Isaiah 28

1 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 fertile valley of those who are overcome with wine.

Woe [to] the proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim. And the fading flower of the beauty of his glory, That [is] on the head of the fat valley of the broken down of wine.

2 Look, the 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.

Behold, a mighty and strong one [is] to the Lord, As a storm of hail—a destructive shower, As an inundation of mighty waters overflowing, He cast down to the earth with the hand.

3 The crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim will be trodden under foot.

The proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim is trodden down by feet,

4 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.

And the fading flower of the beauty of his glory That [is] on the head of the fat valley, Has been as its first-fruit before summer, That its beholder sees; He swallows it while it [is] yet in his hand.

5 In that day, the LORD of hosts will become a crown of glory, and a diadem of beauty, to the residue of his people;

In that day YHWH of Hosts is For a crown of beauty, and for a circlet of glory, To the remnant of His people.

6 and a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment, and strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.

And for a spirit of judgment To him who is sitting in the judgment, And for might [to] those turning back the battle to the gate.

7 They also reel with wine, and stagger with strong drink. The priest and the prophet reel with strong drink. They are swallowed up by wine. They stagger with strong drink. They err in vision. They stumble in judgment.

And even these have erred through wine, And have wandered through strong drink, Priest and prophet erred through strong drink, They have been swallowed up of the wine, They wandered because of the strong drink, They have erred in seeing, They have stumbled judicially.

8 For all tables are completely full of filthy vomit and filthiness.

For all tables have been full of vomit, Filth—without place!

9 Whom will he teach knowledge? To whom will he explain the message? Those who are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts?

By whom does He teach knowledge? And by whom does He cause to understand the report? The weaned from milk, the removed from breasts,

10 For it is precept on precept, precept on precept; line on line, line on line; here a little, there a little.

For rule on rule, rule on rule, Line on line, line on line, A little here, a little there,

11 But he will speak to this nation with stammering lips and a strange language;

For by scorned lip, and by another tongue, Does He speak to this people.

12 to whom he said, "This is the resting place. Give rest to weary;" and "This is the refreshing;" but they would not listen.

To whom He has said, “This [is] the rest, give rest to the weary, And this—the refreshing”: And they have not been willing to hear,

13 Therefore the word of the LORD 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.

And to whom a word of YHWH has been, Rule on rule, rule on rule, Line on line, line on line, A little here, a little there, So that they go and have stumbled backward, And been broken, and snared, and captured.

14 Therefore hear the word of the LORD, you scoffers, that rule this people in Jerusalem:

Therefore, hear a word of YHWH, you men of scorning, Ruling this people that [is] in Jerusalem.

15 "Because you have said, 'We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol 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)

Because you have said: “We have made a covenant with death, And we have made a provision with Sheol, An overflowing scourge, when it passes over, Does not meet us, Though we have made a lie our refuge, And have been hidden in falsehood.” (Sheol h7585)

16 Therefore thus says the LORD, "Look, I am laying in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation, and the one who believes in him will not be put to shame.

Therefore, thus said Lord YHWH: “Behold, I am laying a foundation in Zion, A stone—a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a settled foundation, He who is believing does not make haste.

17 I will make 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.

And I have put judgment for a line, And righteousness for a plummet, And hail sweeps away the refuge of lies, And waters overflow the secret hiding place.

18 Your covenant with death shall be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol shall not stand. When the overflowing scourge passes through, then you will be trampled down by it. (Sheol h7585)

And your covenant with death has been annulled, And your provision with Sheol does not stand, An overflowing scourge, when it passes over, Then you have been to it for a treading-place. (Sheol h7585)

19 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."

From the fullness of its passing over it takes you, For it passes over morning by morning, By day and by night, And it has been only a trembling to consider the report.

20 For the bed is too short to stretch out on, and the blanket is too narrow to wrap oneself in.

For the bed has been shorter Than to stretch one’s self out in, And the covering has been narrower Than to wrap one’s self up in.

21 For the LORD 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.

For as YHWH rises [at] Mount Perazim, As He is troubled [at] the valley in Gibeon, To do His work—strange [is] His work, And to do His deed—strange [is] His deed.”

22 And as for you, do not be scoffers, lest your bonds be made strong; for I have heard a decree of destruction from the LORD of hosts, on the whole earth.

And now, do not show yourselves scorners, Lest your bands are strong, For a consumption, that is determined, I have heard, by the Lord, YHWH of Hosts, [Is] for all the land.

23 Give ear, and hear my voice. Listen, and hear my speech.

Give ear, and hear my voice, Attend, and hear my saying:

24 Does he who plows to sow plow continually? Does he keep turning the soil and breaking the clods?

Does the plowman plow the whole day to sow? He opens and harrows his ground!

25 When he has leveled its surface, doesn't he plant the dill, and scatter the cumin seed, and put in the wheat in rows, the barley in the appointed place, and emmer as its borders?

Has he not, if he has made its face level, Then scattered fitches, and sprinkles cumin, And has placed the principal wheat, And the appointed barley, And the rye [in] its own border?

26 For his God instructs him in right judgment, and teaches him.

And his God instructs him for judgment, He directs him.

27 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.

For fitches are not threshed with a sharp-pointed thing, And the wheel of a cart turned around on cumin, For fitches are beaten out with a staff, And cumin with a rod.

28 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 do not grind it.

Bread-[grain] is beaten small, For he does not severely thresh it forever, Nor has a wheel of his cart crushed [it], Nor do his hooves beat it small.

29 This also comes forth from the LORD of hosts, who is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in wisdom.

Even this from YHWH of Hosts has gone out, He has made counsel wonderful, He has made wisdom great!