1Let me sing for my beloved my love song concerning his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill. (Ps 80:8; Ho 9:10; Mt 21:33; Mr 12:1; Lu 20:9)2He dug it and cleared it of stones, and planted it with choice vines; he built a watchtower in the midst of it, and hewed out a wine vat in it; and he looked for it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes. (Jer 2:21; Mt 21:19; Mr 11:13; Lu 13:6)3And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard.4What more was there to do for my vineyard, that I have not done in it? When I looked for it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes? (Isa 5:2; Mic 6:3)5And now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will remove its hedge, and it shall be devoured;[1] I will break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down. (Ps 80:12; Pr 24:31; Jer 5:10)6I will make it a waste; it shall not be pruned or hoed, and briers and thorns shall grow up; I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. (1Ki 17:1; Isa 7:23; Jer 14:1; Jer 14:22)7For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are his pleasant planting; and he looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed;[2] for righteousness, but behold, an outcry![3] (Ps 80:8; Isa 3:14)
Woe to the Wicked
8Woe to those who join house to house, who add field to field, until there is no more room, and you are made to dwell alone in the midst of the land. (Mic 2:2)9The Lord of hosts has sworn in my hearing: “Surely many houses shall be desolate, large and beautiful houses, without inhabitant. (Isa 6:12)10For ten acres[4] of vineyard shall yield but one bath, and a homer of seed shall yield but an ephah.”[5] (Le 26:26; Eze 45:11; Hag 1:6; Hag 2:16)11Woe to those who rise early in the morning, that they may run after strong drink, who tarry late into the evening as wine inflames them! (Pr 23:29; Ec 10:16; Isa 5:22)12They have lyre and harp, tambourine and flute and wine at their feasts, but they do not regard the deeds of the Lord, or see the work of his hands. (Isa 26:11; Am 6:5)13Therefore my people go into exile for lack of knowledge;[6] their honored men go hungry,[7] and their multitude is parched with thirst. (Isa 1:3; La 4:2; La 4:7; Ho 4:6)14Therefore Sheol has enlarged its appetite and opened its mouth beyond measure, and the nobility of Jerusalem[8] and her multitude will go down, her revelers and he who exults in her. (Job 1:18; Ps 141:7; Isa 5:12; Hab 2:5)15Man is humbled, and each one is brought low, and the eyes of the haughty[9] are brought low. (Isa 2:9)16But the Lord of hosts is exalted[10] in justice, and the Holy God shows himself holy in righteousness. (Isa 2:11; Isa 2:17)17Then shall the lambs graze as in their pasture, and nomads shall eat among the ruins of the rich. (Jud 6:3; Mic 2:12)18Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of falsehood, who draw sin as with cart ropes, (Pr 5:22)19who say: “Let him be quick, let him speed his work that we may see it; let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near, and let it come, that we may know it!” (Eze 12:22; 2Pe 3:4)20Woe 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! (Job 17:12; Am 5:7; Mt 6:22; Lu 11:34)21Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight! (Pr 3:7; Ro 12:16)22Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine, and valiant men in mixing strong drink, (Isa 5:11)23who acquit the guilty for a bribe, and deprive the innocent of his right! (Ex 23:8; Pr 17:15)24Therefore, as the tongue of fire devours the stubble, and as dry grass sinks down in the flame, so their root will be as rottenness, and their blossom go up like dust; for they have rejected the law of the Lord of hosts, and have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. (Ex 15:7; Job 18:16; Isa 1:4; Isa 30:9; Isa 47:14; Ho 5:12; Joe 2:5)25Therefore the anger of the Lord was kindled against his people, and he stretched out his hand against them and struck them, and the mountains quaked; and their corpses were as refuse in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still. (2Ki 9:37; 2Ki 22:13; 2Ki 22:17; Ps 97:5; Isa 9:12; Isa 9:17; Isa 9:21; Isa 10:4; Jer 4:24; Jer 36:30; Hab 3:6)26He will raise a signal for nations far away, and whistle for them from the ends of the earth; and behold, quickly, speedily they come! (De 28:49; Isa 7:18; Isa 10:3; Isa 11:12; Isa 13:2; Isa 18:3; Zec 10:8)27None is weary, none stumbles, none slumbers or sleeps, not a waistband is loose, not a sandal strap broken; (Isa 10:28)28their arrows are sharp, all their bows bent, their horses’ hoofs seem like flint, and their wheels like the whirlwind. (Ps 7:12; Isa 21:1)29Their roaring is like a lion, like young lions they roar; they growl and seize their prey; they carry it off, and none can rescue. (2Ki 18:13)30They will growl over it on that day, like the growling of the sea. And if one looks to the land, behold, darkness and distress; and the light is darkened by its clouds. (Isa 8:22)
Isaiah 5
New International Version
The song of the vineyard
1I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard: my loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside.2He dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines. He built a watchtower in it and cut out a winepress as well. Then he looked for a crop of good grapes, but it yielded only bad fruit.3‘Now you dwellers in Jerusalem and people of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard.4What more could have been done for my vineyard than I have done for it? When I looked for good grapes, why did it yield only bad?5Now 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 will break down its wall, and it will be trampled.6I will make it a wasteland, neither pruned nor cultivated, and briers and thorns will grow there. I will command the clouds not to rain on it.’7The vineyard 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, but saw bloodshed; for righteousness, but heard cries of distress.
Woes and judgments
8Woe to you who add house to house and join field to field till no space is left and you live alone in the land.9The Lord Almighty has declared in my hearing: ‘Surely the great houses will become desolate, the fine mansions left without occupants.10A ten-acre vineyard will produce only a bath[1] of wine; a homer[2] of seed will yield only an ephah[3] of grain.’11Woe 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.12They have harps and lyres at their banquets, pipes and tambourines and wine, but they have no regard for the deeds of the Lord, no respect for the work of his hands.13Therefore my people will go into exile for lack of understanding; those of high rank will die of hunger and the common people will be parched with thirst.14Therefore Death expands its jaws, opening wide its mouth; into it will descend their nobles and masses with all their brawlers and revellers.15So people will be brought low and everyone humbled, the eyes of the arrogant humbled.16But the Lord Almighty will be exalted by his justice, and the holy God will be proved holy by his righteous acts.17Then sheep will graze as in their own pasture; lambs will feed[4] among the ruins of the rich.18Woe to those who draw sin along with cords of deceit, and wickedness as with cart ropes,19to those who say, ‘Let God hurry; let him hasten his work so that we may see it. The plan of the Holy One of Israel – let it approach, let it come into view, so that we may know it.’20Woe 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.21Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight.22Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine and champions at mixing drinks,23who acquit the guilty for a bribe, but deny justice to the innocent.24Therefore, as tongues of fire lick up straw and as dry grass sinks down in the flames, so their roots will decay and their flowers blow away like dust; for they have rejected the law of the Lord Almighty and spurned the word of the Holy One of Israel.25Therefore the Lord’s anger burns against his people; his hand is raised and he strikes them down. The mountains shake, and the dead bodies are like refuse in the streets. Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised.26He lifts up a banner for the distant nations, he whistles for those at the ends of the earth. Here they come, swiftly and speedily!27Not one of them grows tired or stumbles, not one slumbers or sleeps; not a belt is loosened at the waist, not a sandal strap is broken.28Their arrows are sharp, all their bows are strung; their horses’ hooves seem like flint, their chariot wheels like a whirlwind.29Their roar is like that of the lion, they roar like young lions; they growl as they seize their prey and carry it off with no-one to rescue.30In that day they will roar over it like the roaring of the sea. And if one looks at the land, there is only darkness and distress; even the sun will be darkened by clouds.
Isaiah 5
King James Version
1Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill:2And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes.3And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard.4What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes?5And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down:6And 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.7For 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.8Woe unto them that join house to house, that lay field to field, till there be no place, that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth!9In mine ears said the LORD of hosts, Of a truth many houses shall be desolate, even great and fair, without inhabitant.10Yea, ten acres of vineyard shall yield one bath, and the seed of an homer shall yield an ephah.11Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them!12And 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.13Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge: and their honourable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst.14Therefore 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.15And the mean man shall be brought down, and the mighty man shall be humbled, and the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled:16But the LORD of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness.17Then shall the lambs feed after their manner, and the waste places of the fat ones shall strangers eat.18Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope:19That 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 !20Woe unto 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!21Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!22Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink:23Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!24Therefore 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.25Therefore 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 did tremble, and their carcases were torn in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.26And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth: and, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly:27None 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:28Whose arrows are sharp, and all their bows bent, their horses'hoofs shall be counted like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind:29Their roaring shall be like a lion, they shall roar like young lions: yea, they shall roar, and lay hold of the prey, and shall carry it away safe, and none shall deliver it .30And in that day they shall roar against them like the roaring of the sea: and if one look unto the land, behold darkness and sorrow, and the light is darkened in the heavens thereof.
Isaiah 5
New International Reader’s Version
The song of the vineyard
1I will sing a song for the LORD. He is the one I love. It’s a song about his vineyard Israel. The one I love had a vineyard. It was on a hillside that had rich soil.2He dug up the soil and removed its stones. He planted the very best vines in it. He built a lookout tower there. He also cut out a winepress for it. Then he kept looking for a crop of good grapes. But the vineyard produced only bad fruit.3So the LORD said, ‘People of Jerusalem and Judah, you be the judge between me and my vineyard.4What more could I have done for my vineyard? I did everything I could. I kept looking for a crop of good grapes. So why did it produce only bad ones?5Now I will tell you what I am going to do to my vineyard. I will take away its fence. And the vineyard will be destroyed. I will break down its wall. And people will walk all over my vineyard.6I will turn my vineyard into a dry and empty desert. It will not be pruned or taken care of. Thorns and bushes will grow there. I will command the clouds not to rain on it.’7The vineyard of the LORD who rules over all is the nation of Israel. The people of Judah are the vines he took delight in. He kept looking for them to do what is fair. But all he saw was blood being spilled. He kept looking for them to do what is right. But all he heard were cries of suffering.
The Lord judges his vineyard
8How terrible it will be for you who get too many houses! How terrible for you who get too many fields! Finally there won’t be any space left in the land. Then you will live all alone.9I heard the LORD who rules over all announce a message. He said, ‘You can be sure that the great houses will become empty. The fine homes will be left with no one living in them.10A ten-acre vineyard will produce only 24 litres of wine. 150 kilograms of seeds will produce only 15 kilograms of corn.’11How terrible it will be for those who get up early in the morning to start drinking! How terrible for those who stay up late at night until they are drunk with wine!12They have harps and lyres at their banquets. They have tambourines, flutes and wine. But they don’t have any concern for the mighty acts of the LORD. They don’t have any respect for what his power has done.13So my people will be taken away as prisoners. That’s because they don’t understand what the LORD has done. Their nobles will die of hunger. The rest of the people won’t have any water to drink.14So Death opens its jaws to receive them. Its mouth is open wide to swallow them up. Their nobles and the rest of the people will go down into it. They will go there together with all those who have wild parties.15So people will be brought low. Everyone will be made humble. Those who boast will be brought down.16But the LORD who rules over all will be honoured because he judges fairly. The holy God will prove that he is holy by doing what is right.17Then sheep will graze as if they were in their own grasslands. Lambs will eat grass among the destroyed buildings where rich people used to live.18How terrible it will be for those who continue to sin and lie about it! How terrible for those who keep on doing what is evil as if they were tied to it!19How terrible for those who say, ‘Let God hurry up and do what he says he will. We want to see it happen. Let us see the plan of the Holy One of Israel. We want to know what it is.’20How terrible it will be for those who say that what is evil is good! How terrible for those who say that what is good is evil! How terrible for those who say that darkness is light and light is darkness! How terrible for those who say that what is bitter is sweet and what is sweet is bitter!21How terrible it will be for those who think they are wise! How terrible for those who think they are really clever!22How terrible it will be for those who are heroes at drinking wine! How terrible for those who are heroes at mixing drinks!23How terrible for those who take money to set guilty people free! How terrible for those who don’t treat good people fairly!24Flames of fire burn up straw. Dry grass sinks down into those flames. Evil people will be like plants whose roots rot away. They will be like flowers that are blown away like dust. That’s because they have said no to the law of the LORD who rules over all. They have turned against the message of the Holy One of Israel.25So the LORD is angry with his people. He raises his hand against them and strikes them down. The mountains shake. The bodies of dead people lie in the streets like rubbish. Even then, the LORD is still angry. His hand is still raised against them.26He lifts up a banner to gather the nations that are far away. He whistles for them to come from the farthest places on earth. Here they come. They are moving very quickly.27None of them grows tired. None of them falls down. None of them sleeps or even takes a nap. All of them are ready for battle. Every belt is pulled tight. Not a single sandal strap is broken.28The enemies’ arrows are sharp. All their bows are ready. The hooves of their horses are as hard as rock. Their chariot wheels turn like a whirlwind.29The sound of their army is like the roar of lions. It’s like the roar of young lions. They growl as they capture what they were chasing. They carry it off. No one can take it away from them.30At that time the enemy army will roar over Israel. It will sound like the roaring of the ocean. If someone looks at the land of Israel, there is only darkness and trouble. The clouds will make even the sun become dark.