English Standard Version

Christian Standard Bible

1Ah, the proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim, and the fading flower of its glorious beauty, which is on the head of the rich valley of those overcome with wine!

1Woe to the majestic crown of Ephraim's drunkards, and to the fading flower of its beautiful splendor, which is on the summit above the rich valley. Woe to those overcome with wine.

2Behold, 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 casts down to the earth with his hand.

2Look, the Lord has a strong and mighty one--like a devastating hail storm, like a storm with strong flooding water. He will bring it across the land with his hand.

3The proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim will be trodden underfoot;

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

4and 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 someone sees it, he swallows it as soon as it is in his hand.

4The fading flower of his beautiful splendor, which is on the summit above the rich valley, will be like a ripe fig before the summer harvest. Whoever sees it will swallow it while it is still in his hand.

5In that day the LORD of hosts will be a crown of glory, and a diadem of beauty, to the remnant of his people,

5On that day the LORD of Armies will become a crown of beauty and a diadem of splendor to the remnant of his people,

6and a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment, and strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.

6a spirit of justice to the one who sits in judgment, and strength to those who repel attacks at the city gate.

7These also reel with wine and stagger with strong drink; the priest and the prophet reel with strong drink, they are swallowed by wine, they stagger with strong drink, they reel in vision, they stumble in giving judgment.

7Even these stagger because of wine and stumble under the influence of beer: priest and prophet stagger because of beer, they are confused by wine. They stumble because of beer, they are muddled in their visions, they stumble in their judgments.

8For all tables are full of filthy vomit, with no space left.

8Indeed, all their tables are covered with vomit; there is no place without a stench.

9“To 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?

9Who is he trying to teach? Who is he trying to instruct? Infants just weaned from milk? Babies removed from the breast?

10For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little.”

10"Law after law, law after law, line after line, line after line, a little here, a little there."

11For by people of strange lips and with a foreign tongue the LORD will speak to this people,

11For he will speak to this people with stammering speech and in a foreign language.

12to whom he has said, “This is rest; give rest to the weary; and this is repose”; yet they would not hear.

12He had said to them: "This is the place of rest; let the weary rest; this is the place of repose." But they would not listen.

13And 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.

13The word of the LORD will come to them: "Law after law, law after law, line after line, line after line, a little here, a little there," so they go stumbling backward, to be broken, trapped, and captured.

14Therefore hear the word of the LORD, you scoffers, who rule this people in Jerusalem!

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

15Because you have said, “We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol we have an agreement, when the overwhelming whip passes through it will not come to us, for we have made lies our refuge, and in falsehood we have taken shelter”;

15For you said, "We have made a covenant with Death, and we have an agreement with Sheol; when the overwhelming catastrophe passes through, it will not touch us, because we have made falsehood our refuge and have hidden behind treachery."

16therefore thus says the Lord GOD, “Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: ‘Whoever believes will not be in haste.’

16Therefore the Lord GOD said: "Look, I have laid a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; the one who believes will be unshakable.

17And I will make justice the line, and righteousness the plumb line; and hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and waters will overwhelm the shelter.”

17And I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the mason's level." Hail will sweep away the false refuge, and water will flood your hiding place.

18Then 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.

18Your covenant with Death will be dissolved, and your agreement with Sheol will not last. When the overwhelming catastrophe passes through, you will be trampled.

19As 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.

19Every time it passes through, it will carry you away; it will pass through every morning--every day and every night. Only terror will cause you to understand the message.

20For the bed is too short to stretch oneself on, and the covering too narrow to wrap oneself in.

20Indeed, the bed is too short to stretch out on, and its cover too small to wrap up in.

21For the LORD will rise up as on Mount Perazim; as in the Valley of Gibeon he will be roused; to do his deed—strange is his deed! and to work his work—alien is his work!

21For the LORD will rise up as he did at Mount Perazim. He will rise in wrath, as at the Valley of Gibeon, to do his work, his unexpected work, and to perform his task, his unfamiliar task.

22Now therefore do not scoff, lest your bonds be made strong; for I have heard a decree of destruction from the Lord GOD of hosts against the whole land.

22So now, do not scoff, or your shackles will become stronger. Indeed, I have heard from the Lord GOD of Armies a decree of destruction for the whole land.

23Give ear, and hear my voice; give attention, and hear my speech.

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

24Does he who plows for sowing plow continually? Does he continually open and harrow his ground?

24Does the plowman plow every day to plant seed? Does he continuously break up and cultivate the soil?

25When he has leveled its surface, does he not scatter dill, sow cumin, and put in wheat in rows and barley in its proper place, and emmer as the border?

25When he has leveled its surface, does he not then scatter black cumin and sow cumin? He plants wheat in rows and barley in plots, with spelt as their border.

26For he is rightly instructed; his God teaches him.

26His God teaches him order; he instructs him.

27Dill is not threshed with a threshing sledge, nor is a cart wheel rolled over cumin, but dill is beaten out with a stick, and cumin with a rod.

27Certainly black cumin is not threshed with a threshing board, and a cart wheel is not rolled over the cumin. But black cumin is beaten out with a stick, and cumin with a rod.

28Does one crush grain for bread? No, he does not thresh it forever; when he drives his cart wheel over it with his horses, he does not crush it.

28Bread grain is crushed, but is not threshed endlessly. Though the wheel of the farmer's cart rumbles, his horses do not crush it.

29This also comes from the LORD of hosts; he is wonderful in counsel and excellent in wisdom.

29This also comes from the LORD of Armies. He gives wondrous advice; he gives great wisdom.

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.