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:
2 And 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.
3 And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard.
4 What 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?
5 And 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:
6 And 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.
7 For 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!
9 In mine ears said the Lord of hosts, Of a truth many houses shall be desolate, even great and fair, without inhabitant.
10 Yea, ten acres of vineyard shall yield one bath, and the seed of an homer shall yield an ephah.
11 Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them!
12 And 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.
13 Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge: and their honourable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst.
14 Therefore 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.
15 And the mean man shall be brought down, and the mighty man shall be humbled, and the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled:
16 But the Lord of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness.
17 Then 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:
19 That 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!
20 Woe 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!
21 Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!
22 Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink:
23 Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!
24 Therefore 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.
25 Therefore 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.
26 And 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:
27 None 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:
28 Whose arrows are sharp, and all their bows bent, their horses’ hoofs shall be counted like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind:
29 Their 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.
30 And 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.

1Now will I sing to my welbeloued, a song of my beloued touching his vineyard: my wellbeloued hath a vineyard in a very fruitfull hill.

2And hee fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a towre in the middest of it, and also made a winepresse therein: and he looked that it should bring foorth grapes, and it brought foorth wilde grapes.

3And now, O inhabitants of Ierusalem, and men of Iudah, Iudge, I pray you, betwixt me and my Uineyard.

4What could haue beene done more to my Uineyard, that I haue not done in it? wherefore when I looked that it should bring foorth grapes, brought it foorth wilde grapes?

5And now goe to; I will tell you what I will doe to my Uineyard, I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten vp; and breake downe the wall thereof, and it shall be troden downe.

6And I will lay it waste; it shall not be pruned, nor digged, but there shall come vp briars and thornes: I will also command the cloudes, that they raine no raine vpon it.

7For the Uineyard of the Lord of hostes is the house of Israel, and the men of Iudah his pleasant plant: and he looked for iudgement, but beholde oppression; for righteousnesse, but behold a crie.

8 Woe vnto them that ioyne 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 eares said the Lord of hostes, Of a trueth many houses shall be desolate, euen great and faire without inhabitant.

10Yea ten acres of vineyard shall yeeld one Bath, and the seed of an Homer shall yeeld an Ephah.

11 Woe vnto them that rise vp earely in the morning, that they may follow strong drink, that continue vntill night, till wine enflame them.

12And the harpe and the viole, the tabret and pipe, and wine are in their feasts: but they regard not the worke of the Lord, neither consider the operation of his hands.

13 Therefore my people are gone into captiuitie, because they haue no knowledge: and their honourable men are famished, aud their multitude dried vp with thirst.

14Therefore hell hath enlarged her selfe, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pompe, and hee that reioyceth, shall descend into it.

15And the meane man shall bee brought downe, and the mightie man shall be humbled, and the eyes of the loftie shall be humbled.

16But the Lord of hosts shalbe exalted in iudgement, and God that is holy, shall bee sanctified in righteousnesse.

17Then shall the lambes feed after their maner, and the waste places of the fat ones shall strangers eate.

18Woe vnto them that draw iniquitie with cords of vanitie, and sinne, as it were with a cart rope:

19That say, Let him make speede, and hasten his worke, that we may see it: and let the counsell of the holy one of Israel draw nigh and come, that wee may know it.

20 Woe vnto them that call euill good, and good euill, that put darkenes for light, and light for darkenesse, that put bitter for sweete, and sweete for bitter.

21Woe vnto them that are wise in their owne eyes, and prudent in their owne sight.

22Woe vnto them that are mightie to drinke wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drinke.

23Which iustifie the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousnes of the righteous from him.

24Therfore as the fire deuoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaffe, so their root shall be rottennes, and their blossome shall goe vp as dust: because they haue cast away the Lawe of the Lord of hosts, and despised the worde of the Holy One of Israel.

25Therefore is the anger of the Lord kindled against his people, and he hath stretched foorth his hande against them, and hath smitten them: and the hilles did tremble, and their carkeises were torne in the midst of the streets: for all this, his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

26 And he will lift vp an ensigne to the nations from farre, and wil hisse vnto them from the end of the earth: and behold, they shall come with speed swiftly.

27None shalbe weary, nor stumble amongst them: none shall slumber nor sleepe, neither shall the girdle of their loynes be loosed, nor the latchet of their shooes be broken.

28Whose arrowes are sharpe, and all their bowes bent, their horses hoofs shall bee counted like flint, and their wheeles like a whirlewind.

29Their roaring shalbe like a lyon, they shall roare like yong lions: yea they shal roare and lay hold of the pray, and shall carie it away safe, and none shall deliuer it.

30And in that day they shall roare against them, like the roaring of the sea: and if one looke vnto the land, behold darkenesse and sorrow, and the light is darkened in the heauens therof.

I == Ps 80:8 ; Song 8:12 ; Isa 27:2 ; Jer 2:21 ; Matt 21:33 ; Mark 12:1 ; Luke 20:9

II == Deut 32:6 ; Isa 1:2-3

 

 

III == Rom 3:4

 

 

 

 

 

V == Ps 80:12

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

VIII == Mic 2:2

 

IX == Isa 22:14

 

 

X == Ezek 45:11

 

XI == Prov 23:29-30 ; Eccl 10:16 ; Isa 5:22

 

XII == Job 34:27 ; Ps 28:5 ; Amos 6:5-6

 

XIII == Isa 1:3 ; Hos 4:6 ; Luke 19:44

 

XV == Isa 2:9 , 11 , 17

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XVII == Isa 10:16

 

 

 

XIX == Isa 66:5 ; Jer 17:15 ; Amos 5:18 ; 2nd Peter 3:3-4

 

 

 

 

XXI == Prov 3:7 ; Rom 1:22 ; 12:16

XXII == Isa 5:11

 

XXIII == Prov 17:15 ; 24:24

 

XXIV == Ex 15:7 ; Job 18:16 ; Hos 9:16 ; Amos 2:9

 

 

XXV == Lev 26:14 ; 2nd Kings 22:13 , 17 ; Isa 9:12 , 17 , 21 ; 10:4 ; Jer 4:24

 

 

 

XXVI == Deut 28:49 ; Ps 72:8 ; Isa 7:18 ; 11:12 ; Joel 2:7 ; Mal 1:11

XXVII == Dan 5:6

 

 

XXVIII == Jer 5:16

 

 

 

 

 

XXX == Isa 8:22 ; Jer 4:23 ; Lam 3:2

 

 

 

 

 

1 Let me now sing of my friend, my friend's song concerning his vineyard. My friend had a vineyard on a fertile hillside;

2 He spaded it, cleared it of stones, and planted the choicest vines; Within it he built a watchtower, and hewed out a wine press. Then he looked for the crop of grapes, but what it yielded was wild grapes.

3 Now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard:

4 What more was there to do for my vineyard that I had not done? Why, when I looked for the crop of grapes, did it bring forth wild grapes?

5 Now, I will let you know what I mean to do to my vineyard: Take away its hedge, give it to grazing, break through its wall, let it be trampled!

6 Yes, I will make it a ruin: it shall not be pruned or hoed, but overgrown with thorns and briers; I will command the clouds not to send rain upon it.

7 The vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are his cherished plant; He looked for judgment, but see, bloodshed! for justice, but hark, the outcry!

8 Woe to you who join house to house, who connect field with field, Till no room remains, and you are left to dwell alone in the midst of the land!

9 In my hearing the LORD of hosts has sworn: Many houses shall be in ruins, large ones and fine, with no one to live in them.

10 Ten acres of vineyard shall yield but one liquid measure, And a homer of seed shall yield but an ephah.

17 Lambs shall graze there at pasture, and kids shall eat in the ruins of the rich.

11 Woe to those who demand strong drink as soon as they rise in the morning, And linger into the night while wine inflames them!

12 With harp and lyre, timbrel and flute, they feast on wine; But what the LORD does, they regard not, the work of his hands they see not.

13 Therefore my people go into exile, because they do not understand; Their nobles die of hunger, and their masses are parched with thirst.

14 Therefore the nether world enlarges its throat and opens its maw without limit; Down go their nobility and their masses, their throngs and their revelry.

15 Men shall be abased, each one brought low, and the eyes of the haughty lowered,

16 But the LORD of hosts shall be exalted by his judgment, and God the Holy shall be shown holy by his justice.

18 Woe to those who tug at guilt with cords of perversity, and at sin as if with cart ropes!

19 To those who say, "Let him make haste and speed his work, that we may see it; On with the plan of the Holy One of Israel! let it come to pass, that we may know it!"

20 Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil, who change darkness into light, and light into darkness, who change bitter into sweet, and sweet into bitter!

21 Woe to those who are wise in their own sight, and prudent in their own esteem!

22 Woe to the champions at drinking wine, the valiant at mixing strong drink!

23 To those who acquit the guilty for bribes, and deprive the just man of his rights!

24 Therefore, as the tongue of fire licks up stubble, as dry grass shrivels in the flame, Even so their root shall become rotten and their blossom scatter like dust; For they have spurned the law of the LORD of hosts, and scorned the word of the Holy One of Israel.

25 Therefore the wrath of the LORD blazes against his people, he raises his hand to strike them; When the mountains quake, their corpses shall be like refuse in the streets. For all this, his wrath is not turned back, and his hand is still outstretched.

26 He will give a signal to a far-off nation, and whistle to them from the ends of the earth; speedily and promptly will they come.

27 None of them will stumble with weariness, none will slumber and none will sleep. None will have his waist belt loose, nor the thong of his sandal broken.

28 Their arrows are sharp, and all their bows are bent. The hoofs of their horses seem like flint, and their chariot wheels like the hurricane.

29 Their roar is that of the lion, like the lion's whelps they roar; They growl and seize the prey, they carry it off and none will rescue it.

30 (They will roar over it, on that day, with a roaring like that of the sea.)

v 1,2. Song stanza 1. God planted an ideal vineyard complete with tower and press, but it bore poor grapes.

 

 

 

v 3-6. Stanza 2. God could do no more to make the vineyard productive, so he will destroy it, let it become waste and even withhold rain from it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

v 7 Stanza 3. The vineyard is Israel (Judah), to be destroyed for their sins.

 

 

 

v 8-10. God gives six indictments or woes upon Israel for being bad grapes.
Woe 1: Laws of land possession were violated so there would be desolation. Only six gallon of grape juice would be obtained from ten acres. Six bushel of see should yield many bushels, but they will only yield about a half bushel, a twelfth of what planted.

 

 

v 11,12. Woe 2: Against drunkards who reveled with wine and music all their waking hours and paid no attention to the Lord or needs of others.

 

 

 

v 13-17. Because of these sins, many people would die and others go into captivity, others humbled. The Lord was not reeking vengeance, but keeping His word. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

v 18,19. Woe 3: Though bound in sin they expected God’s help without repenting.

 

 

 

 

v 20. Woe 4: To those who led others astray saying the sins they did were alright.

 

v 21. Woe 5: To those who thought they could care for themselves without God.

v 22,23. Woe 6. To drunkard, bribe taking leaders who obscured justice.

 

 

v 24,25. This, more judgment upon all those who despised the word of God. They would be consumed like burning chaff, many would die in the streets, and earthquakes would show God’s anger against them. But His judgment was not yet finished.

 

 

 

 

v 26-30. An ensign or banner is rallying point for war, and “hiss” is the rallying “whistle” to assemble nations from everywhere, and they would come speedily and alert. As ferocious as lions, they would devastate Judah and cover her as a sea, blotting out hope like a cloud would blot out the sun.