| International Standard Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1How terrible it will be for that arrogant garland— the drunks of Ephraim! How terrible it will be for that fading flower of his glorious beauty, which sits on the heads of people bloated with food, of people overcome with wine! | 1Woe to the majestic crown of Ephraim's drunkards, and to the fading flower of its beautiful splendor, which is on the summit above the rich valley. Woe to those overcome with wine. |
| 2Look! The LORD has one who is mighty and strong, like a hailstorm and destructive tempest, like a storm of mighty, overflowing water— and he will give rest to the land. | 2Look, the Lord has a strong and mighty one-- like a devastating hail storm, like a storm with strong flooding waters. He will bring it across the land with His hand. |
| 3With hands and feet, that proud garland — those drunks of Ephraim—will be trampled. | 3The majestic crown of Ephraim's drunkards will be trampled underfoot. |
| 4And that fading flower, his glorious beauty, which sits on the heads of people bloated with food, will be like an early fig before summer— whenever someone sees it, he swallows it as soon as it's in his hand. | 4The fading flower of his beautiful splendor, which is on the summit above the rich valley, will be like a ripe fig before the summer harvest. Whoever sees it will swallow it while it is still in his hand. |
| 5At that time, the LORD of the Heavenly Armies will become a glorious crown, a beautiful diadem for the remnant of his people, | 5On that day the LORD of Hosts will become a crown of beauty and a diadem of splendor to the remnant of His people, |
| 6and 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. | 6a spirit of justice to the one who sits in judgment, and strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate. |
| 7These people also stagger from wine and reel from strong drink. Priests and prophets stagger from strong drink; they're drunk from wine; they reel from strong drink, waver when seeing visions, and stumble when rendering decisions. | 7These also stagger because of wine and stumble under the influence of beer: priest and prophet stagger because of beer, they are confused by wine. They stumble because of beer, they are muddled in their visions, they stumble in their judgments. |
| 8For all the tables are covered in vomit and filth, with no clean space left. | 8Indeed, all their tables are covered with vomit; there is no place without a stench. |
| 9To whom will he teach knowledge, and to whom will he explain the message? To children just weaned from milk? To those just taken from the breast? | 9Who is he trying to teach? Who is he trying to instruct? Infants just weaned from milk? Babies removed from the breast? |
| 10For it is: "Do this and do that, do this and do that, Line upon line, line upon line, a little here, a little there." | 10For he says: "Law after law, law after law, line after line, line after line, a little here, a little there." |
| 11Very well, then, through the mouths of foreigners and foreign languages the LORD will speak to this people | 11So He will speak to this people with stammering speech and in a foreign language. |
| 12to whom he said, "This is the resting place, so give rest to the weary"' and, "This is the place of repose"— but they would not listen. | 12He had said to them:" This is the place of rest, let the weary rest; this is the place of repose." But they would not listen. |
| 13So, then, the message from the LORD to them will become: "Do this and do that, do this and do that, line upon line, line upon line, a little here, a little there," so that they will go, but fall backward, and be injured, snared, and captured. | 13Then the word of the LORD came to them:" Law after law, law after law, line after line, line after line, a little here, a little there," so they go stumbling backward, to be broken, trapped, and captured. |
| 14"Therefore hear the message from the LORD, you scoffers who rule this people that are in Jerusalem. | 14Therefore hear the word of the LORD, you mockers who rule this people in Jerusalem. |
| 15Because you said: 'We have entered into a covenant with death, and we have an agreement with Sheol, so when the overwhelming scourge makes its choice, it cannot reach us, since we have made lies our refuge and have concealed ourselves inside falsehood' | 15For you said, "We have cut a deal with Death, and we have made an agreement with Sheol; when the overwhelming scourge passes through, it will not touch us, because we have made falsehood our refuge and have hidden behind treachery." |
| 16therefore this is what the LORD God says: "Look! I am laying a foundation stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation: Whoever believes firmly will not act hastily. | 16Therefore the Lord GOD said:" Look, I have laid a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; the one who believes will be unshakable. |
| 17And I will make justice the measuring line, and righteousness the plumb line; hail will sweep away your refuge of lies, and floods will overflow your hiding place. | 17And I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the mason's level." Hail will sweep away the false refuge, and water will flood your hiding place. |
| 18"Then your covenant with death will be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol will not stand; when the overwhelming scourge sweeps by, you will be trampled by it. | 18Your deal with Death will be dissolved, and your agreement with Sheol will not last. When the overwhelming scourge passes through, you will be trampled. |
| 19As often as it sweeps through, it will carry you away, for it will sweep by morning after morning in the day; but understanding this message will bring sheer terror at night, | 19Every time it passes through, it will carry you away; it will pass through every morning-- every day and every night. Only terror will cause you to understand the message. |
| 20because the bed is too short to stretch out on, and its blankets too narrow to wrap around oneself! | 20Indeed, the bed is too short to stretch out on, and its cover too small to wrap up in. |
| 21For the LORD will stand upon Mount Perazim, he will rouse himself in the Valley of Gibeon; to carry out his work— his strange deed, and to perform his task— his alien task! | 21For the LORD will rise up as He did at Mount Perazim. He will rise in wrath, as at the Valley of Gibeon, to do His work, His strange work, and to perform His task, His disturbing task. |
| 22But as for you, don't start mocking, or your chains will become tighter; for I have heard from the LORD of the Heavenly Armies about destruction, and it is decreed against the whole land. | 22So now, do not mock, or your shackles will become stronger. Indeed, I have heard from the Lord GOD of Hosts a decree of destruction for the whole land. |
| 23"Pay attention! Listen to what I have to say; Pay attention, and hear my speech. | 23Listen and hear my voice. Pay attention and hear what I say. |
| 24Does he who plows for sowing plow all the time? Does he keep on breaking up and harrowing his field? | 24Does the plowman plow every day to plant seed? Does he continuously break up and cultivate the soil? |
| 25When he has leveled its surface, he scatters caraway and sows cumin, doesn't he? He plants wheat in rows, barley in its designated place, and feed for livestock around its borders, doesn't he? | 25When he has leveled its surface, does he not then scatter black cumin and sow cumin? He plants wheat in rows and barley in plots, with spelt as their border. |
| 26His God instructs him regarding the correct way, directing him how to plant. | 26His God teaches him order; He instructs him. |
| 27For caraway is not threshed with a sharp sledge, nor is a cart wheel rolled over cumin. Instead, caraway is winnowed with a stick, and cumin with a rod. | 27Certainly black cumin is not threshed with a threshing board, and a cart wheel is not rolled over the cumin. But black cumin is beaten out with a stick, and cumin with a rod. |
| 28It must be ground; one cannot keep threshing it forever. Even if he drives his cart and horses over it, he cannot crush it. | 28Bread grain is crushed, but is not threshed endlessly. Though the wheel of the farmer's cart rumbles, his horses do not crush it. |
| 29This insight also comes from the LORD of the Heavenly Armies, who is distinguished in practical advice and magnificent in sound wisdom." | 29This also comes from the LORD of Hosts. He gives wonderful advice; He gives great wisdom. |
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