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 fat valley of them that are overcome with wine!
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.
2 Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one; as a tempest of hail, a destroying storm, as a tempest of mighty waters overflowing, shall he cast down to the earth with the hand.
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.
3 The crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim shall be trodden under foot:
That crowning glory of Ephraim's drunks will be trampled underfoot.
4 and the fading flower of his glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley, shall be as the firstripe fig before the summer; which when he that looketh upon it seeth, while it is yet in his hand he eateth it up.
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.
5 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:
At that time the Lord Almighty will be a beautiful, glorious crown that brings pride to those of his people who are left.
6 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.
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.
7 But these also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are gone astray; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are gone astray through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment.
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.
8 For all tables are full of vomit [and] filthiness, [so that there is] no place [clean].
All their tables are full of vomit—filth is everywhere.
9 Whom will he teach knowledge? and whom will he make to understand the message? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts?
“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?
10 For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, there a little.
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.”
11 Nay, but by [men of] strange lips and with another tongue will he speak to this people:
Fine—so now the Lord will talk to this people in foreign languages that sound strange to them!
12 to whom he said, This is the rest, give ye rest to him that is weary; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.
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.
13 Therefore shall the word of the LORD be unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, there a little; that they may go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.
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.
14 Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem:
So pay attention to the Lord's message, you scornful rulers who lead these people in Jerusalem.
15 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)
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)
16 therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner [stone] of sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.
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.
17 And I will make judgment the line, and righteousness the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.
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.
18 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)
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)
19 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 nought but terror to understand the message.
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.
20 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.
The bed is too short so you can't stretch out; the blanket is too narrow so you can't cover yourself.
21 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.
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.
22 Now therefore be ye not scorners, lest your bands be made strong: for a consummation, and that determined, have I heard from the Lord, the LORD of hosts, upon the whole earth.
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.
23 Give ye ear, and hear my voice; hearken, and hear my speech.
Listen to what I'm saying! Listen and pay attention! Hear what I have to say!
24 Doth the plowman plow continually to sow? doth he [continually] open and break the clods of his ground?
Does the farmer spend all his time ploughing? Does he spend all his time preparing the soil?
25 When he hath made plain the face thereof, doth he not cast abroad the fitches, 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?
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?
26 For his God doth instruct him aright, [and] doth teach him.
His God gives him instructions and teaches him the right thing to do.
27 For the fitches are not threshed with a sharp [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.
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.
28 Bread [corn] is ground; for he will not ever be threshing it: and though the wheel of his cart and his horses scatter it, he doth not grind it.
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.
29 This also cometh forth from the LORD of hosts, which is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in wisdom.
This is also from the Lord Almighty who is very wise and gives great advice.
