Isaiah 5:21

Christian Standard Bible ®

Woe to those who consider themselves wiseand judge themselves clever.

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!

King James Version
Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!

English Standard Version
Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight!

New American Standard Bible
Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes And clever in their own sight!

New Century Version
How terrible it will be for people who think they are wise and believe they are clever.

Amplified Bible
Woe (judgment is coming) to those who are wise in their own eyes And clever and shrewd in their own sight!

World English Bible
Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!

Geneva Bible (1587)
Woe vnto them that are wise in their owne eyes, and prudent in their owne sight.

Legacy Standard Bible
Woe to those who are wise in their own eyesAnd understanding in their own sight!

Berean Standard Bible
Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight.

Contemporary English Version
You think you are clever and smart.

Complete Jewish Bible
Woe to those seeing themselves as wise, esteeming themselves as clever.

Darby Translation
Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and intelligent in their own esteem!

Easy-to-Read Version
They think they are so smart. They think they are very intelligent.

George Lamsa Translation
Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and prudent in their own sight!

Good News Translation
You are doomed! You think you are wise, so very clever.

Lexham English Bible
Ah! Those who are wise in their own eyes and have understanding in their view!

Literal Translation
Woe to those wise in their own eyes, and discerning in their own sight!

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Wo vnto them that are wyse in their owne sight, and thinke them selues to haue vnderstodinge.

American Standard Version
Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!

Bible in Basic English
Cursed are those who seem wise to themselves, and who take pride in their knowledge!

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!

King James Version (1611)
Woe vnto them that are wise in their owne eyes, and prudent in their owne sight.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Wo be vnto them that are wise in their owne syght, and thynke them selues to haue vnderstandyng.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Woe to them that are wise in their own conceit, and knowing in their own sight.

English Revised Version
Woe unto them that are wise their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Wo to you that ben wise men in youre iyen, and ben prudent bifor you silf.

Update Bible Version
Woe to those that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!

Webster's Bible Translation
Woe to [them that are] wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!

New English Translation
Those who think they are wise are as good as dead, those who think they possess understanding.

New King James Version
Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, And prudent in their own sight!

New Living Translation
What sorrow for those who are wise in their own eyes and think themselves so clever.

New Life Bible
It is bad for those who are wise in their own eyes, and who think they know a lot!

New Revised Standard
Ah, you who are wise in your own eyes, and shrewd in your own sight!

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Alas for them Who are wise in their own eyes, - And in their own sight, are prudent.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Woe to you that are wise in your own eyes, and prudent in your own conceits.

Revised Standard Version
Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight!

Young's Literal Translation
Wo [to] the wise in their own eyes, And -- before their own faces -- intelligent!

THE MESSAGE
Doom to you who think you're so smart, who hold such a high opinion of yourselves! All you're good at is drinking—champion boozers who collect trophies from drinking bouts And then line your pockets with bribes from the guilty while you violate the rights of the innocent.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes And clever in their own sight!

Contextual Overview

¹⁸Woe to those who drag iniquitywith cords of deceitand pull sin along with cart ropes, ¹⁹to those who say:“Let him hurry up and do his work quicklyso that we can see it!Let the plan of the Holy One of Israel take placeso that we can know it!” ²⁰Woe to those who call evil goodand good evil,who substitute darkness for lightand light for darkness,who substitute bitter for sweetand sweet for bitter. ²¹Woe to those who consider themselves wiseand judge themselves clever.²²Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine,who are champions at pouring beer, ²³who acquit the guilty for a bribeand deprive the innocent of justice. ²⁴Therefore, as a tongue of fire consumes strawand as dry grass shrivels in the flame,so their roots will become like something rottenand their blossoms will blow away like dust,for they have rejectedthe instruction of the Lord of Armies,and they have despisedthe word of the Holy One of Israel. ²⁵Therefore the Lord’s anger burned against his people.He raised his hand against them and struck them;the mountains quaked,and their corpses were like garbage in the streets.In all this, his anger has not turned away,and his hand is still raised to strike. ²⁶He raises a signal flag for the distant nationsand whistles for them from the ends of the earth.Look—how quickly and swiftly they come! ²⁷None of them grows weary or stumbles;no one slumbers or sleeps.No belt is looseand no sandal strap broken.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

wise: Job 11:12, Proverbs 3:7, Proverbs 26:12, Proverbs 26:16, John 9:41, Romans 1:22, Romans 11:25, Romans 12:16, 1 Corinthians 3:18-20

in their own sight: Heb. before their face

Reciprocal: Job 12:2 - ye are the people Job 32:13 - We Job 37:24 - he Proverbs 23:4 - cease Proverbs 26:5 - conceit Proverbs 28:11 - his own conceit Isaiah 19:12 - where are thy Isaiah 47:10 - Thy wisdom Jeremiah 9:23 - wise Ezekiel 28:5 - thy great wisdom Matthew 6:23 - If Matthew 11:25 - because Luke 11:35 - General John 7:49 - General Romans 2:19 - art confident 1 Corinthians 4:8 - ye are full 1 Corinthians 8:1 - Knowledge

Cross-References

Luke 3:37
son of Methuselah,

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Woe unto [therm that are] wise in their own eyes,.... And yet betray such stupidity and sottishness, as to call things by their wrong names; and make such a perverse judgment of them, as before described. This is a true description of the Scribes and Pharisees in Christ's time; who said, "dost thou teach us? are we blind also?" John 9:34

and prudent in their own sight; being wise above what was written; leaving the word of God, and following the traditions of the elders.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Wo unto them that are wise ... - This is the fifth crime specified. It refers to those who are inflated with a false opinion of their own knowledge, and who are, therefore, self-confident and vain. This is expressly forbidden; Proverbs 3:7 : ‘Be not wise in thine own eyes;’ compare Proverbs 26:12.

In their own eyes - In their own opinion, or estimation.

And prudent - Knowing; self-conceited. This was, doubtless, one characteristic of the times of Isaiah. It is known to have been strikingly the characteristic of the Jews - particularly the Pharisees - in the time of our Saviour. The evil of this was,

(1) That it evinced and fostered “pride.”

(2) That it rendered them unwilling to be instructed, and especially by the prophets.

As they supposed that they were already wise enough, they refused to listen to others. This is always the effect of such self-confidence: and hence, the Saviour required his disciples to be meek, and humble, and teachable as children.