The Captivity of Ephraim

1Woe to the crown of pride, the hirelings of Ephraim, the flower that has fallen from the glory of the top of the fertile mountain, they that are drunken without wine.

2Behold, the anger of the Lord is strong and severe, as descending hail where there is no shelter, violently descending; as a great body of water sweeping away the soil, he shall make rest for the land.

3The crown of pride, the hirelings of Ephraim, shall be beaten down with the hands and with the feet.

4And the fading flower of the glorious hope on the top of the high mountain shall be as the early fig; he that sees it, before he takes it into his hand, will desire to swallow it down.

5In that day the Lord of hosts shall be the crown of hope, the woven crown of glory, to the remnant of the people.

6They shall be left in the spirit of judgement for judgement, and for the strength of them that hinder slaying.

7For these have trespassed through wine; they have erred through strong drink: the priest and the prophet are mad through strong drink, they are swallowed up by reason of wine, they have staggered through drunkenness; they have erred: this is their vision.

8A curse shall devour this counsel, for this is their counsel for the sake of covetousness.

9To whom have we reported evils? and to whom have we reported a message? even to those that are weaned from the milk, who are drawn from the breast.

10Except thou affliction on affliction, hope upon hope: yet a little, and yet a little,

11by reason of the contemptuous words of the lips, by means of another language: for they shall speak to this people, saying to them,

12This is the rest to him that is hungry, and this is the calamity: but they would not hear.

13Therefore the oracle of God shall be to them affliction on affliction, hope on hope, yet a little, and yet a little, that they may go and fall backward; and they shall be crushed and shall be in danger, and shall be taken.

A Cornerstone in Zion

14Therefore hear ye the word of the Lord, ye afflicted men, and ye princes of this people that is in Jerusalem.

15Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with Hades, and agreements with death; if the rushing storm should pass, it shall not come upon us: we have made falsehood our hope, and by falsehood shall we be protected:

16Therefore thus saith the Lord, even the Lord, Behold, I lay for the foundations of Sion a costly stone, a choice, a corner-stone, a precious stone, for its foundations; and he that believes on him shall by no means be ashamed.

17And I will cause judgement to be for hope, and my compassion shall be for just measures, and ye that trust vainly in falsehood shall fall: for the storm shall by no means pass by you,

18except it also take away your covenant of death, and your trust in Hades shall by no means stand: if the rushing storm should come upon you, ye shall be beaten down by it.

19Whenever it shall pass by, it shall take you; morning by morning it shall pass by in the day, and in the night there shall be an evil hope. Learn to hear,

20ye that are distressed; we cannot fight, but we are ourselves too weak for you to be gathered.

21The Lord shall rise up as a mountain of ungodly men, and shall be in the valley of Gabaon; he shall perform his works with wrath, even a work of bitterness, and his wrath shall deal strangely, and his destruction shall be strange.

22Therefore do not ye rejoice, neither let your bands be made strong; for I have heard of works finished and cut short by the Lord of hosts, which he will execute upon all the earth.

Listen and Hear

23Hearken, and hear my voice; attend, and hear my words.

24Will the ploughman plough all the day? or will he prepare the seed beforehand, before he tills the ground?

25Does he not, when he has levelled the surface thereof, then sow the small black poppy, or cumin, and afterward sow wheat, and barley, and millet, and bread-corn in thy borders?

26So thou shalt be chastened by the judgement of thy God, and shalt rejoice.

27For the black poppy is not cleansed with harsh treatment, nor will a wagon-wheel pass over the cumin; but the black poppy is threshed with a rod, and the cumin shall be eaten with bread;

28for I will not be wroth with you for ever, neither shall the voice of my anger crush you.

29And these signs came forth from the Lord of hosts. Take counsel, exalt vain comfort.