Isaiah 5

King James Version

Full text for Isaiah Chapter 5

1¶ Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill:

2And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes.

3And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard.

4What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes?

5And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; [and] break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down:

6And I will lay it waste: it shall not be pruned, nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it.

7For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts [is] the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry.

8¶ Woe unto them that join house to house, [that] lay field to field, till [there be] no place, that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth!

9In mine ears [said] the LORD of hosts, Of a truth many houses shall be desolate, [even] great and fair, without inhabitant.

10Yea, ten acres of vineyard shall yield one bath, and the seed of an homer shall yield an ephah.

11Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, [that] they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, [till] wine inflame them!

12And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts: but they regard not the work of the LORD, neither consider the operation of his hands.

13Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because [they have] no knowledge: and their honourable men [are] famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst.

14Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it.

15And the mean man shall be brought down, and the mighty man shall be humbled, and the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled:

16But the LORD of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness.

17Then shall the lambs feed after their manner, and the waste places of the fat ones shall strangers eat.

18¶ Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope:

19That say, Let him make speed, [and] hasten his work, that we may see [it]: and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come, that we may know [it]!

20Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

21Woe unto [them that are] wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!

22Woe unto [them that are] mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink:

23Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!

24Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, [so] their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.

25Therefore is the anger of the LORD kindled against his people, and he hath stretched forth his hand against them, and hath smitten them: and the hills did tremble, and their carcases [were] torn in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand [is] stretched out still.

26And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth: and, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly:

27None shall be weary nor stumble among them; none shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed, nor the latchet of their shoes be broken:

28Whose arrows [are] sharp, and all their bows bent, their horses' hoofs shall be counted like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind:

29Their roaring [shall be] like a lion, they shall roar like young lions: yea, they shall roar, and lay hold of the prey, and shall carry [it] away safe, and none shall deliver [it].

30And in that day they shall roar against them like the roaring of the sea: and if [one] look unto the land, behold darkness [and] sorrow, and the light is darkened in the heavens thereof.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Isaiah chapter 5 opens with the parable of a vineyard, representing Israel, which God meticulously cultivated but yielded only wild grapes, signifying their unrighteousness. Consequently, God declares He will lay waste to His vineyard. The chapter then pronounces a series of woes against the people for their greed, drunkenness, moral perversion, and injustice, culminating in a declaration of divine judgment and the swift, devastating invasion by a foreign nation.

Medium Summary

The prophet Isaiah opens with a poignant song about God's vineyard, which is Israel and Judah. Despite the Lord's diligent care—fencing, clearing stones, planting choicest vines, and building a tower—the vineyard produced only wild grapes, representing the people's failure to yield righteousness and justice. God therefore announces His intention to remove its protection and lay it waste. A series of six woes are then declared against those who accumulate land greedily, indulge in excessive drink and revelry while ignoring God's works, draw sin with cords of vanity, pervert moral distinctions, are wise in their own eyes, and corrupt justice for reward. These transgressions provoke the Lord's fierce anger, leading to a promised captivity and the swift, relentless invasion by a distant, powerful nation, bringing darkness and sorrow upon the land.

Long Summary

Isaiah chapter 5 commences with a "song of my beloved touching his vineyard," wherein the Lord, the wellbeloved, describes His meticulous care for His vineyard, representing the house of Israel and the men of Judah. He fenced it, cleared its stones, planted the choicest vine, built a tower, and made a winepress, expecting good grapes (judgment and righteousness). However, it brought forth only wild grapes (oppression and a cry), leading God to ask the inhabitants to judge His actions. Declaring His intent, the Lord vows to remove its hedge and wall, lay it waste, prevent pruning or digging, allow briers and thorns to grow, and command the clouds to withhold rain. The chapter then pronounces six distinct woes against the people for their societal and moral failings. The first woe condemns those who greedily join house to house and lay field to field, leading to desolation and unproductive land. The second targets those who rise early for strong drink and feast with music, yet disregard the Lord's work. These sins result in the people going into captivity due to lack of knowledge, their honorable men famished, and hell enlarging itself to receive their glory and multitude. The third woe is against those who draw iniquity with cords of vanity and mock God by challenging Him to hasten His work. The fourth denounces those who pervert moral truth, calling evil good and good evil, and exchanging darkness for light. The fifth condemns those who are wise and prudent in their own eyes, exhibiting self-righteous pride. Finally, the sixth woe is against those mighty to drink wine and strong drink, who justify the wicked for reward and deny justice to the righteous. Because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel, their destruction is likened to stubble consumed by fire. The Lord's anger is kindled, His hand stretched out, causing the hills to tremble and carcases to be torn. This anger remains, as God prepares to lift an ensign to distant nations, summoning a swift and tireless foreign army. This formidable force, described with sharp arrows, bent bows, flint-like hoofs, and whirlwind wheels, will roar like lions, seize their prey, and none shall deliver it. The chapter concludes with a vision of darkness and sorrow covering the land, and the light in the heavens being darkened, signifying utter desolation and judgment.

Core Concepts

  • The Vineyard ParableGod's meticulous care for His vineyard, representing Israel and Judah, is detailed, highlighting His efforts to cultivate righteousness and justice among His chosen people.
  • Failure to Yield RighteousnessDespite God's diligent cultivation, the vineyard produced only 'wild grapes,' symbolizing Israel's failure to deliver the expected judgment and righteousness, instead yielding oppression and a cry.
  • Divine Judgment and DesolationAs a consequence of Israel's unfaithfulness, God declares He will remove His protection from the vineyard, laying it waste and allowing it to be consumed by briers and thorns, signifying national desolation.
  • Woes Against Societal SinsA series of six 'woes' are pronounced against the people for specific transgressions, including greed for land, drunkenness, moral perversion, self-righteousness, and corruption of justice.
  • Despising God's LawThe ultimate reason for the impending judgment is explicitly stated as the people having 'cast away the law of the LORD of hosts' and 'despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.'
  • Swift Foreign InvasionGod will summon a distant, powerful, and relentless foreign army, described with vivid imagery of speed and ferocity, to execute His judgment upon the unrighteous land.
  • Moral PerversionOne significant woe condemns those who intentionally reverse moral and ethical standards, calling 'evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness.'