Chapter 5

Now will I sing⁴ to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful ⁸⁰⁸¹ hill:

And he fenced¹⁷ it, and gathered out the stones¹⁷ thereof, and planted⁴ it with the choicest vine, and built⁴ a tower in the midst of it, and also made¹ a winepress therein: and he looked¹⁷ that it should bring forth² grapes, and it brought forth⁴ wild grapes.

And now, O inhabitants⁶ of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge,³ I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard.

What could have been done² more to my vineyard, that I have not done¹ in it? wherefore, when I looked¹⁴ that it should bring forth² grapes, brought it forth⁴ wild grapes?

And now go to; I will tell⁵⁵ you what I will do⁶ to my vineyard: I will take away⁵³ the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up;¹⁵ [and] break down² the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down:

And I will lay⁴ it waste: it shall not be pruned,¹¹ nor digged;¹¹ but there shall come up¹ briers and thorns: I will also command¹⁷ the clouds that they rain⁵³ no rain upon it.

For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts [is] the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked¹⁷ for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry.

Woe unto them that join⁵⁶ house to house, [that] lay⁵⁵ field to field, till [there be] no place, that they may be placed⁹⁰ alone in the midst of the earth!

In mine ears [said] the LORD of hosts, Of a truth many houses shall be desolate, [even] great and fair, without inhabitant.⁶

Yea, ten acres of vineyard shall yield⁴ one bath, and the seed of an homer shall yield⁴ an ephah.

Woe unto them that rise up early⁵⁶ in the morning, [that] they may follow⁴ strong drink; that continue¹⁸ until night, [till] wine inflame⁵⁵ them!

And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts: but they regard⁵⁵ not the work of the LORD, neither consider¹ the operation of his hands.

Therefore my people are gone into captivity,¹ because [they have] no knowledge: and their honourable men [are] famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst.

Therefore hell hath enlarged⁵² herself, and opened¹ her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend¹ into it.

And the mean man shall be brought down,¹¹ and the mighty man shall be humbled,⁴ and the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled:⁴

But the LORD of hosts shall be exalted⁴ in judgment, and God that is holy shall be sanctified⁸ in righteousness.

Then shall the lambs feed¹ after their manner, and the waste places of the fat ones shall strangers⁶ eat.⁴

Woe unto them that draw⁶ iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope:

That say,⁶ Let him make speed,¹⁷ [and] hasten⁵⁵ his work, that we may see⁴ [it]: and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh⁴ and come,⁴ that we may know⁴ [it]!

Woe unto them that call⁶ evil good, and good evil; that put⁶ darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put⁶ bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

Woe unto [them that are] wise in their own eyes, and prudent¹² in their own sight!

Woe unto [them that are] mighty to drink² wine, and men of strength to mingle² strong drink:

Which justify⁵⁶ the wicked for reward, and take away⁵⁵ the righteousness of the righteous from him!

Therefore as the fire ⁷⁸⁴ devoureth² the stubble, and the flame consumeth⁴ the chaff, [so] their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up⁴ as dust: because they have cast away¹ the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised¹⁴ the word of the Holy One of Israel.

Therefore is the anger of the LORD kindled¹ against his people, and he hath stretched forth⁴ his hand against them, and hath smitten⁵⁵ them: and the hills did tremble,⁴ and their carcases [were] torn in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger is not turned away,¹ but his hand [is] stretched out⁷ still.

And he will lift up¹ an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss¹ unto them from the end of the earth: and, behold, they shall come⁴ with speed swiftly:

None shall be weary nor stumble⁶ among them; none shall slumber⁴ nor sleep;⁴ neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed,⁸ nor the latchet of their shoes be broken:⁸

Whose arrows [are] sharp,⁶ and all their bows bent,⁷ their horses' hoofs shall be counted⁸ like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind:

Their roaring [shall be] like a lion, they shall roar^{4 7580 1} like young lions: yea, they shall roar,⁴ and lay hold⁴ of the prey, and shall carry [it] away safe,⁵⁵ and none shall deliver⁵⁶ [it].

And in that day they shall roar⁴ against them like the roaring of the sea: and if [one] look¹⁴ unto the land, behold darkness [and] sorrow, and the light is darkened¹ in the heavens thereof.