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!

¡Ay de los ebrios de Efraín y de su corona de soberbia! ¡Ay de su espléndida hermosura! Para esos aturdidos por el vino no es sino una flor caduca sobre la cumbre del fértil valle!

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.

¡Pero miren! El Señor tiene a uno que es fuerte y poderoso como tormenta de granizo, como un torbellino trastornador, con el ímpetu de recias aguas que todo lo inundan y lo derriban por tierra.

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

La corona de soberbia de los ebrios de Efraín será pisoteada;

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.

su espléndida hermosura, que no es sino una flor caduca sobre la cumbre del fértil valle, será como la fruta temprana, la primera del verano, que en cuanto alguien la ve, la corta y se la traga.

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.

Cuando llegue ese día, el Señor de los ejércitos será una corona de gloria para su pueblo remanente; ¡será una diadema de hermosura!

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.

Infundirá en los jueces espíritu de justicia, y dará fuerzas a los que defienden la entrada de la ciudad.

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.

Aunque también sacerdotes y profetas erraron al embriagarse con sidra y con vino; fallaron en la visión y tropezaron en el juicio; actuaron tontamente, aturdidos por el vino y por la sidra.

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

Todas sus mesas quedaron llenas de vómito y de suciedad; ¡no quedó un solo lugar limpio!

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?

¿A quién quieren enseñar? ¿A quién le imparten revelaciones? ¿Acaso a los destetados, a los que han dejado el pecho?

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

Pues salen con su ta-ta-ta, bla-bla-bla, pe-pe-pe, to-to-to.

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

¡Le hablan a este pueblo en lengua extraña, en lengua de tartamudos!

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.

Dios les había dicho: «Éste es el reposo; hagan reposar a los cansados. Éste es el descanso.» Pero ellos no quisieron oír.

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

Por eso el Señor también les dirá: ta-ta-ta, bla-bla-bla, pe-pe-pe, to-to-to, hasta que vayan y caigan de espaldas, y se rompan los huesos, y sean atrapados y llevados prisioneros. Amonestación a Jerusalén

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

Por lo tanto, escuchen la palabra del Señor, ustedes que se burlan de este pueblo y dicen gobernarlo.

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.”

Ustedes dicen: «Hemos hecho un pacto con la muerte. Tenemos un convenio con el sepulcro. Cuando venga la tormenta y nos azote, no nos afectará, porque nuestro refugio es la mentira; nos esconderemos en la falsedad.»

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.

Por eso Dios el Señor dice así: «Miren esto: yo he puesto en Sión, por fundamento, una hermosa piedra angular, probada y de cimiento firme; quien se apoye en ella, no se tambaleará.

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.

La justicia será mi plomada, y el derecho será mi nivel. Con granizo barreré el refugio de la mentira, y con aguas arrollaré su escondrijo.

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.

Su pacto con la muerte quedará anulado, y su convenio con el sepulcro no se mantendrá; cuando llegue el golpe del turbión, pasará sobre ustedes;

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.”

cuando comience a pasar, los arrebatará; pues vendrá mañana tras mañana, y de día y de noche; y bastará el espanto para entender lo revelado.

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

La cama será muy corta para estirarse, y la manta demasiado estrecha para envolverse.»

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.

El Señor se levantará como en el monte Perasín; se enojará como en el valle de Gabaón, y la obra que realizará les parecerá extraña e inaudita.

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

Así que no se burlen, para que no se aprieten más sus ataduras; porque he sabido que Dios, el Señor de los ejércitos, ha decidido traer destrucción sobre toda la tierra.

23 L isten and hear my voice. Listen and hear my words.

Presten atención, y escuchen mi voz; atiéndanme, y escuchen mis palabras.

24 D oes the farmer plow all the time to plant seed? Does he keep on turning and digging up the ground?

¿Acaso el que ara para sembrar se pasa todo el día abriendo surcos y rompiendo terrones?

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?

Más bien, en cuanto ha igualado la superficie derrama el eneldo, siembra el comino, pone el trigo en hileras, la cebada en su lugar y la avena en el surco apropiado.

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

Y es que su Dios lo instruye y le enseña lo correcto,

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.

pues al eneldo no se le pasa el trillo, ni al comino se le pasa la rueda de carreta; más bien, el eneldo se sacude con un palo, y el comino con una vara.

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.

El grano sí se trilla, pero no siempre; ni tampoco se le pasa la rueda de la carreta ni se quiebra con los dientes del trillo.

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

Estos conocimientos provienen también del Señor de los ejércitos. Sus consejos son maravillosos, y grande es su sabiduría.