1 W oe to the crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim, and to the fading flower of his glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley of them that are overcome with wine!

Woe to the crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim, and to the fading flower of its glorious beauty, which is on the head of the rich valley of those overcome and smitten down with wine!

2 B ehold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one; as a tempest of hail, a destroying storm, as a tempest of mighty waters overflowing, will he cast down to the earth with the hand.

Behold, the Lord has a strong and mighty one; like a tempest of hail, a destroying storm, like a flood of mighty overflowing waters, he will cast it down to the earth with violent hand.

3 T he crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim shall be trodden under foot:

With feet the proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim will be trodden down.

4 a nd the fading flower of his glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley, shall be as the first-ripe fig before the summer; which when he that looketh upon it seeth, while it is yet in his hand he eateth it up.

And the fading flower of its glorious beauty, which is on the head of the rich valley, will be like the early fig before the fruit harvest, which, when anyone sees it, he snatches and eats it up greedily at once.

5 I n that day will Jehovah of hosts become a crown of glory, and a diadem of beauty, unto the residue of his people;

in that '> Messianic] day the Lord of hosts shall become a crown of glory and a diadem of beauty to the remnant of His people,

6 a nd a spirit of justice to him that sitteth in judgment, and strength to them that turn back the battle at the gate.

And a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment and administers the law, and strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.

7 A nd even these reel with wine, and stagger with strong drink; the priest and the prophet reel with strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they stagger with strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment.

But even these reel from wine and stagger from strong drink: the priest and the prophet reel from strong drink; they are confused from wine, they stagger and are gone astray through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble when pronouncing judgment.

8 F or all tables are full of vomit and filthiness, so that there is no place clean.

For all the tables are full of filthy vomit, so that there is no place that is clean.

9 W hom will he teach knowledge? and whom will he make to understand the message? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts?

To whom will He teach knowledge? And whom will He make to understand the message? Those who are babies, just weaned from the milk and taken from the breasts?

10 F or it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, there a little.

For it is: precept upon precept, precept upon precept, rule upon rule, rule upon rule; here a little, there a little.

11 N ay, but by men of strange lips and with another tongue will he speak to this people;

No, but by men with stammering lips and another tongue will He speak to this people.

12 t o whom he said, This is the rest, give ye rest to him that is weary; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.

To these had said, This is the true rest that you shall give to the weary, and, This is the refreshing—yet they would not listen.

13 T herefore shall the word of Jehovah be unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, there a little; that they may go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.

Therefore the word of the Lord will be to them: precept upon precept, precept upon precept, rule upon rule, rule upon rule; here a little, there a little—that they may go and fall backward, and be broken and snared and taken.

14 W herefore hear the word of Jehovah, ye scoffers, that rule this people that is in Jerusalem:

Therefore hear the word of the Lord, you scoffers who rule this people in Jerusalem!

15 B ecause ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us; for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:

Because you have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol (the place of the dead) we have an agreement—when the overflowing scourge passes through, it will not come to us, for we have made lies our refuge, and in falsehood we have taken shelter.

16 t herefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner -stone of sure foundation: he that believeth shall not be in haste.

Therefore thus says the Lord God, Behold, I am laying in Zion for a foundation a Stone, a tested Stone, a precious Cornerstone of sure foundation; he who believes (trusts in, relies on, and adheres to that Stone) will not be ashamed or give way or hasten away.

17 A nd I will make justice the line, and righteousness the plummet; and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding-place.

I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the plummet; and hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and waters will overwhelm the hiding place (the shelter).

18 A nd your covenant with death shall be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it.

And your covenant with death shall be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol (the place of the dead) shall not stand; when the overwhelming scourge passes through, then you will be trodden down by it.

19 A s often as it passeth through, it shall take you; for morning by morning shall it pass through, by day and by night: and it shall be nought but terror to understand the message.

As often as it passes through, it will take you; for morning by morning will it pass through, by day and by night. And it will be utter terror merely to hear and comprehend the report and the message of it.

20 F or the bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself on it; and the covering narrower than that he can wrap himself in it.

For the bed is too short for a man to stretch himself on and the covering too narrow for him to wrap himself in.

21 F or Jehovah will rise up as in mount Perazim, he will be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon; that he may do his work, his strange work, and bring to pass his act, his strange act.

For the Lord will rise up as on Mount Perazim, He will be wrathful as in the Valley of Gibeon, that He may do His work, His strange work, and bring to pass His act, His strange act.

22 N ow therefore be ye not scoffers, lest your bonds be made strong; for a decree of destruction have I heard from the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, upon the whole earth.

Now therefore do not be scoffers, lest the bands which bind you be made strong; for a decree of destruction have I heard from the Lord God of hosts upon the whole land and the whole earth.

23 G ive ye ear, and hear my voice; hearken, and hear my speech.

Give ear and hear my voice; listen and hear my words.

24 D oth he that ploweth to sow plow continually? doth he continually open and harrow his ground?

Does he who plows for sowing plow continually? Does he continue to plow and harrow the ground after it is smooth?

25 W hen he hath levelled the face thereof, doth he not cast abroad the fitches, and scatter the cummin, and put in the wheat in rows, and the barley in the appointed place, and the spelt in the border thereof?

When he has leveled its surface, does he not cast abroad dill or fennel and scatter cummin, and put the wheat in rows, and barley in its intended place, and spelt as the border?

26 F or his God doth instruct him aright, and doth teach him.

for his God instructs him correctly and teaches him.

27 F or the fitches are not threshed with a sharp threshing instrument, neither is a cart wheel turned about upon the cummin; but the fitches are beaten out with a staff, and the cummin with a rod.

For dill is not threshed with a sharp threshing instrument, nor is a cartwheel rolled over cummin; but dill is beaten off with a staff, and cummin with a rod.

28 B read grain is ground; for he will not be always threshing it: and though the wheel of his cart and his horses scatter it, he doth not grind it.

Does one crush bread grain? No, he does not thresh it continuously. But when he has driven his cartwheel and his horses over it, he scatters it without having crushed it.

29 T his also cometh forth from Jehovah of hosts, who is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in wisdom.

This also comes from the Lord of hosts, Who is wonderful in counsel excellent in wisdom and effectual working.