Study Desk

Woe to the proud crown of the ^(C1)habitually drunk of ^(C2)Ephraim, And to the fading flower of its glorious beauty, Which is at the head of the ^(F1)fertile valley Of those who are ^(F2)overcome with wine!

Behold, the Lord has a strong and ^(C1)mighty agent; As a storm of ^(C2)hail, a tempest of destruction, Like a storm of ^(C3)mighty overflowing waters, He has thrown it down to the earth with His hand.

The splendid crown of the habitually drunk of Ephraim is ^(C1)trampled underfoot.

And the fading flower of its glorious beauty, Which is at the head of the ^(F1)fertile valley, Will be like the ^(C1)first-ripe fig prior to the summer, Which ^(F2)one sees, And ^(F3)as soon as it is in his ^(F4)hand, He swallows it.

On that day the ^(C1)LORD of armies will become a beautiful ^(C2)crown And a glorious wreath to the remnant of His people;

A ^(C1)spirit of justice for him who sits in judgment, A ^(C2)strength to those who repel the ^(F1)onslaught at the gate.

And these also ^(C1)reel with wine and stagger from intoxicating drink: ^(C2)The priest and ^(C3)the prophet reel with intoxicating drink, They are confused by wine, they stagger from ^(C4)intoxicating drink; They reel while ^(F1)having ^(C5)visions, They stagger when rendering a verdict.

For all the tables are full of filthy ^(C1)vomit, without a single clean place.

"To ^(C1)whom would He teach knowledge, And to whom would He interpret the message? Those just ^(C2)weaned from milk? Those just taken from the breast?

-"For He says, '^(F1)(C1)Order on order, order on order, Line on line, line on line, A little here, a little there.'"

Indeed, He will speak to this people Through ^(C1)stammering lips and a foreign tongue,

He who said to them, "This is the ^(C1)place of quiet, give rest to the weary," And, "This is the resting place," but they would not listen.

So the word of the LORD to them will be, "^(F1)Order on order, order on order, Line on line, line on line, A little here, a little there," That they may go and ^(C1)stumble backward, be broken, snared, and taken captive.

Therefore, ^(C1)hear the word of the LORD, you ^(C2)scoffers, Who rule this people who are in Jerusalem,

Because you have said, "We have made a ^(C1)covenant with death, And with ^(F1)Sheol we have made a ^(F2)pact. ^(C2)The ^(F3)gushing flood will not reach us when it passes by, Because we have made ^(C3)falsehood our refuge and we have ^(C4)concealed ourselves with deception."

Therefore this is what the Lord ^(F1)GOD says: "^(C1)Behold, I am laying a stone in Zion, a tested ^(C2)stone, A precious cornerstone for the foundation, ^(F2)firmly placed. The one who believes in it will not be ^(F3)disturbed.

-"I will make ^(C1)justice the measuring line And righteousness the level; Then ^(C2)hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, And the waters will overflow the secret place.

-"Your ^(C1)covenant with death will be ^(F1)(C2)canceled, And your pact with Sheol will not stand; When the ^(F2)(C1)gushing flood passes through, Then you will become its ^(C3)trampling ground.

-"As ^(C1)often as it passes through, it will ^(F1)seize you; For ^(C2)morning after morning it will pass through, anytime during the day or night, And it will be ^(F2)sheer ^(C3)terror to understand ^(F3)what it means."

The bed is too short on which to stretch out, And the ^(C1)blanket is too ^(F1)small to wrap oneself in.

For the LORD will rise up as at Mount ^(C1)Perazim, He will be stirred up as in the Valley of ^(C2)Gibeon, To do His ^(C3)task, His ^(F1)(C4)unusual task, And to work His work, His ^(F2)extraordinary work.

And now do not carry on as ^(C1)scoffers, Or your shackles will be made stronger; For I have heard from the Lord ^(F1)GOD of armies Of decisive ^(C2)destruction on all the earth.

Listen and hear my voice, Pay attention and hear my words.

Does the ^(F1)farmer plow ^(F2)continually to plant seed? Does he continually ^(F3)turn and break up his ground?

Does he not level its surface And sow dill and scatter ^(C1)cumin And ^(F1)plant ^(C2)wheat in rows, Barley in its place and rye within its ^(F2)area?

For his God instructs and teaches him properly.

For dill is not threshed with a ^(C1)threshing sledge, Nor is the cartwheel ^(F1)driven over cumin; But dill is beaten out with a rod, and cumin with a club.

Grain for bread is crushed, Indeed, he does not continue to thresh it forever. Because the wheel of his cart and his horses eventually ^(F1)damage it, He does not thresh it longer.

This also comes from the LORD of armies, Who has made His counsel ^(C1)wonderful and His wisdom ^(C2)great.