Isaiah 5:8-25

English Standard Version

¹¹ Woe to those who ^(E)rise early in the morning,
    that they may run after strong drink,
who tarry late into the evening
    as wine inflames them!
^12 (F)They have lyre and harp,
    tambourine and flute and wine at their feasts,
^(G)but they do not regard the deeds of the Lord,
    or see the work of his hands.

¹³ Therefore my people go into exile
    ^(H)for lack of knowledge;^[c]
their ^(I)honored men go hungry,^[d]
    and their multitude is parched with thirst.
¹⁴ Therefore Sheol has ^(J)enlarged its appetite
    and opened ^(K)its mouth beyond measure,
and the nobility of Jerusalem^[e] and her multitude will go down,
    her revelers and he who ^(L)exults in her.
^15 (M)Man is humbled, and each one is brought low,
    and the eyes of the haughty^[f] are brought low.
^16 (N)But the Lord of hosts is exalted^[g] in justice,
    and the Holy God shows himself holy in righteousness.
¹⁷ Then shall the lambs graze ^(O)as in their pasture,
    and ^(P)nomads shall eat among the ruins of the rich.

¹⁸ Woe to those who draw iniquity with ^(Q)cords of falsehood,
    who draw sin as with cart ropes,
¹⁹ who say: ^(R)“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!”
²⁰ Woe to ^(S)those who call evil good
    and good evil,
^(T)who put darkness for light
    and light for darkness,
who put bitter for sweet
    and sweet for bitter!
²¹ Woe to those who are ^(U)wise in their own eyes,
    and shrewd in their own sight!
²² Woe to those who are ^(V)heroes at drinking wine,
    and valiant men in mixing strong drink,
²³ who ^(W)acquit the guilty for a bribe,
    and deprive the innocent of his right!

²⁴ Therefore, ^(X)as the tongue of fire devours the stubble,
    and as dry grass sinks down in the flame,
so ^(Y)their root will be ^(Z)as rottenness,
    and their blossom go up like dust;
for they have ^(AA)rejected the law of the Lord of hosts,
    and have ^(AB)despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
²⁵ Therefore ^(AC)the anger of the Lord was kindled against his people,
    and he stretched out his hand against them and struck them,
    and ^(AD)the mountains quaked;
and their corpses were ^(AE)as refuse
    in the midst of the streets.
^(AF)For all this his anger has not turned away,
    and his hand is stretched out still.