stumbles,
not one slumbers or sleeps;
not a belt(CA) is loosened at the waist,(CB)
not a sandal strap is broken.(CC)
28 Their arrows are sharp,(CD)
all their bows(CE) are strung;
their horses’ hooves(CF) seem like flint,
their chariot wheels like a whirlwind.(CG)
29 Their roar is like that of the lion,(CH)
they roar like young lions;
they growl as they seize(CI) their prey
and carry it off with no one to rescue.(CJ)
30 In that day(CK) they will roar over it
like the roaring of the sea.(CL)
And if one looks at the land,
there is only darkness(CM) and distress;(CN)
even the sun will be darkened(CO) by clouds.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 5:10 That is, about 6 gallons or about 22 liters
- Isaiah 5:10 That is, probably about 360 pounds or about 160 kilograms
- Isaiah 5:10 That is, probably about 36 pounds or about 16 kilograms
- Isaiah 5:17 Septuagint; Hebrew / strangers will eat
Cross references
- Isaiah 5:1 : Ps 80:8-9; Isa 27:2; Jn 15:1
- Isaiah 5:2 : S Ex 15:17; Isa 16:8
- Isaiah 5:2 : 1Sa 2:9; Isa 27:3; 31:5; 49:8; Mt 21:33
- Isaiah 5:2 : S Job 24:11
- Isaiah 5:2 : Mt 21:19; Mk 11:13; Lk 13:6
- Isaiah 5:3 : Mt 21:40
- Isaiah 5:4 : S 2Ch 36:15; Jer 2:5-7; Mic 6:3-4; Mt 23:37
- Isaiah 5:4 : Jer 2:21; 24:2; 29:17
- Isaiah 5:5 : 2Ch 36:21; Isa 6:12; 27:10
- Isaiah 5:5 : S Ps 80:12; S Isa 22:5
- Isaiah 5:5 : Isa 10:6; 26:6; 28:3, 18; 41:25; 63:3; Jer 12:10; 34:22; La 1:15; Hos 2:12; Mic 7:10; Mal 4:3; S Lk 21:24
- Isaiah 5:6 : S Ge 6:13; S Lev 26:32; Isa 6:13; 49:17, 19; 51:3; Joel 1:10
- Isaiah 5:6 : ver 10, 17; S 2Sa 23:6; Isa 7:23, 24; 32:13; 34:13; 55:13; Eze 28:24; Hos 2:12; Heb 6:8
- Isaiah 5:6 : S Dt 28:24; S 2Sa 1:21; Am 4:7
- Isaiah 5:7 : Ps 80:8; Isa 17:10; 18:5; 37:30
- Isaiah 5:7 : Isa 10:2; 29:21; 32:7; 59:15; 61:8; Eze 9:9; 22:29
- Isaiah 5:7 : S Isa 1:21
- Isaiah 5:7 : S Ps 12:5
- Isaiah 5:8 : ver 11, 18, 20; Isa 6:5; 10:1; 24:16; Jer 22:13
- Isaiah 5:8 : Job 20:19; Mic 2:2; Hab 2:9-12
- Isaiah 5:9 : Jer 44:11
- Isaiah 5:9 : Isa 22:14
- Isaiah 5:9 : Isa 6:11-12; Mt 23:38
- Isaiah 5:10 : S ver 6; Lev 26:26; S Dt 28:38; Zec 8:10
- Isaiah 5:11 : S ver 8
- Isaiah 5:11 : S 1Sa 25:36; S Pr 23:29-30
- Isaiah 5:12 : S Job 21:12
- Isaiah 5:12 : Ps 68:25; Isa 24:8
- Isaiah 5:12 : S 1Sa 12:24
- Isaiah 5:12 : Ps 28:5; Eze 26:13
- Isaiah 5:13 : Isa 49:21
- Isaiah 5:13 : S Pr 10:21; S Isa 1:3; Hos 4:6
- Isaiah 5:13 : S Job 22:8
- Isaiah 5:13 : S Isa 3:1
- Isaiah 5:14 : S Pr 30:16
- Isaiah 5:14 : S Nu 16:30
- Isaiah 5:14 : Isa 22:2, 13; 23:7; 24:8
- Isaiah 5:15 : Isa 10:33
- Isaiah 5:15 : S Isa 2:9
- Isaiah 5:15 : S Isa 2:11
- Isaiah 5:16 : Ps 97:9; Isa 33:10
- Isaiah 5:16 : Isa 28:17; 30:18; 33:5; 61:8
- Isaiah 5:16 : S Lev 10:3; Isa 29:23; Eze 36:23
- Isaiah 5:17 : Isa 7:25; 17:2; 32:14; Zep 2:6, 14
- Isaiah 5:18 : S ver 8
- Isaiah 5:18 : Hos 11:4
- Isaiah 5:18 : Isa 59:4-8; Jer 23:14
- Isaiah 5:19 : Isa 60:22
- Isaiah 5:19 : S Isa 1:4; 29:23; 30:11, 12
- Isaiah 5:19 : Jer 17:15; Eze 12:22; 2Pe 3:4
- Isaiah 5:20 : S ver 8
- Isaiah 5:20 : S Ge 18:25; S 1Ki 22:8
- Isaiah 5:20 : S Ps 94:21
- Isaiah 5:20 : S Job 24:13; Mt 6:22-23; Lk 11:34-35
- Isaiah 5:20 : Am 5:7
- Isaiah 5:21 : S Pr 3:7; Isa 47:10; Ro 12:16; 1Co 3:18-20
- Isaiah 5:22 : S 1Sa 25:36; S Pr 23:20; S Isa 22:13
- Isaiah 5:22 : S Pr 31:4; Isa 65:11; Jer 7:18
- Isaiah 5:23 : S Ex 23:8; S Eze 22:12
- Isaiah 5:23 : ver 7; S Isa 1:17; 10:2; 29:21; 59:4, 13-15
- Isaiah 5:23 : S Ps 94:21; Am 5:12; Jas 5:6
- Isaiah 5:24 : S Isa 1:31
- Isaiah 5:24 : Isa 47:14; Na 1:10
- Isaiah 5:24 : S 2Ki 19:30; S Job 18:16
- Isaiah 5:24 : S Job 24:24; Isa 40:8
- Isaiah 5:24 : Ps 107:11; Isa 8:6; 30:9, 12
- Isaiah 5:24 : Job 6:10; Isa 1:4; 10:20; 12:6
- Isaiah 5:25 : S 2Ki 22:13; S Job 40:11; Isa 10:17; 26:11; 31:9; 66:15; S Jer 6:12
- Isaiah 5:25 : S Ex 19:18
- Isaiah 5:25 : S Ps 110:6
- Isaiah 5:25 : S 2Ki 9:37
- Isaiah 5:25 : S 2Sa 22:43
- Isaiah 5:25 : Jer 4:8; Da 9:16
- Isaiah 5:25 : Isa 9:12, 17, 21; 10:4
- Isaiah 5:26 : S Ps 20:5
- Isaiah 5:26 : Isa 7:18; Zec 10:8
- Isaiah 5:26 : Dt 28:49; Isa 13:5; 18:3
- Isaiah 5:27 : Isa 14:31; 40:29-31
- Isaiah 5:27 : Isa 22:21; Eze 23:15
- Isaiah 5:27 : S Job 12:18
- Isaiah 5:27 : Joel 2:7-8
- Isaiah 5:28 : S Job 39:23; Ps 45:5
- Isaiah 5:28 : S Ps 7:12
- Isaiah 5:28 : Eze 26:11
- Isaiah 5:28 : S 2Ki 2:1; S Job 1:19
- Isaiah 5:29 : S 2Ki 17:25; Jer 51:38; Zep 3:3; Zec 11:3
- Isaiah 5:29 : Isa 10:6; 49:24-25
- Isaiah 5:29 : Isa 42:22; Mic 5:8
- Isaiah 5:30 : S Isa 2:11
- Isaiah 5:30 : S Ps 93:3; Jer 50:42; Lk 21:25
- Isaiah 5:30 : S 1Sa 2:9; S Job 21:30; Ps 18:28; 44:19; S 82:5
- Isaiah 5:30 : S Jdg 6:2; Isa 22:5; 33:2; Jer 4:23-28
- Isaiah 5:30 : Isa 13:10; 50:3; Joel 2:10