20 Woe to 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 Woe to those who are (A)wise in their own eyes,
And prudent in their own sight!

22 Woe to men mighty at drinking wine,
Woe to men valiant for mixing intoxicating drink,
23 Who (B)justify the wicked for a bribe,
And take away justice from the righteous man!

24 Therefore, (C)as the [a]fire devours the stubble,
And the flame consumes the chaff,
So (D)their root will be as rottenness,
And their blossom will ascend like dust;
Because they have rejected the law of the Lord of hosts,
And despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
25 (E)Therefore the anger of the Lord is aroused against His people;
He has stretched out His hand against them
And stricken them,
And (F)the hills trembled.
Their carcasses were as refuse in the midst of the streets.

(G)For all this His anger is not turned away,
But His hand is stretched out still.

26 (H)He will lift up a banner to the nations from afar,
And will (I)whistle to them from (J)the end of the earth;
Surely (K)they shall come with speed, swiftly.
27 No one will be weary or stumble among them,
No one will slumber or sleep;
Nor (L)will the belt on their loins be loosed,
Nor the strap of their sandals be broken;
28 (M)Whose arrows are sharp,
And all their bows bent;
Their horses’ hooves will [b]seem like flint,
And their wheels like a whirlwind.
29 Their roaring will be like a lion,
They will roar like young lions;
Yes, they will roar
And lay hold of the prey;
They will carry it away safely,
And no one will deliver.
30 In that day they will roar against them
Like the roaring of the sea.
And if one (N)looks to the land,
Behold, darkness and [c]sorrow;
And the light is darkened by the clouds.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 5:24 Lit. tongue of fire
  2. Isaiah 5:28 Lit. be regarded as
  3. Isaiah 5:30 distress

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