Isaiah 28
28
1Tragedy is coming to the city of Samaria,#28:1. “The city of Samaria”: supplied for clarity. the crowning glory of Ephraim's drunks, to the fading flower of wonderful beauty, sitting above a fertile valley, and beloved by those hammered by wine. 2Watch out, for the Lord has someone who is strong and powerful! He is going to smash it to the ground like a hailstorm and a tornado, like a torrential rain and an overwhelming flood. 3That crowning glory of Ephraim's drunks will be trampled underfoot. 4That fading flower of wonderful beauty, sitting above a fertile valley, will be like figs ripe before the summer harvest—as soon as people discover them, they grab and eat them.
5At that time the Lord Almighty will be a beautiful, glorious crown that brings pride to those of his people who are left. 6He will be an inspiration to the judges to do what's right, and he will encourage those who fight off the attacks on the gate.
7But these people also drink so much wine and beer that they sway from side to side and stumble over. Even priests and prophets stagger along, their minds muddled by beer and wine. Because of the drink they are confused about visions and make mistakes when they give decisions. 8All their tables are full of vomit—filth is everywhere.
9“Just who is he trying to teach knowledge to?” they ask.#28:9. “They ask.” Supplied for clarity. “Who is he explaining his message to? To children just weaned from milk, to babies just removed from the breast? 10He tells us this blah and that blah, blah upon blah, and again blah and blah, and even more blah and blah!#28:10. There are indeed eight “blahs” in the Hebrew. The word was also used to describe idols, because they are also “blah”! It's a bit here and a bit there.” 11Fine—so now the Lord will talk to this people in foreign languages that sound strange to them!#28:11. Since the people had said that God was talking nonsense to them, he now will reveal his truth through other languages in order that he might communicate with them—even though these languages would sound like “blah” to them! Also verse 13. 12He had told them, “You can rest here. Let those who are tired rest. This is the place where you can safely relax.” But they refused to listen.
13Therefore the Lord's message to them will become, “This blah and that blah, blah upon blah, and again blah and blah, and even more blah and blah, a bit here and a bit there,” so that they'll fall over backwards, and they'll be wounded, trapped, and captured.#28:13. In other words, since they treat the Lord's message so contemptuously, they will reap the painful consequences of dismissing the Lord's advice.
14So pay attention to the Lord's message, you scornful rulers who lead these people in Jerusalem. 15You claim, “We've made an agreement with death; we've got a contract with the grave. When the terrible disaster rushes by, it won't affect us, because our lies protect us and we hide in our own deceptions.”
16Consequently, listen to what the Lord God says, Look! I'm laying a foundation stone in Jerusalem, a strong, well-tested stone. It's a valuable cornerstone that provides a firm foundation. Anyone who trusts in it won't be shaken loose.#28:16. “Shaken loose”: the word used normally means “hurry,” but can also have the meaning “disturbed.” 17I will make justice as straight as a measuring line, and doing what's right the standard rule. Hail will destroy the protection of your lies, and water will flood the place where you're hiding. 18Your agreement with death will be canceled; your contract with the grave will be revoked. When the terrible disaster rushes by, it will trample you underfoot. 19It will rush by time after time, dragging you away morning upon morning, day and night, rushing on and on. Once you understand this message you will be absolutely terrified.
20The bed is too short so you can't stretch out; the blanket is too narrow so you can't cover yourself. 21The Lord will come on the attack like he did to the Philistines at Mount Perazim, like he shook them in the Valley of Gibeon,#28:21. “Philistines”: supplied for clarity. See 1 Chronicles 14:8-16. coming to do what he has to do, his strange work; coming to act as he must, his unusual action. 22So don't mock, or your imprisonment will be even worse, for the Lord, the Lord Almighty, has explained to me his decision to destroy the whole country.
23Listen to what I'm saying! Listen and pay attention! Hear what I have to say! 24Does the farmer spend all his time plowing? Does he spend all his time preparing the soil? 25Once he has everything ready doesn't he sow seeds like dill and cumin, doesn't he plant wheat and barley in rows, with spelt grain as a border? 26His God gives him instructions and teaches him the right thing to do. 27You don't use a heavy tool to thresh dill! You don't use the wheel of a cart to thresh cumin! Instead you use a stick to beat out the dill, and a rod to beat out the cumin. 28Grain used for bread is easily damaged so you don't thresh it forever. When you drive your cart wheels over it with your horses, you don't crush it. 29This is also from the Lord Almighty who is very wise and gives great advice.
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com
Isaiah 28
28
Woe to Ephraim and Jerusalem
1Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim,
Whose glorious beauty is a fading flower
Which is at the head of the verdant valleys,
To those who are overcome with wine!
2Behold, the Lord has a mighty and strong one,
#Is. 30:30; Ezek. 13:11Like a tempest of hail and a destroying storm,
Like a flood of mighty waters overflowing,
Who will bring them down to the earth with His hand.
3The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim,
Will be trampled underfoot;
4And the glorious beauty is a fading flower
Which is at the head of the verdant valley,
Like the first fruit before the summer,
Which an observer sees;
He eats it up while it is still in his hand.
5In that day the Lord of hosts will be
For a crown of glory and a diadem of beauty
To the remnant of His people,
6For a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment,
And for strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.
7But they also #Prov. 20:1; Is. 5:11, 22; Hos. 4:11have erred through wine,
And through intoxicating drink are out of the way;
#Is. 56:10, 12The priest and the prophet have erred through intoxicating drink,
They are swallowed up by wine,
They are out of the way through intoxicating drink;
They err in vision, they stumble in judgment.
8For all tables are full of vomit and filth;
No place is clean.
9“Whom#Jer. 6:10 will he teach knowledge?
And whom will he make to understand the message?
Those just weaned from milk?
Those just drawn from the breasts?
10#(2 Chr. 36:15; Neh. 9:30; Jer. 25:3, 4; 35:15; 44:4)For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept,
Line upon line, line upon line,
Here a little, there a little.”
11For with #Is. 33:19; 1 Cor. 14:21stammering lips and another tongue
He will speak to this people,
12To whom He said, “This is the #Is. 30:15; Jer. 6:16; (Matt. 11:28, 29)rest with which
You may cause the weary to rest,”
And, “This is the refreshing”;
Yet they would not hear.
13But the word of the Lord was to them,
“Precept upon precept, precept upon precept,
Line upon line, line upon line,
Here a little, there a little,”
That they might go and fall backward, and be broken
And snared and caught.
14Therefore hear the word of the Lord, you scornful men,
Who rule this people who are in Jerusalem,
15Because you have said, “We have made a covenant with death,
And with Sheol we are in agreement.
When the overflowing scourge passes through,
It will not come to us,
#Is. 9:15; Ezek. 13:22; Amos 2:4For we have made lies our refuge,
And under falsehood we have hidden ourselves.”
A Cornerstone in Zion
16Therefore thus says the Lord God:
“Behold, I lay in Zion #Gen. 49:24; Ps. 118:22; Is. 8:14, 15; Matt. 21:42; Mark 12:10; Luke 20:17; Acts 4:11; Rom. 9:33; 10:11; Eph. 2:20; 1 Pet. 2:6–8a stone for a foundation,
A tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation;
Whoever believes will not act hastily.
17Also I will make justice the measuring line,
And righteousness the plummet;
The hail will sweep away the refuge of lies,
And the waters will overflow the hiding place.
18Your covenant with death will be annulled,
And your agreement with Sheol will not stand;
When the overflowing scourge passes through,
Then you will be trampled down by it.
19As often as it goes out it will take you;
For morning by morning it will pass over,
And by day and by night;
It will be a terror just to understand the report.”
20For the bed is too short to stretch out on,
And the covering so narrow that one cannot wrap himself in it.
21For the Lord will rise up as at Mount #2 Sam. 5:20; 1 Chr. 14:11Perazim,
He will be angry as in the Valley of #Josh. 10:10, 12; 2 Sam. 5:25; 1 Chr. 14:16Gibeon—
That He may do His work, #(Lam. 3:33; Luke 19:41–44)His awesome work,
And bring to pass His act, His unusual act.
22Now therefore, do not be mockers,
Lest your bonds be made strong;
For I have heard from the Lord God of hosts,
#Is. 10:22; Dan. 9:27A destruction determined even upon the whole earth.
Listen to the Teaching of God
23Give ear and hear my voice,
Listen and hear my speech.
24Does the plowman keep plowing all day to sow?
Does he keep turning his soil and breaking the clods?
25When he has leveled its surface,
Does he not sow the black cummin
And scatter the cummin,
Plant the wheat in rows,
The barley in the appointed place,
And the spelt in its place?
26For He instructs him in right judgment,
His God teaches him.
27For the black cummin is not threshed with a threshing sledge,
Nor is a cartwheel rolled over the cummin;
But the black cummin is beaten out with a stick,
And the cummin with a rod.
28Bread flour must be ground;
Therefore he does not thresh it forever,
Break it with his cartwheel,
Or crush it with his horsemen.
29This also comes from the Lord of hosts,
#Ps. 92:5; Is. 9:6; Jer. 32:19Who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in guidance.
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The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.