Woe to the proud
crown
of the adrunkards
of bEphraim
, And to the fading
flower
of its glorious
beauty
, Which
is at the head
of the 1fertile
valley
Of those who are 2overcome
with wine
!
Behold, the Lord
has a strong
and amighty
agent; As a storm
of bhail
, a tempest
of destruction
, Like a storm
of cmighty
overflowing
waters
, He has cast
it down
to the earth
with His hand
.
The proud crown
of the drunkards
of Ephraim
is atrodden
under foot
.
And the fading flower
of its glorious
beauty
, Which
is at the head
of the 1fertile
valley
, Will be like the afirst-ripe
fig
prior
to summer
, Which
2one sees
, And 3as soon
as it is in his 4hand
, He swallows
it.
In that day the aLORD
of hosts
will become
a beautiful
bcrown
And a glorious
diadem
to the remnant
of His people
;
A aspirit of justice
for him who sits
in judgment
, A bstrength
to those who repel
the 1onslaught
at the gate
.
And these also
areel
with wine
and stagger
from strong
drink
: bThe priest
and cthe prophet
reel
with strong
drink
, They are confused
by wine
, they stagger
from dstrong
drink
; They reel
while 1having evisions
, They totter
when rendering judgment
.
For all the tables
are full
of filthy
avomit
, without
a single clean place
.
"To awhom would He teach
knowledge
, And to whom
would He interpret
the message
? Those just bweaned
from milk
? Those just taken
from the breast
?
"For He says, ` 1 aOrder on order
, order
on order
, Line
on line
, line
on line
, A little
here
, a little
there
.' "
Indeed, He will speak
to this
people
Through astammering
lips
and a foreign
tongue
,
He who said
to them, "Here
is arest
, give
rest
to the weary
," And, "Here
is repose
," but they would
not listen
.
So the word of the LORD
to them will be, " 1Order
on order
, order
on order
, Line
on line
, line
on line
, A little
here
, a little
there
," That they may go
and astumble
backward
, be broken
, snared
and taken
captive
.
Therefore, ahear
the word
of the LORD
, O bscoffers
, Who rule
this
people
who
are in Jerusalem
,
Because you have said
, "We have made
a acovenant
with death
, And with 1Sheol
we have made
a 2pact
. bThe overwhelming
3scourge
will not reach
us when
it passes
by, For we have made
cfalsehood
our refuge
and we have dconcealed
ourselves with deception
."
Therefore thus
says
the Lord
1GOD
, " aBehold
, I am laying
in Zion
a stone
, a tested
bstone
, A costly
cornerstone
for the foundation
, 2firmly
placed
. He who believes
in it will not be 3disturbed
.
"I will make ajustice
the measuring
line
And righteousness
the level
; Then bhail
will sweep
away
the refuge
of lies
And the waters
will overflow
the secret
place
.
"Your acovenant with death
will be 1 bcanceled
, And your pact
with Sheol
will not stand
; When
the aoverwhelming
scourge
passes
through
, Then you become
its ctrampling
place.
"As aoften as it passes
through
, it will 1seize
you; For bmorning
after morning
it will pass
through
, anytime during the day
or night
, And it will be 2sheer
cterror
to understand
3what
it means
."
The bed is too
short
on which to stretch
out, And the ablanket
is too 1small
to wrap
oneself in.
For the LORD will rise
up as at Mount
aPerazim
, He will be stirred
up as in the valley
of bGibeon
, To do
His ctask
, His 1 dunusual
task
, And to work
His work
, His 2extraordinary
work
.
And now do not carry
on as ascoffers
, Or
your fetters
will be made
stronger
; For I have heard
from the Lord
1GOD
of hosts
Of decisive
bdestruction
on all
the earth
.
Give ear
and hear
my voice
, Listen
and hear
my words
.
Does the 1farmer plow
2continually
to plant
seed
? Does he continually 3turn
and harrow
the ground
?
Does he not level its surface
And sow
dill
and scatter
acummin
And 1plant
bwheat
in rows
, Barley
in its place
and rye
within its 2area
?
For his God instructs
and teaches
him properly
.
For dill is not threshed
with a athreshing
sledge
, Nor
is the cartwheel
1driven
over
cummin
; But dill
is beaten
out with a rod
, and cummin
with a club
.
Grain for bread is crushed
, Indeed
, he does not continue
to thresh
it forever
. Because the wheel
of his cart
and his horses
eventually 1damage
it, He does not thresh
it longer.
This also
comes
from the LORD
of hosts
, Who has made
His counsel
awonderful
and His wisdom
bgreat
.