Isaiah 28

1 Woe to the crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim, and to the fading flower of his glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley of those who are overcome with wine!

Woe to the crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim, and to the fading flower of his glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley of them that are smitten down with wine!

2 Behold, the Lord has a mighty and strong one. As a tempest of hail, a destroying storm, as a tempest of mighty waters overflowing, he will cast down to the earth with the hand.

Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one, as a storm of hail, a tempest of destruction, as a storm of mighty waters overflowing, that casteth down to the earth with violence.

3 The crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim shall be trodden under foot.

The crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim shall be trodden under foot;

4 And the fading flower of his glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley, shall be as the first-ripe fig before the summer, which, when he who looks upon it sees, while it is yet in his hand, he eats it up.

And the fading flower of his glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley, shall be as the first-ripe fig before the summer, which when one looketh upon it, while it is yet in his hand he eateth it up.

5 In that day Jehovah of hosts will become a crown of glory, and a diadem of beauty, to the residue of his people,

In that day shall the LORD of hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty, unto the residue of His people;

6 and a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment, and strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.

And for a spirit of judgment to him that sitteth in judgment, and for strength to them that turn back the battle at the gate.

7 And even these reel with wine, and stagger with strong drink. The priest and the prophet reel with strong drink. They are swallowed up of wine. They stagger with strong drink; they err in vision; they stumble in judgment.

But these also reel through wine, and stagger through strong drink; the priest and the prophet reel through strong drink, they are confused because of wine, they stagger because of strong drink; they reel in vision, they totter in judgment.

8 For all tables are full of vomit, filthiness, no place clean.

For all tables are full of filthy vomit, and no place is clean.

9 Whom will he teach knowledge? And whom will he make to understand the message? Those who are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts?

Whom shall one teach knowledge? And whom shall one make to understand the message? Them that are weaned from the milk, them that are drawn from the breasts?

10 For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little.

For it is precept by precept, precept by precept, line by line, line by line; here a little, there a little.

11 No, but by men of strange lips and with another tongue he will speak to this people,

For with stammering lips and with a strange tongue shall it be spoken to this people;

12 to whom he said, This is the rest. Give ye rest to him who is weary. And this is the refreshing. Yet they would not hear.

To whom it was said: 'This is the rest, give ye rest to the weary; and this is the refreshing'; yet they would not hear.

13 Therefore the word of Jehovah shall be to them precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little, that they may go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.

And so the word of the LORD is unto them precept by precept, precept by precept, line by line, line by line; here a little, there a little; that they may go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.

14 Therefore hear the word of Jehovah, ye scoffers, who rule this people that is in Jerusalem.

Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scoffers, the ballad-mongers of this people which is in Jerusalem:

15 Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and we are at agreement with Sheol. When the overflowing scourge shall pass through it shall not come to us, for we have made lies our refuge, and we have hid ourselves under falsehood. (Sheol h7585)

Because ye have said: 'We have made a covenant with death, and with the nether-world are we at agreement; when the scouring scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us; for we have made lies our refuge, and in falsehood have we hid ourselves'; (Sheol h7585)

16 Therefore thus says the lord Jehovah, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation, a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner-stone, a sure foundation. He who believes in him shall, no, not be shamed.

Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD: Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a costly corner-stone of sure foundation; he that believeth shall not make haste.

17 And I will make justice the line, and righteousness the plummet. And the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding-place.

And I will make justice the line, and righteousness the plummet; and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding-place.

18 And your covenant with death shall be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol shall not stand. When the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it. (Sheol h7585)

And your covenant with death shall be disannulled and your agreement with the nether-world shall not stand; when the scouring scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it, (Sheol h7585)

19 As often as it passes though, it shall take you. For morning by morning it shall pass through, by day and by night. And it shall be nothing but terror to understand the report.

As often as it passeth through, it shall take you; for morning by morning shall it pass through, by day and by night; and it shall be sheer terror to understand the message.

20 For the bed is shorter than what a man can stretch himself on it, and the covering narrower than what he can wrap himself in it.

For the bed is too short for a man to stretch himself; and the covering too narrow when he gathereth himself up.

21 For Jehovah will rise up as in mount Perazim. He will be angry as in the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his work, his strange work, and bring to pass his act, his strange act.

For the LORD will rise up as in mount Perazim, He will be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon; that He may do His work, strange is His work, and bring to pass His act, strange is His act.

22 Now therefore be ye not scoffers, lest your bonds be made strong. For I have heard a decree of destruction from the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, upon the whole earth.

Now therefore be ye not scoffers, lest your bands be made strong; for an extermination wholly determined have I heard from the Lord, the GOD of hosts, upon the whole land.

23 Give ye ear, and hear my voice, hearken, and hear my speech.

Give ye ear, and hear my voice; attend, and hear my speech.

24 Does he who plows to sow plow continually? Does he continually open and harrow his ground?

Is the plowman never done with plowing to sow, with the opening and harrowing of his ground?

25 When he has leveled the face of it, does he not cast abroad the chick-peas, and scatter the cummin, and put in the wheat in rows, and the barley in the appointed place, and the spelt in the border of it?

When he hath made plain the face thereof, doth he not cast abroad the black cummin, and scatter the cummin, and put in the wheat in rows and the barley in the appointed place and the spelt in the border thereof?

26 For his God instructs him aright, and teaches him.

For He doth instruct him aright; his God doth teach him.

27 For the chick-peas are not threshed with a sharp instrument, nor is a cart wheel turned about upon the cummin, but the chick-peas are beaten out with a staff, and the cummin with a rod.

For the black cummin is not threshed with a threshing-sledge, neither is a cart-wheel turned about upon the cummin; but the black cummin is beaten out with a staff, and the cummin with a rod.

28 Bread grain is ground, for he will not be always threshing it. And though the wheel of his cart and his horses scatter it, he does not grind it.

Is bread corn crushed? Nay, he will not ever be threshing it; and though the roller of his wagon and its sharp edges move noisily, he doth not crush it.

29 This also comes forth from Jehovah of hosts, who is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in wisdom.

This also cometh forth from the LORD of hosts: Wonderful is His counsel, and great His wisdom.