Isaiah 5
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New International VersionHolman Christian Standard Bible
1I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard: My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside.1I will sing about the one I love, a song about my loved one's vineyard: The one I love had a vineyard on a very fertile hill.
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.2He broke up the soil, cleared it of stones, and planted it with the finest vines. He built a tower in the middle of it and even dug out a winepress there. He expected it to yield good grapes, but it yielded worthless grapes.
3"Now you dwellers in Jerusalem and people of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard.3So now, residents of Jerusalem and men of Judah, please 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?4What more could I have done for My vineyard than I did? Why, when I expected a yield of good grapes, did it yield worthless grapes?
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.5Now I will tell you what I am about to do to My vineyard: I will remove its hedge, and it will be consumed; I will tear 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."6I will make it a wasteland. It will not be pruned or weeded; thorns and briers will grow up. I will also give orders to the clouds that rain should not fall 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.7For the vineyard of the LORD of Hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah, the plant He delighted in. He looked for justice but saw injustice, for righteousness, but heard cries of wretchedness.
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.8Woe to those who add house to house and join field to field until there is no more room and you alone are left in the land.
9The LORD Almighty has declared in my hearing: "Surely the great houses will become desolate, the fine mansions left without occupants.9I heard the LORD of Hosts say: Indeed, many houses will become desolate, grand and lovely ones without inhabitants.
10A ten-acre vineyard will produce only a bath of wine; a homer of seed will yield only an ephah of grain."10For a ten-acre vineyard will yield only six gallons, and 10 bushels of seed will yield only one bushel.
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.11Woe to those who rise early in the morning in pursuit of beer, who linger into the evening, inflamed by wine.
12They have harps and lyres at their banquets, pipes and timbrels and wine, but they have no regard for the deeds of the LORD, no respect for the work of his hands.12At their feasts they have lyre, harp, tambourine, flute, and wine. They do not perceive the LORD's actions, and they do not see 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.13Therefore My people will go into exile because they lack knowledge; her dignitaries are starving, and her masses are 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 revelers.14Therefore Sheol enlarges its throat and opens wide its enormous jaws, and down go Zion's dignitaries, her masses, her crowds, and those who carouse in her!
15So people will be brought low and everyone humbled, the eyes of the arrogant humbled.15Humanity is brought low, man is humbled, and haughty eyes are humbled.
16But the LORD Almighty will be exalted by his justice, and the holy God will be proved holy by his righteous acts.16But the LORD of Hosts is exalted by His justice, and the holy God is distinguished by righteousness.
17Then sheep will graze as in their own pasture; lambs will feed among the ruins of the rich.17Lambs will graze as if in their own pastures, and strangers will eat among the ruins of the rich.
18Woe to those who draw sin along with cords of deceit, and wickedness as with cart ropes,18Woe to those who drag wickedness with cords of deceit and pull sin along with cart ropes,
19to those who say, "Let God hurry; let him hasten his work so we may see it. The plan of the Holy One of Israel-- let it approach, let it come into view, so we may know it."19to those who say:" Let Him hurry up and do His work quickly so that we can see it! Let the plan of the Holy One of Israel take place so that we can 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.20Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness, who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.
21Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight.21Woe to those who are wise in their own opinion and clever in their own sight.
22Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine and champions at mixing drinks,22Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine, who are fearless at mixing beer,
23who acquit the guilty for a bribe, but deny justice to the innocent.23who acquit the guilty for a bribe and deprive the innocent of justice.
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.24Therefore, as a tongue of fire consumes straw and as dry grass shrivels in the flame, so their roots will become like something rotten and their blossoms will blow away like dust, for they have rejected the instruction of the LORD of Hosts, and they have despised 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.25Therefore the LORD's anger burns against His people. He raised His hand against them and struck them; the mountains quaked, and their corpses were like garbage in the streets. In all this, His anger is not removed, and His hand is still raised to strike.
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!26He raises a signal flag for the distant nations and whistles for them from the ends of the earth. Look--how quickly and swiftly they come!
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.27None of them grows weary or stumbles; no one slumbers or sleeps. No belt is loose and no sandal strap broken.
28Their arrows are sharp, all their bows are strung; their horses' hooves seem like flint, their chariot wheels like a whirlwind.28Their arrows are sharpened, and all their bows strung. Their horses' hooves are like flint; their chariot wheels are 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.29Their roaring is like a lion's; they roar like young lions; they growl and seize their prey and carry it off, and no one can rescue it.
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.30On that day they will roar over it, like the roaring of the sea. When one looks at the land, there will be darkness and distress; light will be obscured by clouds.
New International Version (NIV)

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Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.
Isaiah 4
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