Isaiah 28
1 Tragedy is coming to the city of Samaria, the crowning glory of Ephraim's drunks, to the fading flower of wonderful beauty, sitting above a fertile valley, and beloved by those hammered 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 them that are smitten down with wine!
2 Watch out, for the Lord has someone who is strong and powerful! He is going to smash it to the ground like a hailstorm and a tornado, like a torrential rain and an overwhelming flood.
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 That crowning glory of Ephraim's drunks will be trampled underfoot.
The crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim shall be trodden under foot;
4 That fading flower of wonderful beauty, sitting above a fertile valley, will be like figs ripe before the summer harvest—as soon as people discover them, they grab and eat them.
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 At that time the Lord Almighty will be a beautiful, glorious crown that brings pride to those of his people who are left.
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 He will be an inspiration to the judges to do what's right, and he will encourage those who fight off the attacks on 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 But these people also drink so much wine and beer that they sway from side to side and stumble over. Even priests and prophets stagger along, their minds muddled by beer and wine. Because of the drink they are confused about visions and make mistakes when they give decisions.
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 All their tables are full of vomit—filth is everywhere.
For all tables are full of filthy vomit, and no place is clean.
9 “Just who is he trying to teach knowledge to?” they ask. “Who is he explaining his message to? To children just weaned from milk, to babies just removed from the breast?
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 He tells us this blah and that blah, blah upon blah, and again blah and blah, and even more blah and blah! It's a bit here and a bit there.”
For it is precept by precept, precept by precept, line by line, line by line; here a little, there a little.
11 Fine—so now the Lord will talk to this people in foreign languages that sound strange to them!
For with stammering lips and with a strange tongue shall it be spoken to this people;
12 He had told them, “You can rest here. Let those who are tired rest. This is the place where you can safely relax.” But they refused to listen.
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 Lord's message to them will become, “This blah and that blah, blah upon blah, and again blah and blah, and even more blah and blah, a bit here and a bit there,” so that they'll fall over backwards, and they'll be wounded, trapped, and captured.
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 So pay attention to the Lord's message, you scornful rulers who lead these people in Jerusalem.
Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scoffers, the ballad-mongers of this people which is in Jerusalem:
15 You claim, “We've made an agreement with death; we've got a contract with the grave. When the terrible disaster rushes by, it won't affect us, because our lies protect us and we hide in our own deceptions.” (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 Consequently, listen to what the Lord God says, Look! I'm laying a foundation stone in Jerusalem, a strong, well-tested stone. It's a valuable cornerstone that provides a firm foundation. Anyone who trusts in it won't be shaken loose.
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 I will make justice as straight as a measuring line, and doing what's right the standard rule. Hail will destroy the protection of your lies, and water will flood the place where you're hiding.
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 agreement with death will be canceled; your contract with the grave will be revoked. When the terrible disaster rushes by, it will trample you underfoot. (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 It will rush by time after time, dragging you away morning upon morning, day and night, rushing on and on. Once you understand this message you will be absolutely terrified.
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 The bed is too short so you can't stretch out; the blanket is too narrow so you can't cover yourself.
For the bed is too short for a man to stretch himself; and the covering too narrow when he gathereth himself up.
21 The Lord will come on the attack like he did to the Philistines at Mount Perazim, like he shook them in the Valley of Gibeon, coming to do what he has to do, his strange work; coming to act as he must, his unusual action.
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 So don't mock, or your imprisonment will be even worse, for the Lord, the Lord Almighty, has explained to me his decision to destroy the whole country.
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 Listen to what I'm saying! Listen and pay attention! Hear what I have to say!
Give ye ear, and hear my voice; attend, and hear my speech.
24 Does the farmer spend all his time ploughing? Does he spend all his time preparing the soil?
Is the plowman never done with plowing to sow, with the opening and harrowing of his ground?
25 Once he has everything ready doesn't he sow seeds like dill and cumin, doesn't he plant wheat and barley in rows, with spelt grain as a border?
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 His God gives him instructions and teaches him the right thing to do.
For He doth instruct him aright; his God doth teach him.
27 You don't use a heavy tool to thresh dill! You don't use the wheel of a cart to thresh cumin! Instead you use a stick to beat out the dill, and a rod to beat out the cumin.
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 Grain used for bread is easily damaged so you don't thresh it forever. When you drive your cart wheels over it with your horses, you don't crush 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 is also from the Lord Almighty who is very wise and gives great advice.
This also cometh forth from the LORD of hosts: Wonderful is His counsel, and great His wisdom.
