1Woe to that wreath, the pride of Ephraim’s drunkards, to the fading flower, his glorious beauty, set on the head of a fertile valley – to that city, the pride of those laid low by wine!2See, the Lord has one who is powerful and strong. Like a hailstorm and a destructive wind, like a driving rain and a flooding downpour, he will throw it forcefully to the ground.3That wreath, the pride of Ephraim’s drunkards, will be trampled underfoot.4That fading flower, his glorious beauty, set on the head of a fertile valley, will be like figs ripe before harvest – as soon as people see them and take them in hand, they swallow them.5In that day the Lord Almighty will be a glorious crown, a beautiful wreath for the remnant of his people.6He will be a spirit of justice to the one who sits in judgment, a source of strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.7And these also stagger from wine and reel from beer: priests and prophets stagger from beer and are befuddled with wine; they reel from beer, they stagger when seeing visions, they stumble when rendering decisions.8All the tables are covered with vomit and there is not a spot without filth.9‘Who is it he is trying to teach? To whom is he explaining his message? To children weaned from their milk, to those just taken from the breast?10For it is: do this, do that, a rule for this, a rule for that[1]; a little here, a little there.’11Very well then, with foreign lips and strange tongues God will speak to this people,12to whom he said, ‘This is the resting-place, let the weary rest’; and, ‘This is the place of repose’ – but they would not listen.13So then, the word of the Lord to them will become: do this, do that, a rule for this, a rule for that; a little here, a little there – so that as they go they will fall backwards; they will be injured and snared and captured.14Therefore hear the word of the Lord, you scoffers who rule this people in Jerusalem.15You boast, ‘We have entered into a covenant with death, with the realm of the dead we have made an agreement. When an overwhelming scourge sweeps by, it cannot touch us, for we have made a lie our refuge and falsehood[2] our hiding-place.’16So this is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who relies on it will never be stricken with panic.17I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the plumb-line; hail will sweep away your refuge, the lie, and water will overflow your hiding-place.18Your covenant with death will be annulled; your agreement with the realm of the dead will not stand. When the overwhelming scourge sweeps by, you will be beaten down by it.19As often as it comes it will carry you away; morning after morning, by day and by night, it will sweep through.’ The understanding of this message will bring sheer terror.20The bed is too short to stretch out on, the blanket too narrow to wrap around you.21The Lord will rise up as he did at Mount Perazim, he will rouse himself as in the Valley of Gibeon – to do his work, his strange work, and perform his task, his alien task.22Now stop your mocking, or your chains will become heavier; the Lord, the Lord Almighty, has told me of the destruction decreed against the whole land.23Listen and hear my voice; pay attention and hear what I say.24When a farmer ploughs for planting, does he plough continually? Does he keep on breaking up and working the soil?25When he has levelled the surface, does he not sow caraway and scatter cummin? Does he not plant wheat in its place,[3] barley in its plot,[4] and spelt in its field?26His God instructs him and teaches him the right way.27Caraway is not threshed with a sledge, nor is the cartwheel rolled over cummin; caraway is beaten out with a rod, and cummin with a stick.28Grain must be ground to make bread; so one does not go on threshing it for ever. The wheels of a threshing-cart may be rolled over it, but one does not use horses to grind grain.29All this also comes from the Lord Almighty, whose plan is wonderful, whose wisdom is magnificent.
Isaiah 28
English Standard Version
Judgment on Ephraim and Jerusalem
1Ah, the proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim, and the fading flower of its glorious beauty, which is on the head of the rich valley of those overcome with wine! (Ho 7:5)2Behold, the Lord has one who is mighty and strong; like a storm of hail, a destroying tempest, like a storm of mighty, overflowing waters, he casts down to the earth with his hand. (Isa 8:7; Isa 28:15; Isa 28:18)3The proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim will be trodden underfoot; (Isa 28:1)4and the fading flower of its glorious beauty, which is on the head of the rich valley, will be like a first-ripe fig[1] before the summer: when someone sees it, he swallows it as soon as it is in his hand. (Ho 9:10; Am 8:1; Mic 7:1)5In that day the Lord of hosts will be a crown of glory,[2] and a diadem of beauty, to the remnant of his people, (Isa 2:11)6and a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment, and strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate. (1Ki 3:28; Isa 38:6)7These also reel with wine and stagger with strong drink; the priest and the prophet reel with strong drink, they are swallowed by[3] wine, they stagger with strong drink, they reel in vision, they stumble in giving judgment. (Isa 3:12; Isa 9:15; Isa 56:10; Isa 56:12; Ho 4:11)8For all tables are full of filthy vomit, with no space left.9“To whom will he teach knowledge, and to whom will he explain the message? Those who are weaned from the milk, those taken from the breast? (Jer 6:10)10For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little.”11For by people of strange lips and with a foreign tongue the Lord will speak to this people, (Isa 5:26; 1Co 14:21)12to whom he has said, “This is rest; give rest to the weary; and this is repose”; yet they would not hear. (Isa 30:15; Mt 11:28)13And the word of the Lord will 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. (Isa 8:15)
A Cornerstone in Zion
14Therefore hear the word of the Lord, you scoffers, who rule this people in Jerusalem! (Isa 28:22; Isa 29:20)15Because you have said, “We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol we have an agreement, when the overwhelming whip passes through it will not come to us, for we have made lies our refuge, and in falsehood we have taken shelter”; (Isa 8:7; Isa 28:2; Isa 28:18; Ro 1:25)16therefore thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I am the one who has laid[4] as a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: ‘Whoever believes will not be in haste.’ (Ps 118:22; Isa 14:32; Mt 21:42; Ac 4:11; Ro 9:33; 1Pe 2:6)17And I will make justice the line, and righteousness the plumb line; and hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and waters will overwhelm the shelter.” (2Ki 21:13)18Then your covenant with death will be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol will not stand; when the overwhelming scourge passes through, you will be beaten down by it. (Isa 28:15)19As often as it passes through it will take you; for morning by morning it will pass through, by day and by night; and it will be sheer terror to understand the message. (2Ch 32:18; Isa 50:4)20For the bed is too short to stretch oneself on, and the covering too narrow to wrap oneself in.21For the Lord will rise up as on Mount Perazim; as in the Valley of Gibeon he will be roused; to do his deed—strange is his deed! and to work his work—alien is his work! (Jos 9:3; Jos 10:10; 2Sa 5:20; 1Ch 14:11; 1Ch 14:16)22Now therefore do not scoff, lest your bonds be made strong; for I have heard a decree of destruction from the Lord God of hosts against the whole land. (Isa 10:23; Isa 28:14)23Give ear, and hear my voice; give attention, and hear my speech.24Does he who plows for sowing plow continually? Does he continually open and harrow his ground?25When he has leveled its surface, does he not scatter dill, sow cumin, and put in wheat in rows and barley in its proper place, and emmer[5] as the border? (Isa 55:10)26For he is rightly instructed; his God teaches him. (Isa 21:10)27Dill is not threshed with a threshing sledge, nor is a cart wheel rolled over cumin, but dill is beaten out with a stick, and cumin with a rod.28Does one crush grain for bread? No, he does not thresh it forever;[6] when he drives his cart wheel over it with his horses, he does not crush it.29This also comes from the Lord of hosts; he is wonderful in counsel and excellent in wisdom. (Isa 9:6; Jer 32:19)