Woes and Judgments

8 Woej to you who add house to house

and join field to fieldk

till no space is left

and you live alone in the land.

9 The Lord Almightyl has declared in my hearing:m

“Surely the great houses will become desolate,n

the fine mansions left without occupants.

10 A ten-acre vineyard will produce only a batha of wine;

a homerb of seed will yield only an ephahc of grain.”o

11 Woep 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.q

12 They have harps and lyres at their banquets,

pipesr and timbrelss and wine,

but they have no regardt for the deeds of the Lord,

no respect for the work of his hands.u

13 Therefore my people will go into exilev

for lack of understanding;w

those of high rankx will die of hunger

and the common people will be parched with thirst.y

14 Therefore Deathz expands its jaws,

opening wide its mouth;a

into it will descend their nobles and masses

with all their brawlers and revelers.b

15 So people will be brought lowc

and everyone humbled,d

the eyes of the arrogante humbled.

16 But the Lord Almighty will be exaltedf by his justice,g

and the holy God will be proved holyh by his righteous acts.

17 Then sheep will graze as in their own pasture;i

lambs will feedd among the ruins of the rich.

18 Woej to those who draw sin along with cordsk of deceit,

and wickednessl as with cart ropes,

19 to those who say, “Let God hurry;

let him hastenm his work

so we may see it.

The plan of the Holy Onen of Israel—

let it approach, let it come into view,

so we may know it.”o

20 Woep to those who call evil goodq

and good evil,r

who put darkness for light

and light for darkness,s

who put bitter for sweet

and sweet for bitter.t

21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyesu

and clever in their own sight.

22 Woe to those who are heroes at drinking winev

and champions at mixing drinks,w

23 who acquit the guilty for a bribe,x

but deny justicey to the innocent.z