Isaiah 28
1 Woe to the majestic crown of Ephraim’s drunkards, to the fading flower of his glorious splendor, set on the summit above the fertile valley, the pride of those overcome by 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 those who are overcome with wine!
2 Behold, the Lord has one who is strong and mighty. Like a hailstorm or destructive tempest, like a driving rain or flooding downpour, he will smash that crown to the ground.
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.
3 The majestic crown of Ephraim’s drunkards will be trampled underfoot.
The crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim shall be trodden under foot.
4 The fading flower of his beautiful splendor, set on the summit above the fertile valley, will be like a ripe fig before the summer harvest: Whoever sees it will take it in his hand and swallow it.
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.
5 On that day the LORD of Hosts will be a crown of glory, a diadem of splendor to the remnant of His people,
In that day Jehovah of hosts will become a crown of glory, and a diadem of beauty, to the residue of his people,
6 a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment, and a strength to those who repel the onslaught at the gate.
and a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment, and strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.
7 These also stagger from wine and stumble from strong drink: Priests and prophets reel from strong drink and are befuddled by wine. They stumble because of strong drink, muddled in their visions and stumbling in their judgments.
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.
8 For all their tables are covered with vomit; there is not a place without filth.
For all tables are full of vomit, filthiness, no place clean.
9 Whom is He trying to teach? To whom is He explaining His message? To infants just weaned from milk? To babies removed from the breast?
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?
10 For they hear: “Order on order, order on order, line on line, line on line; a little here, a little there.”
For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little.
11 Indeed, with mocking lips and foreign tongues, He will speak to this people
No, but by men of strange lips and with another tongue he will speak to this people,
12 to whom He has said: “This is the place of rest, let the weary rest; this is the place of repose.” But they would not listen.
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.
13 Then the word of the LORD to them will become: “Order on order, order on order, line on line, line on line; a little here, a little there,” so that they will go stumbling backward and will be injured, ensnared, and captured.
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.
14 Therefore hear the word of the LORD, O scoffers who rule this people in Jerusalem.
Therefore hear the word of Jehovah, ye scoffers, who rule this people that is in Jerusalem.
15 For you said, “We have made a covenant with death; we have fashioned an agreement with Sheol. When the overwhelming scourge passes through it will not touch us, because we have made lies our refuge and falsehood our hiding place.” (Sheol h7585)
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)
16 So this is what the Lord GOD says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; the one who believes will never be shaken.
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.
17 I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the level. Hail will sweep away your refuge of lies, and water will flood your 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 Your covenant with death will be dissolved, and your agreement with Sheol will not stand. When the overwhelming scourge passes through, you will be trampled by it. (Sheol h7585)
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)
19 As often as it passes through, it will carry you away; it will sweep through morning after morning, by day and by night.” The understanding of this message will bring sheer terror.
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.
20 Indeed, the bed is too short to stretch out on, and the blanket too small to wrap around you.
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.
21 For the LORD will rise up as at Mount Perazim. He will rouse Himself as in the Valley of Gibeon, to do His work, His strange work, and to perform His task, His disturbing task.
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.
22 So now, do not mock, or your shackles will become heavier. Indeed, I have heard from the Lord GOD of Hosts a decree of destruction against the whole land.
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.
23 Listen and hear my voice. Pay attention and hear what I say.
Give ye ear, and hear my voice, hearken, and hear my speech.
24 Does the plowman plow for planting every day? Does he continuously loosen and harrow the soil?
Does he who plows to sow plow continually? Does he continually open and harrow his ground?
25 When he has leveled its surface, does he not sow caraway and scatter cumin? He plants wheat in rows and barley in plots, and rye within its border.
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?
26 For his God instructs and teaches him properly.
For his God instructs him aright, and teaches him.
27 Surely caraway is not threshed with a sledge, and the wheel of a cart is not rolled over the cumin. But caraway is beaten out with a stick, and cumin with a rod.
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.
28 Grain for bread must be ground, but it is not endlessly threshed. Though the wheels of the cart roll over it, the horses do not crush it.
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.
29 This also comes from the LORD of Hosts, who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in wisdom.
This also comes forth from Jehovah of hosts, who is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in wisdom.
