“Who is it he is trying to teach?(A)
    To whom is he explaining his message?(B)
To children weaned(C) from their milk,(D)
    to those just taken from the breast?
10 For it is:
    Do this, do that,
    a rule for this, a rule for that[a];
    a little here, a little there.(E)

11 Very well then, with foreign lips and strange tongues(F)
    God will speak to this people,(G)
12 to whom he said,
    “This is the resting place, let the weary rest”;(H)
and, “This is the place of repose”—
    but they would not listen.
13 So then, the word of the Lord to them will become:
    Do this, do that,
    a rule for this, a rule for that;
    a little here, a little there(I)
so that as they go they will fall backward;
    they will be injured(J) and snared and captured.(K)

14 Therefore hear the word of the Lord,(L) you scoffers(M)
    who rule this people in Jerusalem.
15 You boast, “We have entered into a covenant with death,(N)
    with the realm of the dead we have made an agreement.
When an overwhelming scourge sweeps by,(O)
    it cannot touch us,
for we have made a lie(P) our refuge
    and falsehood[b] our hiding place.(Q)

16 So this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“See, I lay a stone in Zion,(R) a tested stone,(S)
    a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation;(T)
the one who relies on it
    will never be stricken with panic.(U)
17 I will make justice(V) the measuring line
    and righteousness the plumb line;(W)
hail(X) will sweep away your refuge, the lie,
    and water will overflow(Y) your hiding place.
18 Your covenant with death will be annulled;
    your agreement with the realm of the dead will not stand.(Z)
When the overwhelming scourge sweeps by,(AA)
    you will be beaten down(AB) by it.
19 As often as it comes it will carry you away;(AC)
    morning after morning,(AD) by day and by night,
    it will sweep through.”

The understanding of this message
    will bring sheer terror.(AE)
20 The bed is too short to stretch out on,
    the blanket too narrow to wrap around you.(AF)
21 The Lord will rise up as he did at Mount Perazim,(AG)
    he will rouse himself as in the Valley of Gibeon(AH)
to do his work,(AI) his strange work,
    and perform his task, his alien task.
22 Now stop your mocking,(AJ)
    or your chains will become heavier;
the Lord, the Lord Almighty, has told me
    of the destruction decreed(AK) against the whole land.(AL)

Read full chapter

“To (A)whom would He teach knowledge,
And to whom would He interpret the message?
Those just (B)weaned from milk?
Those just taken from the breast?
10 For He says,
[a](C)Order on order, order on order,
Line on line, line on line,
A little here, a little there.’”
11 Indeed, He will speak to this people
Through (D)stammering lips and a foreign tongue,
12 He who said to them, “This is the (E)place of quiet, give rest to the weary,”
And, “This is the resting place,” but they would not listen.
13 So the word of the Lord to them will be,
[b]Order on order, order on order,
Line on line, line on line,
A little here, a little there,”
That they may go and (F)stumble backward, be broken, snared, and taken captive.

Judah Is Warned

14 Therefore, (G)hear the word of the Lord, you (H)scoffers,
Who rule this people who are in Jerusalem,
15 Because you have said, “We have made a (I)covenant with death,
And with [c]Sheol we have made a [d]pact.
(J)The [e]gushing flood will not reach us when it passes by,
Because we have made (K)falsehood our refuge and we have (L)concealed ourselves with deception.”

16 Therefore this is what the Lord [f]God says:

(M)Behold, I am laying a stone in Zion, a tested (N)stone,
A precious cornerstone for the foundation, [g]firmly placed.
The one who believes in it will not be [h]disturbed.
17 I will make (O)justice the measuring line
And righteousness the level;
Then (P)hail will sweep away the refuge of lies,
And the waters will overflow the secret place.
18 Your (Q)covenant with death will be [i](R)canceled,
And your pact with Sheol will not stand;
When the (S)[j]gushing flood passes through,
Then you will become its (T)trampling ground.
19 As (U)often as it passes through, it will [k]seize you;
For (V)morning after morning it will pass through, anytime during the day or night,
And it will be [l]sheer (W)terror to understand [m]what it means.”
20 The bed is too short on which to stretch out,
And the (X)blanket is too [n]small to wrap oneself in.
21 For the Lord will rise up as at Mount (Y)Perazim,
He will be stirred up as in the Valley of (Z)Gibeon,
To do His (AA)task, His [o](AB)unusual task,
And to work His work, His [p]extraordinary work.
22 And now do not carry on as (AC)scoffers,
Or your shackles will be made stronger;
For I have heard from the Lord [q]God of armies
Of decisive (AD)destruction on all the earth.

Read full chapter