Isaiah 28

NEW JERUSALEM	DOUAI-RHEIMS
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!	1 Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, and to the fading flower the glory of his joy, who were on the head of the fat valley, staggering with 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.	2 Behold the Lord is mighty and strong, as a storm of hail: a destroying whirlwind, as the violence of many waters overflowing, and sent forth upon a spacious land.
3 They wil be trampled underfoot, the haughty crown of Ephraim's drunkards,	3 The crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim shall be trodden under feet.
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.	4 And the fading flower the glory of his joy, who is on the head of the fat valley, shall be as a hasty fruit before the ripeness of autumn: which when he that seeth it shall behold, as soon as he taketh it in his hand, he will eat it up.
5 That day Yahweh Sabaoth wil be a crown of splendour and a proud diadem for the remnant of hispeople,	5 In that day the Lord of hosts shall be a crown of glory, and a garland of joy to the residue of his people:
6 a spirit of fair judgement for him who sits in judgement, and the strength of those who repel the assaulton the gate.	6 And a spirit of judgment to him that sitteth in judgment, and strength to them that return out of the battle to 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.	7 But these also have been ignorant through wine, and through drunkenness have erred: the priest and the prophet have been ignorant through drunkenness, they are swallowed up with wine, they have gone astray in drunkenness, they have not known him that seeth, they have been ignorant of judgment.
8 Yes, every table is covered in filthy vomit, not one is clean!	8 For all tables were full of vomit and filth, so that there was no more place.
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?	9 Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand the hearing? them that are weaned from the milk, that are drawn away from the breasts.
10 With his "Sav lasav, sav lasav, kav lakav, kav lakav, zeer sham, zeer sham!"	10 For command, command again; command, command again; expect, expect again; expect, expect again: a little there, a little there.
11 Now, with stammering lips and in a foreign language, he wil talk to this nation.	11 For with the speech of lips, and with another tongue he will speak to this people.
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.	12 To whom he said: This is my rest, refresh the weary, and this is my refreshing: and they would not hear.
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.	13 And the word of the Lord shall be to them: Command, command again; command, command again: expect, expect again; expect, expect again: a little there, a little there: that they may go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.
14 Hence listen to Yahweh's word, you insolent men, rulers of this people in Jerusalem.	14 Wherefore hear the word of the Lord, ye scornful men, who rule over my people that is 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.'	15 For you have said : We have entered into a league with death, and we have made a covenant with hell. When the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come upon us: for we have placed our hope in lies, and by falsehood we are protected.
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.	16 Therefore thus saith the Lord God: Behold I will lay a stone in the foundations of Sion, a tried stone, a corner stone, a precious stone, founded in the foundation. He that believeth, let him not hasten.
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;	17 And I will set judgment in weight, and justice in measure: and hail shall overturn the hope of falsehood: and waters shall overflow its protection.
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;	18 And Sour league with death shall be abolished, and your covenant with hell shall not stand: when the overflowing scourge shall pass, you shall 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.	19 Whensoever it shall pass through, it shall take you away: because in the morning early it shall pass through, in the day and in the night, and vexation alone shall make you understand what you hear.
20 For the bed is too short to stretch in, the blanket too narrow for covering.	20 For the bed is straitened, so that one must fall out, and a short covering cannot cover both.
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.	21 For the Lord shall stand up as in the mountain of divisions: he shall be angry as in the valley which is in Gabaon: that he may do his work, his strange work: that he may perform his work, his work is strange to him.
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.	22 And now do not mock, lest your bonds be tied strait. For I have heard of the Lord the God of hosts a consumption and a cutting short upon all the earth.
23 Listen closely to my words, be attentive, understand what I am saying.	23 Give ear, and hear my voice, hearken, and hear my speech.
24 Does the ploughman plough al day to sow, breaking up and harrowing his ground?	24 Shall the ploughman plough all the day to sow, shall he open and harrow 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,	25 Will he not, when he hath made plain the surface thereof, sow gith, and scatter cummin, and put wheat in order, and barley, and millet, and vetches in their bounds?
26 for his God has taught him this rule and instructed him.	26 For he will instruct him in judgment : his God will teach 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.	27 For gith shall not be thrashed with saws, neither shall the cart wheel turn about upon cummin: but gith shall be beaten out with a rod, and cummin with a staff.
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.	28 But bread corn shall be broken small: but the thrasher shall not thrash it for ever, neither shall the cart wheel hurt it, nor break it with its teeth.
29 Al this is a gift from Yahweh Sabaoth, marvel ous advice leading to great achievements.	29 This also is come forth from the Lord God of hosts, to make his counsel wonderful, and magnify justice.