Isaiah 28 NIV NLT Parallel

◄ Isaiah 28 ►

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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!

1What sorrow awaits the proud city of Samaria— the glorious crown of the drunks of Israel. It sits at the head of a fertile valley, but its glorious beauty will fade like a flower. It is the pride of a people brought down by wine.

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.

2For 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.

3That wreath, the pride of Ephraim's drunkards, will be trampled underfoot.

3The proud city of Samaria— the glorious crown of the drunks of Israel — will be trampled beneath its enemies’ feet.

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.

4It 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.

5In that day the LORD Almighty will be a glorious crown, a beautiful wreath for the remnant of his people.

5Then 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.

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.

6He will give a longing for justice to their judges. He will give great courage to their warriors who stand at the gates.

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.

7Now, 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.

8All the tables are covered with vomit and there is not a spot without filth.

8Their tables are covered with vomit; filth is everywhere.

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?

9“Who does the LORD think we are?” they ask. “Why does he speak to us like this? Are we little children, just recently weaned?

10For it is: Do this, do that, a rule for this, a rule for that; a little here, a little there."

10He tells us everything over and over— one line at a time, one line at a time, a little here, and a little there!”

11Very well then, with foreign lips and strange tongues God will speak to this people,

11So now God will have to speak to his people through foreign oppressors who speak a strange language!

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.

12God 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.

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.

13So 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.

14Therefore hear the word of the LORD, you scoffers who rule this people in Jerusalem.

14Therefore, listen to this message from the LORD, you scoffing rulers in Jerusalem.

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."

15You boast, “We have struck a bargain to cheat death and have made a deal to dodge the grave. The coming destruction can never touch us, for we have built a strong refuge made of lies and deception.”

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.

16Therefore, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: “Look! I am placing a foundation stone in Jerusalem, a firm and tested stone. It is a precious cornerstone that is safe to build on. Whoever believes need never be shaken.

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.

17I 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.

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.

18I 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.

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.

19Again 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.

20The bed is too short to stretch out on, the blanket too narrow to wrap around you.

20The bed you have made is too short to lie on. The blankets are too narrow to cover you.

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.

21The 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:

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.

22For 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.

23Listen and hear my voice; pay attention and hear what I say.

23Listen to me; listen, and pay close attention.

24When a farmer plows for planting, does he plow continually? Does he keep on breaking up and working the soil?

24Does a farmer always plow and never sow? Is he forever cultivating the soil and never planting?

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?

25Does 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?

26His God instructs him and teaches him the right way.

26The farmer knows just what to do, for God has given him understanding.

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.

27A 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.

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.

28Grain 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.

29All this also comes from the LORD Almighty, whose plan is wonderful, whose wisdom is magnificent.

29The LORD of Heaven’s Armies is a wonderful teacher, and he gives the farmer great wisdom.

New International Version (NIV)

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