Isaiah 28

1Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading flower, which are on the head of the fat valleys of them that are overcome with wine!footnote a

2Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one, which as a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, as a flood of mighty waters overflowing, shall cast down to the earth with the hand.

3The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim, shall be trodden under feet:footnote b

4And the glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley, shall be a fading flower, and as the hasty fruit before the summer; which when he that looketh upon it seeth, while it is yet in his hand he eateth it up.footnote c

5In 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,

6And for a spirit of judgment to him that sitteth in judgment, and for strength to them that turn the battle to the gate.

7But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment.

8For all tables are full of vomit and filthiness, so that there is no place clean.

9Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.footnote d

10For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:footnote e

11For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.footnote ffootnote g

12To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.

13But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.

14Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem.

15Because 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:

16Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.

17Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.

18And 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.footnote h

19From the time that it goeth forth it shall take you: for morning by morning shall it pass over, by day and by night: and it shall be a vexation only to understand the report.footnote i

20For 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.

21For 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.

22Now therefore be ye not mockers, lest your bands be made strong: for I have heard from the Lord GOD of hosts a consumption, even determined upon the whole earth.

23Give ye ear, and hear my voice; hearken, and hear my speech.

24Doth the plowman plow all day to sow? doth he open and break the clods of his ground?

25When he hath made plain the face thereof, doth he not cast abroad the fitches, and scatter the cummin, and cast in the principal wheat and the appointed barley and the rie in their place?footnote jfootnote kfootnote l

26For his God doth instruct him to discretion, and doth teach him.footnote m

27For the fitches are not threshed with a 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.

28Bread corn is bruised; because he will not ever be threshing it, nor break it with the wheel of his cart, nor bruise it with his horsemen.

29This also cometh forth from the LORD of hosts, which is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working.

The Captivity of Ephraim

1Woe to the majestic crown of Ephraim’sfootnote adrunkards,to the fading flower of his glorious splendor,set on the summit above the fertile valley,the pride of those overcome by wine. 2Behold, the Lord has onewho is strong and mighty.Like a hailstorm or destructive tempest,like a driving rain or flooding downpour,he will smash that crown to the ground. 3The majestic crown of Ephraim’s drunkardswill be trampled underfoot. 4The fading flower of his beautiful splendor,set on the summit above the fertile valley,will be like a ripe fig before the summer harvest:Whoever sees it will take it in his hand and swallow it.

5On that day the LORD of Hosts will be a crown of glory,a diadem of splendor to the remnant of His people, 6a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment,and a strength to those who repel the onslaught at the gate.

7These also stagger from wineand stumble from strong drink:Priests and prophets reel from strong drinkand are befuddled by wine.They stumble because of strong drink,muddled in their visions and stumbling in their judgments. 8For all their tables are covered with vomit;there is not a place without filth.

9Whom is He trying to teach?To whom is He explaining His message?To infants just weaned from milk?To babies removed from the breast? 10For they hear:footnote b“Order on order, order on order,line on line, line on line;footnote ca little here, a little there.” 11Indeed, with mocking lips and foreign tongues,He will speak to this peoplefootnote d 12to whom He has said:“This is the place of rest, let the weary rest;this is the place of repose.”But they would not listen.

13Then the word of the LORD to them will become:“Order on order, order on order,line on line, line on line;a little here, a little there,”so that they will go stumbling backwardand will be injured, ensnared, and captured.

A Cornerstone in Zion

14Therefore hear the word of the LORD, O scofferswho rule this people in Jerusalem. 15For you said, “We have made a covenant with death;we have fashioned an agreement with Sheol.When the overwhelming scourge passes throughit will not touch us,because we have made lies our refugeand falsehoodfootnote eour hiding place.”

16So this is what the Lord GOD says:“See, I lay a stone in Zion,a tested stone,a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation;the one who believes will never be shaken.footnote f 17I will make justice the measuring lineand righteousness the level.Hail will sweep away your refuge of lies,and water will flood your hiding place. 18Your covenant with death will be dissolved,and your agreement with Sheol will not stand.When the overwhelming scourge passes through,you will be trampled by it. 19As often as it passes through,it will carry you away;it will sweep through morning after morning,by day and by night.”The understanding of this messagewill bring sheer terror. 20Indeed, the bed is too short to stretch out on,and the blanket too small to wrap around you. 21For the LORD will rise up as at Mount Perazim.He will rouse Himself as in the Valley of Gibeon,to do His work, His strange work,and to perform His task, His disturbing task.

22So now, do not mock,or your shackles will become heavier.Indeed, I have heard from the Lord GOD of Hostsa decree of destruction against the whole land.

Listen and Hear

23Listen and hear my voice.Pay attention and hear what I say. 24Does the plowman plow for planting every day?Does he continuously loosen and harrow the soil? 25When he has leveled its surface,does he not sow caraway and scatter cumin?He plants wheat in rows and barley in plots,and rye within its border.

26For his God instructsand teaches him properly. 27Surely caraway is not threshed with a sledge,and the wheel of a cart is not rolled over the cumin.But caraway is beaten out with a stick,and cumin with a rod. 28Grain for bread must be ground,but it is not endlessly threshed.Though the wheels of the cart roll over it,the horses do not crush it. 29This also comes from the LORD of Hosts,who is wonderful in counseland excellent in wisdom.