Isaiah 28
28
A Cornerstone of Zion
1Oy , the proud crown of Ephraim’s drunks! Its glorious beauty is a fading flower, which is at the head of the fertile valleys of those overcome with wine!
2Behold, Adonai is strong and mighty, like a hailstorm, a destructive tempest, like a downpour of overflowing water, He hurls it down to earth with His hand.
3The proud crown of Ephraim’s drunks will be trampled underfoot.
4The glorious beauty is a fading flower which is at the head of the fertile valley, like a first-ripe fig before summer— whoever sees it, swallows it up while it is still in his palm.
5In that day Adonai-Tzva’ot will be a crown of glory, a diadem of beauty to the remnant of His people,
6a spirit of judgment for him who sits on the judgment seat, and strength for those turning back the battle at the gate.
7But these also reel from wine and stagger from strong drink —the kohen and the prophet reel from strong drink— are confused because of wine, they stagger because of strong drink, they are muddled in vision, they stumble in judgment.
8Since all the tables are full of the filth of vomit, no place is left.
9To whom will He teach knowledge? To whom will He explain the message? Those just weaned from milk? Those just taken from the breast?
10For it must be ‘precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little.’
11For through stammering lips and a foreign tongue He will speak to this people,
12To whom He said, “Here is rest, give rest to the weary, here is repose”— but they would not listen.
13So the word of Adonai is to them ‘precept on precept, precept on precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little.’ So they walk, and fall backward, and are broken, trapped, and captured.
14Therefore hear the word of Adonai, you scoffers, who rule this people who are in Jerusalem:
15“Because you have said, ‘We cut a covenant with death, we made a pact with Sheol, so when the overflowing scourge passes through, it won’t come for us, for we have made lies our refuge, and hid ourselves in falsehood’—
16Therefore thus says Adonai Elohim: ‘Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone, a costly cornerstone, a firm foundation— whoever trusts will not flee in haste.
17But I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the plumb line. Hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and water will overflow the hiding place.
18Your covenant with death is annulled, and your pact with Sheol will not stand. An overflowing scourge will pass through and you will be its trampling place.
19 As often as it passes through, it will seize you—morning by morning, by day and by night passing through. It will be sheer terror to understand the message.’”
20For too short is the bed to stretch on, too narrow the blanket to wrap up in.
21For Adonai will rise up as at Mount Perazim, He will quake with awe as at the valley of Gibeon, to do His deed, His strange deed, and to work His work, His extraordinary work.
22So now, stop your scoffing, lest your shackles be strengthened! For I have heard from Adonai Elohei-Tzva’ot of destruction determined upon the whole land.
23Give ear and hear my voice! Pay attention and hear my words.
24Does a plowman plow all day to sow the seed? Does he continually break open and harrow his ground?
25No! When he has leveled its surface, he scatters dill and sows cumin, plants wheat in rows, places barley, and rye on its border.
26For his God teaches him judgment, instructing him.
27For dill is not threshed with a sledge, nor is a cart wheel rolled over cumin. Rather, dill is beaten out with a staff, and cumin with a rod.
28Bread grain is crushed, but not endlessly. Rumbling cart wheels and horses over it would only crush it to powder.
29This also comes from Adonai-Tzva’ot: Wonderful is His counsel, great is His wisdom.
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Copyright © 2014 - Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society
Isaiah 28
28
Woe to Samaria
1Woe to the majestic crown of Ephraim’s drunkards, # Is 28:7; Hs 7:5
and to the fading flower of its beautiful splendor,
which is on the summit above the rich valley.
Woe to those overcome with wine.
2Look, the Lord has a strong and mighty one # Is 8:7; 40:10 —
like a devastating hail storm,
like a storm with strong flooding waters.
He will bring it across the land with His hand.
3The majestic crown of Ephraim’s drunkards
will be trampled underfoot.
4The fading flower of his beautiful splendor,
which is on the summit above the rich valley,
will be like a ripe fig before the summer harvest. # Hs 9:10; Mc 7:1; Nah 3:12
Whoever sees it will swallow it
while it is still in his hand.
5On that day
the Lord of Hosts will become a crown of beauty
and a diadem of splendor # Is 62:3
to the remnant of His people,
6a spirit of justice
to the one who sits in judgment, # 1Kg 3:28; Is 11:2; 32:1,15-16; Jn 5:30
and strength
to those who turn back the battle at the gate.
7These also stagger because of wine
and stumble under the influence of beer:
priest and prophet stagger because of beer,
they are confused by wine. # Is 5:11,22; 9:15; 22:13; 56:12; Hs 4:11
They stumble because of beer,
they are muddled in their visions,
they stumble in their judgments.
8Indeed, all their tables are covered with vomit;
there is no place without a stench.
9Who is he # Or He trying to teach?
Who is he # Or He trying to instruct?
Infants # Lit Those just weaned from milk?
Babies # Lit Those removed from the breast?
10For he says: “Law after law, law after law,
line after line, line after line,
a little here, a little there.” # Hb obscure # Perhaps the mockers of v. 9 are mimicking the prophet’s words as baby talk.
11So He will speak to this people
with stammering speech
and in a foreign language. # Is 5:26-29; 33:19; 1Co 14:21
12He had said to them:
“This is the place of rest,
let the weary rest; # Is 11:10; 30:15; 32:17-18; Jr 6:16; Mt 11:28-29
this is the place of repose.”
But they would not listen.
13Then the word of the Lord came to them:
“Law after law, law after law,
line after line, line after line,
a little here, a little there,” # Hb obscure # The Lord quotes the mockers' words in v. 10 to represent the unintelligible language of the Assyrian invaders.
so they go stumbling backward,
to be broken, trapped, and captured. # Is 8:15; Mt 21:44
A Deal with Death
14Therefore hear the word of the Lord, # Is 1:10; 39:5,8; 66:5 you mockers # Is 29:20
who rule this people in Jerusalem.
15For you said, “We have cut a deal with Death,
and we have made an agreement with Sheol;
when the overwhelming scourge passes through, # Is 8:7-8
it will not touch us,
because we have made falsehood our refuge
and have hidden behind treachery.”
16Therefore the Lord God said:
“Look, I have laid a stone # Is 8:14; 26:4 in Zion,
a tested stone,
a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; # Mt 21:42; Mk 12:10; Lk 20:17; Ac 4:11; 1Co 3:11; Eph 2:20
the one who believes will be unshakable. # Lit will not hurry # Rm 9:33; 1Pt 2:6
17And I will make justice the measuring line
and righteousness the mason’s level.” # 2Kg 21:13; Is 5:16; 30:18; 61:8; Am 7:7-9
Hail will sweep away the false refuge,
and water will flood your hiding place.
18Your deal with Death will be dissolved,
and your agreement with Sheol will not last.
When the overwhelming scourge passes through,
you will be trampled.
19Every time it passes through,
it will carry you away;
it will pass through every morning —
every day and every night.
Only terror # 2Ch 29:8; Jr 15:4; 24:9; 29:18 will cause you
to understand the message. # Or The understanding of the message will cause sheer terror
20Indeed, the bed is too short to stretch out on,
and its cover too small to wrap up in.
21For the Lord will rise up as He did at Mount Perazim. # 2Sm 5:20; 1Ch 14:11
He will rise in wrath, as at the Valley of Gibeon, # Jos 10:10,12; 2Sm 5:25; 1Ch 14:16
to do His work, His strange work,
and to perform His task, His disturbing task.
22So now, do not mock,
or your shackles will become stronger.
Indeed, I have heard from the Lord God of Hosts
a decree of destruction for the whole land. # Is 10:22-23; Rm 9:27-28
God’s Wonderful Advice
23Listen and hear my voice.
Pay attention and hear what I say.
24Does the plowman plow every day to plant seed?
Does he continuously break up and cultivate the soil?
25When he has leveled its surface,
does he not then scatter black cumin and sow cumin?
He plants wheat in rows and barley in plots,
with spelt as their border.
26His God teaches him order;
He instructs him.
27Certainly black cumin is not threshed
with a threshing board,
and a cart wheel is not rolled over the cumin.
But black cumin is beaten out with a stick,
and cumin with a rod.
28Bread grain is crushed,
but is not threshed endlessly.
Though the wheel of the farmer’s cart rumbles,
his horses do not crush it.
29This also comes from the Lord of Hosts.
He gives wonderful advice;
He gives great wisdom. # Is 9:6; Jr 32:19
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