20 Woe to those who (A)call evil good, and good evil;
Who [a](B)substitute darkness for light and light for darkness;
Who [b]substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!
21 Woe to those who are (C)wise in their own eyes
And [c]clever in their own sight!
22 (D)Woe to those who are heroes in drinking wine,
And valiant men in mixing intoxicating drink,
23 (E)Who declare the wicked innocent for a bribe,
And (F)take away the [d]rights of the ones who are in the right!

24 Therefore, (G)as a tongue of fire consumes stubble,
And dry grass collapses in the flame,
So their (H)root will become (I)like rot, and their blossom [e]blow away like dust;
For they have (J)rejected the Law of the Lord of armies,
And discarded the word of the Holy One of Israel.
25 For this reason the (K)anger of the Lord has burned against His people,
And He has stretched out His hand against them and struck them.
And the (L)mountains quaked, and their (M)corpses [f]lay like refuse in the middle of the streets.
(N)Despite all this, His anger [g]is not spent,
But His (O)hand is still stretched out.

26 He will also lift up a (P)flag to the distant [h]nation,
And (Q)whistle for it (R)from the ends of the earth;
And behold, it will (S)come with speed swiftly.
27 (T)No one in it is tired or stumbles,
No one slumbers or sleeps;
Nor is the (U)undergarment at his waist loosened,
Nor his sandal strap broken.
28 [i](V)Its arrows are sharp and all its bows are bent;
The hoofs of its horses [j]seem like flint, and its chariot (W)wheels like a storm wind.
29 Its (X)roaring is like a lioness, and it roars like young lions;
It growls as it (Y)seizes the prey
And carries it off with (Z)no one to save it.
30 And it will (AA)roar against it on that day like the roaring of the sea.
If one (AB)looks across to the land, behold, there is darkness and distress;
Even the light is darkened by its clouds.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 5:20 Lit set
  2. Isaiah 5:20 Lit set
  3. Isaiah 5:21 Lit discerning
  4. Isaiah 5:23 Lit justice
  5. Isaiah 5:24 Lit ascend
  6. Isaiah 5:25 Lit were
  7. Isaiah 5:25 Lit has not turned away
  8. Isaiah 5:26 Lit nations; prob. Assyria
  9. Isaiah 5:28 Lit Which, its arrows
  10. Isaiah 5:28 Lit are regarded as

20 
Woe (judgment is coming) 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!
21 
Woe (judgment is coming) to those who are wise in their own eyes
And clever and shrewd in their own sight!
22 
Woe (judgment is coming) to those who are heroes at drinking wine
And men of strength in mixing intoxicating drinks,
23 
Who justify the wicked and acquit the guilty for a bribe,
And take away the rights of those who are in the right!

24 
Therefore, as the tongue of fire consumes the stubble [from straw]
And the dry grass collapses into the flame,
So their root will become like rot and their blossom blow away like fine dust;
Because they have rejected the law of the Lord of hosts
And despised and discarded the word of the Holy One of Israel.
25 
Therefore the anger of the Lord has burned against His people,
And He has stretched out His hand against them and has struck them down.
And the mountains trembled, and their dead bodies lay like rubbish in the middle of the streets.
In spite of all this God’s anger is not turned away,
But His hand is still stretched out [in judgment].

26 
He will lift up a flag to [call] the distant nations [to bring His judgment on Judah],
And will whistle for them from the ends of the earth;
And indeed, they will come with great speed swiftly.
27 
No one among them is weary or stumbles,
No one slumbers or sleeps;
Nor is the belt at their waist undone [as if unprepared for action],
Nor is the strap of their sandal broken.
28 
Their arrows are sharp and all their bows are strung and bent;
Their horses’ hoofs seem like flint and their chariot wheels like a whirlwind.
29 
Their roaring is like a lioness, they roar like young lions;
They growl and seize their prey
And carry it off and there is no one to save it.
30 
And in that day they will roar against them (Judah) like the roaring of the sea.
And if one looks to the land, in fact, there is darkness and distress;
Even the light will be darkened by its clouds.

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20 Woe(A) to those who call evil good(B)
    and good evil,(C)
who put darkness for light
    and light for darkness,(D)
who put bitter for sweet
    and sweet for bitter.(E)

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

22 Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine(G)
    and champions at mixing drinks,(H)
23 who acquit the guilty for a bribe,(I)
    but deny justice(J) to the innocent.(K)
24 Therefore, as tongues of fire(L) lick up straw(M)
    and as dry grass sinks down in the flames,
so their roots will decay(N)
    and their flowers blow away like dust;(O)
for they have rejected the law of the Lord Almighty
    and spurned the word(P) of the Holy One(Q) of Israel.
25 Therefore the Lord’s anger(R) burns against his people;
    his hand is raised and he strikes them down.
The mountains shake,(S)
    and the dead bodies(T) are like refuse(U) in the streets.(V)

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

26 He lifts up a banner(Y) for the distant nations,
    he whistles(Z) for those at the ends of the earth.(AA)
Here they come,
    swiftly and speedily!
27 Not one of them grows tired(AB) or stumbles,
    not one slumbers or sleeps;
not a belt(AC) is loosened at the waist,(AD)
    not a sandal strap is broken.(AE)
28 Their arrows are sharp,(AF)
    all their bows(AG) are strung;
their horses’ hooves(AH) seem like flint,
    their chariot wheels like a whirlwind.(AI)
29 Their roar is like that of the lion,(AJ)
    they roar like young lions;
they growl as they seize(AK) their prey
    and carry it off with no one to rescue.(AL)
30 In that day(AM) they will roar over it
    like the roaring of the sea.(AN)
And if one looks at the land,
    there is only darkness(AO) and distress;(AP)
    even the sun will be darkened(AQ) by clouds.

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20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

21 Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!

22 Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink:

23 Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!

24 Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the Lord of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.

25 Therefore is the anger of the Lord kindled against his people, and he hath stretched forth his hand against them, and hath smitten them: and the hills did tremble, and their carcases were torn in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

26 And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth: and, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly:

27 None shall be weary nor stumble among them; none shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed, nor the latchet of their shoes be broken:

28 Whose arrows are sharp, and all their bows bent, their horses' hoofs shall be counted like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind:

29 Their roaring shall be like a lion, they shall roar like young lions: yea, they shall roar, and lay hold of the prey, and shall carry it away safe, and none shall deliver it.

30 And in that day they shall roar against them like the roaring of the sea: and if one look unto the land, behold darkness and sorrow, and the light is darkened in the heavens thereof.

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