Isaiah 28

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
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 arrogance, to the inebriated of Ephraim, and to the falling flower, the glory of his exultation, to those who were at the top of the very fat valley, staggering from 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 powerful and steadfast, like a storm of hail, like a crushing whirlwind, like the force of many waters, inundating, sent forth over a spacious land.
3 They wil be trampled underfoot, the haughty crown of Ephraim's drunkards,	3 The arrogant crown of the inebriated of Ephraim will be trampled under foot.
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 falling flower, the glory of his exultation, who is at the summit of the fat valley, will be like a premature fruit before the ripeness of autumn, which, when the onlooker beholds it, as soon he takes it in his hand, he will devour it.
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 will be the crown of glory and the wreath of exultation for the remnant 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 he will be the spirit of judgment for those who sit in judgment, and the strength of those who return from war to the gates.
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 Yet truly, these also have been ignorant due to wine, and they have gone astray due to inebriation. The priest and the prophet have been ignorant because of inebriation. They have been absorbed by wine. They have staggered in drunkenness. They have not known the One who sees. They have been ignorant of judgment.
8 Yes, every table is covered in filthy vomit, not one is clean!	8 For all the tables have been filled with vomit and filth, so much so that there was no place left.
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 To whom will he teach knowledge? And to whom will he grant an understanding of what is heard? To those who have been weaned from the milk, who have been pulled away from the breasts.
10 With his "Sav lasav, sav lasav, kav lakav, kav lakav, zeer sham, zeer sham!"	10 So then: command, and command again; command, and command again; expect, and expect again; a little here, and 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 a different language, 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 He said to them: “This is my rest. Refresh the weary,” and, “This is my refreshment.” And yet they were unwilling 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.	13 And so, the word of the Lord to them will be: “Command, and command again; command, and command again; expect, and expect again; a little here, and a little there,” so that they may go forward and fall backward, and so that they may be broken and ensnared and captured.
14 Hence listen to Yahweh's word, you insolent men, rulers of this people in Jerusalem.	14 Because of this, listen to the word of the Lord, you mocking men, who lord it over my people who are at 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 struck a deal with death, and we formed a pact with Hell. When the inundating scourge passes through, it will not overwhelm us. For we have placed our hope in lies, and we are protected by what is false.”
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 For this reason, thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will set a stone within the foundations of Zion, a tested stone, a cornerstone, a precious stone, which has been established in the foundation: whoever trusts in him need not hurry.
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 establish judgment in weights, and justice in measures. And a hailstorm will overturn hope in what is false; and waters will inundate 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 your deal with death will be abolished, and your pact with Hell will not stand. When the inundating scourge passes through, you will be trampled 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 Whenever it passes through, it will take you away. For, at first light of morning, it will pass through, in the day and in the night, and vexation alone will 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 has been narrowed, so much so that one alone would fall out, and the short blanket is not able to cover two.
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 will stand, just as at the mountain of divisions. He will be angry, just as in the valley which is in Gibeon, so that he may accomplish his work, his strange work, so that he may complete his work, his work which is foreign even 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 be willing to mock, lest your chains be tightened. For I have heard, from the Lord, the God of hosts, about the consummation and the abridgement concerning the entire earth.
23 Listen closely to my words, be attentive, understand what I am saying.	23 Pay close attention, and listen to my voice! Attend and hear my eloquence!
24 Does the ploughman plough al day to sow, breaking up and harrowing his ground?	24 Would the plowman, after plowing all day so that he may sow, instead cut open and hoe his soil?
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 has made the surface level, sow coriander, and scatter cumin, and plant wheat in rows, and barley, and millet, and vetch in their places?
26 for his God has taught him this rule and instructed him.	26 For he will be instructed 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 coriander cannot be threshed with a saw, and a cartwheel cannot revolve over cumin. Instead, coriander is shaken out with a stick, and cumin 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 grain for bread must be crushed. Truly, the thresher cannot thresh it unceasingly, and the cartwheel can neither disrupt it, nor break it with its surface.
29 Al this is a gift from Yahweh Sabaoth, marvel ous advice leading to great achievements.	29 And this has gone forth from the Lord, the God of hosts, so that he may accomplish his miraculous plan and magnify justice.