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
.
Yea, ten
acres
of vineyard
shall yield
one
bath
, and the seed
of an homer
shall yield
an ephah
.
Woe unto them that rise up early
in the morning
, that they may follow
strong drink
; that continue
until night
, till wine
inflame
them!
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
.
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
.
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.
And the mean man shall be brought down
, and the mighty man
shall be humbled
, and the eyes
of the lofty
shall be humbled
:
But the LORD of hosts
shall be exalted
in judgment
, and God
that is holy
shall be sanctified
in righteousness
.
Then shall the lambs feed
after their manner
, and the waste places
of the fat ones
shall strangers
eat
.
Woe unto them that draw
iniquity
with cords
of vanity
, and sin
as it were with a cart
rope
:
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 !
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
!
Woe unto them that are wise
in their own eyes
, and prudent
in their own sight
!
Woe unto them that are mighty
to drink
wine
, and men
of strength
to mingle
strong drink
:
Which justify the wicked
for
reward
, and take away
the righteousness
of the righteous
from him!
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
.
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.
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
:
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
:
Whose arrows are sharp
, and all their bows
bent
, their horses
' hoofs
shall be counted
like flint
, and their wheels
like a whirlwind
:
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 .
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.