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[a] 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 forthgrapes, 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 forthgrapes, 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 upbriers 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 pleasantplant: and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry.
8
Woe unto them that joinhouse to house, that layfield to field, till there be noplace, that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth!
9
In mine ears said the LORD of hosts, Of a truthmanyhouses shall be desolate, even great and fair, without inhabitant.
10
Yea,tenacres of vineyard shall yieldonebath, and the seed of an homer shall yield an ephah.