1
Woe to the proud crown of the drunkards of Efrayim, and to the fading flower of his glorious beauty, which is upon the head of the fertile valley of those overcome with wine.
2
See, Adonai has one mighty and strong. Like a storm of hail, a destroying tempest, like a storm of mighty overflowing waters, he casts it to the earth with the hand.
3
Underfoot shall be trampled the proud crown of the drunkards of Efrayim.
4
And the fading flower of his glorious beauty, which is upon the head of the fertile valley, shall be like a first-ripe fig before summer: when the one seeing it sees it, while it is yet in his palm he swallows it.
5
In that day Yahuah of Hosts shall become a Crown of Glory and a Diadem of Beauty to the remnant of His people,
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and a Ruach of Judgment to the one sitting in Judgment, and strength to those turning back the battle at the gate.
7
But these also reel with wine and stagger through strong drink. Kohen and prophet reel through strong drink; they are swallowed by wine; they stagger through strong drink. They reel in vision; they stumble in Judgment.
8
For all tables are full of vomit and filth, without a clean place.
9
“Whom shall He teach knowledge? And whom shall He cause to understand the message? Those weaned from milk, those removed from the breasts?
10
For command upon command, command upon command; line upon line, line upon line; a little here, a little there.”
11
For with stammering lips and another tongue He shall speak to this people,
12
to whom He said, “This is the resting-place; give rest to the weary. And this is the refreshment.” Yet they were not willing to hear.
13
Therefore the Word of Yahuah shall be to them: command upon command, command upon command; line upon line, line upon line; a little here, a little there— so that they may go and fall backward, and be broken, snared, and captured.
14
Therefore hear the Word of Yahuah, men of mockery, rulers of this people who are in Yerushalayim.
15
For you have said: “We have cut a covenant with death, and with Sheol we have made a vision. When the overflowing scourge passes through, it shall not come to us, for we have made falsehood our refuge and hidden ourselves in deception.”
16
Therefore thus says Adonai Yahuah: “See, I have founded in Tziyon a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a firm foundation. The one trusting shall not act in haste.
17
And I shall appoint Judgment as the measuring line, and Righteousness as the plumb line. Hail shall sweep away the refuge of falsehood, and waters shall overflow the hiding-place.
18
Your covenant with death shall be covered over, and your vision with Sheol shall not stand. When the overflowing scourge passes through, you shall be trampled by it.
19
As often as it passes, it shall seize you; morning by morning it shall pass, by day and by night. And it shall be sheer terror to understand the message.”
20
For the bed is too short for stretching upon, and the covering too narrow for wrapping oneself.
21
For Yahuah shall rise as at Mount Peratzim; He shall rage as in the valley of Givon, to do His work—His strange work— and to perform His service—His foreign service.
22
And now, do not continue mocking, lest your bonds be made strong; for a complete destruction, and one determined, I have heard from Adonai Yahuah of Hosts concerning all the earth.
23
Give ear and hear my voice. Listen and hear my speech.
24
Does the plowman plow all day to sow? Does he continually open and harrow his ground?
25
When he has leveled its face, does he not scatter black cumin, cast cumin, place wheat in rows, barley in its appointed place, and spelt at its border?
26
For his Elohim instructs him in Judgment; He teaches him.
27
For black cumin is not threshed with a threshing sledge, nor is a cartwheel rolled over cumin; but black cumin is beaten out with a staff, and cumin with a rod.
28
Bread grain is crushed, yet one does not thresh it without end. Though he drives the wheel of his cart and his horses over it, he does not crush it away.
29
This also comes from Yahuah of Hosts, who is wonderful in counsel and great in sound wisdom.