1-2. I’ll sing a ballad to the one I love,a love ballad about his vineyard:The one I love had a vineyard,a fine, well-placed vineyard.He hoed the soil and pulled the weeds,and planted the very best vines.He built a lookout, built a winepress,a vineyard to be proud of.He looked for a vintage yield of grapes,but for all his pains he got junk grapes.
3-4. “Now listen to what I’m telling you,you who live in Jerusalem and Judah.What do you think is going onbetween me and my vineyard?Can you think of anything I could have doneto my vineyard that I didn’t do?When I expected good grapes,why did I get bitter grapes?
5-6. “Well now, let me tell youwhat I’ll do to my vineyard:I’ll tear down its fenceand let it go to ruin.I’ll knock down the gateand let it be trampled.I’ll turn it into a patch of weeds, untended, uncared for—thistles and thorns will take over.I’ll give orders to the clouds:‘Don’t rain on that vineyard, ever!’”
7. Do you get it? The vineyard of God-of-the-Angel-Armiesis the country of Israel.All the men and women of Judahare the garden he was so proud of.He looked for a crop of justiceand saw them murdering each other.He looked for a harvest of righteousnessand heard only the moans of victims.
8-10. Doom to you who buy up all the housesand grab all the land for yourselves—Evicting the old owners,posting no trespassing signs,Taking over the country,leaving everyone homeless and landless.I overheard God-of-the-Angel-Armies say:“Those mighty houses will end up empty.Those extravagant estates will be deserted.A ten-acre vineyard will produce a pint of wine,a fifty-pound sack of seed, a quart of grain.”