Isaiah 5:22–30

²²Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine^v

and champions at mixing drinks,^w

²³who acquit the guilty for a bribe,^x

but deny justice^y to the innocent.^z

²⁴Therefore, as tongues of fire^a lick up straw^b

and as dry grass sinks down in the flames,

so their roots will decay^c

and their flowers blow away like dust;^d

for they have rejected the law of the Lord Almighty

and spurned the word^e of the Holy One^f of Israel.

²⁵Therefore the Lord’s anger^g burns against his people;

his hand is raised and he strikes them down.

The mountains shake,^h

and the dead bodiesⁱ are like refuse^j in the streets.^k

Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,^l

his hand is still upraised.^m

²⁶He lifts up a bannerⁿ for the distant nations,

he whistles^o for those at the ends of the earth.^p

Here they come,

swiftly and speedily!

²⁷Not one of them grows tired^q or stumbles,

not one slumbers or sleeps;

not a belt^r is loosened at the waist,^s

not a sandal strap is broken.^t

²⁸Their arrows are sharp,^u

all their bows^v are strung;

their horses’ hooves^w seem like flint,

their chariot wheels like a whirlwind.^x

²⁹Their roar is like that of the lion,^y

they roar like young lions;

they growl as they seize^z their prey

and carry it off with no one to rescue.^a

³⁰In that day^b they will roar over it

like the roaring of the sea.^c

And if one looks at the land,

there is only darkness^d and distress;^e

even the sun will be darkened^f by clouds.