King James Version

Isaiah 5:20

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!

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Hebrew

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ה֣וֹיhoyalasהוֹיparticle, interjection — “alas”H1945oh!ah, alas, ho, O, woe.הָאֹמְרִ֥יםhaomerimthe sayאָמַרdefinite article, verb, qal, participle, absolute — “the say”, a verb used as a describing wordH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…לָרַ֛עlarato badרַעpreposition, with the article, adjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “to bad”, the ordinary formH7451bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral)adversity, affliction, bad, calamity, [phrase] displease(-ure), distress, evil((-favouredness), man, thing), [phrase] exceedingly, [idiom] great, grief(-vous), harm, heavy, hurt(-ful), ill (favoured), [phrase] mark, mischief(-vous), misery…ט֖וֹבtovgoodטוֹבadjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “good”, the ordinary formH2896good (as an adjective) in the widest sense; used likewise as a noun, both in the masculine and the feminine, the singular and the plural (good, a good or good thing, a good man or woman; the good, goods or good things, good men or women), also as an adverb (well)beautiful, best, better, bountiful, cheerful, at ease, [idiom] fair (word), (be in) favour, fine, glad, good (deed, -lier, -liest, -ly, -ness, -s), graciously, joyful, kindly, kindness, liketh (best), loving, merry, [idiom] most, pleasant,…וְלַטּ֣וֹבvelatovand to goodטוֹבconjunction, preposition, with the article, adjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “and to good”, the ordinary formH2896good (as an adjective) in the widest sense; used likewise as a noun, both in the masculine and the feminine, the singular and the plural (good, a good or good thing, a good man or woman; the good, goods or good things, good men or women), also as an adverb (well)beautiful, best, better, bountiful, cheerful, at ease, [idiom] fair (word), (be in) favour, fine, glad, good (deed, -lier, -liest, -ly, -ness, -s), graciously, joyful, kindly, kindness, liketh (best), loving, merry, [idiom] most, pleasant,…רָ֑עrabadרַעadjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “bad”, the ordinary formH7451bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral)adversity, affliction, bad, calamity, [phrase] displease(-ure), distress, evil((-favouredness), man, thing), [phrase] exceedingly, [idiom] great, grief(-vous), harm, heavy, hurt(-ful), ill (favoured), [phrase] mark, mischief(-vous), misery…שָׂמִ֨יםsamimputשׂוּםverb, qal, participle, absolute — “put”, a verb used as a describing wordH7760to put (used in a great variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially, and elliptically)[idiom] any wise, appoint, bring, call (a name), care, cast in, change, charge, commit, consider, convey, determine, [phrase] disguise, dispose, do, get, give, heap up, hold, impute, lay (down, up), leave, look, make (out), mark, [phrase]…חֹ֤שֶׁךְchoshekhdarkחֹשֶׁךְnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “dark”, the ordinary formH2822the dark; hence (literally) darkness; figuratively, misery, destruction, death, ignorance, sorrow, wickednessdark(-ness), night, obscurity.לְאוֹר֙leorto brightאוֹרpreposition, noun, common, both genders, singular, absolute — “to bright”, the ordinary formH216illumination or (concrete) luminary (in every sense, including lightning, happiness, etc.)bright, clear, [phrase] day, light (-ning), morning, sun.וְא֣וֹרveorand brightאוֹרconjunction, noun, common, both genders, singular, absolute — “and bright”, the ordinary formH216illumination or (concrete) luminary (in every sense, including lightning, happiness, etc.)bright, clear, [phrase] day, light (-ning), morning, sun.לְחֹ֔שֶׁךְlechoshekhto darkחֹשֶׁךְpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “to dark”, the ordinary formH2822the dark; hence (literally) darkness; figuratively, misery, destruction, death, ignorance, sorrow, wickednessdark(-ness), night, obscurity.שָׂמִ֥יםsamimputשׂוּםverb, qal, participle, absolute — “put”, a verb used as a describing wordH7760to put (used in a great variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially, and elliptically)[idiom] any wise, appoint, bring, call (a name), care, cast in, change, charge, commit, consider, convey, determine, [phrase] disguise, dispose, do, get, give, heap up, hold, impute, lay (down, up), leave, look, make (out), mark, [phrase]…מַ֛רmarbitterמַרadjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “bitter”, the ordinary formH4751bitter (literally or figuratively); also (as noun) bitterness, or (adverbially) bitterly[phrase] angry, bitter(-ly, -ness), chafed, discontented, [idiom] great, heavy.לְמָת֖וֹקlematoqto sweetמָתוֹקpreposition, adjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “to sweet”, the ordinary formH4966sweetsweet(-er, -ness).וּמָת֥וֹקumatoqand sweetמָתוֹקconjunction, adjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “and sweet”, the ordinary formH4966sweetsweet(-er, -ness).לְמָֽרlemarto bitterמַרpreposition, adjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “to bitter”, the ordinary formH4751bitter (literally or figuratively); also (as noun) bitterness, or (adverbially) bitterly[phrase] angry, bitter(-ly, -ness), chafed, discontented, [idiom] great, heavy.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that change darkness into light, and light into darkness; that change bitter into sweet, and sweet into bitter!

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

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!

Young’s Literal Translation

Woe [to] those saying to evil 'good,' And to good 'evil,' Putting darkness for light, and light for darkness, Putting bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter.

World English Bible

Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

Darby Translation

Woe unto them who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

Douay-Rheims

Woe to you 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.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that change darkness into light, and light into darkness; that change bitter into sweet, and sweet into bitter!

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

Woe to them that call evil good, and good evil; who make darkness light, and light darkness; who make bitter sweet, and sweet bitter.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Οὐαὶ οἱ λέγοντες τὸ πονηρὸν καλὸν, καὶ τὸ καλὸν πονηρὸν· οἱ τιθέντες τὸ σκότος φῶς, καὶ τὸ φῶς σκότος· οἱ τιθέντες τὸ πικρὸν γλυκὺ, καὶ τὸ γλυκὺ πικρόν.