1 Woe to the crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim, and to the fading flower of his glorious adornment, which is on the head of the fat valley of them that are overcome with wine.2 Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one, as a storm of hail {and} a destroying tempest; as a storm of mighty waters overflowing, shall he cast down to the earth with might.3 The crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim shall be trodden under feet;4 and the fading flower of his glorious adornment which is on the head of the fat valley shall be like an early fig before the summer: as soon as he that seeth it perceiveth it, scarcely is it in his hand, he swalloweth it down.5 In that day will Jehovah of hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty, unto the remnant of his people;6 and for a spirit of judgment to him that sitteth in judgment, and for strength to them that turn the battle to the gate.7 But these also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are they gone astray. The priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink; they are overpowered by wine, they are gone astray through strong drink; they have erred in vision, they have stumbled {in} judgment.8 For all tables are full of filthy vomit, so that there is no {more} place.9 Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand the report? Them that are weaned from the milk, withdrawn from the breasts?10 For {it is} precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, there a little. ...11 For with stammering lips and a strange tongue will he speak to this people;12 to whom he said, This is the rest: cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing. But they would not hear.13 And the word of Jehovah was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little: that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.14 Therefore hear the word of Jehovah, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem.15 For ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol have we made an 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.16 Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I lay for foundation in Zion a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner-stone, a sure foundation: he that trusteth shall not make haste.17 And I will appoint judgment for a line, and righteousness for a 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 annulled, and your agreement with Sheol shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, ye shall be trodden down by it.19 As it passeth through it shall take you; for morning by morning shall it pass through, by day and by night; and it shall be terror only to understand the report.20 For the bed is too short to stretch oneself on, and the covering too narrow when he would wrap himself in it.21 For Jehovah will rise up as on mount Perazim, he will be moved with anger as in the valley of Gibeon; that he may do his work, his strange work, and perform his act, his unwonted act.22 Now therefore be ye not scorners, lest your bonds be made strong; for I have heard from the Lord Jehovah of hosts a consumption, and {one} determined, upon the whole land.23 Give ear, and hear my voice; hearken, and hear my speech.24 Doth the ploughman plough all day to sow? Is he {all day} opening and breaking the clods of his land?25 Doth he not, when he hath levelled the face thereof, cast abroad dill, and scatter cummin, and set the wheat in rows, and the barley in an appointed place, and the rye in its border?26 His God doth instruct him in {his} judgment, he doth teach him.27 For the dill is not threshed with a threshing instrument, neither is a cart-wheel turned about upon the cummin; but dill is beaten out with a staff, and cummin with a rod.28 Bread {corn} is crushed, because he will not ever be threshing it; and if he drove the wheels of his cart and his horses {over it}, he would not crush it.29 This also cometh forth from Jehovah of hosts; he is wonderful in counsel, great in wisdom.

1 Wee die trotse kroon van die dronkaards van Efraim, en wee die blom wat verwelk, sy pronksieraad, wat daar is op die top van die vrugbare dal van hulle wat deur die wyn verslaan is.2 Kyk, die Here het een wat sterk en magtig is, soos 'n haelstorm, 'n storm vol verwoesting, soos 'n stortbui van geweldige, oorlopende waters wat teen die grond gooi met krag.3 Met voete sal vertrap word die trotse kroon van die dronkaards van Efraim;4 en die blom wat verwelk, sy pronksieraad, wat daar is op die top van die vrugbare dal, sal wees soos 'n voorvy voor die vrugte-oes: iemand sien dit skaars of, terwyl dit nog in sy hand is, sluk hy dit weg.5 In die dag sal die HERE van die leërskare wees tot 'n sierlike kroon en 'n pragtige krans vir die oorblyfsel van sy volk,6 en tot 'n gees van strafgerig vir hom wat sit oor die gereg, en tot 'n sterkte vir hulle wat die geveg terugdring na die poort toe.7 En ook die manne hier wankel deur die wyn en waggel deur sterk drank; priester en profeet wankel deur sterk drank, hulle is verward van die wyn, hulle waggel van sterk drank, hulle wankel as hulle gesigte sien, hulle waggel by die regspraak.8 Want al die tafels is vol walglike uitbraaksel, sodat daar geen plek is nie.9 Vir wie wil hy dan kennis leer, en vir wie wil hy die openbaring verstaanbaar maak? Vir die wat van die melk gespeen, wat van die moederborste weggeneem is?10 Want dit is gebod op gebod, gebod op gebod, reël op reël, reël op reël, hier 'n bietjie, daar 'n bietjie.11 Ja, Hy sal deur lippe wat hakkel, en deur 'n vreemde tong met hierdie volk spreek,12 Hy wat aan hulle gesê het: Dit is die rus, gee rus aan die vermoeides, en dit is die verkwikking. Maar hulle wou nie luister nie.13 Daarom sal die woord van die HERE vir hulle wees gebod op gebod, gebod op gebod, reël op reël, reël op reël, hier 'n bietjie, daar 'n bietjie, sodat hulle kan heengaan en agteruit struikel en verbreek en verstrik en gevang word.14 Daarom, hoor die woord van die HERE, julle spotters, heersers oor hierdie volk wat in Jerusalem is!15 Omdat julle sê: Ons het 'n verbond met die dood gesluit, en met die doderyk het ons 'n verdrag aangegaan; as die golwende g,sel deurtrek, sal hy na ons nie kom nie; want ons het die leuen ons skuilplek gemaak en ons in bedrog weggesteek --16 daarom, so sê die Here HERE: Kyk, Ek lê in Sion 'n grondsteen, 'n beproefde steen, 'n kosbare hoeksteen wat vas gegrondves is; hy wat glo, sal nie haastig wees nie.17 En Ek sal die reg tot 'n riglyn maak, en die geregtigheid tot 'n skietlood; en die hael sal die leuendak wegruk en die water die skuilplek wegspoel.18 En julle verbond met die dood sal uitgewis word, en julle verdrag met die doderyk nie standhou nie; as die golwende g,sel deurtrek, sal julle deur hom vertrap word.19 So dikwels as hy deurtrek, sal hy julle gryp; want môre vir môre sal hy deurtrek, by dag en by nag. En dit sal net verskrikking wees om so 'n openbaring te verneem.20 Want die bed sal te kort wees dat iemand hom daarop kan uitrek, en die kombers te smal dat iemand hom daarin kan toedraai.21 Want die HERE sal Hom gereed maak soos by die berg P,rasim; Hy sal aanstorm soos in die dal by G¡beon om sy werk te doen -- vreemd is sy werk! En om sy daad te verrig -- ongehoord is sy daad!22 Gedra julle dan nou nie soos spotters, dat julle bande nie vaster word nie; want ek het van die Here HERE van die leërskare gehoor 'n verdelging wat vas besluit is, oor die hele aarde.23 Luister, en hoor na my stem; let op, en hoor my woord!24 Ploeg die ploeër die hele dag om te saai? Skeur hy sy akker oop, en eg hy die hele dag?25 Is dit nie so nie: As hy dit bo-op gelykgemaak het, gooi hy swart komyn uit en strooi komyn en saai koring in rye en gars in vakke en spelt langs die kant.26 En sy God het hom onderrig hoe om dit te doen, Hy leer hom.27 Want swart komyn word nie met die slee gedors nie, en die wawiel word nie oor komyn gerol nie; maar swart komyn word uitgeslaan met 'n stok en komyn met 'n hout.28 Word broodkoring fyngestamp? Nee, nie altyddeur dors hulle dit nie; en al dryf hulle die wawiel en die perde daaroor -- hulle stamp dit nie fyn nie.29 Ook dit kom van die HERE van die leërskare: Hy is wonderbaar van raad, groot van beleid.