Isaiah 5:22–30

²²How horrible it will be for those 

who are heroes at drinking wine, 

who are champions at mixing drinks, 

²³who declare the guilty innocent for a bribe, 

who take away the rights of righteous people. 

The Lord Will Use Another Nation to Punish His People

²⁴As flames burn up straw 

and dry grass shrivels in flames, 

so their roots will rot, 

and their blossoms will blow away like dust. 

They have rejected the teachings of the Lord of Armies 

and have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. 

²⁵That’s why the anger of the Lord burns hot against his people, 

and he is ready to use his power to strike them down. 

The hills tremble, 

and dead bodies lie like garbage in the streets. 

Even after all this, his anger has not disappeared, 

and he is still ready to use his power. 

²⁶The Lord raises up a flag for the nations far away. 

With a whistle he signals those at the ends of the earth. 

Look, they are coming very quickly! 

²⁷None of them grow tired or stumble. 

None of them slumber or sleep. 

The belts on their waists aren’t loose 

or their sandal straps broken. 

²⁸Their arrows are sharpened; all their bows are ready to shoot. 

Their horses’ hoofs are as hard as flint. 

Their chariot wheels are as quick as the wind. 

²⁹They roar like a lioness. 

They growl like a young lion. 

They growl as they snatch their prey 

and carry it off to where no one can rescue it. 

³⁰On that day they will roar over their prey 

as the sea roars. 

If they look at the land, 

they will see only darkness and distress. 

Even the light will be darkened by thick clouds.