Study Desk

Let me sing now for my beloved A song of my beloved about His vineyard. My beloved had a ^(C1)vineyard on ^(F1)a fertile hill.

He dug it all around, cleared it of stones, And planted it with ^(F1)the ^(C1)choicest vine. And He built a tower in the middle of it, And also carved out a ^(F2)wine vat in it; Then He ^(C2)expected it to produce good grapes, But it produced only ^(F3)worthless ones.

"And now, you inhabitants of Jerusalem and people of Judah, ^(C1)Judge between Me and My vineyard.

-"^(C1)What more was there to do for My vineyard ^(F1)that I have not done in it? Why, when I expected it to produce good grapes did it produce ^(F2)worthless ones?

-"So now let Me tell you what I am going to do to My vineyard: I will ^(C1)remove its hedge and it will be consumed; I will ^(C2)break down its wall and it will become ^(C3)trampled ground.

-"I will ^(C1)lay it waste; It will not be pruned nor hoed, But briars and thorns will come up. I will also command the clouds not to ^(C2)rain on it."

For the ^(C1)vineyard of the LORD of armies is the house of Israel, And the people of Judah are His delightful plant. So He waited for justice, but behold, there was ^(C2)bloodshed; For righteousness, but behold, a cry for help.

Woe to those who ^(C1)attach house to house and join field to field, Until there is no more room, And you alone are a landowner in the midst of the land!

In my ears the LORD of armies has sworn, "^(C1)Many houses shall certainly become ^(C2)desolate, Even great and fine ones, without occupants.

-"For ^(C1)ten acres of vineyard will yield only one ^(F1)bath of wine, And a ^(F2)(C2)homer of seed will yield only an ^(F3)ephah of grain."

Woe to those who rise early in the morning so that they may pursue ^(C1)intoxicating drink, Who stay up late in the evening so that wine may inflame them!

Their banquets are accompanied by lyre and ^(C1)harp, by tambourine and flute, and by wine; But they ^(C2)do not pay attention to the deeds of the LORD, Nor do they consider the work of His hands.

Therefore My people go into exile for their ^(C1)lack of knowledge; And their ^(F1)(C2)nobles are famished, And their multitude is parched with thirst.

Therefore ^(C1)Sheol has enlarged its ^(F1)throat and opened its mouth beyond measure; And ^(F2)Jerusalem's splendor, her multitude, her noise of revelry, and the jubilant within her, descend into it.

So the common people will be humbled and the person of importance brought low, ^(C1)The eyes of the haughty also will be brought low.

But the ^(C1)LORD of armies will be ^(C2)exalted in judgment, And the holy God will show Himself ^(C3)holy in righteousness.

^(C1)Then the lambs will graze as in their pasture, And strangers will eat in the ruins of the ^(F1)wealthy.

Woe to those who drag ^(C1)wrongdoing with the cords of ^(F1)deceit, And sin as if with cart ropes;

^(C1)Who say, "Let Him hurry, let Him do His work quickly, so that we may see it; And let the plan of the Holy One of Israel approach And come to pass, so that we may know it!"