Isaiah 28:1–8

A Message about Samaria

¹What sorrow awaits the proud city of Samaria—

the glorious crown of the drunks of Israel.

It sits at the head of a fertile valley,

but its glorious beauty will fade like a flower.

It is the pride of a people

brought down by wine.

²For the Lord will send a mighty army against it.

Like a mighty hailstorm and a torrential rain,

they will burst upon it like a surging flood

and smash it to the ground.

³The proud city of Samaria—

the glorious crown of the drunks of Israel—

will be trampled beneath its enemies’ feet.

⁴It 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.

⁵Then 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.

⁶He will give a longing for justice

to their judges.

He will give great courage

to their warriors who stand at the gates.

⁷Now, 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.

⁸Their tables are covered with vomit;

filth is everywhere.