Isaiah 5:1–7

The Song of the Vineyard

5Let me sing for my beloved

a song of my love concerning his vineyard:

My beloved had a vineyard^a on a fertile hill.^b

²And he dug it and cleared it of stones,

and he planted it with choice vines,^c

and he built a watchtower in the middle of it,

and he even hewed out a wine vat in it,

and he waited for it to yield grapes—

but it yielded wild grapes.

³And now, inhabitants of Jerusalem

and men^d of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard.

⁴What more was there to do for my vineyard that I have not done in it?

Why did I hope for it to yield grapes, and it yielded wild grapes?

⁵And now let me tell you what I myself am about to do to my vineyard.

I will remove its hedge, and it shall become a devastation.

I will break down its wall, and it shall become a trampling.

⁶And I will make it a wasteland;

it shall not be pruned and hoed,

and it shall be overgrown with briers^e and thornbushes.^f

And concerning the clouds, I will command them not to send^g rain down upon it.

⁷For the vineyard of Yahweh of hosts is the house of Israel,

and the man^h of Judah is the plantation of his delight.

And he waited for justice,ⁱ

but look! Bloodshed!^j

For righteousness,^k

but look! A cry of distress!^l