Isaiah 4:2-5:7

New International Version

The Branch of the Lord

²In that day^(A) the Branch of the Lord^(B) will be beautiful^(C) and glorious, and the fruit^(D) of the land will be the pride and glory^(E) of the survivors^(F) in Israel. ³Those who are left in Zion,^(G) who remain^(H) in Jerusalem, will be called holy,^(I) all who are recorded^(J) among the living in Jerusalem. ⁴The Lord will wash away the filth^(K) of the women of Zion;^(L) he will cleanse^(M) the bloodstains^(N) from Jerusalem by a spirit^[a] of judgment^(O) and a spirit^[b] of fire.^(P) ⁵Then the Lord will create^(Q) over all of Mount Zion^(R) and over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night;^(S) over everything the glory^[c]^(T) will be a canopy.^(U) ⁶It will be a shelter^(V) and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge^(W) and hiding place from the storm^(X) and rain.

The Song of the Vineyard

5 I will sing for the one I love
    a song about his vineyard:^(Y)
My loved one had a vineyard
    on a fertile hillside.
²He dug it up and cleared it of stones
    and planted it with the choicest vines.^(Z)
He built a watchtower^(AA) in it
    and cut out a winepress^(AB) as well.
Then he looked for a crop of good grapes,
    but it yielded only bad fruit.^(AC)

³“Now you dwellers in Jerusalem and people of Judah,
    judge between me and my vineyard.^(AD)
⁴What more could have been done for my vineyard
    than I have done for it?^(AE)
When I looked for good grapes,
    why did it yield only bad?^(AF)
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;^(AG)
I will break down its wall,^(AH)
    and it will be trampled.^(AI)
⁶I will make it a wasteland,^(AJ)
    neither pruned nor cultivated,
    and briers and thorns^(AK) will grow there.
I will command the clouds
    not to rain^(AL) on it.”

⁷The vineyard^(AM) 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,^(AN) but saw bloodshed;
    for righteousness,^(AO) but heard cries of distress.^(AP)