Isaiah 5:20 “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who turn darkness to li…”

Isaiah 5:20

Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who turn darkness to light and light to darkness, who replace bitter with sweet and sweet with bitter.

Berean Standard Bible

Other translations

King James Version

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!

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!

American Standard Version

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!

Geneva Bible 1599

Woe vnto them that speake good of euill, and euill of good, which put darkenes for light, and light for darkenes, that put bitter for sweete, and sweete for sowre.

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!

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.

Bible in Basic English

Cursed are those who give the name of good to evil, and of evil to what is good: who make light dark, and dark light: who make bitter sweet, and sweet bitter!

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Cross references

“them”

Proverbs 17:15 2 Timothy 3:1–5 Luke 16:15 Malachi 2:17 2 Peter 2:1 Malachi 3:15

Proverbs 17:15 · BSB

Acquitting the guilty and condemning the righteous— both are detestable to the LORD.

2 Timothy 3:1–5 · BSB

But understand this: In the last days terrible times will come.

Luke 16:15 · BSB

So He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is prized among men is detestable before God.

Malachi 2:17 · BSB

You have wearied the LORD with your words; yet you ask, “How have we wearied Him?” By saying, “All who do evil are good in the sight of the LORD, and in them He delights,” or, “Where is the God of justice?”

2 Peter 2:1 · BSB

Now there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them—bringing swift destruction o…

Malachi 3:15 · BSB

So now we call the arrogant blessed. Not only do evildoers prosper, they even test God and escape.’”

Also

Job 17:12 Matthew 6:22–23 Amos 5:7 Luke 11:34–35

Job 17:12 · BSB

They have turned night into day, making light seem near in the face of darkness.

Matthew 6:22–23 · BSB

The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light.

Amos 5:7 · BSB

There are those who turn justice into wormwood and cast righteousness to the ground.

Luke 11:34–35 · BSB

Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are good, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are bad, your body is full of darkness.

Cross references adapted from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0) and the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

In context

19to those who say, “Let Him hurry and hasten His work so that we may see it! Let the plan of the Holy One of Israel come so that we may know it!”

21Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight.

Read Isaiah 5