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Woe to the Leaders of Ephraim and Judah
Woe to that wreath, the pride of Ephraim’s drunkards,
to the fading flower, his glorious beauty,
set on the head of a fertile valley —
to that city, the pride of those laid low by wine!
Woe to that wreath, the pride of Ephraim’s drunkards,
to the fading flower, his glorious beauty,
set on the head of a fertile valley —
to that city, the pride of those laid low by wine!
See, the Lord has one who is powerful and strong.
Like a hailstorm and a destructive wind,
like a driving rain and a flooding downpour,
he will throw it forcefully to the ground.
Like a hailstorm and a destructive wind,
like a driving rain and a flooding downpour,
he will throw it forcefully to the ground.
For the Lord will send a mighty army against it.
Like a mighty hailstorm and a torrential rain,
they will burst upon it like a surging flood
and smash it to the ground.
Like a mighty hailstorm and a torrential rain,
they will burst upon it like a surging flood
and smash it to the ground.
That wreath, the pride of Ephraim’s drunkards,
will be trampled underfoot.
will be trampled underfoot.
That fading flower, his glorious beauty,
set on the head of a fertile valley,
will be like figs ripe before harvest —
as soon as people see them and take them in hand,
they swallow them.
set on the head of a fertile valley,
will be like figs ripe before harvest —
as soon as people see them and take them in hand,
they swallow them.
It sits at the head of a fertile valley,
but its glorious beauty will fade like a flower.
Whoever sees it will snatch it up,
as an early fig is quickly picked and eaten.
but its glorious beauty will fade like a flower.
Whoever sees it will snatch it up,
as an early fig is quickly picked and eaten.
In that day the Lord Almighty
will be a glorious crown,
a beautiful wreath
for the remnant of his people.
will be a glorious crown,
a beautiful wreath
for the remnant of his people.
Then at last the LORD of Heaven’s Armies
will himself be Israel’s glorious crown.
He will be the pride and joy
of the remnant of his people.
will himself be Israel’s glorious crown.
He will be the pride and joy
of the remnant of his people.
He will be a spirit of justice
to the one who sits in judgment,
a source of strength
to those who turn back the battle at the gate.
to the one who sits in judgment,
a source of strength
to those who turn back the battle at the gate.
He will give a longing for justice
to their judges.
He will give great courage
to their warriors who stand at the gates.
to their judges.
He will give great courage
to their warriors who stand at the gates.
And these also stagger from wine
and reel from beer:
Priests and prophets stagger from beer
and are befuddled with wine;
they reel from beer,
they stagger when seeing visions,
they stumble when rendering decisions.
and reel from beer:
Priests and prophets stagger from beer
and are befuddled with wine;
they reel from beer,
they stagger when seeing visions,
they stumble when rendering decisions.
Now, however, Israel is led by drunks
who reel with wine and stagger with alcohol.
The priests and prophets stagger with alcohol
and lose themselves in wine.
They reel when they see visions
and stagger as they render decisions.
who reel with wine and stagger with alcohol.
The priests and prophets stagger with alcohol
and lose themselves in wine.
They reel when they see visions
and stagger as they render decisions.
All the tables are covered with vomit
and there is not a spot without filth.
and there is not a spot without filth.
Their tables are covered with vomit;
filth is everywhere.
filth is everywhere.
“Who is it he is trying to teach?
To whom is he explaining his message?
To children weaned from their milk,
to those just taken from the breast?
To whom is he explaining his message?
To children weaned from their milk,
to those just taken from the breast?
“Who does the LORD think we are?” they ask.
“Why does he speak to us like this?
Are we little children,
just recently weaned?
“Why does he speak to us like this?
Are we little children,
just recently weaned?
He tells us everything over and over —
one line at a time,
one line at a time,
a little here,
and a little there!”
one line at a time,
one line at a time,
a little here,
and a little there!”
Very well then, with foreign lips and strange tongues
God will speak to this people,
God will speak to this people,
So now God will have to speak to his people
through foreign oppressors who speak a strange language!
through foreign oppressors who speak a strange language!
to whom he said,
“This is the resting place, let the weary rest”;
and, “This is the place of repose” —
but they would not listen.
“This is the resting place, let the weary rest”;
and, “This is the place of repose” —
but they would not listen.
God has told his people,
“Here is a place of rest;
let the weary rest here.
This is a place of quiet rest.”
But they would not listen.
“Here is a place of rest;
let the weary rest here.
This is a place of quiet rest.”
But they would not listen.
So then, the word of the Lord to them will become:
Do this, do that,
a rule for this, a rule for that;
a little here, a little there —
so that as they go they will fall backward;
they will be injured and snared and captured.
Do this, do that,
a rule for this, a rule for that;
a little here, a little there —
so that as they go they will fall backward;
they will be injured and snared and captured.
So the LORD will spell out his message for them again,
one line at a time,
one line at a time,
a little here,
and a little there,
so that they will stumble and fall.
They will be injured, trapped, and captured.
one line at a time,
one line at a time,
a little here,
and a little there,
so that they will stumble and fall.
They will be injured, trapped, and captured.
Therefore hear the word of the Lord, you scoffers
who rule this people in Jerusalem.
who rule this people in Jerusalem.
Therefore, listen to this message from the LORD,
you scoffing rulers in Jerusalem.
you scoffing rulers in Jerusalem.
So this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone,
a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation;
the one who relies on it
will never be stricken with panic.
“See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone,
a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation;
the one who relies on it
will never be stricken with panic.
I will make justice the measuring line
and righteousness the plumb line;
hail will sweep away your refuge, the lie,
and water will overflow your hiding place.
and righteousness the plumb line;
hail will sweep away your refuge, the lie,
and water will overflow your hiding place.
I will test you with the measuring line of justice
and the plumb line of righteousness.
Since your refuge is made of lies,
a hailstorm will knock it down.
Since it is made of deception,
a flood will sweep it away.
and the plumb line of righteousness.
Since your refuge is made of lies,
a hailstorm will knock it down.
Since it is made of deception,
a flood will sweep it away.
Your covenant with death will be annulled;
your agreement with the realm of the dead will not stand.
When the overwhelming scourge sweeps by,
you will be beaten down by it.
your agreement with the realm of the dead will not stand.
When the overwhelming scourge sweeps by,
you will be beaten down by it.
I will cancel the bargain you made to cheat death,
and I will overturn your deal to dodge the grave.
When the terrible enemy sweeps through,
you will be trampled into the ground.
and I will overturn your deal to dodge the grave.
When the terrible enemy sweeps through,
you will be trampled into the ground.
As often as it comes it will carry you away;
morning after morning, by day and by night,
it will sweep through.”
The understanding of this message
will bring sheer terror.
morning after morning, by day and by night,
it will sweep through.”
The understanding of this message
will bring sheer terror.
Again and again that flood will come,
morning after morning,
day and night,
until you are carried away.”
This message will bring terror to your people.
morning after morning,
day and night,
until you are carried away.”
This message will bring terror to your people.
The bed is too short to stretch out on,
the blanket too narrow to wrap around you.
the blanket too narrow to wrap around you.
The bed you have made is too short to lie on.
The blankets are too narrow to cover you.
The blankets are too narrow to cover you.
The Lord will rise up as he did at Mount Perazim,
he will rouse himself as in the Valley of Gibeon —
to do his work, his strange work,
and perform his task, his alien task.
he will rouse himself as in the Valley of Gibeon —
to do his work, his strange work,
and perform his task, his alien task.
The LORD will come as he did against the Philistines at Mount Perazim
and against the Amorites at Gibeon.
He will come to do a strange thing;
he will come to do an unusual deed:
and against the Amorites at Gibeon.
He will come to do a strange thing;
he will come to do an unusual deed:
Now stop your mocking,
or your chains will become heavier;
the Lord, the Lord Almighty, has told me
of the destruction decreed against the whole land.
or your chains will become heavier;
the Lord, the Lord Almighty, has told me
of the destruction decreed against the whole land.
For the Lord, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies,
has plainly said that he is determined to crush the whole land.
So scoff no more,
or your punishment will be even greater.
has plainly said that he is determined to crush the whole land.
So scoff no more,
or your punishment will be even greater.
Listen and hear my voice;
pay attention and hear what I say.
pay attention and hear what I say.
Listen to me;
listen, and pay close attention.
listen, and pay close attention.
When a farmer plows for planting, does he plow continually?
Does he keep on breaking up and working the soil?
Does he keep on breaking up and working the soil?
Does a farmer always plow and never sow?
Is he forever cultivating the soil and never planting?
Is he forever cultivating the soil and never planting?
Does he not finally plant his seeds —
black cumin, cumin, wheat, barley, and emmer wheat —
each in its proper way,
and each in its proper place?
black cumin, cumin, wheat, barley, and emmer wheat —
each in its proper way,
and each in its proper place?
His God instructs him
and teaches him the right way.
and teaches him the right way.
The farmer knows just what to do,
for God has given him understanding.
for God has given him understanding.
Caraway is not threshed with a sledge,
nor is the wheel of a cart rolled over cumin;
caraway is beaten out with a rod,
and cumin with a stick.
nor is the wheel of a cart rolled over cumin;
caraway is beaten out with a rod,
and cumin with a stick.
A heavy sledge is never used to thresh black cumin;
rather, it is beaten with a light stick.
A threshing wheel is never rolled on cumin;
instead, it is beaten lightly with a flail.
rather, it is beaten with a light stick.
A threshing wheel is never rolled on cumin;
instead, it is beaten lightly with a flail.
Grain must be ground to make bread;
so one does not go on threshing it forever.
The wheels of a threshing cart may be rolled over it,
but one does not use horses to grind grain.
so one does not go on threshing it forever.
The wheels of a threshing cart may be rolled over it,
but one does not use horses to grind grain.
Grain for bread is easily crushed,
so he doesn’t keep on pounding it.
He threshes it under the wheels of a cart,
but he doesn’t pulverize it.
so he doesn’t keep on pounding it.
He threshes it under the wheels of a cart,
but he doesn’t pulverize it.