Isaiah 28

Woe to the Leaders of Ephraim and Judah

Woe^a to that wreath, the pride of Ephraim’s^b drunkards,

to the fading flower, his glorious beauty,

set on the head of a fertile valley^c—

to that city, the pride of those laid low by wine!^d

See, the Lord has one who is powerful^e and strong.

Like a hailstorm^f and a destructive wind,^g

like a driving rain and a flooding^h downpour,

he will throw it forcefully to the ground.

That wreath, the pride of Ephraim’sⁱ drunkards,

will be trampled^j underfoot.

That fading flower, his glorious beauty,

set on the head of a fertile valley,^k

will be like figs^l ripe before harvest—

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

they swallow them.

In that day^m the Lord Almighty

will be a gloriousⁿ crown,^o

a beautiful wreath

for the remnant^p of his people.

He will be a spirit of justice^q

to those who sit in judgment,^r

a source of strength

to those who turn back the battle^s at the gate.

And these also stagger^t from wine^u

and reel^v from beer:

Priests^w and prophets^x stagger from beer

and are befuddled with wine;

they reel from beer,

they stagger when seeing visions,^y

they stumble when rendering decisions.

All the tables are covered with vomit^z

and there is not a spot without filth.

“Who is it he is trying to teach?^a

To whom is he explaining his message?^b

To children weaned^c from their milk,^d

to those just taken from the breast?

For it is:

Do this, do that,

a rule for this, a rule for that;

a little here, a little there.^e”

Very well then, with foreign lips and strange tongues^f

God will speak to this people,^g

to whom he said,

“This is the resting place, let the weary rest”;^h

and, “This is the place of repose”—

but they would not listen.

So then, the word of the Lord to them will become:

Do this, do that,

a rule for this, a rule for that;

a little here, a little thereⁱ—

so that as they go they will fall backward;

they will be injured^j and snared and captured.^k

Therefore hear the word of the Lord,^l you scoffers^m

who rule this people in Jerusalem.

You boast, “We have entered into a covenant with death,ⁿ

with the realm of the dead we have made an agreement.

When an overwhelming scourge sweeps by,^o

it cannot touch us,

for we have made a lie^p our refuge

and falsehood our hiding place.^q”

So this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“See, I lay a stone in Zion,^r a tested stone,^s

a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation;^t

the one who relies on it

will never be stricken with panic.^u

I will make justice^v the measuring line

and righteousness the plumb line;^w

hail^x will sweep away your refuge, the lie,

and water will overflow^y your hiding place.

Your covenant with death will be annulled;

your agreement with the realm of the dead will not stand.^z

When the overwhelming scourge sweeps by,^a

you will be beaten down^b by it.

As often as it comes it will carry you away;^c

morning after morning,^d by day and by night,

it will sweep through.”

The understanding of this message

will bring sheer terror.^e

The bed is too short to stretch out on,

the blanket too narrow to wrap around you.^f

The Lord will rise up as he did at Mount Perazim,^g

he will rouse himself as in the Valley of Gibeon^h—

to do his work,ⁱ his strange work,

and perform his task, his alien task.

Now stop your mocking,^j

or your chains will become heavier;

the Lord, the Lord Almighty, has told me

of the destruction decreed^k against the whole land.^l

Listen^m and hear my voice;

pay attention and hear what I say.

When farmers plow for planting,ⁿ do they plow continually?

Do they keep on breaking up and working the soil?

When they have leveled the surface,

do they not sow caraway and scatter cumin?^o

Do they not plant wheat in its place,

barley^p in its plot,

and spelt^q in its field?

Their God instructs them

and teaches^r them the right way.

Caraway is not threshed^s with a sledge,^t

nor is a cartwheel rolled over cumin;

caraway is beaten out with a rod,^u

and cumin with a stick.

Grain must be ground to make bread;

so one does not go on threshing it forever.

The wheels of a threshing cart^v may be rolled over it,

but one does not use horses to grind grain.

All this also comes from the Lord Almighty,

whose plan is wonderful,^w

whose wisdom is magnificent.^x