Judgment on Ephraim
1 Woe to the proud crown of Ephraim’s drunkards
and to the fading flower of his glorious splendor,
which is on the summit of the fertile valley,
the pride of those who are overcome with wine!
2 Look, the Lord has one who is mighty and strong.
Like a hail storm, a destroying storm,
and like a storm of mighty waters overflowing,
he will cast them down to the earth with his hand.
3 The majestic crown of Ephraim’s drunkards
will be trodden under foot.
4 The fading flower of his glorious beauty,
which is at the summit of the fertile valley,
shall be like the first-ripe fig before the summer.
Whoever sees it will quickly take it in hand and swallow it.
5 On that day, the Lord of Hosts will become a crown of glory,
and a diadem of beauty to the remnant of his people,
6 a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment,
and strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.
7 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 For all their tables are completely full of vomit and filth.
9 To whom will he teach knowledge?
To whom will he explain the message?
To infants who have just been weaned from milk,
babies drawn from the breasts?
10 For it is precept on precept, precept on precept;
line on line, line on line; here a little, there a little.
11 With stammering lips and foreign tongue,
he will speak to this nation 12 to whom he said,
“This is the resting place. Let the weary rest,”
and “This is the place of repose.”
Yet they would not listen.
13 Therefore the Word of the Lord will become to them
precept on precept, precept on precept;
line on line, line on line;
here a little, there a little, that they may go,
falling backward, broken, snared, and captured.
A Cornerstone in Zion
14 Therefore hear the word of the Lord, you scoffers,
who rule this people in Jerusalem:
15 Because you have said,
“We have made a covenant with death,
and we are in agreement with Sheol.
When the overflowing scourge passes through,
it will not come to us,
for we have made lies our refuge,
and we have hidden ourselves under falsehood.”
16 Therefore the Lord God says,
“I have laid in Zion, a stone, as a foundation,
a tried stone, a precious cornerstone of a sure foundation.
He who believes will not give way to panic.
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.
18 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 by morning it will pass through,
by day and by night, and it will be nothing but terror
to understand the message.”
20 For the bed is too short to stretch out on,
and the blanket is too narrow to wrap oneself in.
21 For the Lord 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 Now therefore do not be scoffers,
lest your bonds be made strong,
for I have heard a decree of destruction
from the Lord, God of Hosts, on the whole earth.
Give Ear to His Voice
23 Give ear, and hear my voice!
Listen, and hear my speech!
24 Does he who plows plow continually to plant seed?
Does he keep turning the soil and breaking the clods?
25 When he has leveled its surface, does he not 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 For his God instructs him in right judgment
and teaches him.
27 For the dill are not threshed with a sharp instrument,
nor is a cart wheel turned over the cumin,
but the dill is beaten out with a stick and the cumin with a rod.
28 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 do not grind it.
29 This also comes out from the Lord of Hosts,
who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in wisdom.