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.

Alas! for the proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim, And for his fading wreath of majestic beauty, —Which is on the head of the fertile valley, of them who are overcome 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.

Lo! My Lord hath one who is, strong and bold, Like a storm of hail, a destroying tempest, Like a storm of mighty waters overflowing, Hath he thrust it down to the earth with force:

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

With the feet shall be trodden down, the proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim,

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.

So shall his fading wreath of majestic beauty, Which is on the head of the fertile valley, become—Like the first-ripe fig before fruit-harvest, Which when he that looketh upon it seeth while it is yet in his hand, he swalloweth 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, will Yahweh of hosts become A crown of beauty, and A diadem of majesty, —Unto the remnant 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.

Even a spirit of justice—to him that presideth over justice, And strength to them who would 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 as for these, With wine, do they reel, and With strong drink, do they stagger, —Priest and prophet, reel with strong drink They are swallowed up through wine They stagger through strong drink, They reel in prophetic vision, They totter in pronouncing judgment.

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

For, all tables, are full of filthy vomit, —There is no place!

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, would he teach knowledge? And, whom, would he cause to understand the message? Them who are weaned from the milk? taken 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 upon precept, precept upon precept, Line upon line, line upon line, —A little here a little there.

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

For, with a jabbering lip, and with an alien tongue, must he speak unto 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 he said—This, is the rest—give ye rest to the weary, and This, is the quietness, —But they were unwilling to 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.

So the word of Yahweh must be to them—Precept upon precept, precept upon precept, Line upon line, line upon line, A little here, a little there, —That they may go and fall backward and be torn and snared and captured.

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

Wherefore, hear ye the word of Yahweh, Ye men who scoff, —Ye rulers of this people that 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 solemnised a covenant with death, And with hades, have we effected a vision, —The overflowing scourge when it sweepeth by, shall not reach unto us, For we have made lying 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 My Lord, Yahweh, Behold me! founding in Zion a stone, A stone of testing, The costly corner of a well-laid foundation, he that trusteth, 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.

But I will make—Justice the line, and Righteousness the plummet, —And the hail shall, sweep away, your refuge of lying, And your hiding-place, the waters shall overflow;

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)

So shall be wiped out your covenant with death, And your vision with hades, not stand, —When the overflowing scourge, sweepeth past, then shall ye be thereby beaten down: (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 sweepeth past, it shall take you away, For morning by morning, shall it pass along. By day and by night, —And it shall be nothing less than a terror to make out the message;

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

For too short is the couch to stretch oneself out, —And, the coverlet, too narrow, when one draweth up his feet.

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 as in Mount Perazim, will Yahweh, arise, As in the vale of Gibeon, will he be stirred, —To do his work—foreign is his work, And to perform his task—strange is his task.

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 do not show yourselves scoffers, Lest your fetters, be bound fast, —For, of a full end, and that a decreed one, have I heard from My Lord, Yahweh of hosts upon all the land

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

Give ear, and hear ye my voice, —Hearken, and hear ye my speech: —

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

All day long, doth the plowman plow for sowing? Doth he continue laying open and harrowing his soil?

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?

Doth he not when he hath levelled the face thereof, Cast abroad the fennel? And, the cummin, doth he not scatter? And plant wheat in rows, And barley in a lot, And spelt in the border thereof?

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

Yea One hath trained him to good judgment, His God, directeth 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 not with a sledge, must, black coriander be threshed, Nor must, the wheel of a cart, on cummin, be turned, But with a staff, must fennel be beaten, And 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.

Bread-corn, must be crushed, —Yet would he not be evermore, threshing, it, So he hasteneth over it the wheel of his cart, with his horsemen, He crusheth it not!

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

Even this, from Yahweh of hosts, cometh forth, —Who hath bestowed distinction upon counsel, And magnified sound wisdom.