5:20 Those who call evil good and good evil are as good as dead, 1
who turn darkness into light and light into darkness,
who turn bitter into sweet and sweet into bitter. 2
5:21 Those who think they are wise are as good as dead, 3
those who think they possess understanding. 4
1 tn Heb “Woe [to] those who call.” See the note at v. 8.
2 sn In this verse the prophet denounces the perversion of moral standards. Darkness and bitterness are metaphors for evil; light and sweetness symbolize uprightness.
3 tn Heb “Woe [to] the wise in their own eyes.” See the note at v. 8.
4 tn Heb “[who] before their faces are understanding.”