| NET Bible | New International Version |
| 1The splendid crown of Ephraim's drunkards is doomed, the withering flower, its beautiful splendor, situated at the head of a rich valley, the crown of those overcome with wine. | 1Woe 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! |
| 2Look, the sovereign master sends a strong, powerful one. With the force of a hailstorm or a destructive windstorm, with the might of a driving, torrential rainstorm, he will knock that crown to the ground with his hand. | 2See, 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. |
| 3The splendid crown of Ephraim's drunkards will be trampled underfoot. | 3That wreath, the pride of Ephraim's drunkards, will be trampled underfoot. |
| 4The withering flower, its beautiful splendor, situated at the head of a rich valley, will be like an early fig before harvest--as soon as someone notices it, he grabs it and swallows it. | 4That 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. |
| 5At that time the LORD who commands armies will become a beautiful crown and a splendid diadem for the remnant of his people. | 5In that day the LORD Almighty will be a glorious crown, a beautiful wreath for the remnant of his people. |
| 6He will give discernment to the one who makes judicial decisions, and strength to those who defend the city from attackers. | 6He 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. |
| 7Even these men stagger because of wine, they stumble around because of beer--priests and prophets stagger because of beer, they are confused because of wine, they stumble around because of beer; they stagger while seeing prophetic visions, they totter while making legal decisions. | 7And 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. |
| 8Indeed, all the tables are covered with vomit; no place is untouched. | 8All the tables are covered with vomit and there is not a spot without filth. |
| 9Who is the LORD trying to teach? To whom is he explaining a message? Those just weaned from milk! Those just taken from their mother's breast! | 9"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? |
| 10Indeed, they will hear meaningless gibberish, senseless babbling, a syllable here, a syllable there. | 10For it is: Do this, do that, a rule for this, a rule for that; a little here, a little there." |
| 11For with mocking lips and a foreign tongue he will speak to these people. | 11Very well then, with foreign lips and strange tongues God will speak to this people, |
| 12In the past he said to them, "This is where security can be found. Provide security for the one who is exhausted! This is where rest can be found." But they refused to listen. | 12to whom he said, "This is the resting place, let the weary rest"; and, "This is the place of repose"-- but they would not listen. |
| 13So the LORD's word to them will sound like meaningless gibberish, senseless babbling, a syllable here, a syllable there. As a result, they will fall on their backsides when they try to walk, and be injured, ensnared, and captured. | 13So 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. |
| 14Therefore, listen to the LORD's word, you who mock, you rulers of these people who reside in Jerusalem! | 14Therefore hear the word of the LORD, you scoffers who rule this people in Jerusalem. |
| 15For you say, "We have made a treaty with death, with Sheol we have made an agreement. When the overwhelming judgment sweeps by it will not reach us. For we have made a lie our refuge, we have hidden ourselves in a deceitful word." | 15You boast, "We have entered into a covenant with death, with the realm of the dead we have made an agreement. When an overwhelming scourge sweeps by, it cannot touch us, for we have made a lie our refuge and falsehood our hiding place." |
| 16Therefore, this is what the sovereign master, the LORD, says: "Look, I am laying a stone in Zion, an approved stone, set in place as a precious cornerstone for the foundation. The one who maintains his faith will not panic. | 16So 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. |
| 17I will make justice the measuring line, fairness the plumb line; hail will sweep away the unreliable refuge, the floodwaters will overwhelm the hiding place. | 17I 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. |
| 18Your treaty with death will be dissolved; your agreement with Sheol will not last. When the overwhelming judgment sweeps by, you will be overrun by it. | 18Your 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. |
| 19Whenever it sweeps by, it will overtake you; indeed, every morning it will sweep by, it will come through during the day and the night." When this announcement is understood, it will cause nothing but terror. | 19As 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. |
| 20For the bed is too short to stretch out on, and the blanket is too narrow to wrap around oneself. | 20The bed is too short to stretch out on, the blanket too narrow to wrap around you. |
| 21For the LORD will rise up, as he did at Mount Perazim, he will rouse himself, as he did in the Valley of Gibeon, to accomplish his work, his peculiar work, to perform his task, his strange task. | 21The 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. |
| 22So now, do not mock, or your chains will become heavier! For I have heard a message about decreed destruction, from the sovereign master, the LORD who commands armies, against the entire land. | 22Now 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. |
| 23Pay attention and listen to my message! Be attentive and listen to what I have to say! | 23Listen and hear my voice; pay attention and hear what I say. |
| 24Does a farmer just keep on plowing at planting time? Does he keep breaking up and harrowing his ground? | 24When a farmer plows for planting, does he plow continually? Does he keep on breaking up and working the soil? |
| 25Once he has leveled its surface, does he not scatter the seed of the caraway plant, sow the seed of the cumin plant, and plant the wheat, barley, and grain in their designated places? | 25When he has leveled the surface, does he not sow caraway and scatter cumin? Does he not plant wheat in its place, barley in its plot, and spelt in its field? |
| 26His God instructs him; he teaches him the principles of agriculture. | 26His God instructs him and teaches him the right way. |
| 27Certainly caraway seed is not threshed with a sledge, nor is the wheel of a cart rolled over cumin seed. Certainly caraway seed is beaten with a stick, and cumin seed with a flail. | 27Caraway 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. |
| 28Grain is crushed, though one certainly does not thresh it forever. The wheel of one's wagon rolls over it, but his horses do not crush it. | 28Grain 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. |
| 29This also comes from the LORD who commands armies, who gives supernatural guidance and imparts great wisdom. | 29All this also comes from the LORD Almighty, whose plan is wonderful, whose wisdom is magnificent. |
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