Isaiah

Prophecies about judgment and salvation, promising hope and a savior.

Chapter 5

1 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:

*Now, I will sing a sweet song about my dear one, focusing on their special vineyard. My dear one has a productive vineyard on a very fertile hill.

2 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.

*He enclosed the area, removed rocks, and planted the best vines. He built a tower and a wine press inside. He expected it to produce good grapes but it gave him wild grapes instead.

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

*And now, people of Jerusalem and Judah, please decide between me and my vineyard.

4 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?

*What else could I have done for my vineyard that I haven't already done? So why, when I expected it to produce grapes, did it produce wild grapes instead?

5 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:

*Now, I'll explain what I plan to do with my vineyard. I will remove its protective barrier, allowing it to be consumed. Then, I will demolish its protective wall, letting it be trampled on.

6 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.

*I will destroy it and it won't be taken care of. Weeds and thorns will grow there. I will tell the clouds not to send rain on it.

7 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.

*The Lord's vineyard is where Israel lives, and Judah is His lovely plant. He expected fairness, but saw cruelty instead; He sought justice, but heard cries for help.

8 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!

*Woe to those who connect houses together and combine fields, leaving no space, so they can be isolated in the middle of the land.

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

*The Lord told me, "Many beautiful and grand houses will be empty, with no one living in them."

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

*Yes, 10 acres of grapes will make one batch of wine, and one measure of seeds (homer) will give a larger measure (ephah).

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

*Oh no for those who wake up early to chase alcohol, continuing until night when wine makes them drunk!

12 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.

*The harp, violin, drum, flute, and wine are at their parties. But they don't think about God's work or how He does things.

13 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.

*So my people are captured since they don't know better: important folks are starving, and many people are very thirsty.

14 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.

*So, hell has grown bigger and wide open. All the proud people with many followers and fancy stuff will go there.

15 And the mean man shall be brought down, and the mighty man shall be humbled, and the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled:

*The arrogant person will be lowered, the strong person will be made small, and the proud person's eyes will be made small.

16 But the LORD of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness.

*But the powerful Lord will be honored in fair decisions, and the pure God will be made holy in doing what's right.

17 Then shall the lambs feed after their manner, and the waste places of the fat ones shall strangers eat.

*Then, the lambs will eat as they usually do, and strangers will consume the unused areas where the wealthy once were.

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

*Woe to those who bring evil using ropes of deceit and commit sin like a heavy cart rope.

19 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!

*"Those who say to hurry up and quickly do their work so we can see it, and let the guidance of Israel's holy leader come near, so we can understand it!"

20 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!

*Oh no for those who confuse good and bad, light and dark, sweet and bitter!

21 Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!

*Woe to those who think they're smart and clever only to themselves!

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

*Oh no, for those who can consume a lot of alcohol and experts at mixing powerful drinks.

23 Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!

*Which excuse the wrongdoers for a prize and remove justice from the just person!

24 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.

*So just like fire burns up dry grass and flames destroy straw, their roots will rot and their flowers will turn to dust. This happens because they rejected the Lord's rules and didn't respect the sacred words of Israel's Holy One.

25 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.

*So, God's anger grows because of his people's actions, and he punishes them. The hills shake and their bodies are scattered in the city. Even after all this, God's anger continues and his punishment doesn't stop.

26 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:

*He will signal to distant nations and call out to them from the other side of the world. Suddenly, they will quickly arrive.

27 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:

*No one will feel tired or lose balance among them; no one will doze off or sleep. Their waistbands won't come undone, and their shoelaces won't break.

28 Whose arrows are sharp, and all their bows bent, their horses’ hoofs shall be counted like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind:

*Whose arrows are sharp and bows bent, horse's hooves will be like stone, and wheels will be like a powerful wind.

29 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.

*their powerful noise will be like a lion's roar, and they will roar like young strong lions. They will grab their target, take it safely away, and no one will be able to save it.

30 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.

*On that day, they will attack with a loud noise, like the sound of the sea. If you look at the land, you'll see sadness and darkness, and the sky's light will be gone.

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