Zion Corrupted; Will Be Redeemed

21 How the faithful city has become a (A)prostitute,
She who was full of justice!
Righteousness once dwelt in her,
But now murderers.
22 Your silver has become [a]waste matter,
Your drink diluted with water.
23 Your (B)rulers are rebels
And companions of thieves;
Everyone (C)loves a bribe
And chases after gifts.
They (D)do not obtain justice for the [b]orphan,
Nor does the widow’s case come before them.

24 Therefore the Lord [c]God of armies,
The (E)Mighty One of Israel, declares,
“Ah, I will have satisfaction against My adversaries,
And (F)avenge Myself on My enemies.
25 I will also turn My hand against you,
And (G)smelt away your impurities as with lye;
And I will remove all your slag.
26 Then I will restore your (H)judges as at first,
And your counselors as at the beginning;
After that you will be called the (I)city of righteousness,
A faithful city.”

27 Zion will be (J)redeemed with justice
And her [d]repentant ones with righteousness.
28 But [e]wrongdoers and sinners together will be (K)broken,
And those who abandon the Lord will come to an end.
29 [f]You certainly will be ashamed of the [g](L)oaks which you have desired,
And you will be embarrassed by the (M)gardens which you have chosen.
30 For you will be like an [h]oak whose (N)leaf withers away,
Or like a garden that has no water.
31 The strong man will become like [i]flax fiber,
And his work a spark.
So they shall both (O)burn together
And there will be (P)no one to extinguish them.

God’s Universal Reign

The word which (Q)Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

Now it will come about that
(R)In the last days
The (S)mountain of the house of the Lord
Will be established [j]as the chief of the mountains,
And will be raised above the hills;
And (T)all the nations will stream to it.
And many peoples will come and say,
“Come, let’s go up to the mountain of the Lord,
To the house of the God of Jacob;
So that He may teach us [k]about His ways,
And that we may walk in His paths.”
For [l]the law will go out (U)from Zion
And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
And He will judge between the nations,
And will mediate for many peoples;
And (V)they will beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning knives.
(W)Nation will not lift up a sword against nation,
And never again will they learn war.

Come, (X)house of Jacob, and let’s walk in the (Y)light of the Lord.
For You have (Z)abandoned Your people, the house of Jacob,
Because they are filled with influences from the east,
And they are soothsayers (AA)like the Philistines.
They also [m](AB)strike bargains with the children of foreigners.
Their land has also been filled with silver and gold
And there is no end to their treasures;
Their land has also been filled with (AC)horses,
And there is no end to their chariots.
Their land has also been (AD)filled with idols;
They worship the (AE)work of their hands,
That which their fingers have made.
So (AF)the common person has been humbled
And the person of importance has been brought low,
But (AG)do not forgive them.
10 (AH)Enter the rocky place and hide in the dust
(AI)From the terror of the Lord and from the splendor of His majesty.
11 The [n](AJ)proud look of humanity will be brought low,
And the (AK)arrogance of people will be humbled;
And the Lord alone will be exalted on that day.

A Day of Reckoning Coming

12 For the Lord of armies will have a day of reckoning
Against (AL)everyone who is arrogant and haughty,
And against everyone who is lifted up,
That he may be brought low.
13 And it will be against all the cedars of Lebanon that are lofty and lifted up,
Against all the (AM)oaks of Bashan,
14 Against all the (AN)lofty mountains,
Against all the hills that are lifted up,
15 Against every (AO)high tower,
Against every fortified wall,
16 Against all the (AP)ships of Tarshish
And against all the delightful ships.
17 And the pride of humanity will be humbled
And the arrogance of people will be brought low;
And the Lord alone will be exalted on that day,
18 And the (AQ)idols will completely vanish.
19 People will (AR)go into caves of the rocks
And into holes in the [o]ground
Away from the terror of the Lord
And the splendor of His majesty,
When He arises (AS)to terrify the earth.
20 On that day people will (AT)throw away to the moles and the (AU)bats
Their idols of silver and their idols of gold,
Which they made for themselves to worship,
21 In order to (AV)go into the clefts of the rocks and the crannies of the cliffs
Before the terror of the Lord and the splendor of His majesty,
When He arises to terrify the earth.
22 [p](AW)Take no account of man, whose breath of life is in his nostrils;
For [q](AX)why should he be esteemed?

God Will Remove the Leaders

For behold, the Lord [r]God of armies (AY)is going to remove from Jerusalem and Judah
Both supply and support, the entire supply of bread
And the entire supply of water;
(AZ)The mighty man and the warrior,
The judge and the prophet,
The diviner and the elder,
The captain of fifty and the esteemed person,
The counselor and the expert artisan,
And the skillful enchanter.
And I will make mere (BA)boys their leaders,
And [s]mischievous children will rule over them,
And the people will be (BB)oppressed,
Each one by another, and each one by his (BC)neighbor;
The youth will assault the elder,
And the contemptible person will assault the one honored.
When a man (BD)lays hold of his brother in his father’s house, saying,
“You have a cloak, you shall be our ruler!
And these ruins will be under your [t]authority,”
He will [u]protest on that day, saying,
“I will not be your [v](BE)healer,
For in my house there is neither bread nor cloak;
You should not appoint me ruler of the people.”
For (BF)Jerusalem has stumbled and Judah has fallen,
Because their [w](BG)speech and their actions are against the Lord,
To (BH)rebel against [x]His glorious presence.
[y]The expression of their faces testifies against them,
And they [z]display their sin like (BI)Sodom;
They do not even conceal it.
Woe to [aa]them!
For they have (BJ)done evil to themselves.
10 Say to the (BK)righteous that it will go well for them,
For they will eat the fruit of their actions.
11 Woe to the wicked! It will go badly for him,
For [ab](BL)what he deserves will be done to him.
12 My people! Their oppressors (BM)treat them violently,
And women rule over them.
My people! (BN)Those who guide you lead you astray
And confuse the direction of your paths.

God Will Judge

13 (BO)The Lord arises to contend,
And stands to judge the people.
14 The Lord (BP)enters into judgment with the elders and leaders of His people,
“It is you who have [ac](BQ)devoured the vineyard;
The (BR)goods stolen from the poor are in your houses.
15 What do you mean by (BS)crushing My people
And [ad]oppressing the face of the poor?”
Declares the Lord [ae]God of armies.

Judah’s Women Denounced

16 Moreover, the Lord said, “Because the (BT)daughters of Zion are haughty
And walk with [af]heads held high and seductive eyes,
And go along with mincing steps
And jingle the anklets on their feet,
17 The Lord will afflict the scalp of the daughters of Zion with scabs,
And the Lord will make their foreheads bare.”

18 On that day the Lord will take away the beauty of their anklets, headbands, (BU)crescent ornaments, 19 dangling earrings, bracelets, veils, 20 (BV)headdresses, ankle chains, sashes, perfume boxes, amulets, 21 [ag]finger rings, (BW)nose rings, 22 festive robes, outer garments, shawls, purses, 23 papyrus garments, undergarments, headbands, and veils.

24 Now it will come about that instead of (BX)balsam oil there will be a stench;
Instead of a belt, a rope;
Instead of (BY)well-set hair, a (BZ)plucked-out scalp;
Instead of fine clothes, a (CA)robe of sackcloth;
And branding instead of beauty.
25 Your men will (CB)fall by the sword
And your [ah]mighty ones in battle.
26 And her [ai](CC)gates will lament and mourn,
And she will (CD)sit deserted on the ground.

A Remnant Prepared

For seven women will take hold of (CE)one man on that day, saying, “We will eat our own bread and wear our own clothes, only let us be called by your name; (CF)take away our disgrace!”

On that day the (CG)Branch of the Lord will be beautiful and glorious, and the (CH)fruit of the earth will be the pride and the beauty of the (CI)survivors of Israel. And it will come about that the one who is (CJ)left in Zion and remains behind in Jerusalem will be called (CK)holy—everyone who is (CL)recorded for life in Jerusalem. When the Lord has washed away the filth of the (CM)daughters of Zion and [aj]purged the (CN)bloodshed of Jerusalem from her midst, by the (CO)spirit of judgment and the (CP)spirit of [ak]burning, then the Lord will create over the entire area of Mount Zion and over her assemblies (CQ)a cloud by day, and smoke, and the brightness of a flaming fire by night; for over all the (CR)glory will be a canopy. And there will be a (CS)shelter to give shade from the heat by day, and refuge and [al]protection from the storm and the rain.

Parable of the Vineyard

Let me sing now for my beloved
A song of my beloved about His vineyard.
My beloved had a (CT)vineyard on [am]a fertile hill.
He dug it all around, cleared it of stones,
And planted it with [an]the (CU)choicest vine.
And He built a tower in the middle of it,
And also carved out a [ao]wine vat in it;
Then He (CV)expected it to produce good grapes,
But it produced only [ap]worthless ones.

“And now, you inhabitants of Jerusalem and people of Judah,
(CW)Judge between Me and My vineyard.
(CX)What more was there to do for My vineyard [aq]that I have not done in it?
Why, when I expected it to produce good grapes did it produce [ar]worthless ones?
So now let Me tell you what I am going to do to My vineyard:
I will (CY)remove its hedge and it will be consumed;
I will (CZ)break down its wall and it will become (DA)trampled ground.
I will (DB)lay it waste;
It will not be pruned nor hoed,
But briars and thorns will come up.
I will also command the clouds not to (DC)rain on it.”

For the (DD)vineyard of the Lord of armies is the house of Israel,
And the people of Judah are His delightful plant.
So He waited for justice, but behold, there was (DE)bloodshed;
For righteousness, but behold, a cry for help.

Woes for the Wicked

Woe to those who (DF)attach house to house and join field to field,
Until there is no more room,
And you alone are a landowner in the midst of the land!
In my ears the Lord of armies has sworn, “(DG)Many houses shall certainly become (DH)desolate,
Even great and fine ones, without occupants.
10 For (DI)ten acres of vineyard will yield only one [as]bath of wine,
And a [at](DJ)homer of seed will yield only an [au]ephah of grain.”
11 Woe to those who rise early in the morning so that they may pursue (DK)intoxicating drink,
Who stay up late in the evening so that wine may inflame them!
12 Their banquets are accompanied by lyre and (DL)harp, by tambourine and flute, and by wine;
But they (DM)do not pay attention to the deeds of the Lord,
Nor do they consider the work of His hands.

13 Therefore My people go into exile for their (DN)lack of knowledge;
And their [av](DO)nobles are famished,
And their multitude is parched with thirst.
14 Therefore (DP)Sheol has enlarged its [aw]throat and opened its mouth beyond measure;
And [ax]Jerusalem’s splendor, her multitude, her noise of revelry, and the jubilant within her, descend into it.
15 So the common people will be humbled and the person of importance brought low,
(DQ)The eyes of the haughty also will be brought low.
16 But the (DR)Lord of armies will be (DS)exalted in judgment,
And the holy God will show Himself (DT)holy in righteousness.
17 (DU)Then the lambs will graze as in their pasture,
And strangers will eat in the ruins of the [ay]wealthy.

18 Woe to those who drag (DV)wrongdoing with the cords of [az]deceit,
And sin as if with cart ropes;
19 (DW)Who say, “Let Him hurry, let Him do His work quickly, so that we may see it;
And let the plan of the Holy One of Israel approach
And come to pass, so that we may know it!”
20 Woe to those who (DX)call evil good, and good evil;
Who [ba](DY)substitute darkness for light and light for darkness;
Who [bb]substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!
21 Woe to those who are (DZ)wise in their own eyes
And [bc]clever in their own sight!
22 (EA)Woe to those who are heroes in drinking wine,
And valiant men in mixing intoxicating drink,
23 (EB)Who declare the wicked innocent for a bribe,
And (EC)take away the [bd]rights of the ones who are in the right!

24 Therefore, (ED)as a tongue of fire consumes stubble,
And dry grass collapses in the flame,
So their (EE)root will become (EF)like rot, and their blossom [be]blow away like dust;
For they have (EG)rejected the Law of the Lord of armies,
And discarded the word of the Holy One of Israel.
25 For this reason the (EH)anger of the Lord has burned against His people,
And He has stretched out His hand against them and struck them.
And the (EI)mountains quaked, and their (EJ)corpses [bf]lay like refuse in the middle of the streets.
(EK)Despite all this, His anger [bg]is not spent,
But His (EL)hand is still stretched out.

26 He will also lift up a (EM)flag to the distant [bh]nation,
And (EN)whistle for it (EO)from the ends of the earth;
And behold, it will (EP)come with speed swiftly.
27 (EQ)No one in it is tired or stumbles,
No one slumbers or sleeps;
Nor is the (ER)undergarment at his waist loosened,
Nor his sandal strap broken.
28 [bi](ES)Its arrows are sharp and all its bows are bent;
The hoofs of its horses [bj]seem like flint, and its chariot (ET)wheels like a storm wind.
29 Its (EU)roaring is like a lioness, and it roars like young lions;
It growls as it (EV)seizes the prey
And carries it off with (EW)no one to save it.
30 And it will (EX)roar against it on that day like the roaring of the sea.
If one (EY)looks across to the land, behold, there is darkness and distress;
Even the light is darkened by its clouds.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 1:22 Lit dross
  2. Isaiah 1:23 Or fatherless
  3. Isaiah 1:24 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  4. Isaiah 1:27 Or returning
  5. Isaiah 1:28 Lit a breaking of wrongdoers and sinners together
  6. Isaiah 1:29 As in some mss; MT They
  7. Isaiah 1:29 Or terebinths
  8. Isaiah 1:30 Or terebinth
  9. Isaiah 1:31 Lit tow
  10. Isaiah 2:2 Lit on
  11. Isaiah 2:3 Or some of
  12. Isaiah 2:3 Or instruction
  13. Isaiah 2:6 Lit clap their hands
  14. Isaiah 2:11 Lit eyes of the pride of man
  15. Isaiah 2:19 Lit dust
  16. Isaiah 2:22 Or Stop caring about
  17. Isaiah 2:22 Lit in what
  18. Isaiah 3:1 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  19. Isaiah 3:4 Or arbitrary power will rule
  20. Isaiah 3:6 Lit hand
  21. Isaiah 3:7 Lit lift up his voice
  22. Isaiah 3:7 Lit binder of wounds
  23. Isaiah 3:8 Lit tongue
  24. Isaiah 3:8 Lit the eyes of His glory
  25. Isaiah 3:9 Or Their partiality testifies
  26. Isaiah 3:9 Lit proclaim
  27. Isaiah 3:9 Lit their soul
  28. Isaiah 3:11 Lit the accomplishment of his hands
  29. Isaiah 3:14 Lit grazed over
  30. Isaiah 3:15 Lit grinding the face of
  31. Isaiah 3:15 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  32. Isaiah 3:16 Lit outstretched necks
  33. Isaiah 3:21 Or signet rings
  34. Isaiah 3:25 Lit strength
  35. Isaiah 3:26 Lit entrances
  36. Isaiah 4:4 Lit rinsed away
  37. Isaiah 4:4 Or destruction
  38. Isaiah 4:6 Lit a hiding place
  39. Isaiah 5:1 Lit horn, a son of fatness
  40. Isaiah 5:2 Lit a bright red grape
  41. Isaiah 5:2 Or wine press
  42. Isaiah 5:2 Or unripe
  43. Isaiah 5:4 Lit and I have not done
  44. Isaiah 5:4 Or unripe
  45. Isaiah 5:10 About 6 gallons or 23 liters
  46. Isaiah 5:10 About 7.7 cubic feet or 0.22 cubit meters or more
  47. Isaiah 5:10 About 1 cubic foot or 0.03 cubic meters
  48. Isaiah 5:13 Lit glory is men of famine
  49. Isaiah 5:14 Or appetite
  50. Isaiah 5:14 Lit her
  51. Isaiah 5:17 Lit fat
  52. Isaiah 5:18 Or worthlessness
  53. Isaiah 5:20 Lit set
  54. Isaiah 5:20 Lit set
  55. Isaiah 5:21 Lit discerning
  56. Isaiah 5:23 Lit justice
  57. Isaiah 5:24 Lit ascend
  58. Isaiah 5:25 Lit were
  59. Isaiah 5:25 Lit has not turned away
  60. Isaiah 5:26 Lit nations; prob. Assyria
  61. Isaiah 5:28 Lit Which, its arrows
  62. Isaiah 5:28 Lit are regarded as

21 See how the faithful city
    has become a prostitute!(A)
She once was full of justice;
    righteousness(B) used to dwell in her—
    but now murderers!(C)
22 Your silver has become dross,(D)
    your choice wine is diluted with water.
23 Your rulers are rebels,(E)
    partners with thieves;(F)
they all love bribes(G)
    and chase after gifts.
They do not defend the cause of the fatherless;
    the widow’s case does not come before them.(H)

24 Therefore the Lord, the Lord Almighty,
    the Mighty One(I) of Israel, declares:
“Ah! I will vent my wrath on my foes
    and avenge(J) myself on my enemies.(K)
25 I will turn my hand against you;[a](L)
    I will thoroughly purge(M) away your dross(N)
    and remove all your impurities.(O)
26 I will restore your leaders as in days of old,(P)
    your rulers as at the beginning.
Afterward you will be called(Q)
    the City of Righteousness,(R)
    the Faithful City.(S)

27 Zion will be delivered with justice,
    her penitent(T) ones with righteousness.(U)
28 But rebels and sinners(V) will both be broken,
    and those who forsake(W) the Lord will perish.(X)

29 “You will be ashamed(Y) because of the sacred oaks(Z)
    in which you have delighted;
you will be disgraced because of the gardens(AA)
    that you have chosen.
30 You will be like an oak with fading leaves,(AB)
    like a garden without water.
31 The mighty man will become tinder
    and his work a spark;
both will burn together,
    with no one to quench the fire.(AC)

The Mountain of the Lord(AD)

This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:(AE)

In the last days(AF)

the mountain(AG) of the Lord’s temple will be established
    as the highest of the mountains;(AH)
it will be exalted(AI) above the hills,
    and all nations will stream to it.(AJ)

Many peoples(AK) will come and say,

“Come, let us go(AL) up to the mountain(AM) of the Lord,
    to the temple of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us his ways,
    so that we may walk in his paths.”
The law(AN) will go out from Zion,
    the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.(AO)
He will judge(AP) between the nations
    and will settle disputes(AQ) for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
    and their spears into pruning hooks.(AR)
Nation will not take up sword against nation,(AS)
    nor will they train for war anymore.

Come, descendants of Jacob,(AT)
    let us walk in the light(AU) of the Lord.

The Day of the Lord

You, Lord, have abandoned(AV) your people,
    the descendants of Jacob.(AW)
They are full of superstitions from the East;
    they practice divination(AX) like the Philistines(AY)
    and embrace(AZ) pagan customs.(BA)
Their land is full of silver and gold;(BB)
    there is no end to their treasures.(BC)
Their land is full of horses;(BD)
    there is no end to their chariots.(BE)
Their land is full of idols;(BF)
    they bow down(BG) to the work of their hands,(BH)
    to what their fingers(BI) have made.
So people will be brought low(BJ)
    and everyone humbled(BK)
    do not forgive them.[b](BL)

10 Go into the rocks, hide(BM) in the ground
    from the fearful presence of the Lord
    and the splendor of his majesty!(BN)
11 The eyes of the arrogant(BO) will be humbled(BP)
    and human pride(BQ) brought low;(BR)
the Lord alone will be exalted(BS) in that day.(BT)

12 The Lord Almighty has a day(BU) in store
    for all the proud(BV) and lofty,(BW)
for all that is exalted(BX)
    (and they will be humbled),(BY)
13 for all the cedars of Lebanon,(BZ) tall and lofty,(CA)
    and all the oaks of Bashan,(CB)
14 for all the towering mountains
    and all the high hills,(CC)
15 for every lofty tower(CD)
    and every fortified wall,(CE)
16 for every trading ship[c](CF)
    and every stately vessel.
17 The arrogance of man will be brought low(CG)
    and human pride humbled;(CH)
the Lord alone will be exalted in that day,(CI)
18     and the idols(CJ) will totally disappear.(CK)

19 People will flee to caves(CL) in the rocks
    and to holes in the ground(CM)
from the fearful presence(CN) of the Lord
    and the splendor of his majesty,(CO)
    when he rises to shake the earth.(CP)
20 In that day(CQ) people will throw away
    to the moles and bats(CR)
their idols of silver and idols of gold,(CS)
    which they made to worship.(CT)
21 They will flee to caverns in the rocks(CU)
    and to the overhanging crags
from the fearful presence of the Lord
    and the splendor of his majesty,(CV)
    when he rises(CW) to shake the earth.(CX)

22 Stop trusting in mere humans,(CY)
    who have but a breath(CZ) in their nostrils.
    Why hold them in esteem?(DA)

Judgment on Jerusalem and Judah

See now, the Lord,
    the Lord Almighty,
is about to take from Jerusalem and Judah
    both supply and support:(DB)
all supplies of food(DC) and all supplies of water,(DD)
    the hero and the warrior,(DE)
the judge and the prophet,
    the diviner(DF) and the elder,(DG)
the captain of fifty(DH) and the man of rank,(DI)
    the counselor, skilled craftsman(DJ) and clever enchanter.(DK)

“I will make mere youths their officials;
    children will rule over them.”(DL)

People will oppress each other—
    man against man, neighbor against neighbor.(DM)
The young will rise up against the old,
    the nobody against the honored.

A man will seize one of his brothers
    in his father’s house, and say,
“You have a cloak, you be our leader;
    take charge of this heap of ruins!”
But in that day(DN) he will cry out,
    “I have no remedy.(DO)
I have no food(DP) or clothing in my house;
    do not make me the leader of the people.”(DQ)

Jerusalem staggers,
    Judah is falling;(DR)
their words(DS) and deeds(DT) are against the Lord,
    defying(DU) his glorious presence.
The look on their faces testifies(DV) against them;
    they parade their sin like Sodom;(DW)
    they do not hide it.
Woe to them!
    They have brought disaster(DX) upon themselves.

10 Tell the righteous it will be well(DY) with them,
    for they will enjoy the fruit of their deeds.(DZ)
11 Woe to the wicked!(EA)
    Disaster(EB) is upon them!
They will be paid back(EC)
    for what their hands have done.(ED)

12 Youths(EE) oppress my people,
    women rule over them.
My people, your guides lead you astray;(EF)
    they turn you from the path.

13 The Lord takes his place in court;(EG)
    he rises to judge(EH) the people.
14 The Lord enters into judgment(EI)
    against the elders and leaders of his people:
“It is you who have ruined my vineyard;
    the plunder(EJ) from the poor(EK) is in your houses.
15 What do you mean by crushing my people(EL)
    and grinding(EM) the faces of the poor?”(EN)
declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.(EO)

16 The Lord says,
    “The women of Zion(EP) are haughty,
walking along with outstretched necks,(EQ)
    flirting with their eyes,
strutting along with swaying hips,
    with ornaments jingling on their ankles.
17 Therefore the Lord will bring sores on the heads of the women of Zion;
    the Lord will make their scalps bald.(ER)

18 In that day(ES) the Lord will snatch away their finery: the bangles and headbands and crescent necklaces,(ET) 19 the earrings and bracelets(EU) and veils,(EV) 20 the headdresses(EW) and anklets and sashes, the perfume bottles and charms, 21 the signet rings and nose rings,(EX) 22 the fine robes and the capes and cloaks,(EY) the purses 23 and mirrors, and the linen garments(EZ) and tiaras(FA) and shawls.

24 Instead of fragrance(FB) there will be a stench;(FC)
    instead of a sash,(FD) a rope;
instead of well-dressed hair, baldness;(FE)
    instead of fine clothing, sackcloth;(FF)
    instead of beauty,(FG) branding.(FH)
25 Your men will fall by the sword,(FI)
    your warriors in battle.(FJ)
26 The gates(FK) of Zion will lament and mourn;(FL)
    destitute,(FM) she will sit on the ground.(FN)

In that day(FO) seven women
    will take hold of one man(FP)
and say, “We will eat our own food(FQ)
    and provide our own clothes;
only let us be called by your name.
    Take away our disgrace!”(FR)

The Branch of the Lord

In that day(FS) the Branch of the Lord(FT) will be beautiful(FU) and glorious, and the fruit(FV) of the land will be the pride and glory(FW) of the survivors(FX) in Israel. Those who are left in Zion,(FY) who remain(FZ) in Jerusalem, will be called holy,(GA) all who are recorded(GB) among the living in Jerusalem. The Lord will wash away the filth(GC) of the women of Zion;(GD) he will cleanse(GE) the bloodstains(GF) from Jerusalem by a spirit[d] of judgment(GG) and a spirit[e] of fire.(GH) Then the Lord will create(GI) over all of Mount Zion(GJ) and over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night;(GK) over everything the glory[f](GL) will be a canopy.(GM) It will be a shelter(GN) and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge(GO) and hiding place from the storm(GP) and rain.

The Song of the Vineyard

I will sing for the one I love
    a song about his vineyard:(GQ)
My loved one had a vineyard
    on a fertile hillside.
He dug it up and cleared it of stones
    and planted it with the choicest vines.(GR)
He built a watchtower(GS) in it
    and cut out a winepress(GT) as well.
Then he looked for a crop of good grapes,
    but it yielded only bad fruit.(GU)

“Now you dwellers in Jerusalem and people of Judah,
    judge between me and my vineyard.(GV)
What more could have been done for my vineyard
    than I have done for it?(GW)
When I looked for good grapes,
    why did it yield only bad?(GX)
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;(GY)
I will break down its wall,(GZ)
    and it will be trampled.(HA)
I will make it a wasteland,(HB)
    neither pruned nor cultivated,
    and briers and thorns(HC) will grow there.
I will command the clouds
    not to rain(HD) on it.”

The vineyard(HE) 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,(HF) but saw bloodshed;
    for righteousness,(HG) but heard cries of distress.(HH)

Woes and Judgments

Woe(HI) to you who add house to house
    and join field to field(HJ)
till no space is left
    and you live alone in the land.

The Lord Almighty(HK) has declared in my hearing:(HL)

“Surely the great houses will become desolate,(HM)
    the fine mansions left without occupants.
10 A ten-acre vineyard will produce only a bath[g] of wine;
    a homer[h] of seed will yield only an ephah[i] of grain.”(HN)

11 Woe(HO) 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.(HP)
12 They have harps and lyres at their banquets,
    pipes(HQ) and timbrels(HR) and wine,
but they have no regard(HS) for the deeds of the Lord,
    no respect for the work of his hands.(HT)
13 Therefore my people will go into exile(HU)
    for lack of understanding;(HV)
those of high rank(HW) will die of hunger
    and the common people will be parched with thirst.(HX)
14 Therefore Death(HY) expands its jaws,
    opening wide its mouth;(HZ)
into it will descend their nobles and masses
    with all their brawlers and revelers.(IA)
15 So people will be brought low(IB)
    and everyone humbled,(IC)
    the eyes of the arrogant(ID) humbled.
16 But the Lord Almighty will be exalted(IE) by his justice,(IF)
    and the holy God will be proved holy(IG) by his righteous acts.
17 Then sheep will graze as in their own pasture;(IH)
    lambs will feed[j] among the ruins of the rich.

18 Woe(II) to those who draw sin along with cords(IJ) of deceit,
    and wickedness(IK) as with cart ropes,
19 to those who say, “Let God hurry;
    let him hasten(IL) his work
    so we may see it.
The plan of the Holy One(IM) of Israel—
    let it approach, let it come into view,
    so we may know it.”(IN)

20 Woe(IO) to those who call evil good(IP)
    and good evil,(IQ)
who put darkness for light
    and light for darkness,(IR)
who put bitter for sweet
    and sweet for bitter.(IS)

21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes(IT)
    and clever in their own sight.

22 Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine(IU)
    and champions at mixing drinks,(IV)
23 who acquit the guilty for a bribe,(IW)
    but deny justice(IX) to the innocent.(IY)
24 Therefore, as tongues of fire(IZ) lick up straw(JA)
    and as dry grass sinks down in the flames,
so their roots will decay(JB)
    and their flowers blow away like dust;(JC)
for they have rejected the law of the Lord Almighty
    and spurned the word(JD) of the Holy One(JE) of Israel.
25 Therefore the Lord’s anger(JF) burns against his people;
    his hand is raised and he strikes them down.
The mountains shake,(JG)
    and the dead bodies(JH) are like refuse(JI) in the streets.(JJ)

Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,(JK)
    his hand is still upraised.(JL)

26 He lifts up a banner(JM) for the distant nations,
    he whistles(JN) for those at the ends of the earth.(JO)
Here they come,
    swiftly and speedily!
27 Not one of them grows tired(JP) or stumbles,
    not one slumbers or sleeps;
not a belt(JQ) is loosened at the waist,(JR)
    not a sandal strap is broken.(JS)
28 Their arrows are sharp,(JT)
    all their bows(JU) are strung;
their horses’ hooves(JV) seem like flint,
    their chariot wheels like a whirlwind.(JW)
29 Their roar is like that of the lion,(JX)
    they roar like young lions;
they growl as they seize(JY) their prey
    and carry it off with no one to rescue.(JZ)
30 In that day(KA) they will roar over it
    like the roaring of the sea.(KB)
And if one looks at the land,
    there is only darkness(KC) and distress;(KD)
    even the sun will be darkened(KE) by clouds.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 1:25 That is, against Jerusalem
  2. Isaiah 2:9 Or not raise them up
  3. Isaiah 2:16 Hebrew every ship of Tarshish
  4. Isaiah 4:4 Or the Spirit
  5. Isaiah 4:4 Or the Spirit
  6. Isaiah 4:5 Or over all the glory there
  7. Isaiah 5:10 That is, about 6 gallons or about 22 liters
  8. Isaiah 5:10 That is, probably about 360 pounds or about 160 kilograms
  9. Isaiah 5:10 That is, probably about 36 pounds or about 16 kilograms
  10. Isaiah 5:17 Septuagint; Hebrew / strangers will eat