Woe to the proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim, and to the fading flower of its glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fertile valley of those overcome by wine.

Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading flower, which are on the head of the fat valleys of them that are overcome with wine!

Behold, the Lord has one who is strong and mighty, like a hailstorm, a destructive tempest, like a driving flood of mighty waters overflowing, He will cast it down to the ground by His hand.

Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one, which as a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, as a flood of mighty waters overflowing, shall cast down to the earth with the hand.

The proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim will be trampled underfoot.

The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim, shall be trodden under feet:

The fading flower of its glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fertile valley, will be like an early fig before the summer harvest—when someone sees it, they quickly swallow it while it is still in their hand.

And the glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley, shall be a fading flower, and as the hasty fruit before the summer; which when he that looketh upon it seeth, while it is yet in his hand he eateth it up.

On that day, the LORD of Hosts will be a crown of glory and a diadem of beauty for the remnant of His people.

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,

He will also be a spirit of justice for those who sit in judgment and a source of strength for those who turn back the battle at the gate.

And for a spirit of judgment to him that sitteth in judgment, and for strength to them that turn the battle to the gate.

But these also reel with wine and stagger with strong drink; the priest and the prophet reel with strong drink, they are confused by wine, they stagger because of strong drink—they err in vision, they stumble in judgment.

But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment.

All the tables are full of vomit and filth; there is no clean place left.

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

Who is He trying to teach knowledge to? Who is He explaining His message to? To those just weaned from milk, those just taken from the breast?

Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.

For it is: command upon command, command upon command, line upon line, line upon line, a little here, a little there.

For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:

Indeed, with stammering lips and another tongue, He will speak to this people.

For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.

To whom He said, 'This is the place of rest—give rest to the weary; this is the place of repose’—but they would not listen.

To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.

So the word of the LORD to them will be: command upon command, command upon command, line upon line, line upon line, a little here, a little there—so that they may go and fall backward, be broken, snared, and captured.

But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.

Therefore, hear the word of the LORD, you scoffers who rule this people in Jerusalem.

Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem.

Because you have said, 'We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol we have made an agreement. When the overwhelming scourge passes through, it will not reach us, for we have made lies our refuge and falsehood our hiding place.'

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:

Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: 'Behold, I am laying a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation. The one who believes will not panic.'

Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.

I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the plumb line. Hail will sweep away your refuge of lies, and water will flood your hiding place.

Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.

Your covenant with death will be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol will not stand. When the overwhelming scourge passes through, you will be trampled by it.

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.

As often as it passes through, it will seize you. Morning after morning, day and night, it will pass through. The understanding of this message will bring only terror.

From the time that it goeth forth it shall take you: for morning by morning shall it pass over, by day and by night: and it shall be a vexation only to understand the report.

The bed is too short to stretch out on, and the blanket is too narrow to wrap oneself in.

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.

For the LORD will rise up as He did at Mount Perazim; He will rouse Himself as in the Valley of Gibeon to do His work, His strange work, and perform His task, His alien task.

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.

Now do not mock, or your chains will be even heavier, for I have heard from the Lord GOD of Hosts a decree of destruction against the whole land.

Now therefore be ye not mockers, lest your bands be made strong: for I have heard from the Lord GOD of hosts a consumption, even determined upon the whole earth.

Listen and hear my voice. Pay attention and hear my words.

Give ye ear, and hear my voice; hearken, and hear my speech.

Does the plowman plow all day to sow? Does he continually break up and harrow his ground?

Doth the plowman plow all day to sow? doth he open and break the clods of his ground?

When he has leveled its surface, does he not sow black cumin and scatter cumin? Does he not plant wheat in rows, barley in its place, and spelt in its own plot?

When he hath made plain the face thereof, doth he not cast abroad the fitches, and scatter the cummin, and cast in the principal wheat and the appointed barley and the rie in their place?

His God instructs him and teaches him the proper way.

For his God doth instruct him to discretion, and doth teach him.

For black cumin is not threshed with a sledge, nor is the wheel of a cart rolled over cumin. Instead, black cumin is beaten with a stick, and cumin with a rod.

For the fitches are not threshed with a 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.

Grain must be ground to make bread, but it is not endlessly threshed. Though the wheels of a cart roll over it and its horses trample it, they do not crush it entirely.

Bread corn is bruised; because he will not ever be threshing it, nor break it with the wheel of his cart, nor bruise it with his horsemen.

This also comes from the LORD of Hosts, whose counsel is wonderful and whose wisdom is magnificent.

This also cometh forth from the LORD of hosts, which is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working.