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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Isaiah 28: HCSB
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Isaiah 28
28
The Captivity of Ephraim
1Woe to the majestic crown of Ephraim’s #28:1 That is, the northern kingdom of Israel; also in verse 3 drunkards,
to the fading flower of his glorious splendor,
set on the summit above the fertile valley,
the pride of those overcome by wine.
2Behold, the Lord has one
who is strong and mighty.
Like a hailstorm or destructive tempest,
like a driving rain or flooding downpour,
he will smash that crown to the ground.
3The majestic crown of Ephraim’s drunkards
will be trampled underfoot.
4The fading flower of his beautiful splendor,
set on the summit above the fertile valley,
will be like a ripe fig before the summer harvest:
Whoever sees it will take it in his hand and swallow it.
5On that day the Lord of Hosts will be a crown of glory,
a diadem of splendor to the remnant of His people,
6a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment,
and a strength to those who repel the onslaught at the gate.
7These also stagger from wine
and stumble from strong drink:
Priests and prophets reel from strong drink
and are befuddled by wine.
They stumble because of strong drink,
muddled in their visions and stumbling in their judgments.
8For all their tables are covered with vomit;
there is not a place without filth.
9Whom is He trying to teach?
To whom is He explaining His message?
To infants just weaned from milk?
To babies removed from the breast?
10For they hear:#28:10 Or For He says; or For it is; literally For
“Order on order, order on order,
line on line, line on line;#28:10 Or Do this, do that, a rule for this, a rule for that; Hebrew sav lasav sav lasav kav lakav kav lakav (possibly meaningless sounds to demonstrate an inability to understand); also in verse 13
a little here, a little there.”
11Indeed, with mocking lips and foreign tongues,
He will speak to this people #28:11 Cited in 1 Corinthians 14:21 12to whom He has said:
“This is the place of rest, let the weary rest;
this is the place of repose.”
But they would not listen.
13Then the word of the Lord to them will become:
“Order on order, order on order,
line on line, line on line;
a little here, a little there,”
so that they will go stumbling backward
and will be injured, ensnared, and captured.
A Cornerstone in Zion
(1 Corinthians 3:10–15; Ephesians 2:19–22; 1 Peter 2:1–8)
14Therefore hear the word of the Lord, O scoffers
who rule this people in Jerusalem.
15For you said, “We have made a covenant with death;
we have fashioned an agreement with Sheol.
When the overwhelming scourge passes through
it will not touch us,
because we have made lies our refuge
and falsehood #28:15 Or false gods our hiding place.”
16So this is what the Lord GOD says:
“See, I lay a stone in Zion,
a tested stone,
a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation;
the one who believes will never be shaken.#28:16 LXX will never be put to shame; cited in Romans 9:33, Romans 10:11, and 1 Peter 2:6
17I will make justice the measuring line
and righteousness the level.
Hail will sweep away your refuge of lies,
and water will flood your hiding place.
18Your covenant with death will be dissolved,
and your agreement with Sheol will not stand.
When the overwhelming scourge passes through,
you will be trampled by it.
19As often as it passes through,
it will carry you away;
it will sweep through morning after morning,
by day and by night.”
The understanding of this message
will bring sheer terror.
20Indeed, the bed is too short to stretch out on,
and the blanket too small to wrap around you.
21For the Lord will rise up as at Mount Perazim.
He will rouse Himself as in the Valley of Gibeon,
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 heavier.
Indeed, I have heard from the Lord GOD of Hosts
a decree of destruction against the whole land.
Listen and Hear
23Listen and hear my voice.
Pay attention and hear what I say.
24Does the plowman plow for planting every day?
Does he continuously loosen and harrow the soil?
25When he has leveled its surface,
does he not sow caraway and scatter cumin?
He plants wheat in rows and barley in plots,
and rye within its border.
26For his God instructs
and teaches him properly.
27Surely caraway is not threshed with a sledge,
and the wheel of a cart is not rolled over the cumin.
But caraway is beaten out with a stick,
and cumin with a rod.
28Grain for bread must be ground,
but it is not endlessly threshed.
Though the wheels of the cart roll over it,
the horses do not crush it.
29This also comes from the Lord of Hosts,
who is wonderful in counsel
and excellent in wisdom.
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The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible, BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee. This text of God's Word has been dedicated to the public domain.