4 That fading flower, his glorious beauty,

set on the head of a fertile valley,

will be like figs ripe before harvest—

as soon as people see them and take them in hand,

they swallow them.

5 In that day the Lord Almighty

will be a glorious crown,

a beautiful wreath

for the remnant of his people.

6 He will be a spirit of justice

to the one who sits in judgment,

a source of strength

to those who turn back the battle at the gate.

7 And these also stagger from wine

and reel from beer:

Priests and prophets stagger from beer

and are befuddled with wine;

they reel from beer,

they stagger when seeing visions,

they stumble when rendering decisions.

4 and the fading flower of its glorious beauty,

which is on the head of the rich valley,

will be like a first-ripe fig before the summer:

when someone sees it, he swallows it

as soon as it is in his hand.

5 In that day the Lord of hosts will be a crown of glory,

and a diadem of beauty, to the remnant of his people,

6 and a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment,

and strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.

7 These also reel with wine

and stagger with strong drink;

the priest and the prophet reel with strong drink,

they are swallowed by wine,

they stagger with strong drink,

they reel in vision,

they stumble in giving judgment.

4 It sits at the head of a fertile valley,

but its glorious beauty will fade like a flower.

Whoever sees it will snatch it up,

as an early fig is quickly picked and eaten.

5 Then at last the Lord of Heaven’s Armies

will himself be Israel’s glorious crown.

He will be the pride and joy

of the remnant of his people.

6 He will give a longing for justice

to their judges.

He will give great courage

to their warriors who stand at the gates.

7 Now, however, Israel is led by drunks

who reel with wine and stagger with alcohol.

The priests and prophets stagger with alcohol

and lose themselves in wine.

They reel when they see visions

and stagger as they render decisions.

4 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 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 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 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.

4 That beautiful crown of flowers is just a dying plant

set on a hill above a rich valley.

That city will be like the first fig of summer.

Anyone who sees it

quickly picks it and eats it.

5 At that time the Lord All-Powerful

will be like a beautiful crown,

like a wonderful crown of flowers

for his people who are left alive.

6 Then he will give wisdom to the judges who must decide cases

and strength to those who battle at the city gate.

7 But now those leaders are drunk with wine;

they stumble from drinking too much beer.

The priests and prophets are drunk with beer

and are filled with wine.

They stumble from too much beer.

The prophets are drunk when they see their visions;

the judges stumble when they make their decisions.

4 and the fading flower of his glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley, shall be as the first-ripe fig before the summer; which when he that looketh upon it seeth, while it is yet in his hand he eateth it up. 5 In that day will Jehovah of hosts become a crown of glory, and a diadem of beauty, unto the residue of his people; 6 and a spirit of justice to him that sitteth in judgment, and strength to them that turn back the battle at the gate.

7 And even these reel with wine, and stagger with strong drink; the priest and the prophet reel with strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they stagger with strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment.

4 and the fading flower of his glorious adornment which is on the head of the fat valley shall be like an early fig before the summer: as soon as he that seeth it perceiveth it, scarcely is it in his hand, he swalloweth it down. 5 In that day will Jehovah of hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty, unto the remnant of his people; 6 and for a spirit of judgment to him that sitteth in judgment, and for strength to them that turn the battle to the gate. 7 But these also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are they gone astray. The priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink; they are overpowered by wine, they are gone astray through strong drink; they have erred in vision, they have stumbled in judgment.

4 Their glorious beauty is ⸤like⸥ a withered flower. 

They are at the entrance to a fertile valley. 

They will be like figs that ripened early. 

As soon as someone sees them, 

they will be taken and eaten. 

5 When that day comes, the Lord of Armies will be 

like a glorious crown for his few remaining people. 

6 He will give a spirit of justice to those who judge. 

He will give strength to those who defend the city gates in battle. 

7 Priests and prophets stagger from wine and wobble from too much liquor. 

They stagger from too much liquor 

and become confused from too much wine. 

They wobble because of their liquor. 

They stagger when they see visions. 

They swerve as they judge. 

4 The fading flower of his beautiful splendor,

which is on the summit above the rich valley,

will be like a ripe fig before the summer harvest.

Whoever sees it will swallow it

while it is still in his hand.

5 On that day

the Lord of Hosts will become a crown of beauty

and a diadem of splendor

to the remnant of His people,

6 a spirit of justice

to the one who sits in judgment,

and strength

to those who turn back the battle at the gate.

7 These also stagger because of wine

and stumble under the influence of beer:

priest and prophet stagger because of beer,

they are confused by wine.

They stumble because of beer,

they are muddled in their visions,

they stumble in their judgments.

4 And the fading flower of its glorious beauty,

which is on the head of those bloated with rich food,

will be like a first-ripe fig before the summer;

whoever sees it, eats it up

as soon as it comes to hand.

5 In that day the Lord of hosts will be a garland of glory,

and a diadem of beauty, to the remnant of his people;

6 and a spirit of justice to the one who sits in judgment,

and strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.

7 These also reel with wine

and stagger with strong drink;

the priest and the prophet reel with strong drink,

they are confused with wine,

they stagger with strong drink;

they err in vision,

they stumble in giving judgment.

4 and the withering flower of the glory of its beauty

which is at the head of the rich valley

will be like its early fig before summer,

which the one who sees it swallows while it is still in his hand.

5 In that day, Yahweh of hosts will become a garland of glory

and a diadem of beauty to the remnant of his people,

6 and a spirit of justice to the one who sits over judgment,

and strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.

7 And these also stagger because of wine

and stagger because of strong drink;

priest and prophet stagger because of strong drink;

they are confused because of wine.

They stagger because of strong drink;

they err in vision.

They stagger in the rendering of a decision,

4 It sits on a hill above a rich valley.

It’s like a crown of flowers whose glorious beauty is fading away.

But it will become like a fig that is ripe before harvest.

As soon as someone sees it,

he picks it and swallows it.

5 At that time the Lord who rules over all

will be like a glorious crown.

He will be like a beautiful wreath

for those of his people who will be left alive.

6 He will help those

who are fair when they judge.

He will give strength to those

who turn back their enemies at the city gate.

7 Israel’s leaders are drunk from wine.

They can’t walk straight.

They are drunk from beer.

They are unsteady on their feet.

Priests and prophets drink beer.

They can’t walk straight.

They are mixed up from drinking too much wine.

They drink too much beer.

They are unsteady on their feet.

The prophets see visions but don’t really understand them.

The priests aren’t able to make good decisions.

4 And the fading flower of its glorious beauty,

Which is at the head of the fertile valley,

Will be like the first-ripe fig prior to summer,

Which one sees,

And as soon as it is in his hand,

He swallows it.

5 In that day the Lord of hosts will become a beautiful crown

And a glorious diadem to the remnant of His people;

6 A spirit of justice for him who sits in judgment,

A strength to those who repel the onslaught at the gate.

7 And these also reel with wine and stagger from strong drink:

The priest and the prophet reel with strong drink,

They are confused by wine, they stagger from strong drink;

They reel while having visions,

They totter when rendering judgment.