Isaiah 28

1 Ho! crown of pride of those who are given up to wine in Ephraim, and the dead flower of his glory which is on the head of those who are overcome by strong drink!

١ وَيْلٌ لِإِكْلِيلِ فَخْرِ سُكَارَى أَفْرَايِمَ، وَلِلزَّهْرِ ٱلذَّابِلِ، جَمَالِ بَهَائِهِ ٱلَّذِي عَلَى رَأْسِ وَادِي سَمَائِنِ، ٱلْمَضْرُوبِينَ بِٱلْخَمْرِ.

2 See, the Lord has a strong and cruel one; like a rain of ice, a storm of destruction, like the overflowing of a strong river, he will violently overcome them.

٢ هُوَذَا شَدِيدٌ وَقَوِيٌّ لِلسَّيِّدِ كَٱنْهِيَالِ ٱلْبَرَدِ، كَنَوْءٍ مُهْلِكٍ، كَسَيْلِ مِيَاهٍ غَزِيرَةٍ جَارِفَةٍ، قَدْ أَلْقَاهُ إِلَى ٱلْأَرْضِ بِشِدَّةٍ.

3 The crown of pride of those who are given up to wine in Ephraim will be crushed under foot;

٣ بِٱلْأَرْجُلِ يُدَاسُ إِكْلِيلُ فَخْرِ سُكَارَى أَفْرَايِمَ.

4 And the dead flower of his glory, which is on the head of the fertile valley, will be like the first early fruit before the summer; which a man takes and puts in his mouth the minute he sees it.

٤ وَيَكُونُ ٱلزَّهْرُ ٱلذَّابِلُ، جَمَالُ بَهَائِهِ ٱلَّذِي عَلَى رَأْسِ وَادِي ٱلسَّمَائِنِ كَبَاكُورَةِ ٱلتِّينِ قَبْلَ ٱلصَّيْفِ، ٱلَّتِي يَرَاهَا ٱلنَّاظِرُ فَيَبْلَعُهَا وَهِيَ فِي يَدِهِ.

5 In that day will the Lord of armies be a crown of glory, and a fair ornament, to the rest of his people;

٥ فِي ذَلِكَ ٱلْيَوْمِ يَكُونُ رَبُّ ٱلْجُنُودِ إِكْلِيلَ جَمَالٍ وَتَاجَ بَهَاءٍ لِبَقِيَّةِ شَعْبِهِ،

6 And a spirit of wisdom to the judge, and strength to those who keep back the attackers at the door of the town.

٦ وَرُوحَ ٱلْقَضَاءِ لِلْجَالِسِ لِلْقَضَاءِ، وَبَأْسًا لِلَّذِينَ يَرُدُّونَ ٱلْحَرْبَ إِلَى ٱلْبَابِ.

7 And further, these are uncertain through wine, and have gone out of the right way through strong drink: the priest and the prophet are uncertain through strong drink, they are overcome by wine, they have gone out of the way through strong drink; their vision is false, they go wrong in their decisions.

٧ وَلَكِنَّ هَؤُلَاءِ أَيْضًا ضَلُّوا بِٱلْخَمْرِ وَتَاهُوا بِٱلْمُسْكِرِ. ٱلْكَاهِنُ وَٱلنَّبِيُّ تَرَنَّحَا بِٱلْمُسْكِرِ. ٱبْتَلَعَتْهُمَا ٱلْخَمْرُ. تَاهَا مِنَ ٱلْمُسْكِرِ، ضَلَّا فِي ٱلرُّؤْيَا، قَلِقَا فِي ٱلْقَضَاءِ.

8 For all the tables are covered with coughed-up food, so that there is not a clean place.

٨ فَإِنَّ جَمِيعَ ٱلْمَوَائِدِ ٱمْتَلَأَتْ قَيْئًا وَقَذَرًا. لَيْسَ مَكَانٌ.

9 To whom will he give knowledge? and to whom will he make clear the word? Will it be to those who have newly given up milk, and who have only now been taken from the breast?

٩ «لِمَنْ يُعَلِّمُ مَعْرِفَةً، وَلِمَنْ يُفْهِمُ تَعْلِيمًا؟ أَلِلْمَفْطُومِينَ عَنِ ٱللَّبَنِ، لِلْمَفْصُولِينَ عَنِ ٱلثُّدِيِّ؟

10 For it is one rule after another; one line after another; here a little, there a little.

١٠ لِأَنَّهُ أَمْرٌ عَلَى أَمْرٍ. أَمْرٌ عَلَى أَمْرٍ. فَرْضٌ عَلَى فَرْضٍ. فَرْضٌ عَلَى فَرْضٍ. هُنَا قَلِيلٌ هُنَاكَ قَلِيلٌ».

11 No, but with broken talk, and with a strange tongue, he will give his word to this people:

١١ إِنَّهُ بِشَفَةٍ لَكْنَاءَ وَبِلِسَانٍ آخَرَ يُكَلِّمُ هَذَا ٱلشَّعْبَ،

12 To whom he said, This is the rest, give rest to him who is tired; and by this you may get new strength; but they would not give ear.

١٢ ٱلَّذِينَ قَالَ لَهُمْ: «هَذِهِ هِيَ ٱلرَّاحَةُ. أَرِيحُوا ٱلرَّازِحَ، وَهَذَا هُوَ ٱلسُّكُونُ». وَلَكِنْ لَمْ يَشَاءُوا أَنْ يَسْمَعُوا.

13 For this cause the word of the Lord will be to them rule after rule, line after line, here a little, there a little; so that they may go on their way, and falling back may be broken, and taken in the net.

١٣ فَكَانَ لَهُمْ قَوْلُ ٱلرَّبِّ: أَمْرًا عَلَى أَمْرٍ. أَمْرًا عَلَى أَمْرٍ. فَرْضًا عَلَى فَرْضٍ. فَرْضًا عَلَى فَرْضٍ. هُنَا قَلِيلًا هُنَاكَ قَلِيلًا، لِكَيْ يَذْهَبُوا وَيَسْقُطُوا إِلَى ٱلْوَرَاءِ وَيَنْكَسِرُوا وَيُصَادُوا فَيُؤْخَذُوا.

14 Give ear then to the word of the Lord, you men of pride, the rulers of this people in Jerusalem:

١٤ لِذَلِكَ ٱسْمَعُوا كَلَامَ ٱلرَّبِّ يَارِجَالَ ٱلْهُزْءِ، وُلَاةَ هَذَا ٱلشَّعْبِ ٱلَّذِي فِي أُورُشَلِيمَ.

15 Because you have said, We have made death our friend, and with the underworld we have made an agreement; when the overflowing waters come through they will not come near us; for we are looking to false words for help, taking cover in what is untrue: (Sheol h7585)

١٥ لِأَنَّكُمْ قُلْتُمْ: «قَدْ عَقَدْنَا عَهْدًا مَعَ ٱلْمَوْتِ، وَصَنَعْنَا مِيثَاقًا مَعَ ٱلْهَاوِيَةِ. ٱلسَّوْطُ ٱلْجَارِفُ إِذَا عَبَرَ لَا يَأْتِينَا، لِأَنَّنَا جَعَلْنَا ٱلْكَذِبَ مَلْجَأَنَا، وَبِٱلْغِشِّ ٱسْتَتَرْنَا». (Sheol h7585)

16 For this cause says the Lord God, See, I am placing in Zion as a base, a stone, a tested stone, an angle-stone which is certain and of great value: and he who has faith will not give way.

١٦ لِذَلِكَ هَكَذَا يَقُولُ ٱلسَّيِّدُ ٱلرَّبُّ: «هَأَنَذَا أُؤَسِّسُ فِي صِهْيَوْنَ حَجَرًا، حَجَرَ ٱمْتِحَانٍ، حَجَرَ زَاوِيَةٍ كَرِيمًا، أَسَاسًا مُؤَسَّسًا: مَنْ آمَنَ لَا يَهْرُبُ.

17 And I will make right decision the measuring-line, and righteousness the weight: and the ice-storm will take away the safe place of false words, and the secret place will be covered by the flowing waters.

١٧ وَأَجْعَلُ ٱلْحَقَّ خَيْطًا وَٱلْعَدْلَ مِطْمَارًا، فَيَخْطَفُ ٱلْبَرَدُ مَلْجَأَ ٱلْكَذِبِ، وَيَجْرُفُ ٱلْمَاءُ ٱلسِّتَارَةَ.

18 And the help you were looking for from death will come to nothing, and your agreement with the underworld will be broken; when the overflowing waters come through, then you will be overcome by them. (Sheol h7585)

١٨ وَيُمْحَى عَهْدُكُمْ مَعَ ٱلْمَوْتِ، وَلَا يَثْبُتُ مِيثَاقُكُمْ مَعَ ٱلْهَاوِيَةِ. ٱلسَّوْطُ ٱلْجَارِفُ إِذَا عَبَرَ تَكُونُونَ لَهُ لِلدَّوْسِ. (Sheol h7585)

19 Whenever they come through they will overtake you; for they will come through morning after morning, by day and by night: and the news will be nothing but fear.

١٩ كُلَّمَا عَبَرَ يَأْخُذُكُمْ، فَإِنَّهُ كُلَّ صَبَاحٍ يَعْبُرُ، فِي ٱلنَّهَارِ وَفِي ٱللَّيْلِ، وَيَكُونُ فَهْمُ ٱلْخَبَرِ فَقَطِ ٱنْزِعَاجًا».

20 For the bed is not long enough for a man to be stretched out on: and the cover is not wide enough for him to be covered with.

٢٠ لِأَنَّ ٱلْفِرَاشَ قَدْ قَصَرَ عَنِ ٱلتَّمَدُّدِ، وَٱلْغِطَاءَ ضَاقَ عَنِ ٱلِٱلْتِحَافِ.

21 For the Lord will come up as on Mount Perazim, he will be moved to wrath as in the valley of Gibeon; so that he may do his work — strange is his work; and give effect to his act — unnatural is his act.

٢١ لِأَنَّهُ كَمَا فِي جَبَلِ فَرَاصِيمَ يَقُومُ ٱلرَّبُّ، وَكَمَا فِي ٱلْوَطَاءِ عِنْدَ جِبْعُونَ يَسْخَطُ لِيَفْعَلَ فَعْلَهُ، فَعْلَهُ ٱلْغَرِيبَ، وَلِيَعْمَلَ عَمَلَهُ، عَمَلَهُ ٱلْغَرِيبَ.

22 And now, take care that you do not make sport of him, or your bands will be made strong; for I have had word from the Lord, the Lord of armies, of an end, of a complete end, which is to come on all the land.

٢٢ فَٱلْآنَ لَا تَكُونُوا مُتَهَكِّمِينَ لِئَلَّا تُشَدَّدَ رُبُطُكُمْ، لِأَنِّي سَمِعْتُ فَنَاءً قُضِيَ بِهِ مِنْ قِبَلِ ٱلسَّيِّدِ رَبِّ ٱلْجُنُودِ عَلَى كُلِّ ٱلْأَرْضِ.

23 Let your ears be open to my voice; give attention to what I say.

٢٣ اُصْغُوا وَٱسْمَعُوا صَوْتِي. ٱنْصُتُوا وَٱسْمَعُوا قَوْلِي:

24 Is the ploughman for ever ploughing? does he not get the earth ready and broken up for the seed?

٢٤ هَلْ يَحْرُثُ ٱلْحَارِثُ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ لِيَزْرَعَ، وَيَشُقُّ أَرْضَهُ وَيُمَهِّدُهَا؟

25 When the face of the earth has been levelled, does he not put in the different sorts of seed, and the grain in lines, and the barley in its place, and the spelt at the edge?

٢٥ أَلَيْسَ أَنَّهُ إِذَا سَوَّى وَجْهَهَا يَبْذُرُ ٱلشُّونِيزَ وَيُذَرِّي ٱلْكَمُّونَ، وَيَضَعُ ٱلْحِنْطَةَ فِي أَتْلَامٍ، وَٱلشَّعِيرَ فِي مَكَانٍ مُعَيَّنٍ، وَٱلْقَطَانِيَّ فِي حُدُودِهَا؟

26 For his God is his teacher, giving him the knowledge of these things.

٢٦ فَيُرْشِدُهُ. بِٱلْحَقِّ يُعَلِّمُهُ إِلَهُهُ.

27 For the fitches are not crushed with a sharp instrument, and a cart-wheel is not rolled over the cummin; but the grain of the fitches is hammered out with a stick, and of the cummin with a rod.

٢٧ إِنَّ ٱلشُّونِيزَ لَا يُدْرَسُ بِٱلنَّوْرَجِ، وَلَا تُدَارُ بَكَرَةُ ٱلْعَجَلَةِ عَلَى ٱلْكَمُّونِ، بَلْ بِٱلْقَضِيبِ يُخْبَطُ ٱلشُّونِيزُ، وَٱلْكَمُّونُ بِٱلْعَصَا.

28 Is the grain for bread crushed? He does not go on crushing it for ever, but he lets his cart-wheels and his horses go over it without crushing it.

٢٨ يُدَقُّ ٱلْقَمْحُ لِأَنَّهُ لَا يَدْرُسُهُ إِلَى ٱلْأَبَدِ، فَيَسُوقُ بَكَرَةَ عَجَلَتِهِ وَخَيْلَهُ. لَا يَسْحَقُهُ.

29 This comes from the Lord of armies, purposing wonders, and wise in all his acts.

٢٩ هَذَا أَيْضًا خَرَجَ مِنْ قِبَلِ رَبِّ ٱلْجُنُودِ. عَجِيبُ ٱلرَّأْيِ عَظِيمُ ٱلْفَهْمِ.