3 Listen, people of Jerusalemand of Judah!You be the judge of meand my vineyard.
4 What more could I have donefor my vineyard?I hoped for sweet grapes,but bitter grapeswere all that grew.
5 Now I will let you knowwhat I am going to do.I will cut down the hedgeand tear down the wall.My vineyard will be trampledand left in ruins.
6 It will turn into a desert,neither pruned nor hoed;it will be coveredwith thorns and briars.I will command the cloudsnot to send rain.
7 I am the Lord All-Powerful!Israel is the vineyard,and Judah is the gardenI tended with care.I had hoped for honestyand for justice,but dishonestyand cries for mercywere all I found.
8 You are in for trouble! You take over house after house and field after field, until there is no room left for anyone else in all the land.
9 But the Lord All-Powerful has made this promise to me:Those large and beautiful homes will be left empty, with no one to take care of them.