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 fertile valley of those who are overcome with wine!

Wo the proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim. And the fading flower of the beauty of his glory, That on the head of the fat valley of the broken down of wine.

2 B ehold, 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.

Lo, a mighty and strong one to the Lord, As a storm of hail -- a destructive shower, As an inundation of mighty waters overflowing, He cast down to the earth with the hand.

3 T he crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim will be trodden under foot.

By feet trodden down is the proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim,

4 T he 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.

And the fading flower of the beauty of his glory That on the head of the fat valley, Hath been as its first-fruit before summer, That its beholder seeth, While it yet in his hand he swalloweth it.

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

In that day is Jehovah of Hosts For a crown of beauty, and for a diadem of glory, To the remnant of His people.

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

And for a spirit of judgment To him who is sitting in the judgment, And for might those turning back the battle to the gate.

7 T hey 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.

And even these through wine have erred, And through strong drink have wandered, Priest and prophet erred through strong drink, They have been swallowed up of the wine, They wandered because of the strong drink, They have erred in seeing, They have stumbled judicially.

8 F or all tables are completely full of filthy vomit and filthiness.

For all tables have been full of vomit, Filth -- without place!

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

By whom doth He teach knowledge? And by whom doth He cause to understand the report? The weaned from milk, the removed from breasts,

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

For rule on rule, rule on rule, line on line, line on line, A little here, a little there,

11 B ut he will speak to this nation with stammering lips and in another language;

For by scorned lip, and by another tongue, Doth He speak unto this people.

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

Unto whom He hath said, `This the rest, give ye rest to the weary, And this -- the refreshing:' And they have not been willing to hear,

13 T herefore 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.

And to whom a word of Jehovah hath been, Rule on rule, rule on rule, line on line, line on line, A little here, a little there, So that they go and have stumbled backward, And been broken, and snared, and captured.

14 T herefore hear Yahweh’s word, you scoffers, that rule this people in Jerusalem:

Therefore, hear a word of Jehovah, ye men of scorning, Ruling this people that in Jerusalem.

15 “ 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.’”

Because ye have said: `We have made a covenant with death, And with Sheol we have made a provision, An overflowing scourge, when it passeth over, Doth not meet us, Though we have made a lie our refuge, And in falsehood have been hidden.'

16 T herefore 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.

Therefore, thus said the Lord Jehovah: `Lo, I am laying a foundation in Zion, A stone -- a tried stone, a corner stone precious, a settled foundation, He who is believing doth not make haste.

17 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.

And I have put judgment for a line, And righteousness for a plummet, And sweep away doth hail the refuge of lies, And the secret hiding-place do waters overflow.

18 Y our 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.

And disannulled hath been your covenant with death, And your provision with Sheol doth not stand, An overflowing scourge, when it passeth over, Then ye have been to it for a treading-place.

19 A s 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.”

From the fulness of its passing over it taketh you, For morning by morning it passeth over, By day and by night, And it hath been only a trembling to consider the report.

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

For shorter hath been the bed Than to stretch one's self out in, And the covering hath been narrower Than to wrap one's self up in.

21 F or 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.

For as mount Perazim rise doth Jehovah, As the valley in Gibeon He is troubled, To do His work -- strange His work, And to do His deed -- strange His deed.'

22 N ow 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.

And now, show not yourselves scorners, Lest strong be your bands, For a consumption, that is determined, I have heard, by the Lord, Jehovah of Hosts, for all the land.

23 G ive ear, and hear my voice! Listen, and hear my speech!

Give ear, and hear my voice, Attend, and hear my saying:

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

The whole day plougheth the ploughman to sow? He openeth and harroweth his ground!

25 W hen 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?

Hath he not, if he have made level its face, Then scattered fitches, and cummin sprinkle, And hath placed the principal wheat, And the appointed barley, And the rie its own border?

26 F or his God instructs him in right judgment, and teaches him.

And instruct him for judgment doth his God, He doth direct him.

27 F or 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.

For not with a sharp-pointed thing threshed are fitches, And the wheel of a cart on cummin turned round, For with a staff beaten out are fitches, And cummin with a rod.

28 B read 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.

Bread- is beaten small, For not for ever doth he sorely thresh it, Nor crushed hath a wheel of his cart, Nor do his hoofs beat it small.

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

Even this from Jehovah of Hosts hath gone out, He hath made counsel wonderful, He hath made wisdom great!