1 What misery is mine!

I am like one who gathers summer fruit

at the gleaning of the vineyard;

there is no cluster of grapes to eat,

none of the early figs that I crave.

2 The faithful have been swept from the land;

not one upright person remains.

Everyone lies in wait to shed blood;

they hunt each other with nets.

3 Both hands are skilled in doing evil;

the ruler demands gifts,

the judge accepts bribes,

the powerful dictate what they desire—

they all conspire together.

4 The best of them is like a brier,

the most upright worse than a thorn hedge.

The day God visits you has come,

the day your watchmen sound the alarm.

Now is the time of your confusion.

1 Woe is me! For I have become

as when the summer fruit has been gathered,

as when the grapes have been gleaned:

there is no cluster to eat,

no first-ripe fig that my soul desires.

2 The godly has perished from the earth,

and there is no one upright among mankind;

they all lie in wait for blood,

and each hunts the other with a net.

3 Their hands are on what is evil, to do it well;

the prince and the judge ask for a bribe,

and the great man utters the evil desire of his soul;

thus they weave it together.

4 The best of them is like a brier,

the most upright of them a thorn hedge.

The day of your watchmen, of your punishment, has come;

now their confusion is at hand.

1 Woe is me! for I am as when they have gathered the summer fruits,

As the grapegleanings of the vintage:

There is no cluster to eat:

My soul desired the firstripe fruit.

2 The good man is perished out of the earth:

And there is none upright among men:

They all lie in wait for blood;

They hunt every man his brother with a net.

3 That they may do evil with both hands earnestly,

The prince asketh, and the judge asketh for a reward;

And the great man, he uttereth his mischievous desire:

So they wrap it up.

4 The best of them is as a brier:

The most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge:

The day of thy watchmen and thy visitation cometh;

Now shall be their perplexity.

1 How miserable I am!

I feel like the fruit picker after the harvest

who can find nothing to eat.

Not a cluster of grapes or a single early fig

can be found to satisfy my hunger.

2 The godly people have all disappeared;

not one honest person is left on the earth.

They are all murderers,

setting traps even for their own brothers.

3 Both their hands are equally skilled at doing evil!

Officials and judges alike demand bribes.

The people with influence get what they want,

and together they scheme to twist justice.

4 Even the best of them is like a brier;

the most honest is as dangerous as a hedge of thorns.

But your judgment day is coming swiftly now.

Your time of punishment is here, a time of confusion.

1 Poor me! I am like a hungry man,

and all the summer fruit has been picked—

there are no grapes left to eat,

none of the early figs I love.

2 All of the faithful people are gone;

there is not one good person left in this country.

Everyone is waiting to kill someone;

everyone is trying to trap someone else.

3 With both hands they are doing evil.

Rulers ask for money,

and judges’ decisions are bought for a price.

Rich people tell what they want,

and they get it.

4 Even the best of them is like a thornbush;

the most honest of them is worse than a prickly plant.

The day that your watchmen warned you about has come.

Now they will be confused.

1 Woe is me! for I am as when they have gathered the summer fruits, as the grape gleanings of the vintage: there is no cluster to eat; my soul desireth the first-ripe fig. 2 The godly man is perished out of the earth, and there is none upright among men: they all lie in wait for blood; they hunt every man his brother with a net. 3 Their hands are upon that which is evil to do it diligently; the prince asketh, and the judge is ready for a reward; and the great man, he uttereth the evil desire of his soul: thus they weave it together. 4 The best of them is as a brier; the most upright is worse than a thorn hedge: the day of thy watchmen, even thy visitation, is come; now shall be their perplexity.

1 Woe is me! for I am as when they have gathered the summer-fruits, as the grape-gleanings of the vintage. There is no cluster to eat; there is no early fruit which my soul desired. 2 The godly man hath perished out of the land, and there is none upright among men: they all lie in wait for blood, they hunt every man his brother with a net. 3 Both hands are for evil, to do it well. The prince asketh, and the judge is there for a reward; and the great man uttereth his soul’s greed: and together they combine it. 4 The best of them is as a briar; the most upright, worse than a thorn-fence. The day of thy watchmen, thy visitation is come; now shall be their perplexity.

1 Poor me! 

I am like those gathering summer fruit, 

like those picking grapes. 

But there aren’t any grapes to eat 

or any ripened figs that I crave. 

2 Faithful people are gone from the earth, 

and no one is decent. 

All people lie in ambush to commit murder. 

They trap each other with nets. 

3 Their hands are skilled in doing evil. 

Officials ask for gifts. 

Judges accept bribes. 

Powerful people dictate what they want. 

So they scheme together. 

4 The best of them is like a briar. 

The most decent person is sharper than thornbushes. 

The day you thought you would be punished has come. 

Now is the time you will be confused. 

1 How sad for me!

For I am like one who—

when the summer fruit has been gathered

after the gleaning of the grape harvest —

finds no grape cluster to eat,

no early fig, which I crave.

2 Godly people have vanished from the land;

there is no one upright among the people.

All of them wait in ambush to shed blood;

they hunt each other with a net.

3 Both hands are good at accomplishing evil:

the official and the judge demand a bribe;

when the powerful man communicates his evil desire,

they plot it together.

4 The best of them is like a brier;

the most upright is worse than a hedge of thorns.

The day of your watchmen,

the day of your punishment, is coming;

at this time their panic is here.

1 Woe is me! For I have become like one who,

after the summer fruit has been gathered,

after the vintage has been gleaned,

finds no cluster to eat;

there is no first-ripe fig for which I hunger.

2 The faithful have disappeared from the land,

and there is no one left who is upright;

they all lie in wait for blood,

and they hunt each other with nets.

3 Their hands are skilled to do evil;

the official and the judge ask for a bribe,

and the powerful dictate what they desire;

thus they pervert justice.

4 The best of them is like a brier,

the most upright of them a thorn hedge.

The day of their sentinels, of their punishment, has come;

now their confusion is at hand.

1 Woe is me! For I have become

like the gatherings of summer,

like the gleanings of the grape harvest,

when there is no cluster of grapes to eat

or early ripened fruit that my soul desires.

2 The faithful person has perished from the land,

and there is none who is upright among humankind.

All of them lie in wait for blood;

each hunts his brother with a net.

3 Their hands are upon evil, to do it well;

the official and the judge ask for the bribe,

and the great man utters the evil desire of his soul;

and they weave it together.

4 The best of them is like a brier;

the most upright worse than a thorn hedge.

The day of your watchman, your punishment, has come;

now their confusion will come.

1 I’m suffering very much!

I’m like someone who gathers summer fruit in a vineyard

after the good fruit has already been picked.

No grapes are left to eat.

None of the early figs I long for remain.

2 Faithful people have disappeared from the land.

Those who are honest are gone.

All men hide and wait

to spill the blood of others.

They use nets to try and trap one another.

3 They are very good at doing what is evil.

Rulers require gifts.

Judges accept money from people

who want special favors.

Those who are powerful

always get what they want.

All of them make evil plans together.

4 The best of them are as harmful as thorns.

The most honest of them are even worse.

The time your prophets warned you about has come.

God is about to punish you.

Panic has taken hold of you.

1 Woe is me! For I am

Like the fruit pickers, like the grape gatherers.

There is not a cluster of grapes to eat,

Or a first-ripe fig which I crave.

2 The godly person has perished from the land,

And there is no upright person among men.

All of them lie in wait for bloodshed;

Each of them hunts the other with a net.

3 Concerning evil, both hands do it well.

The prince asks, also the judge, for a bribe,

And a great man speaks the desire of his soul;

So they weave it together.

4 The best of them is like a briar,

The most upright like a thorn hedge.

The day when you post your watchmen,

Your punishment will come.

Then their confusion will occur.