Woe to Ephraim

1Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading flower, which is on the head of the rich valleys of them that are overcome with wine!

2Behold, the Lord has a mighty and strong one, which like a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, like a flood of mighty waters overflowing, shall cast down to the earth with his hand.

3The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim, shall be trodden under foot:

4And the glorious beauty, which is on the head of the rich valley, shall be a fading flower, and as the early fruit before the summer; which when he that looks upon it sees it, while it is yet in his hand he eats it up.

5In that day shall the LORD of hosts be a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty, unto the remnant of his people,

6And for a spirit of justice to him that sits in judgment, and for strength to them that turn back the battle at the gate.

7But 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 by wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment.

8For all tables are full of vomit and filthiness, so that there is no place clean.

9Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and taken from the breasts.

10For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:

11For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.

12To whom he said, This is the rest with which you may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.

13But 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.

14Therefore hear the word of the LORD, you scornful men, that rule this people who are in Jerusalem.

15Because you have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with sheol 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:

A Cornerstone in Zion

16Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation: he that believes shall not be in haste.

17Justice also will I make the measuring line, and righteousness the plumb line: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.

18And your covenant with death shall be annulled, and your agreement with sheol shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then you shall be beaten down by it.

19From the time that it goes forth it shall take you: for morning by morning shall it pass over, by day and by night: and it shall be a terror just to understand the report.

20For the bed is shorter than a man can stretch himself upon: and the covering narrower than he can wrap himself in.

21For the LORD shall rise up as on mount Perazim, he shall be angry as in the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his work, his awesome work; and bring to pass his act, his alien act.

22Now therefore be not mockers, lest your bonds be made strong: for I have heard from the Lord GOD of hosts a destruction, even determined upon the whole earth.

Hear God's Voice

23Give ear, and hear my voice; hearken, and hear my speech.

24Does the plowman keep plowing all day to sow? does he keep opening and breaking the clods of his ground?

25When he has made level the face of it, does he not sow the dill, and scatter the cummin, and plant the wheat in rows and the barley and the spelt in their places?

26For his God does instruct him aright, and does teach him.

27For the dill is not threshed with a threshing sledge, neither is a cart wheel rolled over the cummin; but the dill is beaten out with a stick, and the cummin with a rod.

28Bread grain is ground; therefore he will not forever be threshing it, nor break it with the wheel of his cart, nor crush it with his horsemen.

29This also comes forth from the LORD of hosts, who is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in wisdom.