⁶ “Because this people has rejected^(K)
    the gently flowing waters of Shiloah^(L)
and rejoices over Rezin
    and the son of Remaliah,^(M)
7 therefore the Lord is about to bring against them
    the mighty floodwaters^(N) of the Euphrates—
    the king of Assyria^(O) with all his pomp.^(P)
It will overflow all its channels,
    run over all its banks^(Q)
8 and sweep on into Judah, swirling over it,^(R)
    passing through it and reaching up to the neck.
Its outspread wings^(S) will cover the breadth of your land,
    Immanuel^[b]!”^(T)

⁹ Raise the war cry,^[c](U) you nations, and be shattered!^(V)
    Listen, all you distant lands.
Prepare^(W) for battle, and be shattered!
    Prepare for battle, and be shattered!
¹⁰ Devise your strategy, but it will be thwarted;^(X)
    propose your plan, but it will not stand,^(Y)
    for God is with us.^[d](Z)

¹² “Do not call conspiracy^(AC)
    everything this people calls a conspiracy;
do not fear what they fear,^(AD)
    and do not dread it.^(AE)
13 The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy,^(AF)
    he is the one you are to fear,^(AG)
    he is the one you are to dread.^(AH)
14 He will be a holy place;^(AI)
    for both Israel and Judah he will be
a stone^(AJ) that causes people to stumble^(AK)
    and a rock that makes them fall.^(AL)
And for the people of Jerusalem he will be
    a trap and a snare.^(AM)
15 Many of them will stumble;^(AN)
    they will fall and be broken,
    they will be snared and captured.”

¹⁶ Bind up this testimony of warning^(AO)
    and seal^(AP) up God’s instruction among my disciples.
¹⁷ I will wait^(AQ) for the Lord,
    who is hiding^(AR) his face from the descendants of Jacob.
I will put my trust in him.^(AS)

⁵ In that day^(M) the Lord Almighty
    will be a glorious^(N) crown,^(O)
a beautiful wreath
    for the remnant^(P) of his people.
⁶ He will be a spirit of justice^(Q)
    to the one who sits in judgment,^(R)
a source of strength
    to those who turn back the battle^(S) at the gate.

⁷ And these also stagger^(T) from wine^(U)
    and reel^(V) from beer:
Priests^(W) and prophets^(X) stagger from beer
    and are befuddled with wine;
they reel from beer,
    they stagger when seeing visions,^(Y)
    they stumble when rendering decisions.
⁸ All the tables are covered with vomit^(Z)
    and there is not a spot without filth.

⁹ “Who is it he is trying to teach?^(AA)
    To whom is he explaining his message?^(AB)
To children weaned^(AC) from their milk,^(AD)
    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.^(AE)”

¹¹ Very well then, with foreign lips and strange tongues^(AF)
    God will speak to this people,^(AG)
12 to whom he said,
    “This is the resting place, let the weary rest”;^(AH)
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^(AI)—
so that as they go they will fall backward;
    they will be injured^(AJ) and snared and captured.^(AK)

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

“See, I lay a stone in Zion,^(AR) a tested stone,^(AS)
    a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation;^(AT)
the one who relies on it
    will never be stricken with panic.^(AU)
17 I will make justice^(AV) the measuring line
    and righteousness the plumb line;^(AW)
hail^(AX) will sweep away your refuge, the lie,
    and water will overflow^(AY) your hiding place.
¹⁸ Your covenant with death will be annulled;
    your agreement with the realm of the dead will not stand.^(AZ)
When the overwhelming scourge sweeps by,^(BA)
    you will be beaten down^(BB) by it.
¹⁹ As often as it comes it will carry you away;^(BC)
    morning after morning,^(BD) by day and by night,
    it will sweep through.”

The understanding of this message
    will bring sheer terror.^(BE)
20 The bed is too short to stretch out on,
    the blanket too narrow to wrap around you.^(BF)
21 The Lord will rise up as he did at Mount Perazim,^(BG)
    he will rouse himself as in the Valley of Gibeon^(BH)—
to do his work,^(BI) his strange work,
    and perform his task, his alien task.
²² Now stop your mocking,^(BJ)
    or your chains will become heavier;
the Lord, the Lord Almighty, has told me
    of the destruction decreed^(BK) against the whole land.^(BL)

²³ Listen^(BM) and hear my voice;
    pay attention and hear what I say.
²⁴ When a farmer plows for planting,^(BN) does he plow continually?
    Does he keep on breaking up and working the soil?
²⁵ When he has leveled the surface,
    does he not sow caraway and scatter cumin?^(BO)
Does he not plant wheat in its place,^[c]
    barley^(BP) in its plot,^[d]
    and spelt^(BQ) in its field?
²⁶ His God instructs him
    and teaches^(BR) him the right way.

²⁷ Caraway is not threshed^(BS) with a sledge,^(BT)
    nor is the wheel of a cart rolled over cumin;
caraway is beaten out with a rod,^(BU)
    and cumin with a stick.
²⁸ Grain must be ground to make bread;
    so one does not go on threshing it forever.
The wheels of a threshing cart^(BV) may be rolled over it,
    but one does not use horses to grind grain.
²⁹ All this also comes from the Lord Almighty,
    whose plan is wonderful,^(BW)
    whose wisdom is magnificent.^(BX)