Isaiah 28

1Woe to the majestic crown of Ephraim's drunkards, to the fading flower of his glorious splendor, which crowns the head of the fertile valley of those beaten down by wine.

2Behold, the Lord has a strong and mighty one—like a hailstorm, a tempest of destruction, like a flood of mighty surging waters—who will cast it down to the earth with his hand.

3The crown of pride of Ephraim's drunkards will be trampled under feet.

4His glorious beauty on the head of the fertile valley will become a fading flower like first-ripe fruit before summer, which its observer devours the moment he sees it while it is still in his hand.

5In that day Yahweh of hosts will be a crown of glory and a diadem of beauty to the remnant of his people.

6and a spirit of justice for the one sitting in judgment, and strength for those turning back the battle to the gate.

7Even these err through wine and stagger through strong drink; priest and prophet err through strong drink—they are swallowed up from wine, stagger from strong drink; they err in vision and stumble in judgment.

8For all tables are full of vomit and filth, with no clean place left.

9Whom will he teach knowledge, and whom will he make understand instruction—those weaned from milk, drawn from the breasts?

10For precept by precept, precept by precept; line by line, line by line; here a little, there a little.

11For with stammerers' lips and a foreign tongue he will speak to this people.

12To whom he said, "This is rest; give rest to the weary, and this is refreshment," yet they would not hear.

13The word of Yahweh will be to them command by command, command by command, line by line, line by line, a little there, a little there, so that they go and stumble backward, are broken, snared, and captured.

14Therefore hear the word of Yahweh, you scoffers who rule this people in Jerusalem.

15Because you have said, "We have cut a covenant with death, and with Sheol we have made an agreement; when the overflowing scourge passes through, it will not reach us, for we have set lies as our refuge, and in falsehood we have hidden ourselves."

16Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: "Behold, I lay in Zion a stone, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; whoever believes will not hasten."

17I will set justice as the measuring line and righteousness as the plummet; hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and waters will overflow the hiding place.

18Your covenant with death will be canceled, and your vision with Sheol will not endure; when the flooding scourge passes through, you will be trampled beneath it.

19Whenever it passes, it will take you; for morning by morning it passes, by day and by night, and it will be nothing but terror to discern the report.

20For the bed is too short to stretch oneself out on, and the covering too narrow to wrap oneself in.

21For Yahweh will rise up as at Mount Perazim, rage as in Gibeon's valley, to perform his work—his strange work—and execute his service—his foreign service.

22Now therefore do not scoff, lest your bonds be strengthened, for I have heard from the Lord Yahweh of hosts a consummation decreed upon the whole earth.

23Give ear and hear my voice; attend and hear my word.

24Does the plowman plow all day to sow? Does he break up and harrow his ground?

25When he has leveled its surface, doesn't he scatter dill, sow cumin, and plant wheat in rows, barley in the appointed place, and spelt in its border?

26His God instructs him in judgment and teaches him.

27For dill is not threshed with a sharp sledge, nor is a cart wheel rolled over cumin, but dill is beaten with a staff, and cumin with a rod.

28Bread is beaten fine, for he does not thresh it forever, nor crush it with the wheel of his cart, nor do his horsemen grind it.

29This also comes from Yahweh of hosts, who works wonders in counsel and excels in wisdom.