Isaiah 28 - GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

Ephraim Will Fall

28 How horrible it will be for the arrogant drunks of Ephraim.
Their glorious beauty is ⌞like⌟ a withered flower.
They are at the entrance to a fertile valley
where they lie drunk from wine.
2 The Lord has one who is strong and powerful.
He is like a hailstorm, a destructive wind.
He is like a thunderstorm, an overwhelming flood.
He will throw them to the ground forcefully.
3 The arrogant drunks of Ephraim will be trampled underfoot.
4 Their glorious beauty is ⌞like⌟ a withered flower.
They are at the entrance to a fertile valley.
They will be like figs that ripened early.
As soon as someone sees them,
they will be taken and eaten.

5 When that day comes, the Lord of Armies will be
like a glorious crown for his few remaining people.
6 He will give a spirit of justice to those who judge.
He will give strength to those who defend the city gates in battle.

7 Priests and prophets stagger from wine and wobble from too much liquor.
They stagger from too much liquor
and become confused from too much wine.
They wobble because of their liquor.
They stagger when they see visions.
They swerve as they judge.
8 All the tables are covered with vomit and excrement.
There isn’t a clean place left.
9 To whom will they make the message understood?
To whom will they explain this message?
To children just weaned from milk?
To those just taken from their ⌞mother’s⌟ breasts?
10 They speak utter nonsense.[a]

11 The Lord will speak to these people.
He will mock them by speaking in a foreign language.
12 He will say to them,
“This is a place for comfort.
This is a place of rest for those who are tired.
This is a place for them to rest.”
But they weren’t willing to listen.
13 The Lord speaks utter nonsense to them.
That is why they will fall backwards.
That is why they will be hurt, trapped, and captured.

A Message to Jerusalem

14 So hear the Lord’s word, you foolish talkers
who rule the people in Jerusalem.
15 You say, “We made a treaty with death
and an agreement with the grave.
When the overwhelming disaster passes by,
it won’t matter to us,
because we have taken refuge in our lies,
and falsehood is our hiding place.”

16 This is what the Almighty Lord says:

I am going to lay a rock in Zion,
a rock that has been tested,
a precious cornerstone,
a solid foundation.
Whoever believes ⌞in him⌟ will not worry.
17 I will make justice a measuring line
and righteousness a plumb line.
Hail will sweep away your refuge of lies,
and floodwaters will wash away your hiding place.
18 Your treaty with death will be wiped away.
Your agreement with the grave will not stand.
When the overwhelming disaster passes by,
you will be trampled by it.
19 Each time it passes by it will take you.
It will pass by morning after morning,
during the day and during the night.
Understanding this message brings only terror.
20 The bed is too short to stretch out on.
The blanket is too narrow to serve as a cover.
21 The Lord will rise as he did on Mount Perazim.
He will wake up as he did in Gibeon Valley.
He will do his work, his unexpected work,
and perform his deeds, his mysterious deeds.
22 Now stop laughing, or your chains will be tightened,
because I have heard that the Almighty Lord of Armies
has finally determined to destroy the whole land.

23 Open your ears, and listen to me!
Pay attention, and hear me!
24 Does a farmer go on plowing every day so he can plant?
Does he continue to break up the soil and make furrows in the ground?
25 When he has smoothed its surface,
doesn’t he scatter black cumin seed and plant cumin?
Doesn’t he plant wild wheat in rows?
Doesn’t he put barley in its own area
and winter wheat at its borders?
26 God will guide him in judgment,
and his God will teach him.

27 Black cumin isn’t threshed [b] with a sledge,
and wagon wheels aren’t rolled over cumin.
Black cumin is beaten with a rod
and cumin with a stick.
28 Grain is ground into flour, but the grinding eventually stops.
It will be threshed.
The wheels of his cart will roll over it,
but his horses won’t crush it.
29 All of this has come from the Lord of Armies.
His counsel is wonderful, and his wisdom is great.

Footnotes

  1. 28:10 Or “Command for command, command for command, line for line, line for line, a little here, a little there.” Also in verse 13.
  2. 28:27 Threshing is the process of beating stalks to separate them from the grain.

You Might Also Like:

Isaiah 28 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

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 ...
Read More

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...
Read More

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...
Read More

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...
Read More

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...
Read More

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...
Read More

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...
Read More

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...
Read More

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...
Read More

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...
Read More

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...
Read More

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...
Read More

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...
Read More

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...
Read More

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...
Read More

Isaiah 28 - New English Translation (NET)

The Lord Will Judge Ephraim28 The splendid crown of Ephraim’s drunkards is doomed,[a]the withering flower, its beautiful splendor,[b]situated[c] at the head of a rich valley,the crown of those overcome with wine.[d]2 Look, the Lord[e] sends a strong, powerful one.[f]With the force of a hailstorm or ...
Read More