Isaiah 28:1-13

English Standard Version

Judgment on Ephraim and Jerusalem

28 Ah, the proud crown of ^(A)the drunkards of Ephraim,
    and the fading flower of its glorious beauty,
    which is on the head of the rich valley of those overcome with wine!
²Behold, the Lord has ^(B)one who is mighty and strong;
    like a storm of hail, a destroying tempest,
like ^(C)a storm of mighty, overflowing waters,
    he casts down to the earth with his hand.
³^(D)The proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim
    will be trodden underfoot;
⁴^(E)and the fading flower of its glorious beauty,
    which is on the head of the rich valley,
will be like ^(F)a first-ripe fig^[a] before the summer:
    when someone sees it, he swallows it
    as soon as it is in his hand.

⁵^(G)In that day the Lord of hosts will be a crown of glory,^[b]
and a diadem of beauty, to the remnant of his people,
⁶and ^(H)a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment,
and ^(I)strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.

⁷^(J)These also reel with wine
    and ^(K)stagger with strong drink;
the priest and ^(L)the prophet reel with strong drink,
    they are swallowed by^[c] wine,
    they stagger with strong drink,
they reel in vision,
    they stumble in giving judgment.
⁸For all tables are full of filthy vomit,
    with no space left.

⁹^(M)“To whom will he teach knowledge,
    and to whom will he explain the message?
Those who are weaned from the milk,
    those taken from the breast?
¹⁰For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept,
    line upon line, line upon line,
    here a little, there a little.”

¹¹^(N)For by people of strange lips
    and with a foreign tongue
the Lord will speak to this people,
¹²    to whom he has said,
^(O)“This is rest;
    give rest to the weary;
and this is repose”;
    yet they would not hear.
¹³And the word of the Lord will be to them
precept upon precept, precept upon precept,
    line upon line, line upon line,
    here a little, there a little,
^(P)that they may go, and fall backward,
    and be broken, and snared, and taken.