Isaiah 28

Ephraim’s Captivity Predicted

1Woe to the proud crown of the 1habitually drunk of 2Ephraim, And to the fading flower of its glorious beauty, Which is at the head of the 3fertile valley Of those who are 4overcome with wine!2Behold, the Lord has a strong and 5mighty agent; As a storm of 6hail, a tempest of destruction, Like a storm of 7mighty overflowing waters, He has thrown it down to the earth with His hand.3The splendid crown of the habitually drunk of Ephraim is 8trampled underfoot.4And the fading flower of its glorious beauty, Which is at the head of the 9fertile valley, Will be like the 10first-ripe fig prior to the summer, Which 11one sees, And 12as soon as it is in his 13hand, He swallows it.5On that day the 14Lord of armies will become a beautiful 15crown And a glorious wreath to the remnant of His people;6A 16spirit of justice for him who sits in judgment, A 17strength to those who repel the 18onslaught at the gate.7And these also 19reel with wine and stagger from intoxicating drink: 20The priest and 21the prophet reel with intoxicating drink, They are confused by wine, they stagger from 22intoxicating drink; They reel while 23having 24visions, They stagger when rendering a verdict.8For all the tables are full of filthy 25vomit, without a single clean place.

9“To 26whom would He teach knowledge, And to whom would He interpret the message? Those just 27weaned from milk? Those just taken from the breast?10For He says, ‘2829Order on order, order on order, Line on line, line on line, A little here, a little there.’”11Indeed, He will speak to this people Through 30stammering lips and a foreign tongue,12He who said to them, “This is the 31place of quiet, give rest to the weary,” And, “This is the resting place,” but they would not listen.13So the word of the Lord to them will be, “32Order on order, order on order, Line on line, line on line, A little here, a little there,” That they may go and 33stumble backward, be broken, snared, and taken captive.

Judah Is Warned

14Therefore, 34hear the word of the Lord, you 35scoffers, Who rule this people who are in Jerusalem,15Because you have said, “We have made a 36covenant with death, And with 37Sheol we have made a 38pact. 39The 40gushing flood will not reach us when it passes by, Because we have made 41falsehood our refuge and we have 42concealed ourselves with deception.” 16Therefore this is what the Lord 43God says: “44Behold, I am laying a stone in Zion, a tested 45stone, A precious cornerstone for the foundation, 46firmly placed. The one who believes in it will not be 47disturbed.17I will make 48justice the measuring line And righteousness the level; Then 49hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, And the waters will overflow the secret place.18Your 50covenant with death will be 5152canceled, And your pact with Sheol will not stand; When the 5354gushing flood passes through, Then you will become its 55trampling ground.19As 56often as it passes through, it will 57seize you; For 58morning after morning it will pass through, anytime during the day or night, And it will be 59sheer 60terror to understand 61what it means.”20The bed is too short on which to stretch out, And the 62blanket is too 63small to wrap oneself in.21For the Lord will rise up as at Mount 64Perazim, He will be stirred up as in the Valley of 65Gibeon, To do His 66task, His 6768unusual task, And to work His work, His 69extraordinary work.22And now do not carry on as 70scoffers, Or your shackles will be made stronger; For I have heard from the Lord 71God of armies Of decisive 72destruction on all the earth.

23Listen and hear my voice, Pay attention and hear my words.24Does the 73farmer plow 74continually to plant seed? Does he continually 75turn and break up his ground?25Does he not level its surface And sow dill and scatter 76cumin And 77plant 78wheat in rows, Barley in its place and rye within its 79area?26For his God instructs and teaches him properly.27For dill is not threshed with a 80threshing sledge, Nor is the cartwheel 81driven over cumin; But dill is beaten out with a rod, and cumin with a club.28Grain for bread is crushed, Indeed, he does not continue to thresh it forever. Because the wheel of his cart and his horses eventually 82damage it, He does not thresh it longer.29This also comes from the Lord of armies, Who has made His counsel 83wonderful and His wisdom 84great.