Isaiah 28

¹ Woe to the haughty crown of Ephraim's drunkards, to the fading flower of its proud splendour sited atthe head of the lush val ey, to those prostrated by wine!

² See, a strong and mighty man in the Lord's service, like a storm of hail, a destroying tempest, likeimmense flood-waters overflowing, with his hand he throws them to the ground.

³ They wil be trampled underfoot, the haughty crown of Ephraim's drunkards,

⁴ and the faded flower of its proud splendour sited at the head of the lush val ey. Like a fig ripe beforesummer comes: whoever spots it forthwith picks and swal ows it.

⁵ That day Yahweh Sabaoth wil be a crown of splendour and a proud diadem for the remnant of hispeople,

⁶ a spirit of fair judgement for him who sits in judgement, and the strength of those who repel the assaulton the gate.

⁷ These too have been confused by wine, have gone astray owing to liquor. Priest and prophet havebecome confused by liquor, are sodden with wine, have strayed owing to liquor, have become confused in theirvisions, have strayed in their decisions.

⁸ Yes, every table is covered in filthy vomit, not one is clean!

⁹ 'Whom does he think he is lecturing? Whom does he think his message is for? Babies just weaned?Babies just taken from the breast?

¹⁰ With his "Sav lasav, sav lasav, kav lakav, kav lakav, zeer sham, zeer sham!"

¹¹ Now, with stammering lips and in a foreign language, he wil talk to this nation.

¹² He used to say to them, 'Here you can rest! Here you can let the weary rest! Here al is quiet.' But theyrefused to listen.

¹³ Now Yahweh is going to say this to them, 'Sav lasav, sav lasav, kav lakav, kav lakav, zeer sham, zeersham.' So that when they walk they wil fal over backwards and so be broken, trapped and taken captive.

¹⁴ Hence listen to Yahweh's word, you insolent men, rulers of this people in Jerusalem.

¹⁵ Because you have said, 'We have made a treaty with Death and have struck a pact with Sheol. Whenthe scourging flood comes over, it wil not touch us, for we have made lies our refuge and hidden underfalsehood.'

¹⁶ So the Lord Yahweh says this, 'Now I shall lay a stone in Zion, a granite stone, a precious corner-stone, a firm foundation-stone: no one who relies on this will stumble.

¹⁷ And I wil make fair judgement the measure, and uprightness the plumb-line.' But hail wil sweep awaythe refuge of lies and floods wash away the hiding-place;

¹⁸ your treaty with Death wil be broken and your pact with Sheol wil not hold. When the scourging floodcomes over, you wil be trodden down by it;

¹⁹ every time it comes over, it wil seize on you, for it wil come over, morning after morning, day by dayand night by night. Nothing but fear will make you understand what you hear.

²⁰ For the bed is too short to stretch in, the blanket too narrow for covering.

²¹ Yes, as on Mount Perazim, Yahweh will rise, as in the Val ey of Gibeon, he wil storm to do his work,his mysterious work, to do his deed, his extraordinary deed.

²² Stop scoffing, then, or your bonds wil be tightened further, for I have heard it: it has been irrevocablydecided as regards the whole country by the Lord Yahweh Sabaoth.

²³ Listen closely to my words, be attentive, understand what I am saying.

²⁴ Does the ploughman plough al day to sow, breaking up and harrowing his ground?

²⁵ Once he has level ed its surface, does he not scatter fennel, sow cummin? Then he puts in wheat,mil et, barley and, round the edges, spelt,

²⁶ for his God has taught him this rule and instructed him.

²⁷ Fennel must not be crushed with a sledge, nor cart-wheels driven over cummin; fennel must bebeaten with a stick, and cummin with a flail.

²⁸ When you are threshing wheat, you do not waste time crushing it; you get the horse and cart-wheelmoving, but you do not grind it fine.

²⁹ Al this is a gift from Yahweh Sabaoth, marvel ous advice leading to great achievements.