The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

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- Chapter 28 -

Woe to the proud garland crown that is worn by each of the drunkards of Ephraim, and to the fading flower of its glorious beauty, the garland that is set on the head of the lush Valley of those who are overcome with wine!

Behold, the Lord sends one who is mighty and strong; like a storm of hail and a destructive windstorm, like a driving rain and overflowing waters; and he will throw each garland crown down to the ground.

The proud garland of the drunkards of Ephraim will be trodden underfoot.

The fading flower of his glorious beauty, that is on the head of the rich valley, will be as the first ripe fig before the summer, that, when someone sees it, while it is yet in his hand, he gulps it down.

In that day Yahweh of hosts will become a beautiful crown and a diadem of beauty for the remainder of his people,

a spirit of justice for him who sits in judgment, and strength for those who turn back their enemies at their gates.

But even these reel with wine, and stagger with strong drink. The priest and the prophet reel with strong drink, and they are swallowed up by wine. They stagger with strong drink, staggering in vision and reeling in decision.

Truly, all tables are covered with vomit, so that there is no clean place.

To whom will he teach knowledge, and to whom will he explain the message? To those who are weaned from milk or to those just taken from the breasts?

For it is command upon command, command upon command; rule upon rule, rule upon rule; here a little, there a little.

Indeed, with mocking lips and a foreign tongue he will speak to this people.

In the past he said to them “This is the rest, give rest to him who is weary; and this is the refreshing,” but they would not listen.

So the word of Yahweh will be to them command upon command, command upon command; rule upon rule, rule upon rule; here a little, there a little; so that they may go and fall backward, and be broken, ensnared, and captured.

A Cornerstone in Zion

(1 Corinthians 3:10–15; Ephesians 2:19–22; 1 Peter 2:1–8)

So listen to the word of Yahweh, you who mock, you who rule over this people who are in Jerusalem.

This will happen because you said, “We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol we have reached an agreement. So when the overwhelming whip passes through, it will not reach us. For we have made a lie our refuge, and taken shelter in falsehood.”

Therefore, Lord Yahweh says, “See: I will lay in Zion a foundation stone, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation. He who believes will not be ashamed.

I will make justice the measuring stick, and righteousness the plumbline. Hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and the floodwaters will overwhelm the hiding place.

Your covenant with death will be dissolved, and your agreement with Sheol will not stand. When the raging flood passes through, you will be overwhelmed by it.

Whenever it passes through, it will overwhelm you, and morning by morning it will pass through and by day and night it will come. When the message is understood, it will cause terror.

For the bed is too short for a man to stretch out on, and the blanket too narrow for him to wrap himself in.”

Yahweh will rise up as on Mount Perazim; he will rouse himself as in the Valley of Gibeon to do his work, his strange work, and perform his strange deed.

Now therefore do not mock, or your bonds will be tightened. I have heard from the Lord, Yahweh of hosts, a decree of destruction on the earth.

Listen and Hear

Pay attention and listen to my voice; be attentive and listen to my words.

Does a farmer who plows all day to sow, only plow the ground? Does he continually break up and harrow the field?

When he has prepared the ground, does he not scatter caraway seed, sow the cumin, put in the wheat in rows and the barley in the right place, and the spelt at its edges?

His God instructs him; he teaches him wisely.

Moreover, the caraway seed is not threshed with a sledge, nor is a cartwheel rolled over the cumin; but caraway is beaten with a stick, and cumin with a rod.

Grain is ground for bread but not too finely, and though the wheels of his cart and his horses scatter it, his horses do not crush it.

This too comes from Yahweh of hosts, who is wonderful in instruction and excellent in wisdom.

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 fertile valley of those who are overcome with wine!

Behold, the Lord has one who is mighty and strong. Like a storm of hail, a destroying storm, and like a storm of mighty waters overflowing, he will cast them down to the earth with his hand.

The crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim will be trodden under foot.

The fading flower of his glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fertile valley, shall be like the first-ripe fig before the summer, which someone picks and eats as soon as he sees it.

In that day, the LORD of Armies will become a crown of glory and a diadem of beauty to the residue of his people,

and a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment, and strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.

They also reel with wine, and stagger with strong drink. The priest and the prophet reel with strong drink. They are swallowed up by wine. They stagger with strong drink. They err in vision. They stumble in judgment.

For all tables are completely full of filthy vomit and filthiness.

Whom will he teach knowledge? To whom will he explain the message? Those who are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts?

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

But he will speak to this nation with stammering lips and in another language,

to whom he said, “This is the resting place. Give rest to the weary,” and “This is the refreshing;” yet they would not hear.

Therefore the LORD’s word will be to them precept on precept, precept on precept; line on line, line on line; here a little, there a little; that they may go, fall backward, be broken, be snared, and be taken.

A Cornerstone in Zion

(1 Corinthians 3:10–15; Ephesians 2:19–22; 1 Peter 2:1–8)

Therefore hear the LORD’s word, you scoffers, that rule this people in Jerusalem:

“Because you have said, ‘We have made a covenant with death, and we are in agreement with Sheol.(a) When the overflowing scourge passes through, it won’t come to us; for we have made lies our refuge, and we have hidden ourselves under falsehood.’”

Therefore the Lord GOD says, “Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone of a sure foundation. He who believes shall not act hastily.

I will make justice the measuring line, and righteousness the plumb line. The hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters will overflow the hiding place.

Your covenant with death shall be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol

(b)

shall not stand. When the overflowing scourge passes through, then you will be trampled down by it.

As often as it passes through, it will seize you; for morning by morning it will pass through, by day and by night; and it will be nothing but terror to understand the message.”

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

For the LORD will rise up as on Mount Perazim. He will be angry as in the valley of Gibeon; that he may do his work, his unusual work, and bring to pass his act, his extraordinary act.

Now therefore don’t be scoffers, lest your bonds be made strong; for I have heard a decree of destruction from the Lord, the LORD of Armies, on the whole earth.

Listen and Hear

Give ear, and hear my voice! Listen, and hear my speech!

Does he who plows to sow plow continually? Does he keep turning the soil and breaking the clods?

When he has leveled its surface, doesn’t he plant the dill, and scatter the cumin seed, and put in the wheat in rows, the barley in the appointed place, and the spelt in its place?

For his God instructs him in right judgment and teaches him.

For the dill isn’t threshed with a sharp instrument, neither is a cart wheel turned over the cumin; but the dill is beaten out with a stick, and the cumin with a rod.

Bread flour must be ground; so he will not always be threshing it. Although he drives the wheel of his threshing cart over it, his horses don’t grind it.

This also comes out from the LORD of Armies, who is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in wisdom.

Footnotes

(a)28:15 Sheol is the place of the dead.

(b)28:18 Sheol is the place of the dead.