The Captivity of Ephraim 1 DRA Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, and to the fading flower the glory of his joy, who were on the head of the fat valley, staggering with 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 DRA Behold the Lord is mighty and strong, as a storm of hail: a destroying whirlwind, as the violence of many waters overflowing, and sent forth upon 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 DRA The crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim shall be trodden under feet. BSB BSB: The majestic crown of Ephraim’s drunkards will be trampled underfoot.
4 DRA And the fading flower the glory of his joy, who is on the head of the fat valley, shall be as a hasty fruit before the ripeness of autumn: which when he that seeth it shall behold, as soon as he taketh it in his hand, he will eat it up. 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 DRA In that day the Lord of hosts shall be a crown of glory, and a garland of joy to the residue 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 DRA And a spirit of judgment to him that sitteth in judgment, and strength to them that return out of the battle to the gate. 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 DRA But these also have been ignorant through wine, and through drunkenness have erred: the priest and the prophet have been ignorant through drunkenness, they are swallowed up with wine, they have gone astray in drunkenness, they have not known him that seeth, 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 DRA For all tables were full of vomit and filth, so that there was no more place. BSB BSB: For all their tables are covered with vomit; there is not a place without filth.
9 DRA Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand the hearing? them that are weaned from the milk, that are drawn 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 DRA For command, command again; command, command again; expect, expect again; expect, expect again: a little there, 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 DRA For with the speech of lips, and with another tongue he will speak to this people. BSB BSB: Indeed, with mocking lips and foreign tongues, He will speak to this people
12 DRA To whom he said: This is my rest, refresh the weary, and this is my refreshing: and they would not hear. 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 DRA And the word of the Lord shall be to them: Command, command again; command, command again: expect, expect again; expect, expect again: a little there, a little there: that they may go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken. 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 DRA Wherefore hear the word of the Lord, ye scornful men, who rule over my people that is in Jerusalem. BSB BSB: Therefore hear the word of the LORD, O scoffers who rule this people in Jerusalem.
15 DRA For you have said: We have entered into a league with death, and we have made a covenant with hell. When the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come upon us: for we have placed our hope in lies, and by falsehood we are protected. 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 DRA Therefore thus saith the Lord God: Behold I will lay a stone in the foundations of Sion, a tried stone, a corner stone, a precious stone, founded in the foundation. He that believeth, let him not hasten. 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 DRA And I will set judgment in weight, and justice in measure: and hail shall overturn the hope of falsehood: and waters shall overflow 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 DRA And Sour league with death shall be abolished, and your covenant with hell shall not stand: when the overflowing scourge shall pass, you shall be trodden 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 DRA Whensoever it shall pass through, it shall take you away: because in the morning early it shall pass through, in the day and in the night, and vexation alone shall 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 DRA For the bed is straitened, so that one must fall out, and a short covering cannot cover both. BSB BSB: Indeed, the bed is too short to stretch out on, and the blanket too small to wrap around you.
21 DRA For the Lord shall stand up as in the mountain of divisions: he shall be angry as in the valley which is in Gabaon: that he may do his work, his strange work: that he may perform his work, his work is strange 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 DRA And now do not mock, lest your bonds be tied strait. For I have heard of the Lord the God of hosts a consumption and a cutting short upon all the 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 DRA Give ear, and hear my voice, hearken, and hear my speech. BSB BSB: Listen and hear my voice. Pay attention and hear what I say.
24 DRA Shall the ploughman plough all the day to sow, shall he open and harrow his ground? BSB BSB: Does the plowman plow for planting every day? Does he continuously loosen and harrow the soil?
25 DRA Will he not, when he hath made plain the surface thereof, sow gith, and scatter cummin, and put wheat in order, and barley, and millet, and vetches in their bounds? 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 DRA For he will instruct him in judgment: his God will teach him. BSB BSB: For his God instructs and teaches him properly.
27 DRA For gith shall not be thrashed with saws, neither shall the cart wheel turn about upon cummin: but gith shall be beaten out with a rod, and cummin 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 DRA But bread corn shall be broken small: but the thrasher shall not thrash it for ever, neither shall the cart wheel hurt it, nor break it with its teeth. 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 DRA This also is come forth from the Lord God of hosts, to make his counsel wonderful, and magnify justice. BSB BSB: This also comes from the LORD of Hosts, who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in wisdom.
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