Judgment on Ephraim and Jerusalem
1
Ah, the proud crown of 1the drunkards of Ephraim, and the fading flower of its glorious beauty, which is on the head of the rich valley of those overcome with wine!
2
Behold, the Lord has 2one who is mighty and strong; like a storm of hail, a destroying tempest, like 3a storm of mighty, overflowing waters, he casts down to the earth with his hand.
4
5and the fading flower of its glorious beauty, which is on the head of the rich valley, will be like 6a first-ripe fig before the summer: when someone sees it, he swallows it as soon as it is in his hand.
5
7In that day the LORD of hosts will be a crown of glory,a and a diadem of beauty, to the remnant of his people,
6
and 8a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment, and 9strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.
7
10These also reel with wine and 11stagger with strong drink; the priest and 12the prophet reel with strong drink, they are swallowed byb wine, they stagger with strong drink, they reel in vision, they stumble in giving judgment.
8
For all tables are full of filthy vomit, with no space left.
9
13"To whom will he teach knowledge, and to whom will he explain the message? Those who are weaned from the milk, those taken from the breast?
10
For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little."
12
to whom he has said, 15"This is rest; give rest to the weary; and this is repose"; yet they would not hear.
13
And the word of the LORD will be to them precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little, 16that they may go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.
A Cornerstone in Zion
15
Because you have said, "We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol we have an agreement, when the 18overwhelming whip passes through it will not come to us, for we have made 19lies our refuge, and in falsehood we have taken shelter";
16
therefore thus says the Lord GOD, 20"Behold, I am the one who has laidc as a foundation 21in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: 'Whoever believes will not be in haste.'
17
And I will make justice 22the line, and righteousness 23the plumb line; and hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and waters will overwhelm the shelter."
18
Then 24your covenant with death will be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol will not stand; when the overwhelming scourge passes through, you will be beaten down by it.
19
As often as it passes through it will take you; 25for morning by morning it will pass through, by day and by night; and it will be 26sheer terror to understand the message.
20
For the bed is too short to stretch oneself on, and the covering too narrow to wrap oneself in.
21
For the LORD will rise up 27as on Mount Perazim; 28as in the Valley of 29Gibeon he will be roused; to do his deed--strange is his deed! and to work his work--alien is his work!
22
Now therefore do not 30scoff, lest your bonds be made strong; for I have heard 31a decree of destruction from the Lord GOD of hosts against the whole land.
23
Give ear, and hear my voice; give attention, and hear my speech.
24
Does he who plows for sowing plow continually? Does he continually open and harrow his ground?
25
32When he has leveled its surface, does he not scatter dill, sow cumin, and put in wheat in rows and barley in its proper place, and emmerd as the border?
27
Dill is not threshed with a threshing sledge, nor is a cart wheel rolled over cumin, but dill is beaten out with a stick, and cumin with a rod.
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.
(English Standard Version - The Holy Bible Online)