1Woe [to] the proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim. And the fading flower of the beauty of his glory, || That [is] on the head of the fat valley of the broken down of wine.
2Behold, a mighty and strong one [is] to the Lord, || As a storm of hail—a destructive shower, || As an inundation of mighty waters overflowing, || He cast down to the earth with the hand.
3The proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim is trodden down by feet,
4And the fading flower of the beauty of his glory || That [is] on the head of the fat valley, || Has been as its first-fruit before summer, || That its beholder sees; He swallows it while it [is] yet in his hand.
5In that day YHWH of Hosts is || For a crown of beauty, and for a circlet of glory, || To the remnant of His people.
6And for a spirit of judgment || To him who is sitting in the judgment, || And for might [to] those turning back the battle to the gate.
7And even these have erred through wine, || And have wandered through strong drink, || Priest and prophet erred through strong drink, || They have been swallowed up of the wine, || They wandered because of the strong drink, || They have erred in seeing, || They have stumbled judicially.
8For all tables have been full of vomit, || Filth—without place!
9By whom does He teach knowledge? And by whom does He cause to understand the report? The weaned from milk, the removed from breasts,
10For rule on rule, rule on rule, || Line on line, line on line, || A little here, a little there,
11For by scorned lip, and by another tongue, || Does He speak to this people.
12To whom He has said, “This [is] the rest, give rest to the weary, || And this—the refreshing”: And they have not been willing to hear,
13And to whom a word of YHWH has been, || Rule on rule, rule on rule, || Line on line, line on line, || A little here, a little there, || So that they go and have stumbled backward, || And been broken, and snared, and captured.
14Therefore, hear a word of YHWH, you men of scorning, || Ruling this people that [is] in Jerusalem.
15Because you have said: “We have made a covenant with death, || And we have made a provision with Sheol, || An overflowing scourge, when it passes over, || Does not meet us, || Though we have made a lie our refuge, || And have been hidden in falsehood.”
16Therefore, thus said Lord YHWH: “Behold, I am laying a foundation in Zion, || A stone—a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a settled foundation, || He who is believing does not make haste.
17And I have put judgment for a line, || And righteousness for a plummet, || And hail sweeps away the refuge of lies, || And waters overflow the secret hiding place.
18And your covenant with death has been annulled, || And your provision with Sheol does not stand, || An overflowing scourge, when it passes over, || Then you have been to it for a treading-place.
19From the fullness of its passing over it takes you, || For it passes over morning by morning, || By day and by night, || And it has been only a trembling to consider the report.
20For the bed has been shorter || Than to stretch one’s self out in, || And the covering has been narrower || Than to wrap one’s self up in.
21For as YHWH rises [at] Mount Perazim, || As He is troubled [at] the valley in Gibeon, || To do His work—strange [is] His work, || And to do His deed—strange [is] His deed.”
22And now, do not show yourselves scorners, || Lest your bands are strong, || For a consumption, that is determined, || I have heard, by the Lord, YHWH of Hosts, || [Is] for all the land.
23Give ear, and hear my voice, || Attend, and hear my saying:
24Does the plowman plow the whole day to sow? He opens and harrows his ground!
25Has he not, if he has made its face level, || Then scattered fitches, and sprinkles cumin, || And has placed the principal wheat, || And the appointed barley, || And the rye [in] its own border?
26And his God instructs him for judgment, || He directs him.
27For fitches are not threshed with a sharp-pointed thing, || And the wheel of a cart turned around on cumin, || For fitches are beaten out with a staff, || And cumin with a rod.
28Bread-[grain] is beaten small, || For he does not severely thresh it forever, || Nor has a wheel of his cart crushed [it], || Nor do his hooves beat it small.
29Even this from YHWH of Hosts has gone out, || He has made counsel wonderful, || He has made wisdom great!