1 Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading flower, which are on the head of the fat valleys of them that are overcome with wine!
2 Behold, the Lord has 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.
3 The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim, shall be trodden under feet:
4 And 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 looks on it sees, while it is yet in his hand he eats it up.
5 In that day shall the LORD of hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty, to the residue of his people,
6 And for a spirit of judgment to him that sits in judgment, and for strength to them that turn the battle to the gate.
7 But 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.
8 For all tables are full of vomit and filthiness, so that there is no place clean.
9 Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.
10 For precept must be on precept, precept on precept; line on line, line on line; here a little, and there a little:
11 For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.
12 To whom he said, This is the rest with which you may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.
13 But the word of the LORD was to them precept on precept, precept on precept; line on line, line on line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.
14 Why hear the word of the LORD, you scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem.
15 Because you have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing whip shall pass through, it shall not come to us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:
16 Therefore thus said 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 believes shall not make haste.
17 Judgment 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.
18 And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing whip shall pass through, then you shall be trodden down by it.
19 From the time that it goes 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.
20 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.
21 For the LORD shall rise up as in mount Perazim, 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.
22 Now therefore be you not mockers, lest your bands be made strong: for I have heard from the Lord GOD of hosts a consumption, even determined on the whole earth.
23 Give you ear, and hear my voice; listen, and hear my speech.
24 Does the plowman plow all day to sow? does he open and break the clods of his ground?
25 When he has made plain the face thereof, does he not cast abroad the fitches, and scatter the cummin, and cast in the principal wheat and the appointed barley and the rye in their place?
26 For his God does instruct him to discretion, and does teach him.
27 For the fitches are not threshed with a threshing instrument, neither is a cart wheel turned about on the cummin; but the fitches are beaten out with a staff, and the cummin with a rod.
28 Bread 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.
29 This also comes forth from the LORD of hosts, which is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working.
1 Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading flower which is at the head of the lush valleys of those who are overcome with wine!
2 Behold, the Lord is a mighty and strong one, like a hailstorm, a destroying storm; like a flood of mighty waters overflowing, He casts down to the earth with the hand.
3 The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim, shall be trampled under foot;
4 and the glorious beauty at the head of the lush valley shall be a fading flower, and as the first-ripe fruit before the summer; which, the one looking at it swallows up while it is yet in his hand.
5 In that day Jehovah of Hosts shall be for a crown of glory and for a diadem of beauty to the rest of His people,
6 and for a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment, and for strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.
7 But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink have gone astray. The priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink; they are swallowed up by wine; they have gone astray through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment.
8 For all tables are full of vomit and excrement; no place is clean.
9 To whom shall He teach knowledge? And whom shall He make to understand the message? Those weaned from the milk and removed from the breasts.
10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, there a little;
11 for with stammering lips and another tongue He will speak to this people.
12 To whom He said, This is the rest; cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing. Yet they were not willing to hear.
13 But the Word of Jehovah was to them, Precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, there a little; that they might go and fall backward, and be broken and snared and caught.
14 Therefore hear the Word of Jehovah, you scornful men who rule this people in Jerusalem.
15 Because you have said, We have made a covenant with death, and we have made an agreement with Sheol; when the overflowing scourge shall have gone and passed through, it shall not come upon us; for we have made lies our refuge, and we have hidden ourselves under falsehood.
16 Therefore thus says the Lord Jehovah, Behold, I have founded in Zion a Stone, a tried Stone, a precious Cornerstone, a sure Foundation; he who trusts in It shall not be anxious.
17 Also I will make justice the measuring line, and righteousness the plummet; and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.
18 And your covenant with death shall be covered over, and your agreement with Sheol shall not stand; when the overwhelming scourge shall pass through, then you shall be trampled down by it.
19 From the time that it goes out it shall take you; for morning by morning it shall pass over, by day and by night; and it shall be a terror just to understand the report.
20 For the bed is too short to stretch out on, and the cover is too narrow to wrap oneself in it.
21 For Jehovah shall rise up as at Mount Perazim; He will be angry as in the valley of Gibeon, so that He may do His deeds, His strange deeds; and bring to pass His works, His unusual works.
22 So then do not be mockers, lest your bonds be made strong; for I have heard from the Lord Jehovah of Hosts that an annihilation is decreed upon the whole earth.
23 Give ear and hear my voice; listen, and hear my speech.
24 Does the plowman plow all day to sow? Does he loosen and harrow his ground?
25 When he has leveled its surface, does he not scatter the black cumin and sprinkle the cumin, and plant the wheat in rows and mark off the barley and spelt in their boundaries?
26 For God instructs him to do right; and teaches him.
27 For the black cumin is not threshed with a threshing instrument, nor is a cart wheel turned on cumin; but the black cumin is beaten out with a stick and the cumin with a rod.
28 Bread flour is ground. But one does not continue treading and threshing it; nor does he destroy it with his cart wheel; nor pulverize it with his horse.
29 This also comes forth from Jehovah of Hosts, who is wonderful in counsel, and excels in sound wisdom.