Isaiah 5:9-30

New International Version

“Surely the great houses will become desolate,^(C)
    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.”^(D)

¹¹ Woe^(E) 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.^(F)
12 They have harps and lyres at their banquets,
    pipes^(G) and timbrels^(H) and wine,
but they have no regard^(I) for the deeds of the Lord,
    no respect for the work of his hands.^(J)
13 Therefore my people will go into exile^(K)
    for lack of understanding;^(L)
those of high rank^(M) will die of hunger
    and the common people will be parched with thirst.^(N)
14 Therefore Death^(O) expands its jaws,
    opening wide its mouth;^(P)
into it will descend their nobles and masses
    with all their brawlers and revelers.^(Q)
15 So people will be brought low^(R)
    and everyone humbled,^(S)
    the eyes of the arrogant^(T) humbled.
¹⁶ But the Lord Almighty will be exalted^(U) by his justice,^(V)
    and the holy God will be proved holy^(W) by his righteous acts.
¹⁷ Then sheep will graze as in their own pasture;^(X)
    lambs will feed^[d] among the ruins of the rich.

¹⁸ Woe^(Y) to those who draw sin along with cords^(Z) of deceit,
    and wickedness^(AA) as with cart ropes,
¹⁹ to those who say, “Let God hurry;
    let him hasten^(AB) his work
    so we may see it.
The plan of the Holy One^(AC) of Israel—
    let it approach, let it come into view,
    so we may know it.”^(AD)

²⁰ Woe^(AE) to those who call evil good^(AF)
    and good evil,^(AG)
who put darkness for light
    and light for darkness,^(AH)
who put bitter for sweet
    and sweet for bitter.^(AI)

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

²² Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine^(AK)
    and champions at mixing drinks,^(AL)
23 who acquit the guilty for a bribe,^(AM)
    but deny justice^(AN) to the innocent.^(AO)
24 Therefore, as tongues of fire^(AP) lick up straw^(AQ)
    and as dry grass sinks down in the flames,
so their roots will decay^(AR)
    and their flowers blow away like dust;^(AS)
for they have rejected the law of the Lord Almighty
    and spurned the word^(AT) of the Holy One^(AU) of Israel.
²⁵ Therefore the Lord’s anger^(AV) burns against his people;
    his hand is raised and he strikes them down.
The mountains shake,^(AW)
    and the dead bodies^(AX) are like refuse^(AY) in the streets.^(AZ)

Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,^(BA)
    his hand is still upraised.^(BB)

²⁶ He lifts up a banner^(BC) for the distant nations,
    he whistles^(BD) for those at the ends of the earth.^(BE)
Here they come,
    swiftly and speedily!
²⁷ Not one of them grows tired^(BF) or stumbles,
    not one slumbers or sleeps;
not a belt^(BG) is loosened at the waist,^(BH)
    not a sandal strap is broken.^(BI)
28 Their arrows are sharp,^(BJ)
    all their bows^(BK) are strung;
their horses’ hooves^(BL) seem like flint,
    their chariot wheels like a whirlwind.^(BM)
29 Their roar is like that of the lion,^(BN)
    they roar like young lions;
they growl as they seize^(BO) their prey
    and carry it off with no one to rescue.^(BP)
30 In that day^(BQ) they will roar over it
    like the roaring of the sea.^(BR)
And if one looks at the land,
    there is only darkness^(BS) and distress;^(BT)
    even the sun will be darkened^(BU) by clouds.