Isaiah 5:18–25

18 Woe to those who drag wickedness

with cords of deceit w

and pull sin along with cart ropes,

19 to those who say:

“Let Him hurry up and do His work quickly

so that we can see it!

Let the plan x of the Holy One of Israel y take place

so that we can know it!”

20 Woe to those who call evil good

and good evil, z

who substitute darkness for light

and light for darkness,

who substitute bitter for sweet

and sweet for bitter.

21 Woe to those who are wise in their own opinion

and clever in their own sight. a b

22 Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine,

who are fearless at mixing beer, c

23 who acquit the * guilty for a bribe d

and deprive the innocent of justice.

24 Therefore, as a tongue of fire consumes straw

and as dry grass shrivels in the flame,

so their roots will become like something rotten

and their blossoms will blow away like dust,

for they have rejected e

the instruction of the Lord of Hosts,

and they have despised

the word of the Holy One of Israel. f

25 Therefore the Lord’s anger burns g against His people.

He raised His hand against them and struck them;

the mountains quaked, h

and their corpses were like garbage in the streets.

In all this, His anger is not removed,

and His hand is still raised to strike. i