Isaiah 28

International Standard Version

28 How terrible it will be for that arrogant garland—
the drunks of Ephraim!
How terrible it will be for that fading flower of his glorious beauty,
    which sits on the heads of people bloated with food,^[a]
        of people overcome with wine!
² Look! The Lord^[b] has one who is mighty and strong,
    like a hailstorm and destructive tempest,
like a storm of mighty, overflowing water—
    and^[c] he will give rest to the land.
³ With hands^[d] and feet, that proud garland^[e]—
    those drunks of Ephraim—will be trampled.
⁴ And that fading flower, his glorious beauty,
    which sits on the heads of people bloated with food,
will be like an early fig before summer—
    whenever someone sees it, he swallows it
        as soon as it’s in his hand.

⁹ To whom will he teach knowledge,
    and to whom will he explain the message?
To children just weaned from milk?
    To those just taken from the breast?
¹⁰ For it is: “Do this and do that,
    do this and do that,
Line upon line, line upon line,
    a little here, a little there.”

¹⁴ “Therefore hear^[k] the message from the Lord, you scoffers
    who rule this people that are in Jerusalem.
¹⁵ Because you said:
    ‘We have entered into a covenant with death,
        and we have an agreement with Sheol,^[l]
    so when the overwhelming scourge makes its choice,^[m]
        it cannot reach us,
    since we have made lies our refuge
        and have concealed ourselves inside falsehood,’
¹⁶ therefore this is what the Lord God^[n] says:
    “Look! I am laying^[o] a foundation stone in Zion, a tested stone,
        a precious cornerstone for a sure^[p] foundation:
    Whoever believes firmly will not act hastily.
¹⁷ And I will make justice the measuring line,
    and righteousness the plumb line;
hail will sweep away your refuge of lies,
    and floods^[q] will overflow your hiding place.

²¹ For the Lord will stand upon^[t] Mount Perazim,^[u]
    he will rouse himself in^[v] the Valley of Gibeon;
to carry out his work—
    his strange deed,
and to perform his task—
    his alien task!
²² But as for you,^[w] don’t start mocking,
    or your chains will become tighter;
for I have heard from the Lord^[x] of the Heavenly Armies about destruction,
    and it is decreed against the whole land.

²³ “Pay attention!
    Listen to what I have to say;
Pay attention,
    and hear my speech.
²⁴ Does he who plows for sowing plow all the time?
    Does he keep on breaking up and harrowing his field?
²⁵ When he has leveled its surface,
    he scatters caraway^[y] and sows cumin, doesn’t he?
He plants wheat in rows,
    barley in its designated place,
and feed for livestock^[z] around its borders,^[aa] doesn’t he?
²⁶ His God instructs him regarding the correct way,
    directing him how to plant.^[ab]