I will sing a song for the Lord. He is the one I love. It’s a song about his vineyard Israel. The one I love had a vineyard. It was on a hillside that had rich soil.
His mouth is very sweet. Everything about him is delightful. That’s what the one who loves me is like. That’s what my friend is like, women of Jerusalem.”
“I slept, but my heart was awake. Listen! The one who loves me is knocking. He says, ‘My sister, I love you. Open up so I can come in. You are my dove. You are perfect in every way. My head is soaked with dew. The night air has made my hair wet.’
Israel was like a spreading vine. They produced fruit for themselves. As they grew more fruit, they built more altars. As their land became richer, they made more beautiful the sacred stones they worshiped.
“Listen to another story. A man who owned some land planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it. He dug a pit for a winepress in it. He also built a lookout tower. He rented the vineyard out to some farmers. Then he moved to another place.
Jesus began to speak to the people using stories. He said, “A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it. He dug a pit for a winepress. He also built a lookout tower. He rented the vineyard out to some farmers. Then he went to another place.