Isaiah 28

Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Woe to the proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim, and to the fading flower of its glorious beauty, which is on the head of the rich valley of those overcome with wine!	1 Woe to the majestic garland of the drunkard Ephraim, To the fading blooms of his glorious beauty, on the head of him who is stupefied with wine.
2 Behold, the Lord has one who is mighty and strong; like a storm of hail, a destroying tempest, like a storm of mighty, overflowing waters, he will cast down to the earth with violence.	2 Behold, the LORD has a strong one and a mighty, who, like a downpour of hail, a destructive storm, Like a flood of water, great and overflowing, levels to the ground with violence;
3 The proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim will be trodden under foot;	3 With feet that will trample the majestic garland of the drunkard Ephraim.
4 and the fading flower of its glorious beauty, which is on the head of the rich valley, will be like a first-ripe fig before the summer: when a man sees it, he eats it up as soon as it is in his hand.	4 The fading blooms of his glorious beauty on the head of the fertile valley Will be like an early fig before summer: when a man sees it, he picks and swallows it at once.
5 In that day the LORD of hosts will be a crown of glory, and a diadem of beauty, to the remnant of his people;	5 On that day the LORD of hosts will be a glorious crown And a brilliant diadem to the remnant of his people,
6 and a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment, and strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.	6 A spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment, And strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.
7 These also reel with wine and stagger with strong drink; the priest and the prophet reel with strong drink, they are confused with wine, they stagger with strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in giving judgment.	7 But these also stagger from wine and stumble from strong drink: Priest and prophet stagger from strong drink, overpowered by wine; Led astray by strong drink, staggering in their visions, tottering when giving judgment.
8 For all tables are full of vomit, no place is without filthiness.	8 Yes, all the tables are covered with filthy vomit, with no place left clean.
9 "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?	9 "To whom would he impart knowledge? To whom would he convey the message? To those just weaned from 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."	10 For he says, 'Command on command, command on command, rule on rule, rule on rule, here a little, there a little!'"
11 Nay, but by men of strange lips and with an alien tongue the LORD will speak to this people,	11 Yes, with stammering lips and in a strange language he will speak to this people
12 to whom he has said, "This is rest; give rest to the weary; and this is repose"; yet they would not hear.	12 to whom he said: This is the resting place, give rest to the weary; Here is repose-- but they would not listen.
13 Therefore 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; that they may go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.	13 So for them the word of the LORD shall be: "Command on command, command on command, Rule on rule, rule on rule, here a little, there a little!" So that when they walk, they stumble backward, broken, ensnared, and captured.
14 Therefore hear the word of the LORD, you scoffers, who rule this people in Jerusalem!	14 Therefore, hear the word of the LORD, you arrogant, who rule this people in Jerusalem:
15 Because you have said, "We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol we have an agreement; when the overwhelming scourge passes through it will not come to us; for we have made lies our refuge, and in falsehood we have taken shelter";	15 Because you say, "We have made a covenant with death, and with the nether world we have made a pact; When the overwhelming scourge passes, it will not reach us; For we have made lies our refuge, and in falsehood we have found a hiding place,"--
16 therefore thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I am laying in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: 'He who believes will not be in haste.'	16 Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD: See, I am laying a stone in Zion, a stone that has been tested, A precious cornerstone as a sure foundation; he who puts his faith in it shall not be shaken.
17 And I will make justice the line, and righteousness the plummet; and hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and waters will overwhelm the shelter."	17 I will make of right a measuring line, of justice a level.-- Hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and waters shall flood the hiding place.
18 Then your 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.	18 Your covenant with death shall be canceled and your pact with the nether world shall not stand. When the overwhelming scourge passes, you shall be trampled down by it.
19 As often as it passes through it will take you; for morning by morning it will pass through, by day and by night; and it will be sheer terror to understand the message.	19 Whenever it passes, it shall take you; morning after morning it shall pass, By day and by night; terror alone shall convey the message.
20 For the bed is too short to stretch oneself on it, and the covering too narrow to wrap oneself in it.	20 For the bed shall be too short to stretch out in, and the cover too narrow to wrap in.
21 For the LORD will rise up as on Mount Perazim, he will be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon; to do his deed-- strange is his deed! and to work his work-- alien is his work!	21 For the LORD shall rise up as on Mount Perazim, bestir himself as in the Valley of Gibeon, To carry out his work, his singular work, to perform his deed, his strange deed.
22 Now therefore do not scoff, lest your bonds be made strong; for I have heard a decree of destruction from the Lord GOD of hosts upon the whole land.	22 Now, be arrogant no more lest your bonds be tightened, For I have heard from the Lord, the GOD of hosts, the destruction decreed for the whole earth.
23 Give ear, and hear my voice; hearken, and hear my speech.	23 Give ear and hear my voice, pay attention and listen to what I say:
24 Does he who plows for sowing plow continually? does he continually open and harrow his ground?	24 Is the plowman forever plowing, always loosening and harrowing his land for planting?
25 When he has leveled its surface, does he not scatter dill, sow cummin, and put in wheat in rows and barley in its proper place, and spelt as the border?	25 When he has leveled the surface, does he not scatter gith and sow cumin, Put in wheat and barley, with spelt as its border?
26 For he is instructed aright; his God teaches him.	26 He has learned this rule, instructed by his God.
27 Dill is not threshed with a threshing sledge, nor is a cart wheel rolled over cummin; but dill is beaten out with a stick, and cummin with a rod.	27 Gith is not threshed with a sledge, nor does a cartwheel roll over cumin. But gith is beaten out with a staff, and cumin crushed for food with a rod.
28 Does one crush bread grain? No, he does not thresh it for ever; when he drives his cart wheel over it with his horses, he does not crush it.	28 No, he does not thresh it unendingly, nor does he crush it with his noisy cartwheels and horses.
29 This also comes from the LORD of hosts; he is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in wisdom.	29 This too comes from the LORD of hosts; wonderful is his counsel and great his wisdom.