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whose glorious beauty has become a fading flower,
set on the head of the fertile valleys,
for those who are those overcome with wine!
2 Look, the Lord has a strong and mighty one;
like a tempest of hail and a destroying storm,
like a storm of mighty waters overflowing,
thrown down to the earth with His hand.
3 That majestic wreath—
the pride of the drunkards of Ephraim,
will be trampled underfoot.
4 That fading flower of his glorious beauty,
that is set on the head of the rich valley,
will be like a piece of ripe fruit before the summer harvest;
as soon as it is seen, it is swallowed
while it is still in his hand.
5 On that day the Lord of Hosts
will be a crown of glory,
and a diadem of beauty
to the remnant of His people;
6 He will be a spirit of justice
to him who sits in judgment,
the source of strength
to those who turn back the battle at the gate.
7 These also stagger with wine,
and reel from booze:
Priest and prophet stagger with strong drink;
they are confused by wine.
They stumble because of beer,
they reel when seeing visions,
they stumble in their judgments.
8 For all their tables are full of vomit and filth—
no place is without filth and stench.
9 “Who is he trying to teach?
To whom will he make to understand the message?
Small children just weaned from milk?
Infants just taken from the breast?
10 For it is:
Law upon law, law upon law,
line after line, line after line,
a little here, a little there.”
11 Very well then,
God will speak to this people
with stammering lips and a foreign tongue
12to whom He had said,
“This is the place of rest, let the weary rest;”
and,
“This is the place of refreshing”—
but they would not listen.
13 So then, the word of the Lord to them has become:
Law upon law, law upon law,
line after line, line after line,
a little here, a little there”—
so they will stumble and fall backwards,
to be broken, snared and captured.
14 Therefore hear the word of the Lord, you scornful men,
who rule this people in Jerusalem.
15 Because you said,
“We have made a covenant with death,
we have made an agreement with Sheol.
When an overwhelming scourge passes through,
it will not come to us,
for we have made a lie our refuge,
and under falsehood we have hidden.”
16 Therefore this is what the Lord God says:
“Behold, I lay a stone in Zion,
a tested stone,
a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation;
those who believe will not be shaken.
17 I will make justice the measuring line,
and righteousness the plumb line;
hail will sweep away the refuge of lies,
and water will overflow your hiding place.
18 Your covenant with death will be annulled,
and your agreement with Sheol will not stand.
When the overwhelming scourge sweeps through,
you will be trampled down by it.
19 As often as it passes through, it will carry you away;
for morning by morning it will pass through,
by day and by night.”
To understand the message
will bring sheer terror.
20 The bed is too short to stretch out on,
and the blanket too narrow to wrap around.
21 For the Lord will rise up at Mount Perazim,
He will be angry as in the valley of Gibeon,
to do His work, His strange work,
and complete His task, His strange task.”
22 Now therefore, do not mock,
or your bonds will be made strong;
for the Lord God of Hosts has told me
of the decree of destruction against the whole land.
23 “Give ear and hear my voice;
pay attention and hear my words.
24 Does the ploughman plough continually to sow?
Does he keep breaking up and harrowing the clods of his ground?
25 When he has levelled its surface,
does he not then sow caraway, and scatter cummin?
Does he not plant the wheat in rows,
barley in its plot,
and spelt in its place?
26 His God instructs him,
and teaches him the right way.
27 “For caraway is not threshed with a threshing sledge,
nor is a cart wheel rolled over cummin;
but caraway is beaten out with a stick,
and cummin with a rod.
28 Grain for bread is crushed,
but one will not thresh it forever.
Though he drives the wheel of his cart over it,
his horses do not crush it.
29 This comes from the Lord of Hosts;
He is wonderful in counsel,
and excellent in wisdom.