Isaiah 5:11
9 I heard the LORD of Hosts declare: “Surely many houses will become desolate, great mansions left unoccupied.
10 For ten acres of vineyard will yield but a bath of wine, and a homer of seed only an ephah of grain.”
Woe to those who rise early in the morning in pursuit of strong drink, who linger into the evening, to be inflamed by wine.
12 At their feasts are the lyre and harp, tambourines and flutes and wine. They disregard the actions of the LORD and fail to see the work of His hands.
13 Therefore My people will go into exile for their lack of understanding; their dignitaries are starving and their masses are parched with thirst.
This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- Woe to those who rise early in the morning in pursuit of strong drink, who linger into the evening, to be inflamed by wine.
- KJV
- Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them!
- WEB
- Woe to those who rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink, who stay late into the night, until wine inflames them!
- ASV
- Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that tarry late into the night, till wine inflame them!
- DARBY
- Woe unto them that, rising early in the morning, run after strong drink; that linger till twilight, [till] wine inflameth them!
- BLB
- Woe [to those] rising early in the morning to pursue strong drink, tarrying into the twilight as wine inflames them!
- ÅB
- Ve dem som står tidlig opp om morgenen og jager etter sterk drikk, som sitter langt utover kvelden, glødende av vin!
- OTB
- Ve dem som står opp tidlig om morgenen for å jage etter sterk drikk, som sitter oppe sent om natten til de er oppglødd av vin.
- B1930
- Ve dem som står tidlig op om morgenen og jager efter sterk drikk, som sitter langt utover aftenen, glødende av vin!
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Proverbs 23:29–30
Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has needless wounds? Who has bloodshot eyes?
Read in contextRomans 13:13
Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.
Read in contextProverbs 20:1
Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is led astray by them is not wise.
Read in contextIsaiah 5:22
Woe to those who are heroes in drinking wine and champions in mixing beer,
Read in contextEcclesiastes 10:16–17
Woe to you, O land whose king is a youth, and whose princes feast in the morning.
Read in contextIsaiah 28:7–8
These also stagger from wine and stumble from strong drink: Priests and prophets reel from strong drink and are befuddled by wine. They stumble because of strong drink, muddled in their visions and stumbling in their judgments.
Read in contextHabakkuk 2:15
Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbors, pouring it from the wineskin until they are drunk, in order to gaze at their nakedness!
Read in context1 Thessalonians 5:6–7
So then, let us not sleep as the others do, but let us remain awake and sober.
Read in context