Isaiah 28

1 Woe to the crowne of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim: for his glorious beautie shall be a fading flowre, which is vpon the head of the valley of them that be fat, and are ouercome with wine.

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 them that are smitten down with wine!

2 Beholde, the Lord hath a mightie and strong hoste, like a tempest of haile, and a whirlewinde that ouerthroweth, like a tempest of mightie waters that ouerflowe, which throwe to the ground mightily.

Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one, as a storm of hail, a tempest of destruction, as a storm of mighty waters overflowing, that casteth down to the earth with violence.

3 They shall be troden vnder foote, euen the crowne and the pride of the drunkards of Ephraim.

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

4 For his glorious beautie shall be a fading floure, which is vpon the head of the valley of them that be fatte, and as the hastie fruite afore sommer, which when hee that looketh vpon it, seeth it, while it is in his hand, he eateth it.

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 one looketh upon it, while it is yet in his hand he eateth it up.

5 In that day shall the Lord of hostes be for a crowne of glory, and for a diademe of beautie vnto the residue of his people:

In that day shall the LORD of hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty, unto the residue of His people;

6 And for a spirite of iudgement to him that sitteth in iudgement, and for strength vnto them that turne away the battell to the gate.

And for a spirit of judgment to him that sitteth in judgment, and for strength to them that turn back the battle at the gate.

7 But they haue erred because of wine, and are out of the way by strong drinke: the priest and the prophet haue erred by strong drinke: they are swallowed vp with wine: they haue gone astraye through strong drinke: they faile in vision: they stumble in iudgement.

But these also reel through wine, and stagger through strong drink; the priest and the prophet reel through strong drink, they are confused because of wine, they stagger because of strong drink; they reel in vision, they totter in judgment.

8 For all their tables are full of filthy vomiting: no place is cleane.

For all tables are full of filthy vomit, and no place is clean.

9 Whome shall he teache knowledge? and whome shall he make to vnderstand the thinges that hee heareth? them that are weyned from the milke, and drawen from the breastes.

Whom shall one teach knowledge? And whom shall one make to understand the message? Them that are weaned from the milk, them that are drawn from the breasts?

10 For precept must be vpon precept, precept vpon precept, line vnto line, line vnto line, there a litle, and there a litle.

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

11 For with a stammering tongue and with a strange language shall he speake vnto this people.

For with stammering lips and with a strange tongue shall it be spoken to this people;

12 Vnto whome hee saide, This is the rest: giue rest to him that is weary: and this is the refreshing, but they would not heare.

To whom it was said: 'This is the rest, give ye rest to the weary; and this is the refreshing'; yet they would not hear.

13 Therefore shall the worde of the Lord be vnto them precept vpon precept, precept vpon precept, line vnto line, line vnto line, there a litle and there a litle, that they may goe, and fall backward, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.

And so the word of the LORD is unto them precept by precept, precept by precept, line by line, line by line; here a little, there a little; that they may go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.

14 Wherefore, heare the worde of the Lord, ye scornefull men that rule this people, which is at Ierusalem.

Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scoffers, the ballad-mongers of this people which is in Jerusalem:

15 Because ye haue said, We haue made a couenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement: though a scourge runne ouer, and passe through, it shall not come at vs: for we haue made falshood our refuge, and vnder vanitie are we hid, (Sheol h7585)

Because ye have said: 'We have made a covenant with death, and with the nether-world are we at agreement; when the scouring scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us; for we have made lies our refuge, and in falsehood have we hid ourselves'; (Sheol h7585)

16 Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I will laye in Zion a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation. Hee that beleeueth, shall not make haste.

Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD: Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a costly corner-stone of sure foundation; he that believeth shall not make haste.

17 Iudgement also will I laye to the rule, and righteousnesse to the balance, and the haile shall sweepe away the vaine confidence, and the waters shall ouerflowe the secret place.

And 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.

18 And your couenant with death shalbe disanulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand: when a scourge shall runne ouer and passe through, then shall ye be trode downe by it. (Sheol h7585)

And your covenant with death shall be disannulled and your agreement with the nether-world shall not stand; when the scouring scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it, (Sheol h7585)

19 When it passeth ouer, it shall take you away: for it shall passe through euery morning in the day, and in the night, and there shalbe onely feare to make you to vnderstand the hearing.

As often as it passeth through, it shall take you; for morning by morning shall it pass through, by day and by night; and it shall be sheer terror to understand the message.

20 For the bed is streight that it can not suffice, and the couering narowe that one can not wrappe himselfe.

For the bed is too short for a man to stretch himself; and the covering too narrow when he gathereth himself up.

21 For the Lord shall stand as in mount Perazim: hee shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his worke, his strage worke, and bring to passe his acte, his strange acte.

For the LORD will rise up as in mount Perazim, He will be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon; that He may do His work, strange is His work, and bring to pass His act, strange is His act.

22 Nowe therefore be no mockers, least your bondes increase: for I haue heard of the Lord of hostes a consumption, euen determined vpon the whole earth.

Now therefore be ye not scoffers, lest your bands be made strong; for an extermination wholly determined have I heard from the Lord, the GOD of hosts, upon the whole land.

23 Hearken ye, and heare my voyce: hearken ye, and heare my speach.

Give ye ear, and hear my voice; attend, and hear my speech.

24 Doeth the plowe man plowe all the day, to sowe? doeth he open, and breake the clots of his ground?

Is the plowman never done with plowing to sow, with the opening and harrowing of his ground?

25 When he hath made it plaine, wil he not then sowe the fitches, and sowe cummin, and cast in wheat by measure, and the appointed barly and rye in their place?

When he hath made plain the face thereof, doth he not cast abroad the black cummin, and scatter the cummin, and put in the wheat in rows and the barley in the appointed place and the spelt in the border thereof?

26 For his God doeth instruct him to haue discretion, and doeth teach him.

For He doth instruct him aright; his God doth teach him.

27 For fitches shall not be threshed with a threshing instrument, neither shall a cart wheele be turned about vpon the cummin: but ye fitches are beaten out with a staffe, and cummin with a rod.

For the black cummin is not threshed with a threshing-sledge, neither is a cart-wheel turned about upon the cummin; but the black cummin is beaten out with a staff, and the cummin with a rod.

28 Bread corne when it is threshed, hee doeth not alway thresh it, neither doeth the wheele of his cart still make a noyse, neither will he breake it with the teeth thereof.

Is bread corn crushed? Nay, he will not ever be threshing it; and though the roller of his wagon and its sharp edges move noisily, he doth not crush it.

29 This also commeth from the Lord of hostes, which is wonderfull in counsell, and excellent in workes.

This also cometh forth from the LORD of hosts: Wonderful is His counsel, and great His wisdom.