1 L et me sing of and for my greatly Beloved a tender song of my Beloved concerning His vineyard. My greatly Beloved had a vineyard on a very fruitful hill.

Let me sing for my well beloved a song of my beloved about his vineyard. My beloved had a vineyard on a very fruitful hill.

2 A nd He dug and trenched the ground and gathered out the stones from it and planted it with the choicest vine and built a tower in the midst of it and hewed out a winepress in it. And He looked for it to bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes.

He dug it up, gathered out its stones, planted it with the choicest vine, built a tower in the middle of it, and also cut out a wine press therein. He looked for it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes.

3 A nd now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, between Me and My vineyard.

“Now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, please judge between me and my vineyard.

4 W hat more could have been done for My vineyard that I have not done in it? When I looked for it to bring forth grapes, why did it yield wild grapes?

What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? Why, when I looked for it to yield grapes, did it yield wild grapes?

5 A nd now I will tell you what I will do to My vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it shall be eaten and burned up; and I will break down its wall, and it shall be trodden down.

Now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will take away its hedge, and it will be eaten up. I will break down its wall of it, and it will be trampled down.

6 A nd I will lay it waste; it shall not be pruned or cultivated, but there shall come up briers and thorns. I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it.

I will lay it a wasteland. It won’t be pruned nor hoed, but it will grow briers and thorns. I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain on it.”

7 F or the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah His pleasant planting. And He looked for justice, but behold, oppression and bloodshed; for righteousness (for uprightness and right standing with God), but behold, a cry!

For the vineyard of Yahweh of Armies is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for justice, but, behold, oppression; for righteousness, but, behold, a cry of distress.

8 W oe to those who join house to house and join field to field until there is no place for others and you are made to dwell alone in the midst of the land!

Woe to those who join house to house, who lay field to field, until there is no room, and you are made to dwell alone in the middle of the land!

9 I n my ears the Lord of hosts said, Of a truth many houses shall be desolate, even great and beautiful ones shall be without inhabitant.

In my ears, Yahweh of Armies says: “Surely many houses will be desolate, even great and beautiful, unoccupied.

10 F or ten acres of vineyard shall yield only about eight gallons, and ten bushels of seed will produce but one bushel.

For ten acres of vineyard shall yield one bath, and a homer of seed shall yield an ephah.”

11 W oe unto those who rise early in the morning, that they may pursue strong drink, who tarry late into the night till wine inflames them!

Woe to those who rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; who stay late into the night, until wine inflames them!

12 T hey have lyre and harp, tambourine and flute and wine at their feasts, but they do not regard the deeds of the Lord, neither do they consider the operation of His hands.

The harp, lyre, tambourine, and flute, with wine, are at their feasts; but they don’t respect the work of Yahweh, neither have they considered the operation of his hands.

13 T herefore My people go into captivity without knowing it and because they have no knowledge. And their honorable men are famished, and their common people are parched with thirst.

Therefore my people go into captivity for lack of knowledge. Their honorable men are famished, and their multitudes are parched with thirst.

14 T herefore Sheol (the unseen state, the realm of the dead) has enlarged its appetite and opened its mouth without measure; and nobility and her multitude and her pomp and tumult and who exults in her descend into it.

Therefore Sheol has enlarged its desire, and opened its mouth without measure; and their glory, their multitude, their pomp, and he who rejoices among them, descend into it.

15 A nd the common man is bowed down, and the great man is brought low, and the eyes of the haughty are humbled.

So man is brought low, mankind is humbled, and the eyes of the arrogant ones are humbled;

16 B ut the Lord of hosts is exalted in justice, and God, the Holy One, shows Himself holy in righteousness and through righteous judgments.

but Yahweh of Armies is exalted in justice, and God the Holy One is sanctified in righteousness.

17 T hen shall the lambs feed as in their own pasture, and the desolate places of the rich shall sojourners and aliens eat.

Then the lambs will graze as in their pasture, and strangers will eat the ruins of the rich.

18 W oe to those who draw with cords of iniquity and falsehood, who bring punishment to themselves with a cart rope of wickedness,

Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of falsehood, and wickedness as with cart rope;

19 W ho say, Let make haste and speed His vengeance, that we may see it; and let the purpose of the Holy One of Israel draw near and come, that we may know it!

Who say, “Let him make speed, let him 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 W oe 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!

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 W oe to those who are wise in their own eyes and prudent and shrewd in their own sight!

Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!

22 W oe to those who are mighty heroes at drinking wine and men of strength in mixing alcoholic drinks!—

Woe to those who are mighty to drink wine, and champions at mixing strong drink;

23 W ho justify and acquit the guilty for a bribe, but take away the rights of the innocent and righteous from them!

who acquit the guilty for a bribe, but deny justice for the innocent!

24 T herefore, as the tongue of fire devours the stubble, and as the dry grass sinks down in the flame, so their root shall be like rottenness and their blossom shall go up like fine dust—because they have rejected and cast away the law and the teaching of the Lord of hosts and have not believed but have treated scornfully and have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.

Therefore as the tongue of fire devours the stubble, and as the dry grass sinks down in the flame, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust; because they have rejected the law of Yahweh of Armies, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.

25 T herefore is the anger of the Lord kindled against His people, and He has stretched forth His hand against them and has smitten them. And the mountains trembled, and their dead bodies were like dung and sweepings in the midst of the streets. For all this, His anger is not turned away, but His hand is still stretched out.

Therefore Yahweh’s anger burns against his people, and he has stretched out his hand against them, and has struck them. The mountains tremble, and their dead bodies are as refuse in the middle of the streets. For all this, his anger is not turned away, but his hand is still stretched out.

26 A nd He will lift up a signal to call together a hostile people from afar, and will hiss for them from the end of the earth, and behold, they shall come with speed, swiftly!

He will lift up a banner to the nations from far, and he will whistle for them from the end of the earth. Behold, they will come speedily and swiftly.

27 N one is weary or stumbles among them, none slumbers or sleeps; nor is the girdle of their loins loosed or the latchet (thong) of their shoes broken;

No one shall be weary nor stumble among them; no one shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the belt of their waist be untied, nor the strap of their sandals be broken:

28 T heir arrows are sharp, and all their bows bent; their horses’ hoofs seem like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind.

whose arrows are sharp, and all their bows bent. Their horses’ hoofs will be like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind.

29 T heir roaring is like that of a lioness, they roar like young lions; they growl and seize their prey and carry it safely away, and there is none to deliver it.

Their roaring will be like a lioness. They will roar like young lions. Yes, they shall roar, and seize their prey and carry it off, and there will be no one to deliver.

30 A nd in that day they shall roar against like the roaring of the sea. And if one looks to the land, behold, there is darkness and distress; and the light will be darkened by the clouds of it.

They will roar against them in that day like the roaring of the sea. If one looks to the land behold, darkness and distress. The light is darkened in its clouds.