The Song of the Vineyard

¹Listen while I sing you this song, a song of my friend and his vineyard: My friend had a vineyard on a very fertile hill.

²He dug the soil and cleared it of stones; he planted the finest vines. He built a tower to guard them, dug a pit for treading the grapes. He waited for the grapes to ripen, but every grape was sour.

³So now my friend says, “You people who live in Jerusalem and Judah, judge between my vineyard and me.

⁴Is there anything I failed to do for it? Then why did it produce sour grapes and not the good grapes I expected?

⁵“Here is what I am going to do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge around it, break down the wall that protects it, and let wild animals eat it and trample it down.

⁶I will let it be overgrown with weeds. I will not trim the vines or hoe the ground; instead, I will let briers and thorns cover it. I will even forbid the clouds to let rain fall on it.”

⁷Israel is the vineyard of the Lord Almighty; the people of Judah are the vines he planted. He expected them to do what was good, but instead they committed murder. He expected them to do what was right, but their victims cried out for justice.

The Evil That People Do

⁸You are doomed! You buy more houses and fields to add to those you already have. Soon there will be no place for anyone else to live, and you alone will live in the land.

⁹I have heard the Lord Almighty say, “All these big, fine houses will be empty ruins.

¹⁰The grapevines growing on five acres of land will yield only five gallons of wine. Ten bushels of seed will produce only one bushel of grain.”

¹¹You are doomed! You get up early in the morning to start drinking, and you spend long evenings getting drunk.

¹²At your feasts you have harps and tambourines and flutes—and wine. But you don't understand what the Lord is doing,

¹³and so you will be carried away as prisoners. Your leaders will starve to death, and the common people will die of thirst.

¹⁴The world of the dead is hungry for them, and it opens its mouth wide. It gulps down the nobles of Jerusalem along with the noisy crowd of common people.

¹⁵Everyone will be disgraced, and all who are proud will be humbled.

¹⁶But the Lord Almighty shows his greatness by doing what is right, and he reveals his holiness by judging his people.

¹⁷In the ruins of the cities lambs will eat grass and young goats will find pasture.

¹⁸You are doomed! You are unable to break free from your sins.

¹⁹You say, “Let the Lord hurry up and do what he says he will, so that we can see it. Let Israel's holy God carry out his plans; let's see what he has in mind.”

²⁰You are doomed! You call evil good and call good evil. You turn darkness into light and light into darkness. You make what is bitter sweet, and what is sweet you make bitter.

²¹You are doomed! You think you are wise, so very clever.

²²You are doomed! Heroes of the wine bottle! Brave and fearless when it comes to mixing drinks!

²³But for just a bribe you let the guilty go free, and you keep the innocent from getting justice.

²⁴So now, just as straw and dry grass shrivel and burn in the fire, your roots will rot and your blossoms will dry up and blow away, because you have rejected what the Lord Almighty, Israel's holy God, has taught us.

²⁵The Lord is angry with his people and has stretched out his hand to punish them. The mountains will shake, and the bodies of those who die will be left in the streets like rubbish. Yet even then the Lord's anger will not be ended, but his hand will still be stretched out to punish.

²⁶The Lord gives a signal to call for a distant nation. He whistles for them to come from the ends of the earth. And here they come, swiftly, quickly!

²⁷None of them grow tired; none of them stumble. They never doze or sleep. Not a belt is loose; not a sandal strap is broken.

²⁸Their arrows are sharp, and their bows are ready to shoot. Their horses' hoofs are as hard as flint, and their chariot wheels turn like a whirlwind.

²⁹The soldiers roar like lions that have killed an animal and are carrying it off where no one can take it away from them.

³⁰When that day comes, they will roar over Israel as loudly as the sea. Look at this country! Darkness and distress! The light is swallowed by darkness.

God Calls Isaiah to Be a Prophet

¹In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord. He was sitting on his throne, high and exalted, and his robe filled the whole Temple.

²Around him flaming creatures were standing, each of which had six wings. Each creature covered its face with two wings, and its body with two, and used the other two for flying.

³They were calling out to each other: “Holy, holy, holy! The Lord Almighty is holy! His glory fills the world.”

⁴The sound of their voices made the foundation of the Temple shake, and the Temple itself became filled with smoke.

⁵I said, “There is no hope for me! I am doomed because every word that passes my lips is sinful, and I live among a people whose every word is sinful. And yet, with my own eyes I have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”

⁶Then one of the creatures flew down to me, carrying a burning coal that he had taken from the altar with a pair of tongs.

⁷He touched my lips with the burning coal and said, “This has touched your lips, and now your guilt is gone, and your sins are forgiven.”

⁸Then I heard the Lord say, “Whom shall I send? Who will be our messenger?” I answered, “I will go! Send me!”

⁹So he told me to go and give the people this message: “No matter how much you listen, you will not understand. No matter how much you look, you will not know what is happening.”

¹⁰Then he said to me, “Make the minds of these people dull, their ears deaf, and their eyes blind, so that they cannot see or hear or understand. If they did, they might turn to me and be healed.”

¹¹I asked, “How long will it be like this, Lord?” He answered, “Until the cities are ruined and empty—until the houses are uninhabited—until the land itself is a desolate wasteland.

¹²I will send the people far away and make the whole land desolate.

¹³Even if one person out of ten remains in the land, he too will be destroyed; he will be like the stump of an oak tree that has been cut down.” (The stump represents a new beginning for God's people.)

Travel Preparations

¹Then Tobias answered his father, I'll do everything you told me.

²But how can I get the money back from Gabael? We have never even met each other. How can I prove to him who I am, so that he will trust me and give me the money? Besides that, I don't know how to get to Media.

³Tobit replied, Gabael and I both signed a document. I then tore it in two, and we each took a half. I put his half with the money. That was twenty years ago! Now, go and find a reliable person to travel with you to Media and back, and we will pay him when you return. But you must get the money that I left with Gabael.

Tobias Meets Raphael

⁴Tobias then went out to look for someone who knew the way to Media and would travel with him. Almost as soon as he left the house, he found himself face-to-face with Raphael. Tobias did not know that Raphael was an angel of God,

⁵so he asked him where he was from. I am an Israelite, Raphael answered, one of your distant relatives, and I have come here to Nineveh to find work. Do you know the way to Media? Tobias asked.

⁶Yes, I do, Raphael replied. I have been there many times, and I know all the roads well. I used to stay with our relative Gabael, who lives there in the town of Rages. It takes at least two days to travel there from Ecbatana, the capital city, because Rages is up in the mountains.

⁷Then Tobias said to Raphael, Wait here for me, my friend, while I go in and tell my father. I would like for you to travel with me, and I will pay you for the journey.

⁸All right, Raphael said, I'll wait, but don't take too long.

Tobit Meets Raphael

⁹Tobias went in and told his father, I have found an Israelite to travel with me. Call the man in, Tobit replied. I would like to know what family and tribe he belongs to, and whether he is a reliable traveling companion for you. So Tobias went out and called to Raphael, My father would like to meet you. When Raphael came in, Tobit greeted him first. Then Raphael returned the greeting, I hope all is well with you. But Tobit replied, How can all be well with me? I'm blind and can't see a thing. It's like being dead and no longer able to see the light. I might as well be dead! I can hear people talking, but I can't see them. Cheer up! Raphael said to him. God is going to cure you soon, so don't worry! Tobit then said, My son Tobias wants to go to Media. Can you go with him and show him the way? I will pay you, of course. Raphael replied, Certainly I can go with him. I have traveled there many times and I know all the roads in the mountains and on the plains.

¹⁰Tobit questioned him further, Tell me, my friend, what family and tribe do you belong to?

¹¹But Raphael asked, Why do you need to know that? Tell me the truth, said Tobit. What is your name, and who are you?

¹²Raphael replied, My name is Azarias, and I am the son of the older Ananias, one of your relatives.

¹³Then Tobit said to him, Welcome to our home! God bless you, my son. Please don't be offended because I wanted to know the truth about you and your family. As it turns out, you are from a good family and a relative at that! I knew Ananias and Nathan, the two sons of the older Shemaiah. They were always loyal to their religion. We used to travel together to Jerusalem and worship there. Your relatives are fine people, and you come from good stock. Have a safe journey.

¹⁴Tobit continued, I will pay the normal daily wage plus expenses for both of you.

¹⁵Be a good companion to Tobias, and I will add a bonus to your wages.

¹⁶I will go with him, Raphael said. And don't worry; we will get there and back safely. The roads are not dangerous. God be with you! Tobit replied. Then he called Tobias and said to him, Son, get everything ready that you need for the journey, so that the two of you can be on your way. May God and his angel watch over you both and bring you back to me safe and sound. Before leaving for Media, Tobias kissed his father and mother good-bye. Tobit said again, Have a safe journey!

¹⁷Then his mother began to cry. How could you send my son away like this? she complained. He's our only means of support. Who will take care of us now?

¹⁸Is that money so important to you that you are willing to risk your own son's life to get it back?

¹⁹Why can't we be content to live on what the Lord has given us?

²⁰Calm down, Tobit said to her. He will get there and back safely, and with your own eyes you will see him return home safe and sound.

²¹Now stop worrying about them, dear. A good angel will go with Tobias. He will have a successful journey and will come back in good health. At that, Anna calmed down and stopped crying.

Tobias Catches a Fish

¹So Tobias and the angel started out toward Media, taking Tobias' dog along with them. They walked on until sunset, then camped by the Tigris River.

²Tobias had gone down to wash his feet in the river, when suddenly a huge fish jumped up out of the water and tried to swallow one of his feet. Tobias let out a yell,

³and the angel called to him, Grab that fish! Don't let it get away. Then Tobias grabbed the fish and dragged it up on the bank.

⁴Cut the fish open, the angel instructed, and take out its gall bladder, heart, and liver. Keep these with you; they can be used for medicine, but throw away the guts.

⁵Tobias did as the angel had told him. Then he cooked the fish, ate part of it, and salted the rest to take along with him. The two continued on together until they were near Media.

⁶Then Tobias asked, Azarias, my friend, what diseases can be cured by this gall bladder, heart, and liver?

⁷The angel answered, The heart and liver can be burned and used to chase away a demon or an evil spirit that is tormenting someone. The attacks will stop immediately, and the person will never be troubled again.

⁸You can use the gall bladder to treat someone whose eyes are covered with a white film. Just rub it on his eyes and blow on the film, and he will be able to see again.

On the Way to Ecbatana

⁹When they had reached Media and were approaching the city of Ecbatana,

¹⁰Raphael said, Tobias, my friend. Yes, what is it? Tobias asked. Raphael continued, Tonight we will stay at the home of your relative Raguel. He has only one child, a daughter named Sarah,

¹¹and since you are her closest relative, you have the right to marry her. You also have the right to inherit all her father's property.

¹²She is sensible, brave, and very beautiful; and her father is a good man. Tonight I'll discuss the marriage proposal with her father, and he will consent to give her to you as your bride. Then, when we return home from the town of Rages, we will celebrate the marriage. Raguel cannot refuse to let you marry her, and he cannot let any other man have her. If he did, then according to the Law of Moses he would deserve the death penalty. He knows that you are the only man who has the right to marry his daughter and receive the inheritance, so follow my advice. Raguel and I will discuss the matter tonight and arrange your engagement to Sarah. When we get back from the city of Rages, we will take her home with us.

¹³Tobias then said to Raphael, Azarias, my friend, I have already heard about Sarah's seven former husbands, and how each one dropped dead on his wedding night, even before he could get to bed.

¹⁴According to the story I heard, a demon killed them. He doesn't harm Sarah, but he kills every man who tries to get near her. I am afraid of this demon. I am an only child, and if I were to die, the sorrow would send my parents to their graves. They don't even have another son to bury them.

¹⁵The angel replied, Have you already forgotten your father's instructions? He told you to marry a woman from your own tribe. So, listen carefully to what I say. Don't worry about the demon. Marry Sarah! I know that tonight Raguel will let Sarah marry you.

¹⁶When you go into the bedroom, take the fish's heart and liver with you and place them on the burning incense,

¹⁷so that the odor will spread throughout the room. When the demon smells it, he will leave and never come near Sarah again. But before you consummate the marriage, both of you must get up and pray for the Lord in heaven to be merciful to you and to protect you. Don't be afraid. Sarah was meant to be yours from the beginning of creation. You will rescue her from the demon, and she will go with you to your home. You and Sarah will have many children, whom you will love very much. So don't worry! Tobias listened very carefully to what Raphael had to say. He knew that Sarah was a relative on his father's side of the family. He began to fall in love with her and looked forward to marrying her.

Solomon's Proverbs

¹These are Solomon's proverbs: Wise children make their fathers proud of them; foolish ones bring their mothers grief.

²Wealth you get by dishonesty will do you no good, but honesty can save your life.

³The Lord will not let good people go hungry, but he will keep the wicked from getting what they want.

⁴Being lazy will make you poor, but hard work will make you rich.