He dugit all around,removedits stones,And plantedit with the choicestvine.And He builta towerin the middleof it And alsohewedout a winevatin it; Then He expected[it] to produce[good] grapes,But it produced[only] worthlessones.
"I will also appointa placefor My peopleIsraeland will plantthem, that they may livein their own placeand not be disturbedagain,norwill the wickedafflictthem anymoreas formerly,
In thosedaysI sawin Judahsome who were treadingwinepresseson the sabbath,and bringingin sacksof grainand loading[them] on donkeys,as wellas wine,grapes,figsand allkinds of loads,and they brought[them] into Jerusalemon the sabbathday.So I admonished[them] on the daythey soldfood.
You removeda vinefrom Egypt;You droveout the nationsand plantedit.
You cleared[the ground] beforeit, And it tookdeeprootand filledthe land.
"For howthencan it be knownthat I have foundfavorin Your sight,I and Your people?Is it not by Your goingwith us, so that we, I and Your people,may be distinguishedfrom allthe [other] peoplewhoare upon the faceof the earth?"
The daughterof Zionis leftlike a shelterin a vineyard,Like a watchman'shutin a cucumberfield,like a besiegedcity.
For the vineyardof the LORDof hostsis the houseof IsraelAnd the menof JudahHis delightfulplant.Thus He lookedfor justice,but behold,bloodshed;For righteousness,but behold,a cryof distress.
The LORDof hosts,who plantedyou, has pronouncedevilagainstyou becauseof the evilof the houseof Israeland of the houseof Judah,whichthey have doneto provokeMe by offeringup sacrificesto Baal.
"Yet I plantedyou a choicevine,A completelyfaithfulseed.Howthen have you turnedyourself before Me Into the degenerateshoots of a foreignvine?
Israelis a luxuriantvine;He producesfruitfor himself. The morehis fruit,The morealtarshe made;The richerhis land,The betterhe madethe [sacred] pillars.
"As for you, towerof the flock,Hillof the daughterof Zion,To you it will come--Even the formerdominionwill come,The kingdomof the daughterof Jerusalem.
"As I seehim from the topof the rocks,And I lookat him from the hills;Behold,a people[who] dwellsapart,And will not be reckonedamong the nations.
Seeinga lonefigtreeby the road,He cameto it and foundnothingon it exceptleavesonly;and He saidto it, "Nolongershall there everbe [any] fruitfrom you." And at oncethe fig treewithered.
"Listento anotherparable.There was a landownerwhoPLANTEDA VINEYARDAND PUTA WALLAROUNDIT AND DUGA WINE PRESSIN IT, AND BUILTA TOWER,and rentedit out to vine-growersand went on a journey.
"Whenthe harvesttimeapproached,he senthis slavesto the vine-growersto receivehis produce.
Seeingat a distancea fig treein leaf,He went[to see] ifperhapsHe would findanythingon it; and when He cameto it, He foundnothingbut leaves,for it was not the seasonfor figs.
And He beganto speakto them in parables:"A manPLANTEDA VINEYARDAND PUTA WALLAROUNDIT, AND DUGA VAT UNDER THE WINE PRESSAND BUILTA TOWER,and rentedit out to vine-growersand went on a journey.
"At the [harvest] timehe senta slaveto the vine-growers,in orderto receive[some] of the produceof the vineyardfrom the vine-growers.
whoare Israelites,to whombelongs the adoption as sons,and the gloryand the covenantsand the giving of the Lawand the [temple] serviceand the promises,
Whoat any timeserves as a soldierat his ownexpense?Whoplantsa vineyardand does not eatthe fruitof it? Orwhotendsa flockand does not usethe milkof the flock?
"Do you thusrepaythe LORD,O foolishand unwisepeople?Is not He your Fatherwho has boughtyou? He has madeyou and establishedyou.
Afterthisit cameabout that he loveda womanin the valleyof Sorek,whose namewas Delilah.
