Ἠσαΐας 28
1 οὐαὶ τῷ στεφάνῳ τῆς ὕβρεως οἱ μισθωτοὶ Εφραιμ τὸ ἄνθος τὸ ἐκπεσὸν ἐκ τῆς δόξης ἐπὶ τῆς κορυφῆς τοῦ ὄρους τοῦ παχέος οἱ μεθύοντες ἄνευ οἴνου
Terrible things will happen to [Samaria city, the capital of Israel]! It is on a hill above a fertile valley; the people who live there, who get drunk by drinking too much wine, are very proud; it is a beautiful and glorious city, but some day that beauty will disappear like [MET] a flower that wilts and dries up.
2 ἰδοὺ ἰσχυρὸν καὶ σκληρὸν ὁ θυμὸς κυρίου ὡς χάλαζα καταφερομένη οὐκ ἔχουσα σκέπην βίᾳ καταφερομένη ὡς ὕδατος πολὺ πλῆθος σῦρον χώραν τῇ γῇ ποιήσει ἀνάπαυσιν ταῖς χερσίν
Listen to this: Yahweh will cause a great army to attack Samaria. Their soldiers will be like [SIM] a huge hailstorm [or] a very strong wind; they will be everywhere, like the water of a huge flood, and they will smash to the ground [the buildings in Samaria].
3 καὶ τοῖς ποσὶν καταπατηθήσεται ὁ στέφανος τῆς ὕβρεως οἱ μισθωτοὶ τοῦ Εφραιμ
The people of Samaria are proud, but everything that the drunks who live there think is wonderful/glorious will be trampled on by their enemies.
4 καὶ ἔσται τὸ ἄνθος τὸ ἐκπεσὸν τῆς ἐλπίδος τῆς δόξης ἐπ’ ἄκρου τοῦ ὄρους τοῦ ὑψηλοῦ ὡς πρόδρομος σύκου ὁ ἰδὼν αὐτὸ πρὶν ἢ εἰς τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ λαβεῖν θελήσει αὐτὸ καταπιεῖν
[Yes], Samaria is beautiful, set on a hill above a fertile valley, but that beauty will disappear like [MET] a flower that wilts and dries up. Whenever someone sees a good fig at the beginning of the season [when figs become ripe], he quickly picks and eats it; [similarly, when the enemies of Israel see all the beautiful things in Samaria], [they will quickly conquer the city and take away all those things].
5 τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ ἔσται κύριος σαβαωθ ὁ στέφανος τῆς ἐλπίδος ὁ πλακεὶς τῆς δόξης τῷ καταλειφθέντι μου λαῷ
At that time, the Commander of the armies of angels will be [like] a glorious wreath of flowers for [us] Israeli people who are still alive [after being exiled].
6 καταλειφθήσονται ἐπὶ πνεύματι κρίσεως ἐπὶ κρίσιν καὶ ἰσχὺν κωλύων ἀνελεῖν
He will cause our judges to want to do what is fair/just when they decide people’s cases. He will enable the soldiers who stand at the city gates to strongly defend [the city when our enemies attack it].
7 οὗτοι γὰρ οἴνῳ πεπλανημένοι εἰσίν ἐπλανήθησαν διὰ τὸ σικερα ἱερεὺς καὶ προφήτης ἐξέστησαν διὰ τὸν οἶνον ἐσείσθησαν ἀπὸ τῆς μέθης τοῦ σικερα ἐπλανήθησαν τοῦτ’ ἔστι φάσμα
[But now, ] our leaders stagger/stumble because they have drunk a lot of wine and [other] alcoholic drinks. The priests and prophets also stagger because of drinking a lot of wine and other alcoholic drinks. They are not able to think right; they see visions but they cannot understand what they mean; they are unable to decide things correctly.
8 ἀρὰ ἔδεται ταύτην τὴν βουλήν αὕτη γὰρ ἡ βουλὴ ἕνεκεν πλεονεξίας
All their tables are covered with [their] vomit; filth is everywhere.
9 τίνι ἀνηγγείλαμεν κακὰ καὶ τίνι ἀνηγγείλαμεν ἀγγελίαν οἱ ἀπογεγαλακτισμένοι ἀπὸ γάλακτος οἱ ἀπεσπασμένοι ἀπὸ μαστοῦ
They ridicule Yahweh saying, “Who does he think that he is teaching? Why is he talking to us like this? [Does he think that] we are little children who have recently been weaned?
10 θλῖψιν ἐπὶ θλῖψιν προσδέχου ἐλπίδα ἐπ’ ἐλπίδι ἔτι μικρὸν ἔτι μικρὸν
[He continually tells us], ‘Do this, do that;’ first he tells us one rule, then another rule, he tells us only one line at a time.”
11 διὰ φαυλισμὸν χειλέων διὰ γλώσσης ἑτέρας ὅτι λαλήσουσιν τῷ λαῷ τούτῳ
So now, Yahweh will need to force them to listen to [Assyrians] speaking to them in a language that they do not understand.
12 λέγοντες αὐτῷ τοῦτο τὸ ἀνάπαυμα τῷ πεινῶντι καὶ τοῦτο τὸ σύντριμμα καὶ οὐκ ἠθέλησαν ἀκούειν
Yahweh told his people [long ago], “[This is] a place where you can rest; you are exhausted [from all your travels through the desert], but you will be able to rest [in this land].” But they refused to pay attention to what he said.
13 καὶ ἔσται αὐτοῖς τὸ λόγιον κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ θλῖψις ἐπὶ θλῖψιν ἐλπὶς ἐπ’ ἐλπίδι ἔτι μικρὸν ἔτι μικρόν ἵνα πορευθῶσιν καὶ πέσωσιν εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω καὶ κινδυνεύσουσιν καὶ συντριβήσονται καὶ ἁλώσονται
So Yahweh continues to tell the people of Samaria, one line at a time, “Do this, do that,” first one rule and then another rule. But because [of their ignoring what God said], they will be attacked and defeated; they will be wounded and snared and captured.
14 διὰ τοῦτο ἀκούσατε λόγον κυρίου ἄνδρες τεθλιμμένοι καὶ ἄρχοντες τοῦ λαοῦ τούτου τοῦ ἐν Ιερουσαλημ
Because of [what will happen in Samaria], you rulers in Jerusalem who make fun of me, listen to this message from Yahweh:
15 ὅτι εἴπατε ἐποιήσαμεν διαθήκην μετὰ τοῦ ᾅδου καὶ μετὰ τοῦ θανάτου συνθήκας καταιγὶς φερομένη ἐὰν παρέλθῃ οὐ μὴ ἔλθῃ ἐφ’ ἡμᾶς ἐθήκαμεν ψεῦδος τὴν ἐλπίδα ἡμῶν καὶ τῷ ψεύδει σκεπασθησόμεθα (Sheol h7585)
You [boast] saying, “We have made an alliance with [the leaders of Egypt], so we will not be killed [in battles]; we will never go to the place where the dead people are. When the [army of Assyria] attacks us, they will never defeat us, because we have made [an agreement with Egypt] to protect us!” [But that agreement consists of] a lot of lies [DOU]. (Sheol h7585)
16 διὰ τοῦτο οὕτως λέγει κύριος ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἐμβαλῶ εἰς τὰ θεμέλια Σιων λίθον πολυτελῆ ἐκλεκτὸν ἀκρογωνιαῖον ἔντιμον εἰς τὰ θεμέλια αὐτῆς καὶ ὁ πιστεύων ἐπ’ αὐτῷ οὐ μὴ καταισχυνθῇ
Therefore, Yahweh [our] Lord says this: “Listen to this! I am going to place in Jerusalem [someone who is like] [MET] a foundation stone, [he is like] a stone that has been tested [to determine if it is solid]. [He will be like] a valuable cornerstone around which it will be safe to build a house; and whoever trusts in him will never be disappointed.
17 καὶ θήσω κρίσιν εἰς ἐλπίδα ἡ δὲ ἐλεημοσύνη μου εἰς σταθμούς καὶ οἱ πεποιθότες μάτην ψεύδει ὅτι οὐ μὴ παρέλθῃ ὑμᾶς καταιγίς
I will test you [people of Jerusalem] to find out if you will act justly and righteously [like] [MET] someone uses a plumb line [to determine if a wall is straight and vertical]. But because your agreement [with Egypt] to protect you [was made by leaders] lying to each other and deceiving each other, you will be defeated and taken away [from your country] by [an army that will come against you like] [MET] a flood.
18 μὴ καὶ ἀφέλῃ ὑμῶν τὴν διαθήκην τοῦ θανάτου καὶ ἡ ἐλπὶς ὑμῶν ἡ πρὸς τὸν ᾅδην οὐ μὴ ἐμμείνῃ καταιγὶς φερομένη ἐὰν ἐπέλθῃ ἔσεσθε αὐτῇ εἰς καταπάτημα (Sheol h7585)
I will annul/destroy the agreement that you made [with the leaders of Egypt]. You thought that [because of that agreement] you would not be killed, and you would not go to the place where the dead are. [But] when the vast [army of Assyria] overwhelms you like a flood, they will trample you into the ground. (Sheol h7585)
19 ὅταν παρέλθῃ λήμψεται ὑμᾶς πρωὶ πρωὶ παρελεύσεται ἡμέρας καὶ ἐν νυκτὶ ἔσται ἐλπὶς πονηρά μάθετε ἀκούειν
Their soldiers will come during the morning, at noontime, and at night, and they will carry you all away.” And when you understand this message, you will be terrified.
20 στενοχωρούμενοι οὐ δυνάμεθα μάχεσθαι αὐτοὶ δὲ ἀσθενοῦμεν τοῦ ἡμᾶς συναχθῆναι
[You have heard people say], “Your bed is very short, you will not be able to sleep in it; your blankets are very narrow; they will not cover you!” [That means for you that your agreement with Egypt is not going to save you].
21 ὥσπερ ὄρος ἀσεβῶν ἀναστήσεται καὶ ἔσται ἐν τῇ φάραγγι Γαβαων μετὰ θυμοῦ ποιήσει τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ πικρίας ἔργον ὁ δὲ θυμὸς αὐτοῦ ἀλλοτρίως χρήσεται καὶ ἡ πικρία αὐτοῦ ἀλλοτρία
Yahweh will come [and cause you to be defeated]; he will do to you like he did to the army of Philistia at Perizim Mountain and like he did to the Amor people-group at Gibeon Valley. What he will do will be [very] strange and unusual [DOU].
22 καὶ ὑμεῖς μὴ εὐφρανθείητε μηδὲ ἰσχυσάτωσαν ὑμῶν οἱ δεσμοί διότι συντετελεσμένα καὶ συντετμημένα πράγματα ἤκουσα παρὰ κυρίου σαβαωθ ἃ ποιήσει ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν
The Commander of the armies of angels has told me that he is going to destroy the entire land. So do not ridicule [what I say any more], because if you do that he will punish you [even] more severely.
23 ἐνωτίζεσθε καὶ ἀκούετε τῆς φωνῆς μου προσέχετε καὶ ἀκούετε τοὺς λόγους μου
Listen [IDM] to what I say; pay attention carefully.
24 μὴ ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν μέλλει ὁ ἀροτριῶν ἀροτριᾶν ἢ σπόρον προετοιμάσει πρὶν ἐργάσασθαι τὴν γῆν
When a farmer plows some ground, does he never plant seeds [RHQ]? Does he continue to plow it and never plant anything [RHQ]?
25 οὐχ ὅταν ὁμαλίσῃ αὐτῆς τὸ πρόσωπον τότε σπείρει μικρὸν μελάνθιον καὶ κύμινον καὶ πάλιν σπείρει πυρὸν καὶ κριθὴν καὶ ζέαν ἐν τοῖς ὁρίοις σου
No, he makes the ground very level, and then he plants seeds— dill and cumin and wheat and barley. He plants each kind of seed in the correct manner.
26 καὶ παιδευθήσῃ κρίματι θεοῦ σου καὶ εὐφρανθήσῃ
[He does that] because God has taught him the correct way to do it.
27 οὐ γὰρ μετὰ σκληρότητος καθαίρεται τὸ μελάνθιον οὐδὲ τροχὸς ἁμάξης περιάξει ἐπὶ τὸ κύμινον ἀλλὰ ῥάβδῳ ἐκτινάσσεται τὸ μελάνθιον τὸ δὲ κύμινον
[Farmers] never thresh caraway/dill with a heavy sledge/club; instead, they beat it only with a stick. [Farmers] never thresh cumin by driving a cart over it; instead, they hit it [only] with a rod.
28 μετὰ ἄρτου βρωθήσεται οὐ γὰρ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ἐγὼ ὑμῖν ὀργισθήσομαι οὐδὲ φωνὴ τῆς πικρίας μου καταπατήσει ὑμᾶς
And grain for baking bread is crushed easily, so the farmers do not continue to pound it for a long time. They sometimes cause their horses to pull a cart over it [to thresh it], [but] doing that does not grind the grain.
29 καὶ ταῦτα παρὰ κυρίου σαβαωθ ἐξῆλθεν τὰ τέρατα βουλεύσασθε ὑψώσατε ματαίαν παράκλησιν
The Commander of the armies of angels gives [us] wonderful advice [about how to do things]; he causes [us] to be very wise. [So what the farmers do is very smart/wise, but what your leaders are doing is very stupid].
