Isaiah 5

All 30 verses in the Clear Bible Translation. Tap a verse to compare the KJV and read what it means.

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1. 1Let me sing a song for the one I love — a song about his vineyard. My beloved had a vineyard on a rich, fertile hillside.
2. 2He fenced it, cleared away its stones, and planted it with the finest vine. He built a tower in the middle and made a winepress there. He expected it to produce grapes, but it produced wild grapes.
3. 3"Now then, people of Jerusalem and Judah — you be the judge between me and my vineyard.
4. 4What more could I have done for my vineyard that I haven't already done? Why did it produce wild grapes when I expected good ones?
5. 5Let me tell you what I'm going to do to my vineyard. I'll tear down its hedge, and animals will devour it. I'll break down its wall, and it will be trampled.
6. 6I'll turn it into a wasteland. No one will prune it or tend the soil. Briers and thorns will take over. I'll even command the clouds to hold back their rain."
7. 7For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are his pleasant plant. He looked for judgment, but found oppression; for righteousness, but heard a cry.
8. 8Woe to those who join house to house and field to field, until there is no room left, and they live alone in the middle of the land!
9. 9The LORD of hosts declared in my hearing: "Without a doubt, many grand and beautiful houses will stand empty, with no one living in them.
10. 10Ten acres of vineyard will produce only one bath of wine, and a homer of seed will yield just an ephah of grain."
11. 11Woe to those who rise early in the morning to pursue strong drink, and continue until night, until wine inflames them!
12. 12Their parties are full of harps, lyres, tambourines, flutes, and wine — but they pay no attention to what the LORD is doing and never consider the work of his hands.
13. 13Therefore, my people have gone into captivity because they lack knowledge. Their honorable men are famished, and their multitude is dried up with thirst.
14. 14Therefore hell has opened its mouth wide, stretching beyond all limits. Their glory, their multitude, their pomp, and everyone who rejoices will descend into it.
15. 15The common person will be brought low, the powerful will be humbled, and the arrogant will have their proud eyes cast down.
16. 16But the LORD of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God who is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness.
17. 17Then the lambs will graze in their usual way, and strangers will eat in the waste places of the fat ones.
18. 18How terrible it will be for those who draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as if with a cart rope.
19. 19They say, 'Let him hurry and speed up his work so we can see it. Let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel come near and come so we can know it!'
20. 20How terrible it will be for those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!
21. 21How terrible it will be for those who are wise in their own eyes and prudent in their own sight!
22. 22Woe to those who are champions at drinking wine and experts at mixing strong drink:
23. 23who justify the wicked for a reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!
24. 24So just as fire devours dry stubble and flames consume chaff, their roots will rot and their blossoms will blow away like dust — because they rejected the law of the LORD of hosts and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
25. 25That is why the LORD's anger burns against his people. He has raised his hand and struck them down. The mountains trembled, and their bodies were torn in the streets. Yet even after all this, his anger has not turned away—his hand is still raised.
26. 26He will raise a signal flag for distant nations and whistle for them from the ends of the earth. Watch — they will come racing in, swift and fast.
27. 27Not one of them will be tired or stumble. None will drowse or fall asleep. Every belt will be cinched tight, and not a single sandal strap will be broken.
28. 28Their arrows are razor-sharp, and every bow is strung and ready. Their horses' hooves are hard as flint, and their chariot wheels spin like a whirlwind.
29. 29Their roaring will be like a lion; they will roar like young lions. Yes, they will roar, seize their prey, and carry it away safely, with no one to rescue it.
30. 30On that day, they will roar against them like the roaring of the sea. If anyone looks to the land, they will see darkness and sorrow, and the light is darkened in the heavens.