Isaiæ 28
1 Vae coronae superbiae, ebriis Ephraim, et flori decidenti, gloriae exultationis eius, qui erant in vertice vallis pinguissimae, errantes a vino.
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 Ecce validus et fortis Dominus sicut impetus grandinis: turbo confringens, sicut impetus aquarum multarum inundantium, et emissarum super terram spatiosam.
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 Pedibus conculcabitur corona superbiae ebriorum Ephraim.
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 Et erit flos decidens gloriae exultationis eius, qui est super verticem vallis pinguium, quasi temporaneum ante maturitatem autumni: quod cum aspexerit videns, statim ut manu tenuerit, devorabit illud.
[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 In die illa erit Dominus exercituum corona gloriae, et sertum exultationis residuo populi sui:
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 et spiritus iudicii sedenti super iudicium, et fortitudo revertentibus de bello ad portam.
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 Verum hi quoque prae vino nescierunt, et prae ebrietate erraverunt: sacerdos et propheta nescierunt prae ebrietate, absorpti sunt a vino, erraverunt in ebrietate, nescierunt videntem, ignoraverunt iudicium.
[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 Omnes enim mensae repletae sunt vomitu sordium, ita ut non esset ultra locus.
All their tables are covered with [their] vomit; filth is everywhere.
9 Quem docebit scientiam? et quem intelligere faciet auditum? ablactatos a lacte, avulsos ab uberibus.
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 Quia manda remanda, manda remanda, expecta reexpecta, expecta reexpecta, modicum ibi, modicum ibi.
[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 In loquela enim labii, et lingua altera loquetur ad populum istum.
So now, Yahweh will need to force them to listen to [Assyrians] speaking to them in a language that they do not understand.
12 Cui dixit: Haec est requies mea, reficite lassum, et hoc est meum refrigerium: et noluerunt audire.
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 Et erit eis verbum Domini: Manda remanda, manda remanda, expecta reexpecta, expecta reexpecta, modicum ibi, modicum ibi: ut vadant, et cadant retrorsum, et conterantur, et illaqueentur, et capiantur.
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 Propter hoc audite verbum Domini viri illusores, qui dominamini super populum meum, qui est in Ierusalem.
Because of [what will happen in Samaria], you rulers in Jerusalem who make fun of me, listen to this message from Yahweh:
15 Dixistis enim: Percussimus foedus cum morte, et cum inferno fecimus pactum. Flagellum inundans cum transierit, non veniet super nos: quia posuimus mendacium spem nostram, et mendacio protecti sumus. (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 Idcirco haec dicit Dominus Deus: Ecce ego mittam in fundamentis Sion lapidem, lapidem probatum, angularem, pretiosum, in fundamento fundatum, qui crediderit, non festinet.
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 Et ponam in pondere iudicium, et iustitiam in mensura: et subvertet grando spem mendacii: et protectionem aquae inundabunt.
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 Et delebitur foedus vestrum cum morte, et pactum vestrum cum inferno non stabit: flagellum inundans cum transierit, eritis ei in conculcationem. (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 Quandocumque pertransierit, tollet vos: quoniam in mane diluculo pertransibit in die et in nocte, et tantummodo sola vexatio intellectum dabit auditui.
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 Coangustatum est enim stratum, ita ut alter decidat: et pallium breve utrumque operire non potest.
[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 Sicut enim in monte divisionum stabit Dominus: sicut in valle, quae est in Gabaon, irascetur: ut faciat opus suum, alienum opus eius: ut operetur opus suum, peregrinum est opus eius ab eo.
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 Et nunc nolite illudere, ne forte constringantur vincula vestra. consummationem enim et abbreviationem audivi a Domino Deo exercituum super universam terram.
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 Auribus percipite, et audite vocem meam, attendite, et audite eloquium meum.
Listen [IDM] to what I say; pay attention carefully.
24 Numquid tota die arabit arans ut serat, proscindet et sarriet humum suam?
When a farmer plows some ground, does he never plant seeds [RHQ]? Does he continue to plow it and never plant anything [RHQ]?
25 Nonne cum adaequaverit faciem eius, seret gith, et cyminum sparget, et ponet triticum per ordinem, et hordeum, et milium, et viciam in finibus suis?
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 Et erudiet illum in iudicio: Deus suus docebit illum.
[He does that] because God has taught him the correct way to do it.
27 Non enim in serris triturabitur gith, nec rota plaustri super cyminum circuibit: sed in virga excutietur gith et cyminum in baculo.
[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 Panis autem comminuetur: verum non in perpetuum triturans triturabit illum, neque vexabit eum rota plaustri, neque ungulis suis comminuet eum.
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 Et hoc a Domino Deo exercituum exivit, ut mirabile faceret consilium, et magnificaret iustitiam.
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].
