1Woe 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 ! 2Behold , 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 . 3The crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim shall be trodden under foot : 4and 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 .
The Cornerstone and the Covenant
5In that day will Jehovah of hosts become a crown of glory , and a diadem of beauty , unto the residue of his people ; 6and a spirit of justice to him that sitteth in judgment , and strength to them that turn back the battle at the gate . 7And 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 . 8For all tables are full of vomit and filthiness , so that there is no place clean .
The Scoffers and Their Fate
9Whom 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 ? 10For it is precept upon precept , precept upon precept ; line upon line , line upon line ; here a little , there a little . 11Nay, but by men of strange lips and with another tongue will he speak to this people ; 12to 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 . 13Therefore 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 .
The Call to Repentance and Understanding
14Wherefore hear the word of Jehovah , ye scoffers, that rule this people that is in Jerusalem : 15Because 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: 16therefore 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 . 17And 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. 18And 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 . 19As often as it passeth through , 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 . 20For 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 . 21For 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 . 22Now 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. 23Give ye ear , and hear my voice ; hearken , and hear my speech. 24Doth he that ploweth to sow plow continually ? doth he continually open and harrow his ground? 25When 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 ? 26For his God doth instruct him aright, and doth teach him . 27For 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 . 28Bread 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 . 29This also cometh forth from Jehovah of hosts , who is wonderful in counsel , and excellent in wisdom .