Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
How terrible it will be for those who say that evil things are good and good things are evil; who call darkness light and light darkness; who call bitter things sweet and sweet things bitter!
God is warning against people who completely twist right and wrong, calling bad things good and good things bad.
📚 Historical Context
Isaiah prophesied to the kingdom of Judah around 700 BC, during a period of economic prosperity but moral decline, as the nation turned away from God's commandments and embraced influences from surrounding pagan cultures. In Isaiah 5, this verse is part of a series of divine judgments or "woes" against Israel's sins, highlighting how the people's distorted values led to social injustice and spiritual rebellion. This warning served as a call for repentance to avoid impending judgment and exile.
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