The Captivity of Ephraim 1 RV Woe 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! 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 RV Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one; as a tempest of hail, a destroying storm, as a tempest of mighty waters overflowing, shall he cast down to the earth with the hand. 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 RV The crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim shall be trodden under foot: BSB BSB: The majestic crown of Ephraim’s drunkards will be trampled underfoot.
4 RV and the fading flower of his glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley, shall be as the firstripe fig before the summer; which when he that looketh upon it seeth, while it is yet in his hand he eateth 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 RV In that day shall the LORD of hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty, unto 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 RV and for a spirit of judgment to him that sitteth in judgment, and for strength to them that turn back the battle at 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 RV But these also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are gone astray; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are gone astray through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in 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 RV For all tables are full of vomit and filthiness, so that there is no place clean . BSB BSB: For all their tables are covered with vomit; there is not a place without filth.
9 RV Whom 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? 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 RV For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; 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 RV Nay, but by men of strange lips and with another tongue will he speak to this people: BSB BSB: Indeed, with mocking lips and foreign tongues, He will speak to this people
12 RV to 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. 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 RV Therefore shall the word of the LORD 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. 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 RV Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem: BSB BSB: Therefore hear the word of the LORD, O scoffers who rule this people in Jerusalem.
15 RV Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell 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: 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 RV therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, 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 make haste. 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 RV And I will make judgment the line, and righteousness the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow 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 RV And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye 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 RV As 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. 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 RV For 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. BSB BSB: Indeed, the bed is too short to stretch out on, and the blanket too small to wrap around you.
21 RV For the LORD shall rise up as in mount Perazim, he shall 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. 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 RV Now therefore be ye not scorners, lest your bands be made strong: for a consummation, and that determined, have I heard from the Lord, the LORD of hosts, upon the whole 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 RV Give ye 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 RV Doth the plowman plow continually to sow? doth he continually open and break the clods of his ground? BSB BSB: Does the plowman plow for planting every day? Does he continuously loosen and harrow the soil?
25 RV When he hath made plain 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? 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 RV For his God doth instruct him aright, and doth teach him. BSB BSB: For his God instructs and teaches him properly.
27 RV For 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. 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 RV Bread corn is ground; for he will not ever be threshing it: and though the wheel of his cart and his horses scatter it, he doth not grind 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 RV This also cometh forth from the LORD of hosts, which is wonderful in counsel, 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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