^{1 Ref} Wo `to' the proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim. And the fading flower of the beauty of his glory, That `is' on the head of the fat valley of the broken down of wine.

^{2 Ref} Lo, a mighty and strong one `is' to the Lord, As a storm of hail -- a destructive shower, As an inundation of mighty waters overflowing, He cast down to the earth with the hand.

^{3 Ref} By feet trodden down is the proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim,

^{4 Ref} And the fading flower of the beauty of his glory That `is' on the head of the fat valley, Hath been as its first-fruit before summer, That its beholder seeth, While it `is' yet in his hand he swalloweth it.

^{5 Ref} In that day is Jehovah of Hosts For a crown of beauty, and for a diadem of glory, To the remnant of His people.

^{6 Ref} And for a spirit of judgment To him who is sitting in the judgment, And for might `to' those turning back the battle to the gate.

^{7 Ref} And even these through wine have erred, And through strong drink have wandered, Priest and prophet erred through strong drink, They have been swallowed up of the wine, They wandered because of the strong drink, They have erred in seeing, They have stumbled judicially.

^{8 Ref} For all tables have been full of vomit, Filth -- without place!

^{9 Ref} By whom doth He teach knowledge? And by whom doth He cause to understand the report? The weaned from milk, the removed from breasts,

^{10 Ref} For rule `is' on rule, rule on rule, line on line, line on line, A little here, a little there,

^{11 Ref} For by scorned lip, and by another tongue, Doth He speak unto this people.

^{12 Ref} Unto whom He hath said, `This `is' the rest, give ye rest to the weary, And this -- the refreshing:' And they have not been willing to hear,

^{13 Ref} And to whom a word of Jehovah hath been, Rule on rule, rule on rule, line on line, line on line, A little here, a little there, So that they go and have stumbled backward, And been broken, and snared, and captured.

^{14 Ref} Therefore, hear a word of Jehovah, ye men of scorning, Ruling this people that `is' in Jerusalem.

^{15 Ref} Because ye have said: `We have made a covenant with death, And with Sheol we have made a provision, An overflowing scourge, when it passeth over, Doth not meet us, Though we have made a lie our refuge, And in falsehood have been hidden.'

^{16 Ref} Therefore, thus said the Lord Jehovah: `Lo, I am laying a foundation in Zion, A stone -- a tried stone, a corner stone precious, a settled foundation, He who is believing doth not make haste.

^{17 Ref} And I have put judgment for a line, And righteousness for a plummet, And sweep away doth hail the refuge of lies, And the secret hiding-place do waters overflow.

^{18 Ref} And disannulled hath been your covenant with death, And your provision with Sheol doth not stand, An overflowing scourge, when it passeth over, Then ye have been to it for a treading-place.

^{19 Ref} From the fulness of its passing over it taketh you, For morning by morning it passeth over, By day and by night, And it hath been only a trembling to consider the report.

^{20 Ref} For shorter hath been the bed Than to stretch one's self out in, And the covering hath been narrower Than to wrap one's self up in.

^{21 Ref} For as `at' mount Perazim rise doth Jehovah, As `at' the valley in Gibeon He is troubled, To do His work -- strange `is' His work, And to do His deed -- strange `is' His deed.'

^{22 Ref} And now, show not yourselves scorners, Lest strong be your bands, For a consumption, that is determined, I have heard, by the Lord, Jehovah of Hosts, `Is' for all the land.

^{23 Ref} Give ear, and hear my voice, Attend, and hear my saying:

^{24 Ref} The whole day plougheth the ploughman to sow? He openeth and harroweth his ground!

^{25 Ref} Hath he not, if he have made level its face, Then scattered fitches, and cummin sprinkle, And hath placed the principal wheat, And the appointed barley, And the rie `in' its own border?

^{26 Ref} And instruct him for judgment doth his God, He doth direct him.

^{27 Ref} For not with a sharp-pointed thing threshed are fitches, And the wheel of a cart on cummin turned round, For with a staff beaten out are fitches, And cummin with a rod.

^{28 Ref} Bread-`corn' is beaten small, For not for ever doth he sorely thresh it, Nor crushed `it' hath a wheel of his cart, Nor do his hoofs beat it small.

^{29 Ref} Even this from Jehovah of Hosts hath gone out, He hath made counsel wonderful, He hath made wisdom great!

^{1 Ref} Woe to the crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim, and to the fading flower of his glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley of them that are overcome with wine!

^{2 Ref} Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one; as a tempest of hail, a destroying storm, as a tempest of mighty waters overflowing, will he cast down to the earth with the hand.

^{3 Ref} The crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim shall be trodden under foot:

^{4 Ref} and the fading flower of his glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley, shall be as the first-ripe fig before the summer; which when he that looketh upon it seeth, while it is yet in his hand he eateth it up.

^{5 Ref} In that day will Jehovah of hosts become a crown of glory, and a diadem of beauty, unto the residue of his people;

^{6 Ref} and a spirit of justice to him that sitteth in judgment, and strength to them that turn back the battle at the gate.

^{7 Ref} And even these reel with wine, and stagger with strong drink; the priest and the prophet reel with strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they stagger with strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment.

^{8 Ref} For all tables are full of vomit `and' filthiness, `so that there is' no place `clean'.

^{9 Ref} Whom will he teach knowledge? and whom will he make to understand the message? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts?

^{10 Ref} For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, there a little.

^{11 Ref} Nay, but by `men of' strange lips and with another tongue will he speak to this people;

^{12 Ref} to whom he said, This is the rest, give ye rest to him that is weary; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.

^{13 Ref} Therefore shall the word of Jehovah be unto 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.

^{14 Ref} Wherefore hear the word of Jehovah, ye scoffers, that rule this people that is in Jerusalem:

^{15 Ref} Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us; for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:

^{16 Ref} therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner -`stone' of sure foundation: he that believeth shall not be in haste.

^{17 Ref} And I will make justice the line, and righteousness the plummet; and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding-place.

^{18 Ref} And your covenant with death shall be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it.

^{19 Ref} As often as it passeth though, it shall take you; for morning by morning shall it pass through, by day and by night: and it shall be nought but terror to understand the message.

^{20 Ref} For the bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself on it; and the covering narrower than that he can wrap himself in it.

^{21 Ref} For Jehovah will rise up as in mount Perazim, he will be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon; that he may do his work, his strange work, and bring to pass his act, his strange act.

^{22 Ref} Now therefore be ye not scoffers, lest your bonds be made strong; for a decree of destruction have I heard from the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, upon the whole earth.

^{23 Ref} Give ye ear, and hear my voice; hearken, and hear my speech.

^{24 Ref} Doth he that ploweth to sow plow continually? doth he `continually' open and harrow his ground?

^{25 Ref} When he hath levelled the face thereof, doth he not cast abroad the fitches, and scatter the cummin, and put in the wheat in rows, and the barley in the appointed place, and the spelt in the border thereof?

^{26 Ref} For his God doth instruct him aright, `and' doth teach him.

^{27 Ref} For the fitches are not threshed with a sharp `threshing' instrument, neither is a cart wheel turned about upon the cummin; but the fitches are beaten out with a staff, and the cummin with a rod.

^{28 Ref} Bread `grain' is ground; for he will not be always threshing it: and though the wheel of his cart and his horses scatter it, he doth not grind it.

^{29 Ref} This also cometh forth from Jehovah of hosts, who is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in wisdom.

^{1 Ref} Ho! crown of pride of those who are given up to wine in Ephraim, and the dead flower of his glory which is on the head of those who are overcome by strong drink!

^{2 Ref} See, the Lord has a strong and cruel one; like a rain of ice, a storm of destruction, like the overflowing of a strong river, he will violently overcome them.

^{3 Ref} The crown of pride of those who are given up to wine in Ephraim will be crushed under foot;

^{4 Ref} And the dead flower of his glory, which is on the head of the fertile valley, will be like the first early fruit before the summer; which a man takes and puts in his mouth the minute he sees it.

^{5 Ref} In that day will the Lord of armies be a crown of glory, and a fair ornament, to the rest of his people;

^{6 Ref} And a spirit of wisdom to the judge, and strength to those who keep back the attackers at the door of the town.

^{7 Ref} And further, these are uncertain through wine, and have gone out of the right way through strong drink: the priest and the prophet are uncertain through strong drink, they are overcome by wine, they have gone out of the way through strong drink; their vision is false, they go wrong in their decisions.

^{8 Ref} For all the tables are covered with coughed-up food, so that there is not a clean place.

^{9 Ref} To whom will he give knowledge? and to whom will he make clear the word? Will it be to those who have newly given up milk, and who have only now been taken from the breast?

^{10 Ref} For it is one rule after another; one line after another; here a little, there a little.

^{11 Ref} No, but with broken talk, and with a strange tongue, he will give his word to this people:

^{12 Ref} To whom he said, This is the rest, give rest to him who is tired; and by this you may get new strength; but they would not give ear.

^{13 Ref} For this cause the word of the Lord will be to them rule after rule, line after line, here a little, there a little; so that they may go on their way, and falling back may be broken, and taken in the net.

^{14 Ref} Give ear then to the word of the Lord, you men of pride, the rulers of this people in Jerusalem:

^{15 Ref} Because you have said, We have made death our friend, and with the underworld we have made an agreement; when the overflowing waters come through they will not come near us; for we are looking to false words for help, taking cover in what is untrue:

^{16 Ref} For this cause says the Lord God, See, I am placing in Zion as a base, a stone, a tested stone, an angle-stone which is certain and of great value: and he who has faith will not give way.

^{17 Ref} And I will make right decision the measuring-line, and righteousness the weight: and the ice-storm will take away the safe place of false words, and the secret place will be covered by the flowing waters.

^{18 Ref} And the help you were looking for from death will come to nothing, and your agreement with the underworld will be broken; when the overflowing waters come through, then you will be overcome by them.

^{19 Ref} Whenever they come through they will overtake you; for they will come through morning after morning, by day and by night: and the news will be nothing but fear.

^{20 Ref} For the bed is not long enough for a man to be stretched out on: and the cover is not wide enough for him to be covered with.

^{21 Ref} For the Lord will come up as on Mount Perazim, he will be moved to wrath as in the valley of Gibeon; so that he may do his work--strange is his work; and give effect to his act--unnatural is his act.

^{22 Ref} And now, take care that you do not make sport of him, or your bands will be made strong; for I have had word from the Lord, the Lord of armies, of an end, of a complete end, which is to come on all the land.

^{23 Ref} Let your ears be open to my voice; give attention to what I say.

^{24 Ref} Is the ploughman for ever ploughing? does he not get the earth ready and broken up for the seed?

^{25 Ref} When the face of the earth has been levelled, does he not put in the different sorts of seed, and the grain in lines, and the barley in its place, and the spelt at the edge?

^{26 Ref} For his God is his teacher, giving him the knowledge of these things.

^{27 Ref} For the fitches are not crushed with a sharp instrument, and a cart-wheel is not rolled over the cummin; but the grain of the fitches is hammered out with a stick, and of the cummin with a rod.

^{28 Ref} Is the grain for bread crushed? He does not go on crushing it for ever, but he lets his cart-wheels and his horses go over it without crushing it.

^{29 Ref} This comes from the Lord of armies, purposing wonders, and wise in all his acts.