The Captivity of Ephraim 1 UEB Woe to the proud garland crown that is worn by each of the drunkards of Ephraim, and to the fading flower of its glorious beauty, the garland that is set on the head of the lush Valley of those who are overcome 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 UEB Behold, the Lord sends one who is mighty and strong; like a storm of hail and a destructive windstorm, like a driving rain and overflowing waters; and he will throw each garland crown down to the ground. 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 UEB The proud garland of the drunkards of Ephraim will be trodden underfoot. BSB BSB: The majestic crown of Ephraim’s drunkards will be trampled underfoot.
4 UEB The fading flower of his glorious beauty, that is on the head of the rich valley, will be as the first ripe fig before the summer, that, when someone sees it, while it is yet in his hand, he gulps it down. 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 UEB In that day Yahweh of hosts will become a beautiful crown and a diadem of beauty for the remainder 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 UEB a spirit of justice for him who sits in judgment, and strength for those who turn back their enemies at their 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 UEB But even these reel with wine, and stagger with strong drink. The priest and the prophet reel with strong drink, and they are swallowed up by wine. They stagger with strong drink, staggering in vision and reeling in decision. 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 UEB Truly, all tables are covered with vomit, so that there is no clean place. BSB BSB: For all their tables are covered with vomit; there is not a place without filth.
9 UEB To whom will he teach knowledge, and to whom will he explain the message? To those who are weaned from milk or to those just taken 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 UEB For it is command upon command, command upon command; rule upon rule, rule upon rule; here a little, there a little. BSB BSB: For they hear: “Order on order, order on order, line on line, line on line; a little here, a little there.”
11 UEB Indeed, with mocking lips and a foreign tongue he will speak to this people. BSB BSB: Indeed, with mocking lips and foreign tongues, He will speak to this people
12 UEB In the past he said to them "This is the rest, give rest to him who is weary; and this is the refreshing," but they would not 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 UEB So the word of Yahweh will be to them command upon command, command upon command; rule upon rule, rule upon rule; here a little, there a little; so that they may go and fall backward, and be broken, 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 UEB So listen to the word of Yahweh, you who mock, you who rule over this people who are in Jerusalem. BSB BSB: Therefore hear the word of the LORD, O scoffers who rule this people in Jerusalem.
15 UEB This will happen because you said, "We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol we have reached an agreement. So when the overwhelming whip passes through, it will not reach us. For we have made a lie our refuge, and taken shelter in falsehood." 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 UEB Therefore the Lord Yahweh says, "See, I will lay in Zion a foundation stone, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation. He who believes will not be ashamed. 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 UEB I will make justice the measuring stick, and righteousness the plumbline. Hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and the floodwaters will overwhelm the hiding place. 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 UEB Your covenant with death will be dissolved, and your agreement with Sheol will not stand. When the raging flood passes through, you will be overwhelmed 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 UEB Whenever it passes through, it will overwhelm you, and morning by morning it will pass through and by day and night it will come. When the message is understood, it will cause terror. 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 UEB For the bed is too short for a man to stretch out on, and the blanket too narrow for him to wrap himself in." BSB BSB: Indeed, the bed is too short to stretch out on, and the blanket too small to wrap around you.
21 UEB Yahweh will rise up as on Mount Perazim; he will rouse himself as in the Valley of Gibeon to do his work, his strange work, and perform his strange deed. 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 UEB Now therefore do not mock, or your bonds will be tightened. I have heard from the Lord Yahweh of hosts, a decree of destruction on 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 UEB Pay attention and listen to my voice; be attentive and listen to my words. BSB BSB: Listen and hear my voice. Pay attention and hear what I say.
24 UEB Does a farmer who plows all day to sow, only plow the ground? Does he continually break up and harrow the field? BSB BSB: Does the plowman plow for planting every day? Does he continuously loosen and harrow the soil?
25 UEB When he has prepared the ground, does he not scatter caraway seed, sow the cumin, put in the wheat in rows and the barley in the right place, and the spelt at its edges? 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 UEB His God instructs him; he teaches him wisely. BSB BSB: For his God instructs and teaches him properly.
27 UEB Moreover, the caraway seed is not threshed with a sledge, nor is a cartwheel rolled over the cumin; but caraway is beaten with a stick, and cumin with a rod. 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 UEB Grain is ground for bread but not too finely, and though the wheels of his cart and his horses scatter it, his horses do not crush it. 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 UEB This too comes from Yahweh of hosts, who is wonderful in instruction and excellent in wisdom. BSB BSB: This also comes from the LORD of Hosts, who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in wisdom.
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