Berean Study Bible

New American Standard Bible 1995

1Woe to the majestic crown of Ephraim’s drunkards, to the fading flower of his glorious splendor, set on the summit above the fertile valley, the pride of those overcome by wine.

1Woe to the proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim, And to the fading flower of its glorious beauty, Which is at the head of the fertile valley Of those who are overcome with wine!

2Behold, the Lord has one who is strong and mighty. Like a hailstorm or destructive tempest, like a driving rain or flooding downpour, he will smash that crown to the ground.

2Behold, the Lord has a strong and mighty agent; As a storm of hail, a tempest of destruction, Like a storm of mighty overflowing waters, He has cast it down to the earth with His hand.

3The majestic crown of Ephraim’s drunkards will be trampled underfoot.

3The proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim is trodden under foot.

4The fading flower of his beautiful splendor, set on the summit above the fertile valley, will be like a ripe fig before the summer harvest: Whoever sees it will take it in his hand and swallow it.

4And the fading flower of its glorious beauty, Which is at the head of the fertile valley, Will be like the first-ripe fig prior to summer, Which one sees, And as soon as it is in his hand, He swallows it.

5On that day the LORD of Hosts will be a crown of glory, a diadem of splendor to the remnant of His people,

5In that day the LORD of hosts will become a beautiful crown And a glorious diadem to the remnant of His people;

6a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment, and a strength to those who repel the onslaught at the gate.

6A spirit of justice for him who sits in judgment, A strength to those who repel the onslaught at the gate.

7These also stagger from wine and stumble from strong drink: Priests and prophets reel from strong drink and are befuddled by wine. They stumble because of strong drink, muddled in their visions and stumbling in their judgments.

7And these also reel with wine and stagger from strong drink: The priest and the prophet reel with strong drink, They are confused by wine, they stagger from strong drink; They reel while having visions, They totter when rendering judgment.

8For all their tables are covered with vomit; there is not a place without filth.

8For all the tables are full of filthy vomit, without a single clean place.

9Whom is He trying to teach? To whom is He explaining His message? To infants just weaned from milk? To babies removed from the breast?

9"To whom would He teach knowledge, And to whom would He interpret the message? Those just weaned from milk? Those just taken from the breast?

10For they hear: “Order on order, order on order, line on line, line on line; a little here, a little there.”

10"For He says, 'Order on order, order on order, Line on line, line on line, A little here, a little there.'"

11Indeed, with mocking lips and foreign tongues, He will speak to this people

11Indeed, He will speak to this people Through stammering lips and a foreign tongue,

12to whom He has said: “This is the place of rest, let the weary rest; this is the place of repose.” But they would not listen.

12He who said to them, "Here is rest, give rest to the weary," And, "Here is repose," but they would not listen.

13Then the word of the LORD to them will become: “Order on order, order on order, line on line, line on line; a little here, a little there,” so that they will go stumbling backward and will be injured, ensnared, and captured.

13So the word of the LORD to them will be, "Order on order, order on order, Line on line, line on line, A little here, a little there," That they may go and stumble backward, be broken, snared and taken captive.

14Therefore hear the word of the LORD, O scoffers who rule this people in Jerusalem.

14Therefore, hear the word of the LORD, O scoffers, Who rule this people who are in Jerusalem,

15For you said, “We have made a covenant with death; we have fashioned an agreement with Sheol. When the overwhelming scourge passes through it will not touch us, because we have made lies our refuge and falsehood our hiding place.”

15Because you have said, "We have made a covenant with death, And with Sheol we have made a pact. The overwhelming scourge will not reach us when it passes by, For we have made falsehood our refuge and we have concealed ourselves with deception."

16So this is what the Lord GOD says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; the one who believes will never be shaken.

16Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone, A costly cornerstone for the foundation, firmly placed. He who believes in it will not be disturbed.

17I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the level. Hail will sweep away your refuge of lies, and water will flood your hiding place.

17"I will make justice the measuring line And righteousness the level; Then hail will sweep away the refuge of lies And the waters will overflow the secret place.

18Your covenant with death will be dissolved, and your agreement with Sheol will not stand. When the overwhelming scourge passes through, you will be trampled by it.

18"Your covenant with death will be canceled, And your pact with Sheol will not stand; When the overwhelming scourge passes through, Then you become its trampling place.

19As often as it passes through, it will carry you away; it will sweep through morning after morning, by day and by night.” The understanding of this message will bring sheer terror.

19"As often as it passes through, it will seize you; For morning after morning it will pass through, anytime during the day or night, And it will be sheer terror to understand what it means."

20Indeed, the bed is too short to stretch out on, and the blanket too small to wrap around you.

20The bed is too short on which to stretch out, And the blanket is too small to wrap oneself in.

21For the LORD will rise up as at Mount Perazim. He will rouse Himself as in the Valley of Gibeon, to do His work, His strange work, and to perform His task, His disturbing task.

21For the LORD will rise up as at Mount Perazim, He will be stirred up as in the valley of Gibeon, To do His task, His unusual task, And to work His work, His extraordinary work.

22So now, do not mock, or your shackles will become heavier. Indeed, I have heard from the Lord GOD of Hosts a decree of destruction against the whole land.

22And now do not carry on as scoffers, Or your fetters will be made stronger; For I have heard from the Lord GOD of hosts Of decisive destruction on all the earth.

23Listen and hear my voice. Pay attention and hear what I say.

23Give ear and hear my voice, Listen and hear my words.

24Does the plowman plow for planting every day? Does he continuously loosen and harrow the soil?

24Does the farmer plow continually to plant seed? Does he continually turn and harrow the ground?

25When he has leveled its surface, does he not sow caraway and scatter cumin? He plants wheat in rows and barley in plots, and rye within its border.

25Does he not level its surface And sow dill and scatter cummin And plant wheat in rows, Barley in its place and rye within its area?

26For his God instructs and teaches him properly.

26For his God instructs and teaches him properly.

27Surely caraway is not threshed with a sledge, and the wheel of a cart is not rolled over the cumin. But caraway is beaten out with a stick, and cumin with a rod.

27For dill is not threshed with a threshing sledge, Nor is the cartwheel driven over cummin; But dill is beaten out with a rod, and cummin with a club.

28Grain for bread must be ground, but it is not endlessly threshed. Though the wheels of the cart roll over it, the horses do not crush it.

28Grain for bread is crushed, Indeed, he does not continue to thresh it forever. Because the wheel of his cart and his horses eventually damage it, He does not thresh it longer.

29This also comes from the LORD of Hosts, who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in wisdom.

29This also comes from the LORD of hosts, Who has made His counsel wonderful and His wisdom great.

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