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, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty [is] a fading flower, which [are] on the head of the fat valleys of them that are overcome 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, [which] as a tempest of hail [and] a destroying storm, as a flood of mighty waters overflowing, shall cast down to the earth with the hand.
3 That crowning glory of Ephraim's drunks will be trampled underfoot.
The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim, shall be trodden under feet:
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 glorious beauty, which [is] on the head of the fat valley, shall be a fading flower, [and] as the hasty fruit before the summer; which [when] he that looketh upon it seeth, 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 the battle to 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 they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble [in] judgment.
8 All their tables are full of vomit—filth is everywhere.
For all tables are full of vomit [and] filthiness, [so that there is] no place [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 he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? [them that are] weaned from the milk, [and] 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 precept [must be] upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, [and] 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 another tongue will he speak 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 he said, This [is] the rest [wherewith] ye may cause the weary to rest; 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.
But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, [and] there a little; that they might 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 scornful men, that rule 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 hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under 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 precious corner [stone], a 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.
Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to 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 hell shall not stand; when the overflowing 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.
From the time that it goeth forth it shall take you: for morning by morning shall it pass over, by day and by night: and it shall be a vexation only [to] understand the report.
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 shorter than that [a man] can stretch himself [on it: ] and the covering narrower than that he can wrap himself [in it].
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 shall rise up as [in] mount Perazim, he shall be wroth 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 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 mockers, lest your bands be made strong: for I have heard from the Lord GOD of hosts a consumption, even determined upon the whole earth.
23 Listen to what I'm saying! Listen and pay attention! Hear what I have to say!
Give ye ear, and hear my voice; hearken, and hear my speech.
24 Does the farmer spend all his time ploughing? Does he spend all his time preparing the soil?
Doth the plowman plow all day to sow? doth he open and break the clods 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 fitches, and scatter the cummin, and cast in the principal wheat and the appointed barley and the rie in their place?
26 His God gives him instructions and teaches him the right thing to do.
For his God doth instruct him to discretion, [and] 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 fitches are not threshed with a threshing instrument, neither is a cart wheel turned about upon the cummin; but the fitches are 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.
Bread [corn] is bruised; because he will not ever be threshing it, nor break [it with] the wheel of his cart, nor bruise it [with] his horsemen.
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, [which] is wonderful in counsel, [and] excellent in working.
