5:1 I ¹  will sing to my love –

a song to my lover about his vineyard. ² 

My love had a vineyard

on a fertile hill. ³ 

5:2 He built a hedge around it, ⁴  removed its stones,

and planted a vine.

He built a tower in the middle of it,

and constructed a winepress.

He waited for it to produce edible grapes,

but it produced sour ones instead. ⁵ 

5:3 So now, residents of Jerusalem, ⁶ 

people ⁷  of Judah,

you decide between me and my vineyard!

5:4 What more can I do for my vineyard

beyond what I have already done?

When I waited for it to produce edible grapes,

why did it produce sour ones instead?

5:5 Now I will inform you

what I am about to do to my vineyard:

I will remove its hedge and turn it into pasture, ⁸ 

I will break its wall and allow animals to graze there. ⁹ 

5:6 I will make it a wasteland;

no one will prune its vines or hoe its ground, ¹⁰ 

and thorns and briers will grow there.

I will order the clouds

not to drop any rain on it.

5:7 Indeed ¹¹  Israel ¹²  is the vineyard of the Lord who commands armies,

the people ¹³  of Judah are the cultivated place in which he took delight.

He waited for justice, but look what he got – disobedience! ¹⁴ 

He waited for fairness, but look what he got – cries for help! ¹⁵ 

5:8 Those who accumulate houses are as good as dead, ¹⁶ 

those who also accumulate landed property ¹⁷ 

until there is no land left, ¹⁸ 

and you are the only landowners remaining within the land. ¹⁹ 

5:9 The Lord who commands armies told me this: ²⁰ 

“Many houses will certainly become desolate,

large, impressive houses will have no one living in them. ²¹ 

5:10 Indeed, a large vineyard ²²  will produce just a few gallons, ²³ 

and enough seed to yield several bushels ²⁴  will produce less than a bushel.” ²⁵ 

5:11 Those who get up early to drink beer are as good as dead, ²⁶ 

those who keep drinking long after dark

until they are intoxicated with wine. ²⁷ 

5:12 They have stringed instruments, ²⁸  tambourines, flutes,

and wine at their parties.

So they do not recognize what the Lord is doing,

they do not perceive what he is bringing about. ²⁹ 

5:13 Therefore my ³⁰  people will be deported ³¹ 

because of their lack of understanding.

Their ³²  leaders will have nothing to eat, ³³ 

their ³⁴  masses will have nothing to drink. ³⁵ 

5:14 So Death ³⁶  will open up its throat,

and open wide its mouth; ³⁷ 

Zion’s dignitaries and masses will descend into it,

including those who revel and celebrate within her. ³⁸ 

5:15 Men will be humiliated,

they will be brought low;

the proud will be brought low. ³⁹ 

5:16 The Lord who commands armies will be exalted ⁴⁰  when he punishes, ⁴¹ 

the sovereign God’s authority will be recognized when he judges. ⁴² 

5:17 Lambs ⁴³  will graze as if in their pastures,

amid the ruins the rich sojourners will graze. ⁴⁴ 

5:18 Those who pull evil along using cords of emptiness are as good as dead, ⁴⁵ 

who pull sin as with cart ropes. ⁴⁶ 

5:19 They say, “Let him hurry, let him act quickly, ⁴⁷ 

so we can see;

let the plan of the Holy One of Israel ⁴⁸  take shape ⁴⁹  and come to pass,

then we will know it!”

5:20 Those who call evil good and good evil are as good as dead, ⁵⁰ 

who turn darkness into light and light into darkness,

who turn bitter into sweet and sweet into bitter. ⁵¹ 

5:21 Those who think they are wise are as good as dead, ⁵² 

those who think they possess understanding. ⁵³ 

5:22 Those who are champions ⁵⁴  at drinking wine are as good as dead, ⁵⁵ 

who display great courage when mixing strong drinks.

5:23 They pronounce the guilty innocent for a payoff,

they ignore the just cause of the innocent. ⁵⁶ 

5:24 Therefore, as flaming fire ⁵⁷  devours straw,

and dry grass disintegrates in the flames,

so their root will rot,

and their flower will blow away like dust. ⁵⁸ 

For they have rejected the law of the Lord who commands armies,

they have spurned the commands ⁵⁹  of the Holy One of Israel. ⁶⁰ 

5:25 So the Lord is furious ⁶¹  with his people;

he lifts ⁶²  his hand and strikes them.

The mountains shake,

and corpses lie like manure ⁶³  in the middle of the streets.

Despite all this, his anger does not subside,

and his hand is ready to strike again. ⁶⁴ 

5:26 He lifts a signal flag for a distant nation, ⁶⁵ 

he whistles for it to come from the far regions of the earth.

Look, they ⁶⁶  come quickly and swiftly.

5:27 None tire or stumble,

they don’t stop to nap or sleep.

They don’t loosen their belts,

or unstrap their sandals to rest. ⁶⁷ 

5:28 Their arrows are sharpened,

and all their bows are prepared. ⁶⁸ 

The hooves of their horses are hard as flint, ⁶⁹ 

and their chariot wheels are like a windstorm. ⁷⁰ 

5:29 Their roar is like a lion’s;

they roar like young lions.

They growl and seize their prey;

they drag it away and no one can come to the rescue.

5:30 At that time ⁷¹  they will growl over their prey, ⁷² 

it will sound like sea waves crashing against rocks. ⁷³ 

One will look out over the land and see the darkness of disaster,

clouds will turn the light into darkness. ⁷⁴