1 W oe to the proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim, And to the fading flower of its glorious beauty, Which is at the head of the fertile valley Of those who are overcome 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 fertile valley of those who are overcome with wine!

2 B ehold, the Lord has a strong and mighty agent; As a storm of hail, a tempest of destruction, Like a storm of mighty overflowing waters, He has cast it down to the earth with His hand.

Behold, the Lord has a mighty and strong one. 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.

3 T he proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim is trodden under foot.

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

4 A nd the fading flower of its glorious beauty, Which is at the head of the fertile valley, Will be like the first-ripe fig prior to summer, Which one sees, And as soon as it is in his hand, He swallows it.

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.

5 I n that day the Lord of hosts will become a beautiful crown And a glorious diadem to the remnant of His people;

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

6 A spirit of justice for him who sits in judgment, A strength to those who repel the onslaught at the gate.

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

7 A nd these also reel with wine and stagger from strong drink: The priest and the prophet reel with strong drink, They are confused by wine, they stagger from strong drink; They reel while having visions, They totter when rendering judgment.

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.

8 F or all the tables are full of filthy vomit, without a single clean place.

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

9 “ To whom would He teach knowledge, And to whom would He interpret the message? Those just weaned from milk? Those just taken from the breast?

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

10 “ For He says, ‘ Order on order, order on order, Line on line, line on line, A little here, a little there.’”

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

11 I ndeed, He will speak to this people Through stammering lips and a foreign tongue,

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

12 H e who said to them, “Here is rest, give rest to the weary,” And, “Here is repose,” but they would not listen.

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

13 S o the word of the Lord to them will be, “ Order on order, order on order, Line on line, line on line, A little here, a little there,” That they may go and stumble backward, be broken, snared and taken captive. Judah Is Warned

Therefore Yahweh’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.

14 T herefore, hear the word of the Lord, O scoffers, Who rule this people who are in Jerusalem,

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

15 B ecause you have said, “We have made a covenant with death, And with Sheol we have made a pact. The overwhelming scourge will not reach us when it passes by, For we have made falsehood our refuge and we have concealed ourselves with deception.”

“Because you have said, ‘We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol are we in agreement. 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.’”

16 T herefore thus says the Lord God, “ Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone, A costly cornerstone for the foundation, firmly placed. He who believes in it will not be disturbed.

Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh, “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.

17 “ I will make justice the measuring line And righteousness the level; Then hail will sweep away the refuge of lies And the waters will overflow the secret place.

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.

18 “ Your covenant with death will be canceled, And your pact with Sheol will not stand; When the overwhelming scourge passes through, Then you become its trampling place.

Your covenant with death shall be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol shall not stand. When the overflowing scourge passes through, then you will be trampled down by it.

19 “ As often as it passes through, it will seize you; For morning after morning it will pass through, anytime during the day or night, And it will be sheer terror to understand what it means.”

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.”

20 T he bed is too short on which to stretch out, And the blanket is too small to wrap oneself in.

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

21 F or the Lord will rise up as at Mount Perazim, He will be stirred up as in the valley of Gibeon, To do His task, His unusual task, And to work His work, His extraordinary work.

For Yahweh 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.

22 A nd now do not carry on as scoffers, Or your fetters will be made stronger; For I have heard from the Lord God of hosts Of decisive destruction on all the earth.

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

23 G ive ear and hear my voice, Listen and hear my words.

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

24 D oes the farmer plow continually to plant seed? Does he continually turn and harrow the ground?

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

25 D oes he not level its surface And sow dill and scatter cummin And plant wheat in rows, Barley in its place and rye within its area?

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?

26 F or his God instructs and teaches him properly.

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

27 F or dill is not threshed with a threshing sledge, Nor is the cartwheel driven over cummin; But dill is beaten out with a rod, and cummin with a club.

For the dill are not 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.

28 G rain for bread is crushed, Indeed, he does not continue to thresh it forever. Because the wheel of his cart and his horses eventually damage it, He does not thresh it longer.

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.

29 T his also comes from the Lord of hosts, Who has made His counsel wonderful and His wisdom great.

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