Isaiah 5:8-30

New International Version

“Surely the great houses will become desolate,^(E)
    the fine mansions left without occupants.
¹⁰ A ten-acre vineyard will produce only a bath^[a] of wine;
    a homer^[b] of seed will yield only an ephah^[c] of grain.”^(F)

¹¹ Woe^(G) to those who rise early in the morning
    to run after their drinks,
who stay up late at night
    till they are inflamed with wine.^(H)
12 They have harps and lyres at their banquets,
    pipes^(I) and timbrels^(J) and wine,
but they have no regard^(K) for the deeds of the Lord,
    no respect for the work of his hands.^(L)
13 Therefore my people will go into exile^(M)
    for lack of understanding;^(N)
those of high rank^(O) will die of hunger
    and the common people will be parched with thirst.^(P)
14 Therefore Death^(Q) expands its jaws,
    opening wide its mouth;^(R)
into it will descend their nobles and masses
    with all their brawlers and revelers.^(S)
15 So people will be brought low^(T)
    and everyone humbled,^(U)
    the eyes of the arrogant^(V) humbled.
¹⁶ But the Lord Almighty will be exalted^(W) by his justice,^(X)
    and the holy God will be proved holy^(Y) by his righteous acts.
¹⁷ Then sheep will graze as in their own pasture;^(Z)
    lambs will feed^[d] among the ruins of the rich.

¹⁸ Woe^(AA) to those who draw sin along with cords^(AB) of deceit,
    and wickedness^(AC) as with cart ropes,
¹⁹ to those who say, “Let God hurry;
    let him hasten^(AD) his work
    so we may see it.
The plan of the Holy One^(AE) of Israel—
    let it approach, let it come into view,
    so we may know it.”^(AF)

²⁰ Woe^(AG) to those who call evil good^(AH)
    and good evil,^(AI)
who put darkness for light
    and light for darkness,^(AJ)
who put bitter for sweet
    and sweet for bitter.^(AK)

²¹ Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes^(AL)
    and clever in their own sight.

²² Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine^(AM)
    and champions at mixing drinks,^(AN)
23 who acquit the guilty for a bribe,^(AO)
    but deny justice^(AP) to the innocent.^(AQ)
24 Therefore, as tongues of fire^(AR) lick up straw^(AS)
    and as dry grass sinks down in the flames,
so their roots will decay^(AT)
    and their flowers blow away like dust;^(AU)
for they have rejected the law of the Lord Almighty
    and spurned the word^(AV) of the Holy One^(AW) of Israel.
²⁵ Therefore the Lord’s anger^(AX) burns against his people;
    his hand is raised and he strikes them down.
The mountains shake,^(AY)
    and the dead bodies^(AZ) are like refuse^(BA) in the streets.^(BB)

Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,^(BC)
    his hand is still upraised.^(BD)

²⁶ He lifts up a banner^(BE) for the distant nations,
    he whistles^(BF) for those at the ends of the earth.^(BG)
Here they come,
    swiftly and speedily!
²⁷ Not one of them grows tired^(BH) or stumbles,
    not one slumbers or sleeps;
not a belt^(BI) is loosened at the waist,^(BJ)
    not a sandal strap is broken.^(BK)
28 Their arrows are sharp,^(BL)
    all their bows^(BM) are strung;
their horses’ hooves^(BN) seem like flint,
    their chariot wheels like a whirlwind.^(BO)
29 Their roar is like that of the lion,^(BP)
    they roar like young lions;
they growl as they seize^(BQ) their prey
    and carry it off with no one to rescue.^(BR)
30 In that day^(BS) they will roar over it
    like the roaring of the sea.^(BT)
And if one looks at the land,
    there is only darkness^(BU) and distress;^(BV)
    even the sun will be darkened^(BW) by clouds.