Isaiah 28 - Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

Woe to Samaria

28 Woe to the majestic crown of Ephraim’s drunkards,(A)
and to the fading flower of its beautiful splendor,
which is on the summit above the rich valley.
Woe to those overcome with wine.
2 Look, the Lord has a strong and mighty one(B)
like a devastating hail storm,
like a storm with strong flooding water.
He will bring it across the land with his hand.
3 The majestic crown of Ephraim’s drunkards
will be trampled underfoot.
4 The fading flower of his beautiful splendor,
which is on the summit above the rich valley,
will be like a ripe fig before the summer harvest.(C)
Whoever sees it will swallow it
while it is still in his hand.
5 On that day
the Lord of Armies will become a crown of beauty
and a diadem of splendor(D)
to the remnant of his people,
6 a spirit of justice
to the one who sits in judgment,(E)
and strength
to those who repel attacks at the city gate.

7 Even these stagger because of wine
and stumble under the influence of beer:
Priest and prophet stagger because of beer.
They are confused by wine.(F)
They stumble because of beer.
They are muddled in their visions.
They stumble in their judgments.
8 Indeed, all their tables are covered with vomit;
there is no place without a stench.
9 Who is he trying to teach?
Who is he trying to instruct?
Infants[a] just weaned from milk?
Babies[b] removed from the breast?
10 “Law after law, law after law,
line after line, line after line,
a little here, a little there.”[c]
11 For he will speak to this people
with stammering speech
and in a foreign language.(G)
12 He had said to them,
“This is the place of rest;
let the weary rest;(H)
this is the place of repose.”
But they would not listen.

13 The word of the Lord will come to them:
“Law after law, law after law,
line after line, line after line,
a little here, a little there,”
so they go stumbling backward,
to be broken, trapped, and captured.(I)

A Deal with Death

14 Therefore hear the word of the Lord,(J) you scoffers(K)
who rule this people in Jerusalem.
15 For you said, “We have made a covenant with Death,
and we have an agreement with Sheol;
when the overwhelming catastrophe[d] passes through,(L)
it will not touch us,
because we have made falsehood our refuge
and have hidden behind treachery.”
16 Therefore the Lord God said:
“Look, I have laid a stone(M) in Zion,
a tested stone,
a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation;(N)
the one who believes will be unshakable.[e](O)
17 And I will make justice the measuring line
and righteousness the mason’s level.”(P)
Hail will sweep away the false refuge,
and water will flood your hiding place.
18 Your covenant with Death will be dissolved,
and your agreement with Sheol will not last.
When the overwhelming catastrophe passes through,
you will be trampled.
19 Every time it passes through,
it will carry you away;
it will pass through every morning—
every day and every night.
Only terror(Q) will cause you
to understand the message.[f]
20 Indeed, the bed is too short to stretch out on,
and its cover too small to wrap up in.
21 For the Lord will rise up as he did at Mount Perazim.(R)
He will rise in wrath, as at the Valley of Gibeon,(S)
to do his work, his unexpected work,
and to perform his task, his unfamiliar task.
22 So now, do not scoff,
or your shackles will become stronger.
Indeed, I have heard from the Lord God of Armies
a decree of destruction for the whole land.(T)

God’s Wonderful Advice

23 Listen and hear my voice.
Pay attention and hear what I say.
24 Does the plowman plow every day to plant seed?
Does he continuously break up and cultivate the soil?
25 When he has leveled its surface,
does he not then scatter black cumin and sow cumin?
He plants wheat in rows and barley in plots,
with spelt as their border.
26 His God teaches him order;
he instructs him.
27 Certainly black cumin is not threshed
with a threshing board,
and a cart wheel is not rolled over the cumin.
But black cumin is beaten out with a stick,
and cumin with a rod.
28 Bread grain is crushed,
but is not threshed endlessly.
Though the wheel of the farmer’s cart rumbles,
his horses do not crush it.
29 This also comes from the Lord of Armies.
He gives wondrous advice;
he gives great wisdom.(U)

Footnotes

  1. 28:9 Lit Those
  2. 28:9 Lit Those
  3. 28:10 Hb obscure, also in v. 13
  4. 28:15 Or whip; Hb obscure, also in v. 18
  5. 28:16 Lit will not hurry
  6. 28:19 Or The understanding of the message will cause sheer terror

Cross references

  1. 28:1 : Is 28:7; Hs 7:5
  2. 28:2 : Is 8:7; 40:10
  3. 28:4 : Hs 9:10; Mc 7:1; Nah 3:12
  4. 28:5 : Is 62:3
  5. 28:6 : 1Kg 3:28; Is 11:2; 32:1,15–16; Jn 5:30
  6. 28:7 : Is 5:11,22; 9:15; 22:13; 56:12; Hs 4:11
  7. 28:11–12 : Is 5:26–29; 33:19; 1Co 14:21
  8. 28:12 : Is 11:10; 30:15; 32:17–18; Jr 6:16; Mt 11:28–29
  9. 28:13 : Is 8:15; Mt 21:44
  10. 28:14 : Is 1:10; 39:5,8; 66:5
  11. 28:14 : Is 29:20
  12. 28:15 : Is 8:7–8
  13. 28:16 : Is 8:14; 26:4
  14. 28:16 : Mt 21:42; Mk 12:10; Lk 20:17; Ac 4:11; 1Co 3:11; Eph 2:20
  15. 28:16 : Rm 9:33; 1Pt 2:6
  16. 28:17 : 2Kg 21:13; Is 5:16; 30:18; 61:8; Am 7:7–9
  17. 28:19 : 2Ch 29:8; Jr 15:4; 24:9; 29:18
  18. 28:21 : 2Sm 5:20; 1Ch 14:11
  19. 28:21 : Jos 10:10,12; 2Sm 5:25; 1Ch 14:16
  20. 28:22 : Is 10:22–23; Rm 9:27–28
  21. 28:29 : Is 9:6; Jr 32:19

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28 Wo [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 Lo, a mighty and strong one [is] to the Lord, As a storm of hail -- a destructive shower, As an inundation of mighty waters ...
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Isaiah 28 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

28 Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunken men of Ephraim, and to the flower falling down of the glory of the full out joying thereof, that were in the top of the fattest valley, and erred of wine. (Woe to the crown of pride of the drunken men of Ephraim, and to the declining glory, or the diminis...
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Isaiah 28 - World English Bible (WEB)

28 Woe 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 fertile valley of those who are overcome with wine! 2 Behold, the Lord has a mighty and strong one. Like a storm of hail, a destroying storm, and like a storm of mi...
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Isaiah 28 - The Voice (VOICE)

28 Oh, it will be bad for you drunkards of Ephraim. That once proud elegance of yoursNow droops and falls like a fading flower. You leaders of the fertile valley are now drowning in your own wine. Samaria overlooks the finest land in Israel. But these are the last days for this fading flower because...
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Isaiah 28 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

A Cornerstone of Zion28 Oy, the proud crown of Ephraim’s drunks!Its glorious beauty is a fading flower,which is at the head of the fertile valleys of those overcome with wine!2 Behold, Adonai is strong and mighty,like a hailstorm, a destructive tempest,like a downpour of overflowing water,He hurls i...
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Isaiah 28 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

Judgment on Corrupt Rulers, Priests, and Prophets28 Woe to the proud crown of the drunkards of E′phraim, and to the fading flower of its glorious beauty, which is on the head of the rich valley of those overcome with wine!2 Behold, the Lord has one who is mighty and strong; like a storm of hail, a d...
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Isaiah 28 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Judgment on Corrupt Rulers, Priests, and Prophets28 Woe to the proud crown of the drunkards of E′phraim, and to the fading flower of its glorious beauty, which is on the head of the rich valley of those overcome with wine!2 Behold, the Lord has one who is mighty and strong; like a storm of hail, a d...
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Isaiah 28 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

Judgement on Corrupt Rulers, Priests, and Prophets28 Ah, the proud garland of the drunkards of Ephraim, and the fading flower of its glorious beauty, which is on the head of those bloated with rich food, of those overcome with wine!2 See, the Lord has one who is mighty and strong; like a storm of ha...
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Isaiah 28 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Judgment on Corrupt Rulers, Priests, and Prophets28 Woe to the proud garland of the drunkards of Ephraim and the fading flower of its glorious beauty, at the head of the fertile valley, those overcome with wine!(A)2 See, the Lord has one who is mighty and strong, like a storm of hail, a destroying t...
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Isaiah 28 - New Living Translation (NLT)

A Message about Samaria28 What sorrow awaits the proud city of Samaria— the glorious crown of the drunks of Israel.[a]It sits at the head of a fertile valley, but its glorious beauty will fade like a flower.It is the pride of a people brought down by wine.2 For the Lord will send a mighty army again...
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Isaiah 28 - New Life Version (NLV)

Time of Trouble for Ephraim and Jerusalem28 It is a time of trouble to the crown of pride and to the drunk men of Ephraim, whose shining beauty is a dying flower. It is at the head of the rich valley of those who have taken too much wine! 2 See, the Lord has one who is strong and powerful, like a s...
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Isaiah 28 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Woe to Ephraim and Jerusalem28 Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim,Whose glorious beauty is a fading flowerWhich is at the head of the [a]verdant valleys,To those who are overcome with wine!2 Behold, the Lord has a mighty and strong one,(A)Like a tempest of hail and a destroying s...
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Isaiah 28 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

Woe to the leaders of Ephraim and Judah28 Woe to that wreath, the pride of Ephraim’s drunkards, to the fading flower, his glorious beauty,set on the head of a fertile valley – to that city, the pride of those laid low by wine!2 See, the Lord has one who is powerful and strong. Like a hailstorm and a...
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Isaiah 28 - New International Version (NIV)

Woe to the Leaders of Ephraim and Judah28 Woe(A) to that wreath, the pride of Ephraim’s(B) drunkards, to the fading flower, his glorious beauty,set on the head of a fertile valley(C)— to that city, the pride of those laid low by wine!(D)2 See, the Lord has one who is powerful(E) and strong. Like a h...
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Isaiah 28 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

The Lord Will Judge the Leaders of Ephraim and Judah28 How terrible it will be for the city of Samaria! It sits on a hill like a wreath of flowers.The leaders of Ephraim are drunk. They take pride in their city.It sits above a valley that has rich soil. How terrible it will be for the glorious beaut...
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Isaiah 28 - New English Translation (NET)

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