1Woe to the crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim, and to the fading flower of his glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley of those who are overcome with wine! 2Behold, the Lord has a mighty and strong one; as a tempest of hail, a destroying storm, as a tempest of mighty waters overflowing, he will cast down to the earth with the hand. 3The crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim shall be trodden under foot: 4and the fading flower of his glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley, shall be as the first-ripe fig before the summer; which, when he who looks upon it sees it, he eats it up while it is yet in his hand. 5In that day Yehovah of hosts will become a crown of glory, and a diadem of beauty, to the remnant of his people; 6and a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment, and strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate. 7And even these reel with wine, and stagger with strong drink; the priest and the prophet reel with strong drink, they are swallowed up by wine, they stagger with strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment. 8For all tables are full of vomit and filthiness, so that there is no place clean. 9Whom will he teach knowledge? and whom will he make to understand the message? those who are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts? 10For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, there a little. 11No, but by men of strange lips and with another tongue he will speak to this people; 12to whom he said, This is the rest, give rest to him who is weary; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear. 13Therefore the word of Yehovah shall be to them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, there a little; that they may go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken. 14Therefore hear the word of Yehovah, you scoffers, who rule this people that is in Jerusalem: 15Because you have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol we are in agreement; when the overflowing scourge passes through, it shall not come to us; for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood we have hidden ourselves: 16therefore thus says the Lord Yehovah, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner-stone of sure foundation: he who believes shall not be in haste. 17And I will make justice the line, and righteousness the plummet; and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding-place. 18And your covenant with death shall be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge passes through, then you shall be trodden down by it. 19As often as it passes through, it shall take you; for morning by morning it shall pass through, by day and by night: and it shall be nothing but terror to understand the message. 20For the bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself on it; and the covering narrower than that he can wrap himself in it. 21For Yehovah will rise up as in mount Perazim, he will be angry as in the valley of Gibeon; that he may do his work, his strange work, and bring to pass his act, his strange act. 22Now therefore do not be scoffers, lest your bonds be made strong; for a decree of destruction I have heard from the Lord, Yehovah of hosts, upon the whole earth. 23Give ear, and hear my voice; listen, and hear my speech. 24Does he who plows to sow plow continually? does he continually open and harrow his ground? 25When he has leveled its surface, does he not cast abroad the dill, and scatter the cummin, and put in the wheat in rows, and the barley in the appointed place, and the spelt at its border? 26For his God instructs him rightly, and teaches him. 27For the dill is not threshed with a sharp threshing instrument, nor is a cart wheel turned about upon the cummin; but the dill is beaten out with a staff, and the cummin with a rod. 28Bread grain is ground; for he will not be always threshing it: and though the wheel of his cart and his horses scatter it, he does not grind it. 29This also comes forth from Yehovah of hosts, who is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in wisdom.