 1 Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading flower that is on the head of the fat valleys of those who are overcome with wine. 2 Behold, the Lord is a mighty and strong one, like a hailstorm, a destroying storm. Like a flood of mighty waters overflowing, He casts down to the earth with the hand. 3 The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim will be trampled under foot. 4 The glorious beauty on the head of the fat valley will be a fading flower like the first ripe fruit before summer. The beholder of it swallows it up while it is in his hand. 5 In that day, the Lord of hosts will be for a crown of glory and for a diadem of beauty to the rest of His people. 6 A spirit of judgment to him who sits in judgment and strength to those who turn back the battle to the gate. 7 But they also have sinned through wine and through strong drink are out of the way. The priest and the prophet have sinned through drink. They are swallowed up by wine. They are out of the way through strong drink. They err in vision. They stumble in judgment. 8 All tables are full of vomit and filthiness. No place is clean. 9 To whom shall He teach knowledge? Whom shall He make to understand doctrine? Those weaned from the milk and drawn from the breasts. 10 For precept must be on precept. Precept on precept. Line on line. Line on line. Here a little. There a little. 11 For with stammering lips and another tongue He will speak to this people. 12 To whom He said, This is the rest. Cause the weary to rest. This is the refreshing. Yet they were not willing to hear. 13 But the Word of the Lord was to them precept on precept. Precept on precept. Line on line. Line on line. Here a little. There a little. So that they might go and fall backward and be broken and snared and taken. 14 Therefore hear the Word of the Lord scornful men who rule this people in Jerusalem. 15 Because you have said, We have made a covenant with death and we have made agreement with hell. When the overwhelming punishment+ passes through, it will not come to us. For we have made lies our refuge and we have hidden ourselves under falsehood. 16 Therefore, thus says the Lord God, Behold, I will place in Zion a foundation stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation. Those who believe will not hurry. 17 I will also lay judgment to the line and righteousness to the plummet. Hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and waters will overflow the hiding place. 18 Your covenant with death will be canceled+ and your agreement with hell will not stand. When the overwhelming punishment+ passes through, then you will be beaten down by it. 19 From the time that it goes out it will take you. Morning by morning it will pass over by day and by night. It will only be a terror to understand the message. 20 The bed is shorter than one can stretch himself on and the cover is narrower than one can wrap himself in. 21 The Lord will rise up as in Mount Perazim. He will be angry as in the valley of Gibeon, so that He may do His work, His strange work. And bring to pass His act, His strange act. 22 So then do not be mockers, lest your bands be made strong. For I have heard from the Lord God of hosts that a full end is decreed on all the earth. 23 Give ear and hear my voice. Listen, and hear my speech. 24 Does the plowman plow all day to sow? Does he open and break the clods of his ground? 25 When he has made the face of it level, does he not cast out the dill and scatter the cummin, and throw in the choice wheat and the chosen barley and the spelt in its border? 26 For his God instructs him to do right. His God teaches him. 27 For the dill is not threshed with a threshing instrument, nor is a cart wheel turned on cummin. But the dill is beaten out with a staff and the cummin with a rod. 28 Bread grain is crushed, but not always does one thresh it with threshing. And he drives the wheel of his cart. And his horses do not beat it small. 29 This also comes out from the Lord of hosts, who is wonderful in wisdom, making sound wisdom great.
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