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¹ WOE to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, and woe to the shameful diadem of the strength of his glory, which dominates at the entrance of the fertile valley of those that are overcome with wine!² Behold, the strength and the might of the LORD are like a storm of hail and like a destroying whirlwind, and as a flood of mighty waters overflowing; I will give rest to this land by your hands:³ The crown of the proud and of the drunkards of Ephraim shall be trodden under foot;⁴ And the shameful garland of the strength of his glory, which dominates at the entrance of the fertile valley, shall be as the firstfruits before the summer, which he who sees it picks up at once and devours.⁵ In that day shall the LORD of hosts be for a crown of glory and for a diadem of beauty to the remnant of his people,⁶ And for a spirit of justice to him that sits in judgment, and for strength to those who turn away the battle from the gate.⁷ But these also have erred with wine, and with strong drink are gone astray; the priests and the prophets have erred with strong drink, they are overcome with wine, they stagger with strong drink, they err in judgment with drunkenness, they eat immoderately.⁸ For all tables are full of vomit and filthiness, so that there is no place clean.

⁹ To whom shall he teach knowledge? And whom shall he make to understand the report? Those who are weaned from the milk and drawn from the breasts.¹⁰ For filth is upon filth, filth upon filth; vomit upon vomit, vomit upon vomit; a little here, a little there;¹¹ For with a difficult speech and with an alien tongue will he speak to this people.¹² For I have said to them, This is the place of my rest, wherewith I may cause the weary to rest; and this is the place of tranquillity; but they would not listen.¹³ So the word of the LORD was to them filth upon filth, filth upon filth, vomit upon vomit, vomit upon vomit; a little here, a little there; that they might return and fall backward and be broken and snared and taken.

¹⁴ Therefore hear the word of the LORD, O you scornful men, who rule this people that is in Jerusalem:¹⁵ Because you have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol we have made an agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come to us; for we have placed our hope in lies, and under falsehood we have hid ourselves;¹⁶ Therefore thus says the LORD God: Behold, I lay in Zion a foundation, a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation; he who believes shall not be afraid.¹⁷ And I will make justice to the measuring line, and righteousness to the plummet; and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.¹⁸ And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with Sheol shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then you shall be trodden down by it.¹⁹ From the time that it passes through, it shall take you; for morning by morning shall it pass over, by day and by night; and it shall be a terror only to understand the report.²⁰ For the cloth is too short, and the warp grows weak and is insufficient for a garment.²¹ For the LORD shall rise up as in a mountain pass, he shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his works, his strange works, and bring to pass his acts, his strange acts.²² Now therefore do not mock, lest your chastisement be severe; for I have heard from the LORD of hosts that he will bring destruction and judgment upon the whole earth.

²³ Give ear and hear my voice; hearken and hear my speech.²⁴ Does the plowman plow all day to sow? Does he open and harrow his ground?²⁵ Does he not, after he has leveled its surface, scatter the dill and sow cummin, and put in wheat and barley, and rye in its borders?²⁶ For his God does instruct him to discretion, and does teach him.²⁷ For dill is not threshed under the feet of oxen, nor is a threshing instrument turned about upon cummin, but dill is beaten out with a staff, and cummin with a rod.²⁸ Grain is threshed for our sakes because man would not otherwise be threshing it, nor break it with many wheels of his threshing instruments, nor crush it under the feet of his oxen.²⁹ This also comes forth from the LORD of hosts, who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in instruction.