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¹ Woe [to] the proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim. And the fading flower of the beauty of his glory, || That [is] on the head of the fat valley of the broken down of wine.² Behold, a mighty and strong one [is] to the Lord, || As a storm of hail—a destructive shower, || As an inundation of mighty waters overflowing, || He cast down to the earth with the hand.³ The proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim is trodden down by feet,⁴ And the fading flower of the beauty of his glory || That [is] on the head of the fat valley, || Has been as its first-fruit before summer, || That its beholder sees; He swallows it while it [is] yet in his hand.⁵ In that day YHWH of Hosts is || For a crown of beauty, and for a circlet of glory, || To the remnant of His people.⁶ And for a spirit of judgment || To him who is sitting in the judgment, || And for might [to] those turning back the battle to the gate.⁷ And even these have erred through wine, || And have wandered through strong drink, || Priest and prophet erred through strong drink, || They have been swallowed up of the wine, || They wandered because of the strong drink, || They have erred in seeing, || They have stumbled judicially.⁸ For all tables have been full of vomit, || Filth—without place!

⁹ By whom does He teach knowledge? And by whom does He cause to understand the report? The weaned from milk, the removed from breasts,¹⁰ For rule on rule, rule on rule, || Line on line, line on line, || A little here, a little there,¹¹ For by scorned lip, and by another tongue, || Does He speak to this people.¹² To whom He has said, "This [is] the rest, give rest to the weary, || And this—the refreshing": And they have not been willing to hear,¹³ And to whom a word of YHWH has been, || Rule on rule, rule on rule, || Line on line, line on line, || A little here, a little there, || So that they go and have stumbled backward, || And been broken, and snared, and captured.

¹⁴ Therefore, hear a word of YHWH, you men of scorning, || Ruling this people that [is] in Jerusalem.¹⁵ Because you have said: "We have made a covenant with death, || And we have made a provision with Sheol, || An overflowing scourge, when it passes over, || Does not meet us, || Though we have made a lie our refuge, || And have been hidden in falsehood."¹⁶ Therefore, thus said Lord YHWH: "Behold, I am laying a foundation in Zion, || A stone—a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a settled foundation, || He who is believing does not make haste.¹⁷ And I have put judgment for a line, || And righteousness for a plummet, || And hail sweeps away the refuge of lies, || And waters overflow the secret hiding place.¹⁸ And your covenant with death has been annulled, || And your provision with Sheol does not stand, || An overflowing scourge, when it passes over, || Then you have been to it for a treading-place.¹⁹ From the fullness of its passing over it takes you, || For it passes over morning by morning, || By day and by night, || And it has been only a trembling to consider the report.²⁰ For the bed has been shorter || Than to stretch one's self out in, || And the covering has been narrower || Than to wrap one's self up in.²¹ For as YHWH rises [at] Mount Perazim, || As He is troubled [at] the valley in Gibeon, || To do His work—strange [is] His work, || And to do His deed—strange [is] His deed."²² And now, do not show yourselves scorners, || Lest your bands are strong, || For a consumption, that is determined, || I have heard, by the Lord, YHWH of Hosts, || [Is] for all the land.

²³ Give ear, and hear my voice, || Attend, and hear my saying:²⁴ Does the plowman plow the whole day to sow? He opens and harrows his ground!²⁵ Has he not, if he has made its face level, || Then scattered fitches, and sprinkles cummin, || And has placed the principal wheat, || And the appointed barley, || And the rie [in] its own border?²⁶ And his God instructs him for judgment, || He directs him.²⁷ For fitches are not threshed with a sharp-pointed thing, || And the wheel of a cart turned around on cummin, || For fitches are beaten out with a staff, || And cummin with a rod.²⁸ Bread-[grain] is beaten small, || For he does not severely thresh it forever, || Nor has a wheel of his cart crushed [it], || Nor do his hooves beat it small.²⁹ Even this from YHWH of Hosts has gone out, || He has made counsel wonderful, || He has made wisdom great!