Isaiah 28

1 Woe to the proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim, To the fading flower, his glorious beauty, At the head of the rich valley of a people stupefied with 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 fertile valley of those who are overcome with wine.

2 Behold a strong, a mighty one from the Lord Like a storm of hail, like a destructive tempest, Like a flood of mighty, overflowing waters, With violence shall dash it to the ground.

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.

3 It shall be trodden under foot, The proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim.

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

4 And the fading flower, their glorious beauty, At the head of the rich valley, Shall be as the early fig before the time of harvest, Which whoso seeth plucketh immediately, And swalloweth as soon as it is in his hand.

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 shall Jehovah of hosts Be a glorious crown, and a beautiful diadem to the residue of his people;

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

6 A spirit of judgment to him that sitteth in judgment, And of strength to them that drive back the enemy to their gates.

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

7 But even these stagger through wine, And reel through strong drink; The priest and the prophet stagger through strong drink; They are overpowered with wine; They stumble through strong drink; They reel in vision, They stagger in judgment.

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.

8 For all their tables are full of filthy vomit, So that there is no place clean.

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

9 “Whom,” say they, “will he teach knowledge, And to whom will he impart instruction? To the weaned from the milk? To those just taken 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 For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept, Command upon command, command upon command, A little here, and a little there.”

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

11 Yea, with stammering lips and a strange tongue He shall indeed speak to this people;

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

12 He that said to them, “This is the way of rest, give rest to the weary; This is the way of safety”; But they would not hear.

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

13 Then shall the word of Jehovah be indeed to them “Precept upon precept, precept upon precept, Command upon command, command upon command, A little here, and a little there,” So that they shall go on, and fall backwards, and be broken, And be snared and caught.

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.

14 Wherefore hear ye the word of Jehovah, Ye scoffers, who rule this people in Jerusalem!

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

15 Since ye say, “We have entered into a covenant with death, And with the under-world have we made an agreement, The overflowing scourge, when it passeth through, shall not reach us; For we have made falsehood our refuge, And in deceit we have hidden ourselves.” (Sheol h7585)

"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)

16 Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I have laid in Zion as a foundation a stone, A tried stone, a precious corner-stone, a sure foundation; He that trusteth shall not flee away.

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.

17 I will make justice a line, And righteousness a plummet, And the hail shall sweep away the refuge of falsehood, And the waters shall overwhelm its hiding-place;

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.

18 And your covenant with death shall be broken, And your agreement with the under-world shall not stand; When the overflowing scourge shall pass through, By it shall ye be beaten down. (Sheol h7585)

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)

19 As often as it passeth through, it shall bear you away; For every morning shall it pass through, By day and by night; Even to hear the rumor of it shall be terrible.

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 Yea, the bed is too short for one to stretch himself on it, And the covering too narrow for one to wrap himself in it.

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

21 For Jehovah will rise up, as in mount Perazim; He will be moved with anger, as in the valley of Gibeon, To perform his act, his strange act, And to execute his work, his strange work.

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.

22 Now, therefore, be ye no longer scoffers, Lest your bands become stronger; For destruction and punishment have been revealed to me From Jehovah of hosts concerning the whole land!

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.

23 Give ear, and listen to my voice, Attend, and hearken to my words!

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

24 Is the ploughman always ploughing in order to sow? Is he always opening and harrowing his field?

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

25 When he hath made the face thereof even, Doth he not then scatter the dill, and cast abroad the cumin, And sow the wheat in rows, And the barley in its appointed place, And the spelt in his border?

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?

26 Thus his God rightly instructeth him, And giveth him knowledge.

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

27 The dill is not beaten out with the thrashing-sledge, Nor is the wheel of the wain rolled over the cumin; But the dill is beaten out with a staff, And the cumin with a rod.

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 Bread-corn is beaten out, Yet doth not the husbandman thrash it without limit. He driveth over it the wheels of the wain, And the horses, yet doth he not utterly crush it.

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.

29 This also proceedeth from Jehovah of hosts; He is wonderful in counsel, Excellent in wisdom.

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