1 I t is a time of trouble to the crown of pride and to the drunk men of Ephraim, whose shining beauty is a dying flower. It is at the head of the rich valley of those who have taken too much wine!

Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, Whose glorious beauty is a fading flower Which is at the head of the verdant valleys, To those who are overcome with wine!

2 S ee, the Lord has one who is strong and powerful, like a storm of hail, a destroying storm. As with a flood of powerful waters flowing over, He will bring them down to the earth with His hand.

Behold, the Lord has a mighty and strong one, Like a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, Like a flood of mighty waters overflowing, Who will bring them down to the earth with His hand.

3 T he crown of pride, the drunk men of Ephraim, will be crushed under foot.

The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim, Will be trampled underfoot;

4 T he dying flower of its shining beauty which is at the head of the rich valley will be like the first fig grown before the summer. When one sees it, he takes it in his hand and eats it.

And the glorious beauty is a fading flower Which is at the head of the verdant valley, Like the first fruit before the summer, Which an observer sees; He eats it up while it is still in his hand.

5 I n that day the Lord of All will be a crown of shining-greatness, a beautiful crown to those who are left of His people.

In that day the Lord of hosts will be For a crown of glory and a diadem of beauty To the remnant of His people,

6 H e will be a spirit of what is fair to him who judges the people. He will be a strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.

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

7 T hese also walk from one side to the other side because of wine and strong drink. The religious leaders and the men who tell what will happen in the future make mistakes because of strong drink. They are troubled by wine. They walk from side to side because of strong drink. They make mistakes as they have special dreams. And they make mistakes when judging between right and wrong.

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

8 A ll the tables are covered with what they have spit up. There is no place that is clean.

For all tables are full of vomit and filth; No place is clean.

9 “ Who is it He is trying to teach? To whom will He tell what He has to say? Children finished with their nursing and just taken from the breast?

“Whom will he teach knowledge? And whom will he make to understand the message? Those just weaned from milk? Those just drawn from the breasts?

10 F or He says, ‘Law on law, law on law, rule on rule, rule on rule, a little here, a little there.’”

For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, Line upon line, line upon line, Here a little, there a little.”

11 T he Lord will speak to these people through men from other lands and in strange languages.

For with stammering lips and another tongue He will speak to this people,

12 H e Who said to them, “This is rest, give rest to the tired and weak.” And, “This is the place to rest,” but they would not listen.

To whom He said, “This is the rest with which You may cause the weary to rest,” And, “This is the refreshing”; Yet they would not hear.

13 S o the Word of the Lord to them will be, “Law on law, law on law, rule on rule, rule on rule, a little here, a little there,” that they may go and fall back, be broken, trapped, and taken away by those who hate them. A Stone of Great Worth in Jerusalem

But the word of the Lord was to them, “Precept upon precept, precept upon precept, Line upon line, line upon line, Here a little, there a little,” That they might go and fall backward, and be broken And snared and caught.

14 S o hear the Word of the Lord, you who laugh at the truth, who rule the people in Jerusalem!

Therefore hear the word of the Lord, you scornful men, Who rule this people who are in Jerusalem,

15 Y ou have said, “We have made an agreement with death. With the place of the dead we have made an agreement. The destroying flood will not touch us when it passes by. We have made lies our safe place. We have hidden ourselves with what is false.”

Because you have said, “We have made a covenant with death, And with Sheol we are in agreement. When the overflowing scourge passes through, It will not come to us, For we have made lies our refuge, And under falsehood we have hidden ourselves.” A Cornerstone in Zion

16 S o the Lord God says, “See, I lay in Jerusalem a Stone of great worth to build upon, a tested Stone. Anyone who puts his trust in Him will not be afraid of what will happen.

Therefore thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, A tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; Whoever believes will not act hastily.

17 A nd I will use what is fair to decide about the base. And I will use what is right and good to make it straight. Then hail will take away all the lies you depend on, and the waters will flow over the place where you hide.

Also I will make justice the measuring line, And righteousness the plummet; The hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, And the waters will overflow the hiding place.

18 Y our agreement with death will come to an end. Your agreement with the place of the dead will be stopped. When a flood of trouble passes through, you will be beaten down by it.

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

19 A s often as it passes through, it will take you. And it will pass through morning after morning, anytime during the day or night. To understand what it means will bring much fear.”

As often as it goes out it will take you; For morning by morning it will pass over, And by day and by night; It will be a terror just to understand the report.”

20 T he bed is too short to lie on in comfort. And the covering is too small to put around yourself.

For the bed is too short to stretch out on, And the covering so narrow that one cannot wrap himself in it.

21 F or the Lord will rise up as at Mount Perazim. He will be angry as in the valley of Gibeon, to do what He needs to do, His strange act, and to do His work, His different kind of work.

For the Lord will rise up as at Mount Perazim, He will be angry as in the Valley of Gibeon— That He may do His work, His awesome work, And bring to pass His act, His unusual act.

22 S o now do not laugh, or your chains will be made stronger. I have heard that the Lord God of All plans to destroy the whole earth. The Wisdom of God

Now therefore, do not be mockers, Lest your bonds be made strong; For I have heard from the Lord God of hosts, A destruction determined even upon the whole earth. Listen to the Teaching of God

23 L isten 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 all the time to plant seed? Does he keep on turning and digging up the ground?

Does the plowman keep plowing all day to sow? Does he keep turning his soil and breaking the clods?

25 W hen he gets the ground ready to plant, does he not sow dill seeds and cummin seeds and wheat in rows? Does he not put barley in its place, and rye in the right place?

When he has leveled its surface, Does he not sow the black cummin And scatter the cummin, Plant the wheat in rows, The barley in the appointed place, And the spelt in its place?

26 F or his God tells him what to do and teaches him the right way.

For He instructs him in right judgment, His God teaches him.

27 D ill is not crushed with a crushing object. And the wagon wheel is not rolled over cummin. But dill is beaten out with a stick, and cummin with a heavy stick.

For the black cummin is not threshed with a threshing sledge, Nor is a cartwheel rolled over the cummin; But the black cummin is beaten out with a stick, And the cummin with a rod.

28 G rain for bread is crushed. He does not keep on crushing it forever. When he drives his wagon-wheel over it with his horses, it does not crush it.

Bread flour must be ground; Therefore he does not thresh it forever, Break it with his cartwheel, Or crush it with his horsemen.

29 T his also comes from the Lord of All, Who has given wonderful wise words and great wisdom.

This also comes from the Lord of hosts, Who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in guidance.