Esias 28
1 Woe to the crown of pride, the hirelings of Ephraim, the flower that has fallen from the glory of the top of the fertile mountain, they that are drunken without wine.
Woe to the crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim [Fruit], and to the fading flower of his glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fertile valley of those who are overcome with wine!
2 Behold, the anger of the Lord is strong and severe, as descending hail where there is no shelter, violently descending; as a great body of water sweeping away the soil, he shall make rest for the land.
Behold, 'Adonay [Lord] has a mighty and strong one. Like a storm of hail, a destroying storm, and like a storm of mighty waters overflowing, he will cast them down to the earth with his hand.
3 The crown of pride, the hirelings of Ephraim, shall be beaten down with the hands and with the feet.
The crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim [Fruit] will be trodden under foot.
4 And the fading flower of the glorious hope on the top of the high mountain shall be as the early fig; he that sees it, before he takes it into his hand, will desire to swallow it down.
The fading flower of his glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fertile valley, shall be like the first-ripe fig before the summer; which someone picks and eats as soon as he sees it.
5 In that day the Lord of hosts shall be the crown of hope, the woven [crown] of glory, to the remnant of the people.
In that day, Adonai Tzva'ot [Yahweh Commander of heaven’s armies] will become a crown of glory, and a diadem ·crown· of beauty, to the residue of his people;
6 They shall be left in the spirit of judgement for judgement, and for the strength of them that hinder slaying.
and a spirit of mishpat ·justice· to him who sits in judgment, and strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.
7 For these have trespassed through wine; they have erred through strong drink: the priest and the prophet are mad through strong drink, they are swallowed up by reason of wine, they have staggered through drunkenness; they have erred: this is [their] vision.
They are lead astray, intoxicated, unintentional sin ·error· with wine, and stagger with strong drink. The priest and the prophet are lead astray, intoxicated, unintentional sin ·error· with strong drink. They are swallowed up by wine. They stagger with strong drink. They are lead astray, intoxicated, unintentional sin ·error· in vision. They stumble in judgment.
8 A curse shall devour this counsel, for this [is their] counsel for the sake of covetousness.
For all tables are completely full of filthy vomit and filthiness.
9 To whom have we reported evils? and to whom have we reported a message? [even to those] that are weaned from the milk, who are drawn from the breast.
Whom will he teach knowledge? To whom will he explain the message? Those who are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts?
10 Expect you affliction on affliction, hope upon hope: yet a little, [and] yet a little,
For it is precept on precept, precept on precept; line on line, line on line; here a little, there a little.
11 by reason of the contemptuous [words] of the lips, by means of another language: for they shall speak to this people, saying to them,
But he will speak to this nation with stammering lips and in another language;
12 This is the rest to him that is hungry, and this is the calamity: but they would not hear.
to whom he said, “This is the resting place. Give rest to weary;” and “This is the refreshing;” yet they would not sh'ma ·hear obey·.
13 Therefore the oracle of God shall be to them affliction on affliction, hope on hope, yet a little, [and] yet a little, that they may go and fall backward; and they shall be crushed and shall be in danger, and shall be taken.
Therefore Adonai’s word will be to them precept on precept, precept on precept; line on line, line on line; here a little, there a little; that they may go, fall backward, be broken, be snared, and be taken.
14 Therefore hear you the word of the Lord, you afflicted men, and you princes of this people that is in Jerusalem.
Therefore sh'ma ·hear obey· Adonai’s word, you scoffers, that rule this people in Jerusalem [City of peace]:
15 Because you have said, We have made a covenant with Hades, and agreements with death; if the rushing storm should pass, it shall not come upon us: we have made falsehood our hope, and by falsehood shall we be protected: (Sheol h7585)
“Because you have said, ‘We have made a covenant ·binding contract between two or more parties· with death, and with Sheol ·Place of the dead· are we in agreement. When the overflowing scourge passes through, it won’t come to us; for we have made lies our refuge, and we have hidden ourselves under falsehood.’” (Sheol h7585)
16 Therefore thus says the Lord, [even] the Lord, Behold, I lay for the foundations of Sion a costly stone, a choice, a corner-stone, a precious [stone], for its foundations; and he that believes [on him] shall by no means be ashamed.
Therefore thus says 'Adonay Adonai [Lord Yahweh], “Behold, I lay in Zion [Mountain ridge, Marking] for a foundation stone, a tried stone, a precious corner-stone of a sure foundation. He who trusts shall not act hastily.
17 And I will cause judgement [to be] for hope, and my compassion shall be for [just] measures, and you that trust vainly in falsehood [shall fall]: for the storm shall by no means pass by you,
I will make mishpat ·justice· the measuring line, and righteousness the plumb line. The hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters will overflow the hiding place.
18 except it also take away your covenant of death, and your trust in Hades shall by no means stand: if the rushing storm should come upon you, you shall be beaten down by it. (Sheol h7585)
Your covenant ·binding contract between two or more parties· with death shall be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol ·Place of the dead· shall not stand. When the overflowing scourge passes through, then you will be trampled down by it. (Sheol h7585)
19 Whenever it shall pass by, it shall take you; morning by morning it shall pass by in the day, and in the night there shall be an evil hope. Learn to hear,
As often as it passes through, it will seize you; for morning by morning it will pass through, by day and by night; and it will be nothing but terror to understand the message.”
20 you that are distressed; we can’t fight, but we are ourselves too weak for you to be gathered.
For the bed is too short to stretch out on, and the blanket is too narrow to wrap oneself in.
21 The Lord shall rise up as a mountain of ungodly [men], and shall be in the valley of Gabaon; he shall perform his works with wrath, [even] a work of bitterness, and his wrath shall deal strangely, and his destruction shall be strange.
For Adonai will rise up as on Mount Perazim. He will be angry as in the valley of Gibeon; that he may do his work, his unusual work, and bring to pass his act, his extraordinary act.
22 Therefore do not you rejoice, neither let your bands be made strong; for I have heard of works finished and cut short by the Lord of hosts, which he will execute upon all the earth.
Now therefore don’t be scoffers, lest your bonds be made strong; for I have sh'ma ·heard obeyed· a decree of destruction from 'Adonay, Adonai Tzva'ot [Lord, Yahweh Commander of heaven’s armies], on the whole earth.
23 Listen, and hear my voice; attend, and hear my words.
Give ear, and sh'ma ·hear obey· my voice! Listen, and hear my speech!
24 Will the ploughman plough all the day? or will he prepare the seed beforehand, before he tills the ground?
Does he who plows to sow plow continually? Does he keep turning the soil and breaking the clods?
25 Does he not, when he has levelled the surface thereof, then sow the small black poppy, or cumin, and afterward sow wheat, and barley, and millet, and bread-corn in your borders?
When he has leveled its surface, does not he plant the dill, and scatter the cumin seed, and put in the wheat in rows, the barley in the appointed place, and the spelt in its place?
26 So you shall be chastened by the judgement of your God, and shall rejoice.
For his God instructs him in right judgment, and teaches him.
27 For the black poppy is not cleansed with harsh treatment, nor will a wagon-wheel pass over the cumin; but the black poppy is threshed with a rod, and the cumin shall be eaten with bread;
For the dill are not threshed with a sharp instrument, neither is a cart wheel turned over the cumin; but the dill is beaten out with a stick, and the cumin with a rod.
28 for I will not be angry with you for ever, neither shall the voice of my anger crush you.
Bread flour must be ground; so he will not always be threshing it. Although he drives the wheel of his threshing cart over it, his horses don’t grind it.
29 And these signs came forth from the Lord of hosts. Take counsel, exalt vain comfort.
This also comes out from Adonai Tzva'ot [Yahweh Commander of heaven’s armies], who is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in wisdom.
