Isaiah 28
28
Judgment on Ephraim and Judah
1Oh, the majestic garland of Ephraim’s drunks
and the fading flower of its splendid beauty
on the head that flows with perfume#28.1 DSS (1QIsaa)
of those hammered with wine.
2Look! The Lord has someone who is powerful and strong;
like a hailstorm, a disastrous tempest,
like a downpour of mighty, overflowing waters,
he can level them to the ground with his hand.
3The majestic garland of Ephraim’s drunks
will be trampled underfoot.
4The withered flower, which is a thing of beauty#28.4 Heb uncertain
as it sits on the head of those bloated with fat,#28.4 Or at the head of the fat valley
will be like an early fig before the summer harvest:
whoever sees it swallows it as soon as it is in hand.
5On that day, the LORD of heavenly forces will be a splendid garland and a beautiful wreath for the people who survive, 6and a spirit of justice for the one who sits in judgment, and a strength for those who repel the assault at the gate.
7These also stagger from wine and stumble from beer:
priest and prophet stagger from beer;
they are confused by wine;
they stray on account of beer;
they err when receiving visions;
they stumble when making judgments.
8All the tables are covered with vomit;
filth overruns the place.
9To whom will God teach knowledge?
To whom will he explain the message?
To those just weaned from milk?
To those who have hardly outgrown the breast?
10It is “tsav letsav, tsav letsav; qav leqav, qav leqav,”#28.10 A Hebrew version of baby talk or gibberish
a little of this, a little of that.
11With derisive speech and a foreign tongue,
he will speak to this people.
12He has said to them,
“This is the place of rest;
give rest to the weary;
this is the place of repose”;
but they refused to listen.
13So the LORD’s word will be for them:
“tsav letsav, tsav letsav; qav leqav, qav leqav,”
a little of this, a little of that.
So that they will go and stagger backward,
they will be broken, snared, and captured.
The covenant with death overturned
14Therefore, hear the LORD’s word,
you scoffers who rule this people in Jerusalem.
15You said, “We’ve cut a deal with death;#28.15 Heb Maveth
with the underworld#28.15 Heb Sheol we made a pact.
When the overflowing flood passes through, it won’t reach us;
for we have made lies our hiding place,
and in falsehood we take shelter.”
16Therefore, the LORD God says:
Look! I’m laying in Zion a stone,
a tested stone, a valuable cornerstone,
a sure foundation:
the one who trusts won’t tremble.
17I will make justice the measuring line
and righteousness the plumb line.
But hail will sweep away the hiding place of lies,
and water will overflow the shelter.
18Your deal with death#28.18 Heb Maveth will be dissolved,
and your pact with the grave#28.18 Heb Sheol won’t stand.
The rushing flood: when it passes through,
you will be annihilated by it.
19Every time it passes through it will take you,
for morning by morning it will pass,
by day and by night.
It will be nothing but terror to understand the message.
20The bed is too short to stretch out,
and the shroud is too narrow to cover oneself.
21Just as on Mount Perazim, the LORD will rise up;
as in the Gibeon Valley he will rage to do his deed—strange is his deed!—
And to work his work—foreign is his work!
22So now stop your scoffing,
or your chains will be tightened,
because destruction has been ordered—I have heard it!—
by the LORD God of heavenly forces against the whole land.
Plowing and threshing
23Listen and hear my voice;
pay attention and hear my word:
24Does the plowman plow without stopping for planting,
opening and harrowing their ground?
25When he has smoothed its surface,
doesn’t he scatter fennel,#28.25 Or black cumin and sow cumin,
and plant wheat and barley in their places,
and spelt as a border?
26They are properly ordered;
their God directs them.#28.26 Or waters them
27Fennel#28.27 Or black cumin isn’t threshed with a threshing sledge,
nor is a cart wheel rolled over cumin,
but fennel#28.27 Or black cumin is beaten with a staff,
and cumin with a rod.
28Bread grain is crushed,
but the thresher#28.28 DSS (1QIsaa) doesn’t thresh it forever.
He drives the cart wheel over it;
he spreads it out but doesn’t crush it.
29This also comes from the LORD of heavenly forces,
who gives wondrous counsel and increases wisdom.
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Isaiah 28: CEB
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2011 Common English Bible. All rights reserved.
Isaiah 28
28
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 fertile valley of those who are overcome with wine! 2Behold, the Lord has one who is mighty and strong. Like a storm of hail, a destroying storm, and like a storm of mighty waters overflowing, he will cast them down to the earth with his hand. 3The crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim will be trodden under foot. 4The fading flower of his glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fertile valley, shall be like the first-ripe fig before the summer, which someone picks and eats as soon as he sees it. 5In that day, Yahweh of Armies will become a crown of glory and a diadem of beauty to the residue of his people, 6and a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment, and strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.
7They also reel with wine, and stagger with strong drink. The priest and the prophet reel with strong drink. They are swallowed up by wine. They stagger with strong drink. They err in vision. They stumble in judgment. 8For all tables are completely full of filthy vomit and filthiness.
9Whom will he teach knowledge? To whom will he explain the message? Those who are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts? 10For it is precept on precept, precept on precept; line on line, line on line; here a little, there a little.
11But he will speak to this nation with stammering lips and in another language, 12to whom he said, “This is the resting place. Give rest to the weary,” and “This is the refreshing;” yet they would not hear. 13Therefore Yahweh’s word will be to them precept on precept, precept on precept; line on line, line on line; here a little, there a little; that they may go, fall backward, be broken, be snared, and be taken.
14Therefore hear Yahweh’s word, you scoffers, that rule this people in Jerusalem: 15“Because you have said, ‘We have made a covenant with death, and we are in agreement with Sheol.#28:15 Sheol is the place of the dead. When the overflowing scourge passes through, it won’t come to us; for we have made lies our refuge, and we have hidden ourselves under falsehood.’” 16Therefore the Lord Yahweh says, “Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone of a sure foundation. He who believes shall not act hastily. 17I will make justice the measuring line, and righteousness the plumb line. The hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters will overflow the hiding place. 18Your covenant with death shall be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol#28:18 Sheol is the place of the dead. shall not stand. When the overflowing scourge passes through, then you will be trampled down by it. 19As often as it passes through, it will seize you; for morning by morning it will pass through, by day and by night; and it will be nothing but terror to understand the message.” 20For the bed is too short to stretch out on, and the blanket is too narrow to wrap oneself in. 21For Yahweh will rise up as on Mount Perazim. He will be angry as in the valley of Gibeon; that he may do his work, his unusual work, and bring to pass his act, his extraordinary act. 22Now therefore don’t be scoffers, lest your bonds be made strong; for I have heard a decree of destruction from the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, on the whole earth.
23Give ear, and hear my voice! Listen, and hear my speech! 24Does he who plows to sow plow continually? Does he keep turning the soil and breaking the clods? 25When he has leveled its surface, doesn’t he plant the dill, and scatter the cumin seed, and put in the wheat in rows, the barley in the appointed place, and the spelt in its place? 26For his God instructs him in right judgment and teaches him. 27For the dill isn’t threshed with a sharp instrument, neither is a cart wheel turned over the cumin; but the dill is beaten out with a stick, and the cumin with a rod. 28Bread flour must be ground; so he will not always be threshing it. Although he drives the wheel of his threshing cart over it, his horses don’t grind it. 29This also comes out from Yahweh of Armies, who is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in wisdom.
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