Isaiah 5:17-30

English Standard Version

¹⁸ Woe to those who draw iniquity with ^(C)cords of falsehood,
    who draw sin as with cart ropes,
¹⁹ who say: ^(D)“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 ^(E)those who call evil good
    and good evil,
^(F)who put darkness for light
    and light for darkness,
who put bitter for sweet
    and sweet for bitter!
²¹ Woe to those who are ^(G)wise in their own eyes,
    and shrewd in their own sight!
²² Woe to those who are ^(H)heroes at drinking wine,
    and valiant men in mixing strong drink,
²³ who ^(I)acquit the guilty for a bribe,
    and deprive the innocent of his right!

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

²⁶ He will ^(S)raise a signal for nations far away,
    and ^(T)whistle for them ^(U)from the ends of the earth;
and behold, quickly, speedily they come!
^27 (V)None is weary, none stumbles,
    none slumbers or sleeps,
not a waistband is loose,
    not a sandal strap broken;
^28 (W)their arrows are sharp,
    all their bows bent,
their horses' hoofs seem like flint,
    and their wheels ^(X)like the whirlwind.
²⁹ Their roaring is like a lion,
    like young lions they roar;
they growl and ^(Y)seize their prey;
    they carry it off, and none can rescue.
³⁰ They will growl over it on that day,
    like the growling of the sea.
And if one looks to the land,
    behold, ^(Z)darkness and distress;
and the light is darkened by its clouds.