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The Song of the Vineyard

Let me sing for my beloved
    a song of my love concerning his vineyard:
My beloved had a vineyard[a] on a fertile hill.[b]
And he dug it and cleared it of stones,
    and he planted it with choice vines,[c]
and he built a watchtower in the middle of it,
    and he even hewed out a wine vat in it,
and he waited for it to yield grapes—
    but it yielded wild grapes.
And now, inhabitants of Jerusalem
    and men[d] of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard.
What more was there to do for my vineyard that I have not done in it?
    Why did I hope for it to yield grapes, and it yielded wild grapes?

And now let me tell you what I myself am about to do to my vineyard.

I will remove its hedge, and it shall become a devastation.
    I will break down its wall, and it shall become a trampling.
And I will make it a wasteland;
    it shall not be pruned and hoed,
and it shall be overgrown with briers[e] and thornbushes.[f]
    And concerning the clouds, I will command them not to send[g] rain down upon it.
For the vineyard of Yahweh of hosts is the house of Israel,
    and the man[h] of Judah is the plantation of his delight.
And he waited for justice,[i]
    but look! Bloodshed![j]
For righteousness,[k]
    but look! A cry of distress![l]

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 5:1 Literally “A vineyard was for my beloved”
  2. Isaiah 5:1 Literally “a horn of a son of olive oil.” The Hebrew for horn, qeren, sounds like the Hebrew for vineyard, kerem
  3. Isaiah 5:2 Hebrew “vine”
  4. Isaiah 5:3 Hebrew “man”
  5. Isaiah 5:6 Hebrew “brier”
  6. Isaiah 5:6 Hebrew “thornbush”
  7. Isaiah 5:6 Literally “from sending”
  8. Isaiah 5:7 Or “people”
  9. Isaiah 5:7 The Hebrew word, mishpat, sounds like mishpakh in the next line
  10. Isaiah 5:7 The Hebrew word, mishpakh, sounds like mishpat in the previous line
  11. Isaiah 5:7 The Hebrew word, tsedaqah, sounds like tsa`aqah in the next line
  12. Isaiah 5:7 The Hebrew word, tsa`aqah, sounds like tsedaqah in the previous line

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.

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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