5. Now I will tell youwhat I am going to do to my vineyard:I will take away its hedge,and it will be destroyed;I will break down its wall,and it will be trampled.
6. I will make it a wasteland,neither pruned nor cultivated,and briers and thorns will grow there.I will command the cloudsnot to rain on it.’
7. The vineyard of the Lord Almightyis the nation of Israel,and the people of Judahare the vines he delighted in.And he looked for justice, but saw bloodshed;for righteousness, but heard cries of distress.
8. Woe to you who add house to houseand join field to fieldtill no space is leftand you live alone in the land.
9. The Lord Almighty has declared in my hearing:‘Surely the great houses will become desolate,the fine mansions left without occupants.
10. A ten-acre vineyard will produce only a bath of wine;a homer of seed will yield only an ephah of grain.’
11. Woe to those who rise early in the morningto run after their drinks,who stay up late at nighttill they are inflamed with wine.
12. They have harps and lyres at their banquets,pipes and tambourines and wine,but they have no regard for the deeds of the Lord,no respect for the work of his hands.
13. Therefore my people will go into exilefor lack of understanding;those of high rank will die of hungerand the common people will be parched with thirst.
14. Therefore Death expands its jaws,opening wide its mouth;into it will descend their nobles and masseswith all their brawlers and revellers.
15. So people will be brought lowand everyone humbled,the eyes of the arrogant humbled.
16. But the Lord Almighty will be exalted by his justice,and the holy God will be proved holy by his righteous acts.
17. Then sheep will graze as in their own pasture;lambs will feed among the ruins of the rich.
18. Woe to those who draw sin along with cords of deceit,and wickedness as with cart ropes,
19. to those who say, ‘Let God hurry;let him hasten his workso that we may see it.The plan of the Holy One of Israel –let it approach, let it come into view,so that we may know it.’
20. Woe to those who call evil goodand good evil,who put darkness for lightand light for darkness,who put bitter for sweetand sweet for bitter.