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.
Currently Selected:
Isaiah 28: FBV
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
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
Condemnation of Ephraim
1Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of E´phra-im, whose glorious beauty is a fading flower, which are on the head of the fat valleys of them that are overcome with wine! 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 E´phra-im, shall be trodden under feet: 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.
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. 10For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little.
11 #
1 Cor 14.21. For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. 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.
The Warning to Jerusalem
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#28.15,18 hell, Hebrew 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: 16#Rom 9.33; 10.11; 1 Pet 2.6. therefore 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#28.15,18 hell, Hebrew Sheol. shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it. 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. 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. 21#2 Sam 5.20; 1 Chr 14.11; Josh 10.10-12. For the Lord shall rise up as in mount Per´azim, 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#28.25 the appointed barley or barley in the appointed place. and the rye in their place? 26For his God doth instruct him to discretion, and doth teach him.
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.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
King James Version 1611, spelling, punctuation and text formatting modernized by ABS in 1962; typesetting © 2010 American Bible Society.