The Captivity of Ephraim 1 CPDV Woe to the crown of arrogance, to the inebriated of Ephraim, and to the falling flower, the glory of his exultation, to those who were at the top of the very fat valley, staggering from wine. BSB BSB: Woe to the majestic crown of Ephraim’s drunkards, to the fading flower of his glorious splendor, set on the summit above the fertile valley, the pride of those overcome by wine.
2 CPDV Behold, the Lord is powerful and steadfast, like a storm of hail, like a crushing whirlwind, like the force of many waters, inundating, sent forth over a spacious land. BSB BSB: Behold, the Lord has one who is strong and mighty. Like a hailstorm or destructive tempest, like a driving rain or flooding downpour, he will smash that crown to the ground.
3 CPDV The arrogant crown of the inebriated of Ephraim will be trampled underfoot. BSB BSB: The majestic crown of Ephraim’s drunkards will be trampled underfoot.
4 CPDV And the falling flower, the glory of his exultation, who is at the summit of the fat valley, will be like a premature fruit before the ripeness of autumn, which, when the onlooker beholds it, as soon he takes it in his hand, he will devour it. BSB BSB: The fading flower of his beautiful splendor, set on the summit above the fertile valley, will be like a ripe fig before the summer harvest: Whoever sees it will take it in his hand and swallow it.
5 CPDV In that day, the Lord of hosts will be the crown of glory and the wreath of exultation for the remnant of his people. BSB BSB: On that day the LORD of Hosts will be a crown of glory, a diadem of splendor to the remnant of His people,
6 CPDV And he will be the spirit of judgment for those who sit in judgment, and the strength of those who return from war to the gates. BSB BSB: a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment, and a strength to those who repel the onslaught at the gate.
7 CPDV Yet truly, these also have been ignorant due to wine, and they have gone astray due to inebriation. The priest and the prophet have been ignorant because of inebriation. They have been absorbed by wine. They have staggered in drunkenness. They have not known the One who sees. They have been ignorant of judgment. BSB BSB: These also stagger from wine and stumble from strong drink: Priests and prophets reel from strong drink and are befuddled by wine. They stumble because of strong drink, muddled in their visions and stumbling in their judgments.
8 CPDV For all the tables have been filled with vomit and filth, so much so that there was no place left. BSB BSB: For all their tables are covered with vomit; there is not a place without filth.
9 CPDV To whom will he teach knowledge? And to whom will he grant an understanding of what is heard? To those who have been weaned from the milk, who have been pulled away from the breasts. BSB BSB: Whom is He trying to teach? To whom is He explaining His message? To infants just weaned from milk? To babies removed from the breast?
10 CPDV So then: command, and command again; command, and command again; expect, and expect again; a little here, and a little there. BSB BSB: For they hear: “Order on order, order on order, line on line, line on line; a little here, a little there.”
11 CPDV For with the speech of lips and with a different language, he will speak to this people. BSB BSB: Indeed, with mocking lips and foreign tongues, He will speak to this people
12 CPDV He said to them: “This is my rest. Refresh the weary,” and, “This is my refreshment.” And yet they were unwilling to listen. BSB BSB: to whom He has said: “This is the place of rest, let the weary rest; this is the place of repose.” But they would not listen.
13 CPDV And so, the word of the Lord to them will be: “Command, and command again; command, and command again; expect, and expect again; a little here, and a little there,” so that they may go forward and fall backward, and so that they may be broken and ensnared and captured. BSB BSB: Then the word of the LORD to them will become: “Order on order, order on order, line on line, line on line; a little here, a little there,” so that they will go stumbling backward and will be injured, ensnared, and captured.
A Cornerstone in Zion (1 Corinthians 3:10–15; Ephesians 2:19–22; 1 Peter 2:1–8)
14 CPDV Because of this, listen to the word of the Lord, you mocking men, who lord it over my people who are at Jerusalem. BSB BSB: Therefore hear the word of the LORD, O scoffers who rule this people in Jerusalem.
15 CPDV For you have said: “We struck a deal with death, and we formed a pact with Hell. When the inundating scourge passes through, it will not overwhelm us. For we have placed our hope in lies, and we are protected by what is false.” BSB BSB: For you said, “We have made a covenant with death; we have fashioned an agreement with Sheol. When the overwhelming scourge passes through it will not touch us, because we have made lies our refuge and falsehood our hiding place.”
16 CPDV For this reason, thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will set a stone within the foundations of Zion, a tested stone, a cornerstone, a precious stone, which has been established in the foundation: whoever trusts in him need not hurry. BSB BSB: So this is what the Lord GOD says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; the one who believes will never be shaken.
17 CPDV And I will establish judgment in weights, and justice in measures. And a hailstorm will overturn hope in what is false; and waters will inundate its protection. BSB BSB: I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the level. Hail will sweep away your refuge of lies, and water will flood your hiding place.
18 CPDV And your deal with death will be abolished, and your pact with Hell will not stand. When the inundating scourge passes through, you will be trampled down by it. BSB BSB: Your covenant with death will be dissolved, and your agreement with Sheol will not stand. When the overwhelming scourge passes through, you will be trampled by it.
19 CPDV Whenever it passes through, it will take you away. For, at first light of morning, it will pass through, in the day and in the night, and vexation alone will make you understand what you hear. BSB BSB: As often as it passes through, it will carry you away; it will sweep through morning after morning, by day and by night.” The understanding of this message will bring sheer terror.
20 CPDV For the bed has been narrowed, so much so that one alone would fall out, and the short blanket is not able to cover two. BSB BSB: Indeed, the bed is too short to stretch out on, and the blanket too small to wrap around you.
21 CPDV For the Lord will stand, just as at the mountain of divisions. He will be angry, just as in the valley which is in Gibeon, so that he may accomplish his work, his strange work, so that he may complete his work, his work which is foreign even to him. BSB BSB: For the LORD will rise up as at Mount Perazim. He will rouse Himself as in the Valley of Gibeon, to do His work, His strange work, and to perform His task, His disturbing task.
22 CPDV And now, do not be willing to mock, lest your chains be tightened. For I have heard, from the Lord, the God of hosts, about the consummation and the abridgement concerning the entire earth. BSB BSB: So now, do not mock, or your shackles will become heavier. Indeed, I have heard from the Lord GOD of Hosts a decree of destruction against the whole land.
Listen and Hear 23 CPDV Pay close attention, and listen to my voice! Attend and hear my eloquence! BSB BSB: Listen and hear my voice. Pay attention and hear what I say.
24 CPDV Would the plowman, after plowing all day so that he may sow, instead cut open and hoe his soil? BSB BSB: Does the plowman plow for planting every day? Does he continuously loosen and harrow the soil?
25 CPDV Will he not, when he has made the surface level, sow coriander, and scatter cumin, and plant wheat in rows, and barley, and millet, and vetch in their places? BSB BSB: When he has leveled its surface, does he not sow caraway and scatter cumin? He plants wheat in rows and barley in plots, and rye within its border.
26 CPDV For he will be instructed in judgment; his God will teach him. BSB BSB: For his God instructs and teaches him properly.
27 CPDV For coriander cannot be threshed with a saw, and a cartwheel cannot revolve over cumin. Instead, coriander is shaken out with a stick, and cumin with a staff. BSB BSB: Surely caraway is not threshed with a sledge, and the wheel of a cart is not rolled over the cumin. But caraway is beaten out with a stick, and cumin with a rod.
28 CPDV But grain for bread must be crushed. Truly, the thresher cannot thresh it unceasingly, and the cartwheel can neither disrupt it, nor break it with its surface. BSB BSB: Grain for bread must be ground, but it is not endlessly threshed. Though the wheels of the cart roll over it, the horses do not crush it.
29 CPDV And this has gone forth from the Lord, the God of hosts, so that he may accomplish his miraculous plan and magnify justice. BSB BSB: This also comes from the LORD of Hosts, who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in wisdom.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.