Chapter 28

  Woe 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 fat valley of those who are overcome with wine! 

  Behold, the Lord has a mighty and strong one; as a tempest of hail, a destroying storm, as a tempest of mighty waters overflowing, will he cast down to the earth with the hand. 

  The crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim shall be trodden under foot: 

  and the fading flower of his glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley, shall be as the first-ripe fig before the summer; which when he who looks on it sees, while it is yet in his hand he eats it up. 

  In that day will Yahweh of Hosts become a crown of glory, and a diadem of beauty, to the residue of his people; 

  and a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment, and strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate. 

  Even these reel with wine, and stagger with strong drink; the priest and the prophet reel with strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they stagger with strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment. 

  For all tables are full of vomit [and] filthiness, [so that there is] no place [clean]. 

  Whom will he teach knowledge? and whom will he make to understand the message? those who are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts? 

  For it is precept on precept, precept on precept; line on line, line on line; here a little, there a little. 

  No, but by [men of] strange lips and with another language will he speak to this people; 

  to whom he said, This is the rest, give you rest to him who is weary; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear. 

  Therefore shall the word of Yahweh 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, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken. 

  Why hear the word of Yahweh, you scoffers, that rule this people that is in Jerusalem: 

  Because you have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come to us; for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves: 

  therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner -[stone] of sure foundation: he who believes shall not be in haste. 

  I will make justice the line, and righteousness the plummet; and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding-place. 

  Your covenant with death shall be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then you shall be trodden down by it. 

  As often as it passes though, it shall take you; for morning by morning shall it pass through, by day and by night: and it shall be nothing but terror to understand the message. 

  For 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. 

  For 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 strange work, and bring to pass his act, his strange act. 

  Now therefore don't you be scoffers, lest your bonds be made strong; for a decree of destruction have I heard from the Lord, Yahweh of Hosts, on the whole earth. 

  Give you ear, and hear my voice; listen, and hear my speech. 

  Does he who plows to sow plow continually? does he [continually] open and harrow his ground? 

  When he has leveled the surface of it, doesn't he cast abroad the dill, and scatter the cumin, and put in the wheat in rows, and the barley in the appointed place, and the spelt in the border of it? 

  For his God does instruct him aright, [and] does teach him. 

  For the dill are not threshed with a sharp [threshing] instrument, neither is a cart wheel turned about on the cumin; but the dill are beaten out with a staff, and the cumin with a rod. 

  Bread [grain] is ground; for he will not be always threshing it: and though the wheel of his cart and his horses scatter it, he does not grind it. 

  This also comes forth from Yahweh of Hosts, who is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in wisdom.