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Israel, the Lord’s Vineyard

Now I will sing for my ·friend [or beloved] a song about his vineyard [C Israel is the vineyard and God is its owner].
My ·friend [or beloved] had a vineyard
    on a ·hill with very rich soil [fertile hillside].
He ·dug [or fenced it] and cleared the field of stones
    and planted the best grapevines there.
He built a ·tower [watchtower; C for protection] in the middle of it
    and ·cut [carved] out a winepress as well [C symbolizing God’s protection of Israel].
He ·hoped [expected; looked to see if] good grapes would grow there,
    but ·only bad ones grew [L it produced only wild/sour grapes].

[C The vineyard owner now speaks:] “You ·people living in [residents/citizens of] Jerusalem,
    and you people of Judah,
    judge between me and my vineyard [C the scene changes from a love song to a courtroom indictment].
What more could I have done for my vineyard
    than I have already done?
Although I ·expected [waited/looked for] good grapes to grow,
    why ·were there [did it produce] only ·bad [sour; wild] ones?
Now I will tell you
    what I will do to my vineyard:
I will remove the hedge,
    and it will ·be burned [be purged/destroyed; or become a pasture].
I will break down the stone wall,
    and it will be ·walked [trampled; C referring to the Assyrian conquest in 722 bc].
I will ·ruin my field [make it a wasteland; leave it untended].
    It will not be ·trimmed [pruned] or hoed,
    and ·weeds [briers] and thorns will grow there.
I will command the clouds
    not to rain on it.”

[L For; Because] The vineyard belonging to the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts]
    is the ·nation [L house] of Israel;
and the people of Judah
    are the ·garden [vines; plants] that he ·loves [delights in].
He looked for justice, but ·there was [look; behold] only ·killing [bloodshed; or oppression; injustice; C the Hebrew words for “justice” and “killing” sound alike].
    He hoped for ·right living [righteousness], but ·there were [look; behold] only ·cries of pain [cries of distress; or an outrcy; C the Hebrew words for “righteousness” and “cries of pain” sound alike].

·How terrible it will be for [L Woe to] you who add more houses to your houses
    and more fields to your fields [C accumulating wealth at the expense of others, in violation of God’s command that tribal allotments be permanent; Lev. 25:23]
until ·there is no room left for other people [no space is left].
    Then you are left alone in the land.

The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] said this ·to me [L in my ears]:

“·The fine [The great; or Many] houses will ·be destroyed [become desolate];
    the large and beautiful houses will be left empty [L of inhabitants].
10 At that time a ·ten-acre [L ten-yoke; C unknown measurement, though clearly a large area] vineyard will make only ·six gallons [L one bath] of wine,
    and ·ten bushels [L a homer] of seed will grow only one bushel [L an ephah; C one tenth of a homer] of grain.”

11 ·How terrible it will be for people [L Woe to those] who rise early in the morning
    to ·look for [run after; pursue] ·strong drink [or beer; C alcoholic beverage made from grain],
who ·stay awake late at night [linger into twilight],
    becoming ·drunk [L inflamed] with wine.
12 At their ·parties [banquets; feasts] they have lyres, harps,
    tambourines, flutes, and wine.
They ·don’t see [or have no regard for] what the Lord has done
    or ·notice [see; comprehend] the work of his hands.
13 So my people will ·be captured and taken away [be deported; go into exile/captivity],
    because they ·don’t really know me [or lack understanding].
·All the great people [Their nobles/men of honor] will die of hunger,
    and the ·common people [multitudes; masses] ·will die of [or will be parched with] thirst.
14 So ·the place of the dead [or the grave; L Sheol] ·wants more and more people [L opens wide/enlarges its throat],
    and it opens wide its mouth.
·Jerusalem’s [L Her] ·important people [nobility] and ·common people [multitude; masses] will go down into it,
    with their ·happy and noisy ones [noisy revellers; drunken mob].
15 ·People [Humanity] will be humbled, ·everyone [each person; mankind] will be brought down;
    ·those who are [L the eyes of the] ·proud [haughty] will be humbled.
16 The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] will ·receive glory [be exalted] by ·judging fairly [his justice];
    the holy God will show himself holy by ·doing what is right [righteousnes].
17 Then the ·sheep [or lambs] will ·go anywhere they want [L feed as if in their pasture],
    and ·lambs [or strangers; foreigners] will feed ·on the land that rich people once owned [among the ruins of the rich].

18 ·How terrible it will be for [L Woe to] those people!
    They pull ·their guilt and sins behind them
    as people pull wagons with ropes [L wickedness with the ropes of emptiness and sin with cart ropes].
19 They say, “Let God hurry;
    let him do his work ·soon [quickly]
    so we may see it.
Let the plan of the Holy One of Israel [1:4] ·happen soon [approach and draw near]
    so that we will know what it is.”

20 ·How terrible it will be for people [L Woe to those] who call ·good things bad
    and bad things good [L evil good and good evil],
who ·think darkness is [or make darkness] light
    and ·light is [or make light] darkness,
who ·think sour is [or turn sour/bitter to] sweet
    and sweet ·is sour [or to sour/bitter].

21 ·How terrible it will be for people [L Woe to those] who ·think they are wise [L are wise in their own eyes; Prov. 3:7; 26:12; 27:1; 28:11, 26]
and ·believe they are clever [L clever/understanding in front of themselves].

22 ·How terrible it will be for people [L Woe to those] who are ·famous for [heroes/champions at] drinking wine
    and are ·champions [valiant men] at mixing ·drinks [beer; v. 11].
23 They take ·money [a bribe] to ·set the guilty free [acquit the wicked]
    and ·don’t allow good people to be judged fairly [deny justice/righteousness to the innocent/righteous].
24 [L Therefore] They will be destroyed
    just as ·fire [L tongues of fire] ·burns [L devours] straw
    and dry grass ·is consumed by [L sinks in the] flames.
They will be destroyed
    like a plant whose roots rot
    and whose flower dies and blows away like dust.
They have ·refused to obey [rejected; spurned] the ·teachings [law; L Torah] of the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts]
    and have ·hated [despised] the message from the Holy One of Israel [1:4].
25 So the ·Lord has become very angry with [L Lord’s anger burns against] his people,
    and he ·has raised [extends; stretches out] his hand to ·punish [strike] them.
Even the mountains ·are frightened [shake; tremble].
    ·Dead bodies [Corpses] lie in the streets like garbage.

·But the Lord is still angry [L In all this, his anger is not turned away];
his hand is still ·raised [extended; stretched out] to strike down the people.

26 He raises a ·banner [standard; signal flag] for the nations far away.
    He whistles to call those people from the ends of the earth.
·Look [T Behold]! ·The enemy comes ·quickly [swiftly; with great speed]!
27 Not one of them becomes tired or ·falls down [stumbles].
    Not one of them ·gets sleepy [slumbers] and falls asleep.
·Their weapons are close at hand [L No belt is loosened],
    and their sandal straps are not broken.
28 Their arrows are sharp,
    and all of their bows are ready to shoot.
The horses’ hoofs ·are hard as rocks [or make sparks like flint],
    and their chariot wheels move like a ·whirlwind [wind storm].
29 Their ·shout is like the roar of [L roar is like] a lion;
    it ·is loud [L roars] like a young lion.
They growl as they grab their ·captives [prey].
    They carry it off and no one can ·save [rescue] it.
30 On that day they will roar [L over it]
    like the ·waves [L roaring] of the sea.
And ·when [if] people look at the land,
    they will see only darkness and ·pain [distress];
all light will become dark ·in this thick cloud [or because of clouds].

葡萄园之喻

我要为我所亲爱的唱歌,是我所爱者的歌,论他葡萄园的事。我所亲爱的有葡萄园,在肥美的山冈上。 他刨挖园子,捡去石头,栽种上等的葡萄树,在园中盖了一座楼,又凿出压酒池,指望结好葡萄,反倒结了野葡萄。

耶路撒冷的居民和犹大人哪,请你们现今在我与我的葡萄园中断定是非。 我为我葡萄园所做之外,还有什么可做的呢?我指望结好葡萄,怎么倒结了野葡萄呢? 现在我告诉你们,我要向我葡萄园怎样行。我必撤去篱笆,使它被吞灭;拆毁墙垣,使它被践踏。 我必使它荒废,不再修理,不再锄刨,荆棘蒺藜倒要生长。我也必命云不降雨在其上。” 万军之耶和华的葡萄园就是以色列家,他所喜爱的树就是犹大人。他指望的是公平,谁知倒有暴虐[a];指望的是公义,谁知倒有冤声。

祸哉!那些以房接房,以地连地,以至不留余地的,只顾自己独居境内。 我耳闻万军之耶和华说:“必有许多又大又美的房屋成为荒凉,无人居住。 10 三十亩葡萄园只出一罢特酒,一贺梅珥谷种只结一伊法粮食。” 11 祸哉,那些清早起来追求浓酒,流连到夜深,甚至因酒发烧的人! 12 他们在筵席上弹琴、鼓瑟、击鼓、吹笛、饮酒,却不顾念耶和华的作为,也不留心他手所做的。

13 所以我的百姓因无知就被掳去,他们的尊贵人甚是饥饿,群众极其干渴。 14 故此,阴间扩张其欲,开了无限量的口,他们的荣耀、群众、繁华并快乐的人,都落在其中。 15 卑贱人被压服,尊贵人降为卑,眼目高傲的人也降为卑。 16 唯有万军之耶和华因公平而崇高,圣者神因公义显为圣。 17 那时,羊羔必来吃草,如同在自己的草场,丰肥人的荒场被游行的人吃尽。

虚伪邪恶必受灾祸

18 祸哉,那些以虚假之细绳牵罪孽的人,他们又像以套绳拉罪恶, 19 说:“任他急速行,赶快成就他的作为,使我们看看!任以色列圣者所谋划的临近成就,使我们知道!” 20 祸哉,那些称恶为善,称善为恶,以暗为光,以光为暗,以苦为甜,以甜为苦的人! 21 祸哉,那些自以为有智慧,自看为通达的人! 22 祸哉,那些勇于饮酒,以能力调浓酒的人! 23 他们因受贿赂,就称恶人为义,将义人的义夺去。

24 火苗怎样吞灭碎秸,干草怎样落在火焰之中,照样,他们的根必像朽物,他们的花必像灰尘飞腾。因为他们厌弃万军之耶和华的训诲,藐视以色列圣者的言语。 25 所以耶和华的怒气向他的百姓发作,他的手伸出攻击他们,山岭就震动,他们的尸首在街市上好像粪土。虽然如此,他的怒气还未转消,他的手仍伸不缩。

26 他必竖立大旗招远方的国民,发咝声叫他们从地极而来。看哪,他们必急速奔来! 27 其中没有疲倦的、绊跌的,没有打盹的、睡觉的,腰带并不放松,鞋带也不折断。 28 他们的箭快利,弓也上了弦;马蹄算如坚石,车轮好像旋风。 29 他们要吼叫像母狮子,咆哮像少壮狮子;他们要咆哮抓食,坦然叼去,无人救回。 30 那日,他们要向以色列人吼叫,像海浪砰訇。人若望地,只见黑暗艰难,光明在云中变为昏暗。

Footnotes

  1. 以赛亚书 5:7 或作:倒流人血。

God’s Disappointing Vineyard

Now let me sing to my Well-beloved
A song of my Beloved (A)regarding His vineyard:

My Well-beloved has a vineyard
[a]On a very fruitful hill.
He dug it up and cleared out its stones,
And planted it with the choicest vine.
He built a tower in its midst,
And also [b]made a winepress in it;
(B)So He expected it to bring forth good grapes,
But it brought forth wild grapes.

“And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah,
(C)Judge, please, between Me and My vineyard.
What more could have been done to My vineyard
That I have not done in (D)it?
Why then, when I expected it to bring forth good grapes,
Did it bring forth wild grapes?
And now, please let Me tell you what I will do to My vineyard:
(E)I will take away its hedge, and it shall be burned;
And break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down.
I will lay it (F)waste;
It shall not be pruned or [c]dug,
But there shall come up briers and (G)thorns.
I will also command the clouds
That they rain no rain on it.”

For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel,
And the men of Judah are His pleasant plant.
He looked for justice, but behold, oppression;
For righteousness, but behold, [d]a cry for help.

Impending Judgment on Excesses

Woe to those who [e]join (H)house to house;
They add field to field,
Till there is no place
Where they may dwell alone in the midst of the land!
(I)In my hearing the Lord of hosts said,
“Truly, many houses shall be desolate,
Great and beautiful ones, without inhabitant.
10 For ten acres of vineyard shall yield one (J)bath,[f]
And a homer of seed shall yield one [g]ephah.”

11 (K)Woe to those who rise early in the morning,
That they may [h]follow intoxicating drink;
Who continue until night, till wine inflames them!
12 (L)The harp and the strings,
The tambourine and flute,
And wine are in their feasts;
But (M)they do not regard the work of the Lord,
Nor consider the operation of His hands.

13 (N)Therefore my people have gone into captivity,
Because they have no (O)knowledge;
Their honorable men are famished,
And their multitude dried up with thirst.
14 Therefore Sheol has enlarged itself
And opened its mouth beyond measure;
Their glory and their multitude and their pomp,
And he who is jubilant, shall descend into it.
15 People shall be brought down,
(P)Each man shall be humbled,
And the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled.
16 But the Lord of hosts shall be (Q)exalted in judgment,
And God who is holy shall be hallowed in righteousness.
17 Then the lambs shall feed in their pasture,
And in the waste places of (R)the [i]fat ones strangers shall eat.

18 Woe to those who [j]draw iniquity with cords of [k]vanity,
And sin as if with a cart rope;
19 (S)That say, “Let Him make speed and hasten His work,
That we may see it;
And let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near and come,
That we may know it.

20 Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;
Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness;
Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

21 Woe to those who are (T)wise in their own eyes,
And prudent in their own sight!

22 Woe to men mighty at drinking wine,
Woe to men valiant for mixing intoxicating drink,
23 Who (U)justify the wicked for a bribe,
And take away justice from the righteous man!

24 Therefore, (V)as the [l]fire devours the stubble,
And the flame consumes the chaff,
So (W)their root will be as rottenness,
And their blossom will ascend like dust;
Because they have rejected the law of the Lord of hosts,
And despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
25 (X)Therefore the anger of the Lord is aroused against His people;
He has stretched out His hand against them
And stricken them,
And (Y)the hills trembled.
Their carcasses were as refuse in the midst of the streets.

(Z)For all this His anger is not turned away,
But His hand is stretched out still.

26 (AA)He will lift up a banner to the nations from afar,
And will (AB)whistle to them from (AC)the end of the earth;
Surely (AD)they shall come with speed, swiftly.
27 No one will be weary or stumble among them,
No one will slumber or sleep;
Nor (AE)will the belt on their loins be loosed,
Nor the strap of their sandals be broken;
28 (AF)Whose arrows are sharp,
And all their bows bent;
Their horses’ hooves will [m]seem like flint,
And their wheels like a whirlwind.
29 Their roaring will be like a lion,
They will roar like young lions;
Yes, they will roar
And lay hold of the prey;
They will carry it away safely,
And no one will deliver.
30 In that day they will roar against them
Like the roaring of the sea.
And if one (AG)looks to the land,
Behold, darkness and [n]sorrow;
And the light is darkened by the clouds.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 5:1 Lit. In a horn, the son of fatness
  2. Isaiah 5:2 Lit. hewed out
  3. Isaiah 5:6 hoed
  4. Isaiah 5:7 wailing
  5. Isaiah 5:8 Accumulate houses
  6. Isaiah 5:10 1 bath=1⁄10 homer
  7. Isaiah 5:10 1 ephah=1⁄10 homer
  8. Isaiah 5:11 pursue
  9. Isaiah 5:17 Lit. fatlings, rich ones
  10. Isaiah 5:18 drag
  11. Isaiah 5:18 emptiness or falsehood
  12. Isaiah 5:24 Lit. tongue of fire
  13. Isaiah 5:28 Lit. be regarded as
  14. Isaiah 5:30 distress

Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill:

And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes.

And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard.

What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes?

And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down:

And I will lay it waste: it shall not be pruned, nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it.

For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry.

Woe unto them that join house to house, that lay field to field, till there be no place, that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth!

In mine ears said the Lord of hosts, Of a truth many houses shall be desolate, even great and fair, without inhabitant.

10 Yea, ten acres of vineyard shall yield one bath, and the seed of an homer shall yield an ephah.

11 Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them!

12 And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts: but they regard not the work of the Lord, neither consider the operation of his hands.

13 Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge: and their honourable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst.

14 Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it.

15 And the mean man shall be brought down, and the mighty man shall be humbled, and the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled:

16 But the Lord of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness.

17 Then shall the lambs feed after their manner, and the waste places of the fat ones shall strangers eat.

18 Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope:

19 That say, Let him make speed, and hasten his work, that we may see it: and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come, that we may know it!

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.