1 W oe 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 overcome with wine!

¶ Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim and to the open flower of the beauty of their glory which is upon the head of the fertile valley of those that are overcome with wine!

2 B ehold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one; as a tempest of hail, a destroying storm, as a tempest of mighty waters overflowing, will he cast down to the earth with the hand.

Behold, the Lord has a mighty and strong one who as a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, as a flood of mighty waters overflowing shall cast down to the earth with the hand.

3 T he crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim shall be trodden under foot:

The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim, shall be trodden under feet:

4 a nd 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 he that looketh upon it seeth, while it is yet in his hand he eateth it up.

And the fading flower of the beauty of their glory, which is upon the head of the fertile valley, shall be as the early fig, which comes first before the other fruits of the summer; which when he that looks upon it sees it; as soon as he has it in his hand, he eats it up.

5 I n that day will Jehovah of hosts become a crown of glory, and a diadem of beauty, unto the residue of his people;

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

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

And for a spirit of judgment to him that sits upon the throne of judgment, and for strength to those that turn the battle to the gate.

7 A nd even these reel with wine, and stagger with strong drink; the priest and the prophet reel with strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they stagger with strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment.

But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink; they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment.

8 F or all tables are full of vomit and filthiness, so that there is no place clean.

For all tables are full of vomit and filthiness, so that there is no place clean.

9 W hom will he teach knowledge? and whom will he make to understand the message? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts?

¶ Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? Those that are weaned from the milk and drawn from the breasts.

10 F or it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, there a little.

For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:

11 N ay, but by men of strange lips and with another tongue will he speak to this people;

For with stammering lips and another tongue he will speak to this people.

12 t o whom he said, This is the rest, give ye rest to him that is weary; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.

To whom he said, This is the rest with which ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.

13 T herefore shall the word of Jehovah be unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, there a little; that they may go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.

But the word of the LORD shall be unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go and fall backward and be broken and snared and taken.

14 W herefore hear the word of Jehovah, ye scoffers, that rule this people that is in Jerusalem:

¶ Therefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that have taken rule over this people which is in Jerusalem.

15 B ecause ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us; for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:

Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol we are at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood we have hid ourselves:

16 t herefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner -stone of sure foundation: he that believeth shall not be in haste.

Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believes shall not make haste.

17 A nd 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.

Judgment also will I lay to the line and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.

18 A nd your covenant with death shall be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it.

And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with Sheol shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it.

19 A s 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 nought but terror to understand the message.

From the time that it goes forth, it shall take you: for it shall come suddenly, by day and by night: and it shall be that the terror only causes one to understand the report.

20 F or the bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself on it; and the covering narrower than that he can wrap himself in it.

For the bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself on it: and the covering narrower than that he can wrap himself in it.

21 F or Jehovah will rise up as in mount Perazim, he will be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon; that he may do his work, his strange work, and bring to pass his act, his strange act.

For the LORD shall rise up as in Mount Perazim, he shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his work, his strange work; and bring to pass his act, his strange act.

22 N ow therefore be ye not scoffers, lest your bonds be made strong; for a decree of destruction have I heard from the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, upon the whole earth.

Now therefore do not be mockers lest your bands be made strong: for I have heard from the Lord GOD of the hosts that consumption and destruction are determined upon the whole earth.

23 G ive ye ear, and hear my voice; hearken, and hear my speech.

¶ Give ye ear and hear my voice; hearken and hear my speech.

24 D oth he that ploweth to sow plow continually? doth he continually open and harrow his ground?

Does the plowman plow all day to sow? does he open and break the clods of his ground?

25 W hen he hath levelled the face thereof, doth he not cast abroad the fitches, 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?

When he has levelled the face thereof, does he not cast abroad the fitches and scatter the cummin and cast in the principal wheat and the appointed barley and the rye in their place?

26 F or his God doth instruct him aright, and doth teach him.

For his God teaches him to know how to judge and instructs him.

27 F or the fitches are not threshed with a sharp threshing instrument, neither is a cart wheel turned about upon the cummin; but the fitches are beaten out with a staff, and the cummin with a rod.

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

28 B read grain is ground; for he will not be always threshing it: and though the wheel of his cart and his horses scatter it, he doth not grind it.

Grain is thrashed to make bread; but he will not ever be threshing it, nor shall he grind it with the wheel of his cart, nor crush it with the teeth of his thrashing instrument.

29 T his also cometh forth from Jehovah of hosts, who is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in wisdom.

This also comes forth from the LORD of the hosts to make his counsel wonderful, and to increase wisdom.