1
Woe 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! |
2 See, 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. |
3 That wreath, the pride of Ephraim's drunkards,
will be trampled underfoot. |
4 That fading flower, his glorious beauty,
set on the head of a fertile valley,
will be like a fig ripe before harvest-
as soon as someone sees it and takes it in his hand,
he swallows it. |
5 In that day the LORD Almighty
will be a glorious crown,
a beautiful wreath
for the remnant of his people. |
6 He will be a spirit of justice
to him who sits in judgment,
a source of strength
to those who turn back the battle at the gate. |
7 And 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. |
8 All 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? |
10 For it is:
Do and do, do and do,
rule on rule, rule on rule1 28:10 Hebrew / sav lasav sav lasav / kav lakav kav lakav (possibly meaningless sounds; perhaps a mimicking of the prophet's words); also in verse 13 ;
a little here, a little there." |
11 Very well then, with foreign lips and strange tongues
God will speak to this people, |
12 to whom he said,
"This is the resting place, let the weary rest";
and, "This is the place of repose"-
but they would not listen. |
13 So then, the word of the LORD to them will become:
Do and do, do and do,
rule on rule, rule on rule;
a little here, a little there-
so that they will go and fall backward,
be injured and snared and captured. |
14 Therefore hear the word of the LORD , you scoffers
who rule this people in Jerusalem. |
15 You boast, "We have entered into a covenant with death,
with the grave2 28:15 Hebrew Sheol ; also in verse 18 we have made an agreement.
When an overwhelming scourge sweeps by,
it cannot touch us,
for we have made a lie our refuge
and falsehood3 28:15 Or false gods our hiding place." |
16 So this is what the Sovereign LORD says: |
17 I 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. |
18 Your covenant with death will be annulled;
your agreement with the grave will not stand.
When the overwhelming scourge sweeps by,
you will be beaten down by it. |
19 As often as it comes it will carry you away;
morning after morning, by day and by night,
it will sweep through." |
20 The bed is too short to stretch out on,
the blanket too narrow to wrap around you. |
21 The 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. |
22 Now 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. |
23 Listen and hear my voice;
pay attention and hear what I say. |
24 When a farmer plows for planting, does he plow continually?
Does he keep on breaking up and harrowing the soil? |
25 When he has leveled the surface,
does he not sow caraway and scatter cummin?
Does he not plant wheat in its place,4 28:25 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
barley in its plot,5 28:25 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
and spelt in its field? |
26 His God instructs him
and teaches him the right way. |
27 Caraway is not threshed with a sledge,
nor is a cartwheel rolled over cummin;
caraway is beaten out with a rod,
and cummin with a stick. |
28 Grain must be ground to make bread;
so one does not go on threshing it forever.
Though he drives the wheels of his threshing cart over it,
his horses do not grind it. |
29 All this also comes from the LORD Almighty,
wonderful in counsel and magnificent in wisdom. |
