Isaiah 28

1Woe <FI>to<Fi> the proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim. And the fading flower of the beauty of his glory, That <FI>is<Fi> on the head of the fat valley of the broken down of wine.

1Woe to the crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim, and to the fading flower of his glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley of them that are overcome with wine!

2Lo, a mighty and strong one <FI>is<Fi> to the Lord, As a storm of hail--a destructive shower, As an inundation of mighty waters overflowing, He cast down to the earth with the hand.

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

3By feet trodden down is the proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim,

3The crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim shall be trodden under foot:

4And the fading flower of the beauty of his glory That <FI>is<Fi> on the head of the fat valley, Hath been as its first-fruit before summer, That its beholder seeth, While it <FI>is<Fi> yet in his hand he swalloweth it.

4and the fading flower of his glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley, shall be as the first-ripe fig before the summer; which when he that looketh upon it seeth, while it is yet in his hand he eateth it up.

5In that day is Jehovah of Hosts For a crown of beauty, and for a diadem of glory, To the remnant of His people.

5In that day will Jehovah of hosts become a crown of glory, and a diadem of beauty, unto the residue of his people;

6And for a spirit of judgment To him who is sitting in the judgment, And for might <FI>to<Fi> those turning back the battle to the gate.

6and a spirit of justice to him that sitteth in judgment, and strength to them that turn back the battle at the gate.

7And even these through wine have erred, And through strong drink have wandered, Priest and prophet erred through strong drink, They have been swallowed up of the wine, They wandered because of the strong drink, They have erred in seeing, They have stumbled judicially.

7And even these reel with wine, and stagger with strong drink; the priest and the prophet reel with strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they stagger with strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment.

8For all tables have been full of vomit, Filth--without place!

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

9By whom doth He teach knowledge? And by whom doth He cause to understand the report? The weaned from milk, the removed from breasts,

9Whom will he teach knowledge? and whom will he make to understand the message? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts?

10For rule <FI>is<Fi> on rule, rule on rule, line on line, line on line, A little here, a little there,

10For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, there a little.

11For by scorned lip, and by another tongue, Doth He speak unto this people.

11Nay, but bymen of strange lips and with another tongue will he speak to this people;

12Unto whom He hath said, `This <FI>is<Fi> the rest, give ye rest to the weary, And this--the refreshing:' And they have not been willing to hear,

12to whom he said, This is the rest, give ye rest to him that is weary; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.

13And to whom a word of Jehovah hath been, Rule on rule, rule on rule, line on line, line on line, A little here, a little there, So that they go and have stumbled backward, And been broken, and snared, and captured.

13Therefore shall the word of Jehovah be unto 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.

14Therefore, hear a word of Jehovah, ye men of scorning, Ruling this people that <FI>is<Fi> in Jerusalem.

14Wherefore hear the word of Jehovah, ye scoffers, that rule this people that is in Jerusalem:

15Because ye have said: `We have made a covenant with death, And with Sheol we have made a provision, An overflowing scourge, when it passeth over, Doth not meet us, Though we have made a lie our refuge, And in falsehood have been hidden.'

15Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol 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 said the Lord Jehovah: `Lo, I am laying a foundation in Zion, A stone--a tried stone, a corner stone precious, a settled foundation, He who is believing doth not make haste.

16therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner-stone of sure foundation: he that believeth shall not be in haste.

17And I have put judgment for a line, And righteousness for a plummet, And sweep away doth hail the refuge of lies, And the secret hiding-place do waters overflow.

17And I will make justice the line, and righteousness the plummet; and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding-place.

18And disannulled hath been your covenant with death, And your provision with Sheol doth not stand, An overflowing scourge, when it passeth over, Then ye have been to it for a treading-place.

18And your covenant with death shall be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it.

19From the fulness of its passing over it taketh you, For morning by morning it passeth over, By day and by night, And it hath been only a trembling to consider the report.

19As often as it passeth through, it shall take you; for morning by morning shall it pass through, by day and by night: and it shall be nought but terror to understand the message.

20For shorter hath been the bed Than to stretch one's self out in, And the covering hath been narrower Than to wrap one's self up in.

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 as <FI>at<Fi> mount Perazim rise doth Jehovah, As <FI>at<Fi> the valley in Gibeon He is troubled, To do His work--strange <FI>is<Fi> His work, And to do His deed--strange <FI>is<Fi> His deed.'

21For Jehovah will rise up as in mount Perazim, he will 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.

22And now, show not yourselves scorners, Lest strong be your bands, For a consumption, that is determined, I have heard, by the Lord, Jehovah of Hosts, <FI>Is<Fi> for all the land.

22Now therefore be ye not scoffers, lest your bonds be made strong; for a decree of destruction have I heard from the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, upon the whole earth.

23Give ear, and hear my voice, Attend, and hear my saying:

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

24The whole day plougheth the ploughman to sow? He openeth and harroweth his ground!

24Doth he that ploweth to sow plow continually? doth he continually open and harrow his ground?

25Hath he not, if he have made level its face, Then scattered fitches, and cummin sprinkle, And hath placed the principal wheat, And the appointed barley, And the rie <FI>in<Fi> its own border?

25When he hath levelled the face thereof, doth he not cast abroad the fitches, and scatter the cummin, and put in the wheat in rows, and the barley in the appointed place, and the spelt in the border thereof?

26And instruct him for judgment doth his God, He doth direct him.

26For his God doth instruct him aright, and doth teach him.

27For not with a sharp-pointed thing threshed are fitches, And the wheel of a cart on cummin turned round, For with a staff beaten out are fitches, And cummin with a rod.

27For the fitches are not threshed with a sharp 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-<FI> corn<Fi> is beaten small, For not for ever doth he sorely thresh it, Nor crushed <FI>it<Fi> hath a wheel of his cart, Nor do his hoofs beat it small.

28Bread grain is ground; for he will not be always threshing it: and though the wheel of his cart and his horses scatter it, he doth not grind it.

29Even this from Jehovah of Hosts hath gone out, He hath made counsel wonderful, He hath made wisdom great!

29This also cometh forth from Jehovah of hosts, who is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in wisdom.