Isaiah 28 - Good News Translation (GNT)

A Warning to the Northern Kingdom

28 The kingdom of Israel is doomed! Its glory is fading like the crowns of flowers on the heads of its drunken leaders. Their proud heads are well perfumed, but there they lie, dead drunk. 2 The Lord has someone strong and powerful ready to attack them, someone who will come like a hailstorm, like a torrent of rain, like a rushing, overpowering flood, and will overwhelm the land. 3 The pride of those drunken leaders will be trampled underfoot. 4 The fading glory of those proud leaders will disappear like the first figs of the season, picked and eaten as soon as they are ripe.

5 A day is coming when the Lord Almighty will be like a glorious crown of flowers for his people who survive. 6 He will give a sense of justice to those who serve as judges, and courage to those who defend the city gates from attack.

Isaiah and the Drunken Prophets of Judah

7 Even the prophets and the priests are so drunk that they stagger. They have drunk so much wine and liquor that they stumble in confusion. The prophets are too drunk to understand the visions that God sends, and the priests are too drunk to decide the cases that are brought to them. 8 The tables where they sit are all covered with vomit, and not a clean spot is left.

9 They complain about me. They say, “Who does that man think he's teaching? Who needs his message? It's only good for babies that have just stopped nursing! 10 He is trying to teach us letter by letter, line by line, lesson by lesson.”

11 (A)If you won't listen to me, then God will use foreigners speaking some strange-sounding language to teach you a lesson. 12 He offered rest and comfort to all of you, but you refused to listen to him. 13 That is why the Lord is going to teach you letter by letter, line by line, lesson by lesson. Then you will stumble with every step you take. You will be wounded, trapped, and taken prisoner.

A Cornerstone for Zion

14 Now you arrogant leaders who rule here in Jerusalem over this people, listen to what the Lord is saying. 15 (B)You boast that you have made a treaty with death and reached an agreement with the world of the dead. You are certain that disaster will spare you when it comes, because you depend on lies and deceit to keep you safe. 16 (C)This, now, is what the Sovereign Lord says: “I am placing in Zion a foundation that is firm and strong. In it I am putting a solid cornerstone on which are written the words, ‘Faith that is firm is also patient.’ 17 Justice will be the measuring line for the foundation, and honesty will be its plumb line.”

Hailstorms will sweep away all the lies you depend on, and floods will destroy your security. 18 The treaty you have made with death will be abolished, and your agreement with the world of the dead will be canceled. When disaster sweeps down, you will be overcome. 19 It will strike you again and again, morning after morning. You will have to bear it day and night. Each new message from God will bring new terror! 20 You will be like the person in the proverb, who tries to sleep in a bed too short to stretch out on, with a blanket too narrow to wrap himself in. 21 (D)The Lord will fight as he did at Mount Perazim and in the valley of Gibeon, in order to do what he intends to do—strange as his actions may seem. He will complete his work, his mysterious work.

22 Don't laugh at the warning I am giving you! If you do, it will be even harder for you to escape. I have heard the Lord Almighty's decision to destroy the whole country.

God's Wisdom

23 Listen to what I am saying; pay attention to what I am telling you. 24 Farmers don't constantly plow their fields and keep getting them ready for planting. 25 Once they have prepared the soil, they plant the seeds of herbs such as dill and cumin. They plant rows of wheat and barley,[a] and at the edges of their fields they plant other grain. 26 They know how to do their work, because God has taught them. 27 They never use a heavy club to beat out dill seeds or cumin seeds; instead they use light sticks of the proper size. 28 They do not ruin the wheat by threshing it endlessly, and they know how to thresh it by driving a cart over it without bruising the grains. 29 All this wisdom comes from the Lord Almighty. The plans God makes are wise, and they always succeed.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 28:25 Hebrew has an additional word, the meaning of which is unclear.

Cross references

  1. Isaiah 28:11 : 1Cor 14:21
  2. Isaiah 28:15 : Wis 1:16; Sir 14:12
  3. Isaiah 28:16 : Ps 118:22; Ps 118:23; Rom 9:33; Isa 10:11; 1Pet 2:6
  4. Isaiah 28:21 : 2Sam 5:20; 1Chr 14:11; Isa 28:21; Josh 10:10-Josh 10:12

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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 ...
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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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