¶ Now¹ will I sing to my wellbeloved² a song of my beloved touching³ his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill⁴:

And he fenced it,⁵ and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted⁶ it with the choicest vine⁷, and built⁸ a tower in the midst of it, and also made⁹ a winepress therein: and he looked¹⁰ that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes¹¹.

And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge¹², I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard.

¹³What 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;¹⁴ I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take¹⁵ away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down¹⁶:

And I will lay¹⁷ it waste: it shall¹⁸ not be pruned, nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also¹⁹ command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it.

For the vineyard²⁰ of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant²¹: and he looked²² for judgment, but²³ behold oppression²⁴; for righteousness, but behold a cry²⁵.

¶ Woe unto them²⁶ that join house to house, that lay field²⁷ to field, till there be no place, that they²⁸ may be placed alone in the midst of the earth!

In mine ears said²⁹ the LORD of hosts, Of a truth³⁰ many houses shall be desolate, even great and fair, without inhabitant.

¶ Yea, ten acres of vineyard shall yield one³¹ bath, and the seed of an homer shall yield an ephah.

Woe unto them that rise³² up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame³³ them!

And the harp³⁴, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts: but they regard³⁵ not the work of the LORD, neither consider the operation of his hands.

Therefore my people³⁶ are gone into captivity, because³⁷ they have no knowledge: and their honourable men are famished³⁸, and their multitude³⁹ dried up with thirst.

Therefore hell⁴⁰ hath enlarged herself, and opened⁴¹ her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth⁴², shall descend into it.

And the mean⁴³ man shall be brought down, and the mighty man shall be humbled, and the eyes⁴⁴ of the lofty shall be humbled:

But the LORD⁴⁵ of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God that is holy⁴⁶ shall be sanctified⁴⁷ in righteousness.

Then shall the lambs⁴⁸ feed after their manner, and the waste⁴⁹ places of the fat ones shall strangers⁵⁰ eat.

¶ Woe unto them that draw⁵¹ iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope:

That say, Let him⁵² make speed, and hasten his work, that we may see it: and let the⁵³ counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come, that we may know it!

¶ Woe unto them⁵⁴ that call evil good⁵⁵, 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 wise⁵⁶ in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight⁵⁷!

Woe unto them that are mighty⁵⁸ to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink:

Which justify⁵⁹ the wicked for reward⁶⁰, and take⁶¹ away the righteousness of the righteous from him!

Therefore as the fire⁶² devoureth the stubble, and the flame⁶³ consumeth the chaff, so their root⁶⁴ shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away⁶⁵ the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised⁶⁶ the word of the Holy One of Israel.

Therefore is the anger⁶⁷ of the LORD kindled against his people, and he hath stretched⁶⁸ forth his hand against them, and hath smitten them: and the hills⁶⁹ did tremble, and their carcases were torn⁷⁰ in the midst of the streets. For all⁷¹ this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

And he will⁷² lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss⁷³ unto them from the end⁷⁴ of the earth: and, behold, they⁷⁵ shall come with speed swiftly:

None shall be⁷⁶ weary nor stumble among them; none shall slumber nor sleep; neither⁷⁷ shall the girdle of their loins be loosed, nor the latchet⁷⁸ of their shoes be broken:

Whose arrows⁷⁹ are sharp, and all their bows bent, their horses⁸⁰' hoofs shall be counted like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind:

Their roaring⁸¹ shall be like a lion, they shall roar like young lions: yea, they shall roar, and lay hold⁸² of the prey, and shall carry it away safe, and none shall deliver it.

¶ And in that day they shall roar against them like⁸³ the roaring of the sea: and if one look⁸⁴ unto the land, behold darkness and sorrow⁸⁵, and the light is darkened in the heavens thereof.