Isaiah 28

1 Woe to the proud garland crown that is worn by each of the drunkards of Ephraim, and to the fading flower of its glorious beauty, the garland that is set on the head of the lush Valley of those who are overcome 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 fat valley of those who are overcome with wine!

2 Behold, the Lord sends one who is mighty and strong; like a storm of hail and a destructive windstorm, like a driving rain and overflowing waters; and he will throw each garland crown down to the ground.

Behold, the Lord has a mighty and strong one. As a tempest of hail, a destroying storm, as a tempest of mighty waters overflowing, he will cast down to the earth with the hand.

3 The proud garland of the drunkards of Ephraim will be trodden underfoot.

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

4 The fading flower of his glorious beauty, that is on the head of the rich valley, will be as the first ripe fig before the summer, that, when someone sees it, while it is yet in his hand, he gulps it down.

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 he who looks upon it sees, while it is yet in his hand, he eats it up.

5 In that day Yahweh of hosts will become a beautiful crown and a diadem of beauty for the remainder of his people,

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

6 a spirit of justice for him who sits in judgment, and strength for those who turn back their enemies at 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 reel with wine, and stagger with strong drink. The priest and the prophet reel with strong drink, and they are swallowed up by wine. They stagger with strong drink, staggering in vision and reeling in decision.

And even these reel with wine, and stagger with strong drink. The priest and the prophet reel with strong drink. They are swallowed up of wine. They stagger with strong drink; they err in vision; they stumble in judgment.

8 Truly, all tables are covered with vomit, so that there is no clean place.

For all tables are full of vomit, filthiness, no place clean.

9 To whom will he teach knowledge, and to whom will he explain the message? To those who are weaned from milk or to those just taken from the breasts?

Whom will he teach knowledge? And whom will he make to understand the message? Those who are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts?

10 For it is command upon command, command upon command; rule upon rule, rule upon rule; here a little, there a little.

For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little.

11 Indeed, with mocking lips and a foreign tongue he will speak to this people.

No, but by men of strange lips and with another tongue he will speak to this people,

12 In the past he said to them “This is the rest, give rest to him who is weary; and this is the refreshing,” but they would not listen.

to whom he said, This is the rest. Give ye rest to him who is weary. And this is the refreshing. Yet they would not hear.

13 So the word of Yahweh will be to them command upon command, command upon command; rule upon rule, rule upon rule; here a little, there a little; so that they may go and fall backward, and be broken, ensnared, and captured.

Therefore the word of Jehovah shall be to 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.

14 So listen to the word of Yahweh, you who mock, you who rule over this people who are in Jerusalem.

Therefore hear the word of Jehovah, ye scoffers, who rule this people that is in Jerusalem.

15 This will happen because you said, “We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol we have reached an agreement. So when the overwhelming whip passes through, it will not reach us. For we have made a lie our refuge, and taken shelter in falsehood.” (Sheol h7585)

Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and we are at agreement with Sheol. When the overflowing scourge shall pass through it shall not come to us, for we have made lies our refuge, and we have hid ourselves under falsehood. (Sheol h7585)

16 Therefore the Lord Yahweh says, “See, I will lay in Zion a foundation stone, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation. He who believes will not be ashamed.

Therefore thus says the lord Jehovah, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation, a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner-stone, a sure foundation. He who believes in him shall, no, not be shamed.

17 I will make justice the measuring stick, and righteousness the plumbline. Hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and the floodwaters will overwhelm the hiding place.

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 covenant with death will be dissolved, and your agreement with Sheol will not stand. When the raging flood passes through, you will be overwhelmed by it. (Sheol h7585)

And your covenant with death shall be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol shall not stand. When the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it. (Sheol h7585)

19 Whenever it passes through, it will overwhelm you, and morning by morning it will pass through and by day and night it will come. When the message is understood, it will cause terror.

As often as it passes though, it shall take you. For morning by morning it shall pass through, by day and by night. And it shall be nothing but terror to understand the report.

20 For the bed is too short for a man to stretch out on, and the blanket too narrow for him to wrap himself in.”

For the bed is shorter than what a man can stretch himself on it, and the covering narrower than what he can wrap himself in it.

21 Yahweh will rise up as on Mount Perazim; he will rouse himself as in the Valley of Gibeon to do his work, his strange work, and perform his strange deed.

For Jehovah will rise up as in mount Perazim. He will be angry 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 Now therefore do not mock, or your bonds will be tightened. I have heard from the Lord Yahweh of hosts, a decree of destruction on the earth.

Now therefore be ye not scoffers, lest your bonds be made strong. For I have heard a decree of destruction from the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, upon the whole earth.

23 Pay attention and listen to my voice; be attentive and listen to my words.

Give ye ear, and hear my voice, hearken, and hear my speech.

24 Does a farmer who plows all day to sow, only plow the ground? Does he continually break up and harrow the field?

Does he who plows to sow plow continually? Does he continually open and harrow his ground?

25 When he has prepared the ground, does he not scatter caraway seed, sow the cumin, put in the wheat in rows and the barley in the right place, and the spelt at its edges?

When he has leveled the face of it, does he not cast abroad the chick-peas, and scatter the cummin, and put in the wheat in rows, and the barley in the appointed place, and the spelt in the border of it?

26 His God instructs him; he teaches him wisely.

For his God instructs him aright, and teaches him.

27 Moreover, the caraway seed is not threshed with a sledge, nor is a cartwheel rolled over the cumin; but caraway is beaten with a stick, and cumin with a rod.

For the chick-peas are not threshed with a sharp instrument, nor is a cart wheel turned about upon the cummin, but the chick-peas are beaten out with a staff, and the cummin with a rod.

28 Grain is ground for bread but not too finely, and though the wheels of his cart and his horses scatter it, his horses do not crush it.

Bread grain is ground, for he will not be always threshing it. And though the wheel of his cart and his horses scatter it, he does not grind it.

29 This too comes from Yahweh of hosts, who is wonderful in instruction and excellent in wisdom.

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