¹² Why hast Thou broken down its hedges, And all passing by the way have plucked it?

⁵ And now, pray, let me cause you to know, That which I am doing to my vineyard, To turn aside its hedge, And it hath been for consumption, To break down its wall, And it hath been for a treading-place.

⁴⁰ Thou hast broken down all his hedges, Thou hast made his fenced places a ruin.

⁴¹ Spoiled him have all passing by the way, He hath been a reproach to his neighbours,

⁵ For before harvest, when the flower is perfect, And the blossom is producing unripe fruit, Then hath `one' cut the sprigs with pruning hooks, And the branches he hath turned aside, cut down.

⁶ They are left together to the ravenous fowl of the mountains, And to the beast of the earth, And summered on them hath the ravenous fowl, And every beast of the earth wintereth on them.

² For turned back hath Jehovah to the excellency of Jacob, As `to' the excellency of Israel, For emptied them out have emptiers, And their branches they have marred.

¹⁶ He will come, and destroy these husbandmen, and will give the vineyard to others.' And having heard, they said, `Let it not be!'