Now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and people of Judah,
Isaiah 5:1-7
judge between me and my vineyard:
What more was there to do for my vineyard
that I had not done?
Why, when I looked for the crop of grapes,
did it bring forth wild grapes?
Now, I will let you know
what I mean to do with my vineyard:
take away its hedge, give it to grazing,
break through its wall, let it be trampled!
Yes, I will make it a ruin:
it shall not be pruned or hoed,
but overgrown with thorns and briers;
I will command the clouds
not to send rain upon it.
The vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel,
and the people of Judah are his cherished plant;
he looked for judgment, but see, bloodshed!
for justice, but hark, the outcry!
When justice turns to bloodshed, when outrage does not cease, when we fear not your judgement, how can we speak of peace? We claim to be your vineyard while trampling down your vines, but you will tread the vintage we have so long denied: To shatter all our strongholds and leave us in the ruins, unless we turn from bloodshed and let ourselves be pruned. The vines that we have trampled, that should have been our feast, were you, O gentle master, in all your last and least. Do not destroy the vineyard— We still can bear good fruit!— but teach us your new vintage. Train us to grow anew. So may our hearts be grafted into your holy vine that we become your branches and bear your holy wine.
The Red Vineyard, 1888 by Vincent van Gogh, is the only van Gogh painting sold during his lifetime By Vincent van Gogh – History of the Red Vineyard by Anna Boch.com, 2nd upload: wikipaintings, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3073079
Kate Bluett 