1“Let me sing of my beloved, a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My beloved had a vineyard in a very fruitful hill; 2and he digged it, and cleared it of stones, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also hewed out a vat therein; and he looked, that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes. 3And now, O inhabitants of Yerushalayim and men of Yehudah, judge, I pray, between me and my vineyard. 4What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? Why, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, did it bring forth wild grapes? 5And now, come, I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; I will break down the fence thereof, and it shall be trodden down; 6and I will lay it waste: it shall not be pruned nor hoed, 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 יהוה Tzeva’ot is Beit Yisra’el and the men of Yehudah, the plant of His delight; and He looked for justice, but behold, violence; for tzedaka, but behold, a cry.”
8“Woe unto them that join house to house, that lay field to field, till there is no room, and you are made to dwell alone in the midst of the land! 9In my ears יהוה Tzeva’ot said, ‘Of a truth, many houses shall be desolate, even great and fair, without inhabitant. 10For ten acres of vineyard shall yield one bath, and the seed of a khomer shall yield an efah’. 11Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that tarry late into the night, till wine inflames them! 12And the kinor and the nevel, the tabret and the pipe, and wine, are in their feasts; but they regard not the work of יהוה , neither have they considered the operation of His hands. 13Therefore My people are gone into captivity, for want of knowledge; and their honorable men are famished, and their multitude is parched with thirst. 14Therefore She’ol has enlarged her desire, and opened her mouth without measure; and down goes their glory, and their tumult, and their uproar, and he that rejoices among them. 15And man is bowed down, and man is humbled, and the eyes of the lofty are humbled; 16but יהוה Tzeva’ot is exalted through justice, and HaEl HaKadosh is consecrated through tzedaka. 17Then shall the lambs feed as in their pasture, and the waste places of the fat ones shall wanderers eat. 18Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as if it were with a cart rope, 19that say, ‘Let Him make speed, let Him hasten His work, that we may see it; and let the counsel of HaKadosh Yisra’el draw nigh and come, that we may know it!’ “
20“Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that change darkness into light, and light into darkness; that change bitter into sweet, and sweet into 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; 23that justify the wicked for a reward, and take away the tzedaka of the righteous from him!”
24“Therefore as the tongue of fire devours the stubble, and as the chaff is consumed in the flame, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust; because they have rejected the Torah of יהוה Tzeva’ot, and shown contempt for the word of HaKadosh Yisra’el. 25Therefore is the anger of יהוה kindled against His people, and He has stretched forth His hand against them, and has smitten them, and the hills did tremble, and their carcasses were as refuse 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 afar, 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’ hooves shall be counted like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind; 29their roaring shall be like a lion, they shall roar like young lions, yes, they shall roar, and lay hold of the prey, and carry it away safe, and there shall be none to deliver. 30And they shall roar against them in that day like the roaring of the sea; and if one looks unto the land, behold darkness and distress, and the light is darkened in the skies thereof.”
אאָשִׁירָה נָּא לִידִידִי שִׁירַת דּוֹדִי לְכַרְמוֹ: כֶּרֶם הָיָה לִידִידִי בְּקֶרֶן בֶּן שָׁמֶן. בוַיְעַזְּקֵהוּ וַיְסַקְּלֵהוּ וַיִּטָּעֵהוּ שֹׂרֵק וַיִּבֶן מִגְדָּל בְּתוֹכוֹ וְגַם יֶקֶב חָצֵב בּוֹ; וַיְקַו לַעֲשׂוֹת עֲנָבִים וַיַּעַשׂ בְּאֻשִׁים. גוְעַתָּה יוֹשֵׁב יְרוּשָׁלִַם וְאִישׁ יְהוּדָה שִׁפְטוּ נָא בֵּינִי וּבֵין כַּרְמִי. דמַה לַּעֲשׂוֹת עוֹד לְכַרְמִי וְלֹא עָשִׂיתִי בּוֹ: מַדּוּעַ קִוֵּיתִי לַעֲשׂוֹת עֲנָבִים וַיַּעַשׂ בְּאֻשִׁים. הוְעַתָּה אוֹדִיעָה נָּא אֶתְכֶם אֵת אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי עֹשֶׂה לְכַרְמִי: הָסֵר מְשׂוּכָּתוֹ וְהָיָה לְבָעֵר פָּרֹץ גְּדֵרוֹ וְהָיָה לְמִרְמָס. ווַאֲשִׁיתֵהוּ בָתָה לֹא יִזָּמֵר וְלֹא יֵעָדֵר וְעָלָה שָׁמִיר וָשָׁיִת; וְעַל הֶעָבִים אֲצַוֶּה מֵהַמְטִיר עָלָיו מָטָר. זכִּי כֶרֶם יהוה צְבָאוֹת בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאִישׁ יְהוּדָה נְטַע שַׁעֲשׁוּעָיו; וַיְקַו לְמִשְׁפָּט וְהִנֵּה מִשְׂפָּח לִצְדָקָה וְהִנֵּה צְעָקָה.
חהוֹי מַגִּיעֵי בַיִת בְּבַיִת שָׂדֶה בְשָׂדֶה יַקְרִיבוּ: עַד אֶפֶס מָקוֹם וְהוּשַׁבְתֶּם לְבַדְּכֶם בְּקֶרֶב הָאָרֶץ. טבְּאָזְנָי יהוה צְבָאוֹת: אִם לֹא בָּתִּים רַבִּים לְשַׁמָּה יִהְיוּ גְּדֹלִים וְטוֹבִים מֵאֵין יוֹשֵׁב. יכִּי עֲשֶׂרֶת צִמְדֵּי כֶרֶם יַעֲשׂוּ בַּת אֶחָת; וְזֶרַע חֹמֶר יַעֲשֶׂה אֵיפָה. יאהוֹי מַשְׁכִּימֵי בַבֹּקֶר שֵׁכָר יִרְדֹּפוּ; מְאַחֲרֵי בַנֶּשֶׁף יַיִן יַדְלִיקֵם. יבוְהָיָה כִנּוֹר וָנֶבֶל תֹּף וְחָלִיל וָיַיִן מִשְׁתֵּיהֶם; וְאֵת פֹּעַל יהוה לֹא יַבִּיטוּ וּמַעֲשֵׂה יָדָיו לֹא רָאוּ. יגלָכֵן גָּלָה עַמִּי מִבְּלִי דָעַת; וּכְבוֹדוֹ מְתֵי רָעָב וַהֲמוֹנוֹ צִחֵה צָמָא. ידלָכֵן הִרְחִיבָה שְּׁאוֹל נַפְשָׁהּ וּפָעֲרָה פִיהָ לִבְלִי חֹק; וְיָרַד הֲדָרָהּ וַהֲמוֹנָהּ וּשְׁאוֹנָהּ וְעָלֵז בָּהּ. טווַיִּשַּׁח אָדָם וַיִּשְׁפַּל אִישׁ; וְעֵינֵי גְבֹהִים תִּשְׁפַּלְנָה. טזוַיִּגְבַּהּ יהוה צְבָאוֹת בַּמִּשְׁפָּט; וְהָאֵל הַקָּדוֹשׁ נִקְדָּשׁ בִּצְדָקָה. יזוְרָעוּ כְבָשִׂים כְּדָבְרָם; וְחָרְבוֹת מֵחִים גָּרִים יֹאכֵלוּ. יחהוֹי מֹשְׁכֵי הֶעָוֹן בְּחַבְלֵי הַשָּׁוְא; וְכַעֲבוֹת הָעֲגָלָה חַטָּאָה. יטהָאֹמְרִים יְמַהֵר יָחִישָׁה מַעֲשֵׂהוּ לְמַעַן נִרְאֶה; וְתִקְרַב וְתָבוֹאָה עֲצַת קְדוֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל וְנֵדָעָה.
כהוֹי הָאֹמְרִים לָרַע טוֹב וְלַטּוֹב רָע: שָׂמִים חֹשֶׁךְ לְאוֹר וְאוֹר לְחֹשֶׁךְ שָׂמִים מַר לְמָתוֹק וּמָתוֹק לְמָר. כאהוֹי חֲכָמִים בְּעֵינֵיהֶם; וְנֶגֶד פְּנֵיהֶם נְבֹנִים. כבהוֹי גִּבּוֹרִים לִשְׁתּוֹת יָיִן; וְאַנְשֵׁי חַיִל לִמְסֹךְ שֵׁכָר. כגמַצְדִּיקֵי רָשָׁע עֵקֶב שֹׁחַד; וְצִדְקַת צַדִּיקִים יָסִירוּ מִמֶּנּוּ.
כדלָכֵן כֶּאֱכֹל קַשׁ לְשׁוֹן אֵשׁ וַחֲשַׁשׁ לֶהָבָה יִרְפֶּה שָׁרְשָׁם כַּמָּק יִהְיֶה וּפִרְחָם כָּאָבָק יַעֲלֶה: כִּי מָאֲסוּ אֵת תּוֹרַת יהוה צְבָאוֹת וְאֵת אִמְרַת קְדוֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל נִאֵצוּ. כהעַל כֵּן חָרָה אַף יהוה בְּעַמּוֹ וַיֵּט יָדוֹ עָלָיו וַיַּכֵּהוּ וַיִּרְגְּזוּ הֶהָרִים וַתְּהִי נִבְלָתָם כַּסּוּחָה בְּקֶרֶב חוּצוֹת; בְּכָל זֹאת לֹא שָׁב אַפּוֹ וְעוֹד יָדוֹ נְטוּיָה. כווְנָשָׂא נֵס לַגּוֹיִם מֵרָחוֹק וְשָׁרַק לוֹ מִקְצֵה הָאָרֶץ; וְהִנֵּה מְהֵרָה קַל יָבוֹא. כזאֵין עָיֵף וְאֵין כּוֹשֵׁל בּוֹ לֹא יָנוּם וְלֹא יִישָׁן; וְלֹא נִפְתַּח אֵזוֹר חֲלָצָיו וְלֹא נִתַּק שְׂרוֹךְ נְעָלָיו. כחאֲשֶׁר חִצָּיו שְׁנוּנִים וְכָל קַשְּׁתֹתָיו דְּרֻכוֹת; פַּרְסוֹת סוּסָיו כַּצַּר נֶחְשָׁבוּ וְגַלְגִּלָּיו כַּסּוּפָה. כטשְׁאָגָה לוֹ כַּלָּבִיא; ושאג (יִשְׁאַג) כַּכְּפִירִים וְיִנְהֹם וְיֹאחֵז טֶרֶף וְיַפְלִיט וְאֵין מַצִּיל. לוְיִנְהֹם עָלָיו בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא כְּנַהֲמַת יָם; וְנִבַּט לָאָרֶץ וְהִנֵּה חֹשֶׁךְ צַר וָאוֹר חָשַׁךְ בַּעֲרִיפֶיהָ.
D'var יהוה , The Word of יהוה 