WOE TO SAMARIA

28 Woe to the majestic crown of Ephraim’s drunkards,m

and to the fading flower of its beautiful splendor,

which is on the summit above the rich valley.

Woe to those overcome with wine.

2 Look, the Lord has a strong and mighty onen—

like a devastating hail storm,

like a storm with strong flooding water.

He will bring it across the land with his hand.

3 The majestic crown of Ephraim’s drunkards

will be trampled underfoot.

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.o

Whoever sees it will swallow it

while it is still in his hand.

5 On that day

the Lord of Armies will become a crown of beauty

and a diadem of splendorp

to the remnant of his people,

6 a spirit of justice

to the one who sits in judgment,q

and strength

to those who repel attacks at the city gate.

7 Even these stagger because of wine

and stumble under the influence of beer:

Priest and prophet stagger because of beer.

They are confused by wine.r

They stumble because of beer.

They are muddled in their visions.

They stumble in their judgments.

8 Indeed, all their tables are covered with vomit;

there is no place without a stench.

9 Who is he trying to teach?

Who is he trying to instruct?

InfantsA just weaned from milk?

BabiesA removed from the breast?

10 “Law after law, law after law,

line after line, line after line,

a little here, a little there.”*

11 For he will speak to this people

with stammering speech

and in a foreign language.a

12 He had said to them,

“This is the place of rest;

let the weary rest;b

this is the place of repose.”

But they would not listen.

13 The word of the Lord will come to them:

“Law after law, law after law,

line after line, line after line,

a little here, a little there,”

so they go stumbling backward,

to be broken, trapped, and captured.c