Book Order Bible

¹WOE to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, and woe to the shameful diadem of the strength of his glory, which dominates at the entrance of the fertile valley of those who are overcome with wine. ²Look, the strength and the might of the Lord is like a storm of hail and like a destroying whirlwind, and as a flood of mighty waters overflowing; I will give rest to this land by your hands: ³The crown of the proud and of the drunkards of Ephraim will be trampled under foot; ⁴And the shameful garland of the strength of his glory, which dominates at the entrance of the fertile valley, will be as the firstfruits before the summer, which he who sees it picks up at once and devours.

⁵In that day will Yahvah of hosts be for a crown of glory and for a diadem of beauty to the remnant of his people, ⁶And for a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment, and for strength to those who turn away the battle from the gate.

⁷But these have also erred with wine, and with strong drink are gone astray; the priests and the prophets have erred with strong drink, they are overcome with wine, they stagger with strong drink, they err in judgment with drunkenness, they eat immoderately. ⁸For all tables are full of vomit and filthiness, so that there is no place clean.

⁹To whom will he teach knowledge? And whom will he make understand the report? Those who are weaned from the milk and drawn from the breasts. ¹⁰For filth is on filth, filth on filth; vomit on vomit, vomit on vomit; a little here, a little there; ¹¹For with a difficult speech and with an alien tongue he will speak to this people. ¹²For I have said to them, This is the place of my rest, where I may cause the weary to rest; and this is the place of tranquillity; but they would not listen. ¹³So the word of Yahvah was to them filth on filth, filth on filth, vomit on vomit, vomit on vomit; a little here, a little there; that they might return and fall backward and be broken and snared and taken.

¹⁴Therefore, hear the word of Yahvah, oh scornful men, who rule this people that is in Jerusalem: ¹⁵Because you have said, We have made a contract with death, and with Sheol we have made an agreement; when the overflowing scourge will pass through, it will not come to us; for we have placed our hope in lies, and under falsehood we have hidden ourselves;

¹⁶Therefore, thus says Yahvah God, Look, I lay in Zion a foundation, a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation; he who believes will not be afraid. ¹⁷And I will make justice to the measuring line, and righteousness to the plummet; and the hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters will overflow the hiding place.

¹⁸And your contract with death will be disannulled, and your agreement with Sheol will not stand; when the overflowing scourge will pass through, then you will be trampled down by it. ¹⁹From the time that it passes through, it will take you; for morning by morning it will pass over, by day and by night; and it will only be a terror to understand the report. ²⁰For the cloth is too short, and the warp grows weak and is insufficient for a garment. ²¹For Yahvah will rise up as in a mountain pass, he will be angry as in the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his works, his strange works, and bring to pass his acts, his strange acts. ²²Now, therefore, do not mock, lest your chastisement be severe; for I have heard from Yahvah of hosts that he will bring destruction and judgment on the whole earth.

²³Give ear and hear my voice; listen and hear my speech. ²⁴Does the plowman plow all day to sow? Does he open and hoe his ground? ²⁵Does he, after he has leveled its surface, not scatter the dill and sow cummin, and put in wheat and barley, and rye in its borders? ²⁶For his God does instruct him to discretion, and does teach him. ²⁷For dill is not threshed under the feet of oxen, nor is a threshing instrument turned about on cummin, but dill is beaten out with a staff, and cummin with a rod. ²⁸Grain is threshed for our sakes because man would not otherwise be threshing it, nor break it with many wheels of his threshing instruments, nor crush it under the feet of his oxen. ²⁹This also comes forth from Yahvah of hosts, who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in instruction.