以赛亚书 28
Chinese New Version (Simplified)
警告以法莲
28 以法莲那些醉汉所戴的高傲冠冕，有祸了！
它在肥美谷山顶上的荣美，有祸了！
它必如将残的花朵，
满了喝醉酒的人。
2 看哪！主有一个大能大力的人，
像一阵冰雹、一阵毁灭的暴风，
像涨溢猛流的大水，
他必用手把它摔落地上。
3 以法莲的醉汉所戴的高傲冠冕，必被践踏在脚下。
4 它在肥美谷山顶上如将残的花朵一般的荣美，
必像夏天以前初熟的无花果。
那些看见它的人，都必注意；
一到手里，
就把它吞吃了。
警告耶路撒冷的领袖
5 到那日，
万军之耶和华必作他余民荣耀的冠冕、美丽的华冠，
6 也必作在位上施行审判者公平的心灵，
并作在城门口击退敌人者的力量。
7 就是这地的人，也因酒摇晃不定，
因浓酒东倒西歪；
祭司和先知都因浓酒摇晃不定，
被酒弄至昏乱，因浓酒东倒西歪。
他们见异象的时候，摇晃不定，
他们判断的时候，也颠颠倒倒。
8 因为各席上都满了污秽的呕吐，没有一处是干净的。
9 他们说：
“他要把知识教导谁呢？
要使谁明白他所传的信息呢？
是那些刚断奶，
刚离开母怀的吗？
10 因为他所说的，
只是些重复又重复的话，
和毫无意义的字母，
这里一点，那里一点罢了。”
11 耶和华要借着外族人的嘴唇和外族人的舌头，
对这人民说话。
12 他曾对他们说：“这就是安息之处，你们若使疲乏的人得安息，就必得着这安歇的地方。”
但他们不肯听从。
13 所以耶和华对他们所说的话，
就成了重复又重复的话，
和毫无意义的字母，
这里一点，那里一点，
以致他们虽然往前走，却必仰面跌倒，并且跌伤，陷入网罗被缠住。
锡安的基石
14 因此好讥笑人的人哪！
就是管辖这些在耶路撒冷的人民的，
你们要听耶和华的话。
15 因为你们曾说：“我们与死亡立了约，
与阴间结了盟；
刑罚的鞭子扫过的时候，必不会碰到我们，
因为我们以谎言作遮蔽，以虚假作庇护。”
16 所以主耶和华这样说：
“看哪！我在锡安放置一块石头，
是试验过的石头，
是稳固的基石，宝贵的房角石；
信靠的人，必不着急。
17 我要以公平为准绳，
以公义为线铊；
冰雹必把谎言的遮蔽冲去，
大水必漫过庇护所。”
18 你们与死亡所立的约要废除，
你们与阴间所结的盟必立不住；
刑罚的鞭子扫过的时候，
你们就必被践踏。
19 每次扫过的时候，都把你们抓去；
因为每早晨它必漫过，白天与黑夜也是这样；
人若明白所传的，必受惊恐。
20 床铺太短，人就不能伸直，
被窝太窄，就盖不住全身。
21 耶和华必像在毘拉心山一样兴起，
又像在基遍谷一样发怒，
为要作成他的工，他那奇妙的工，
好成就他的事，就是奇异的事。
22 现在，你们不可再讥笑了，
免得捆绑你们的绳索绑得更紧，
因为我从主万军之耶和华那里听到，
决定要在全地上施行毁灭的事。
农务的比喻
23 你们要侧耳听我的声音，
留心听我的话。
24 农夫怎会不断耕犁来撒种呢？
他怎会常常开垦耕地呢？
25 他犁平了地面，
不就撒种小茴香，播种大茴香，
按行列种小麦，
在指定的地方种大麦，在田边种粗麦吗？
26 因为他的 神教导他，指教他正确的方法。
27 打小茴香是不用尖耙的，
轧大茴香也不用碾轮；
而是用杖打小茴香，用棍打大茴香。
28 做饼的谷粒怎么要碾碎的呢？
从来没有人碾碎它们，
虽然他让车轮和马匹辊过谷粒，
却不会把他们碾碎。
29 这也是出于万军之耶和华，
他的谋略奇妙，他的智慧广大。
Isaiah 28
Easy-to-Read Version
Warnings to Northern Israel
28 Look at Samaria!
The drunks of Ephraim are proud of that city.
It sits on a hill with a rich valley around it.
The Samarians think their city is a beautiful crown of flowers.
But they are drunk with wine,
and this “beautiful crown” is just a dying plant.
2 Look, the Lord has someone who is strong and brave.
He will come into the country like a storm of hail and rain.
Like a powerful river of water flooding the country,
he will throw that crown[a] down to the ground.
3 The drunks of Ephraim are proud of their beautiful crown,
but that city will be trampled down.
4 That city sits on a hill with a rich valley around it.
But that beautiful crown of flowers is just a dying plant.
It will be like the first figs of summer.
As soon as someone sees a ripe one, they pick it and eat it.
5 At that time the Lord All-Powerful will become the “Beautiful Crown.” He will be the “Wonderful Crown of Flowers” for his people who are left. 6 Then he will give wisdom to the judges who rule his people. He will give strength to the people who are in battles at the city gates. 7 But now those leaders are drunk. The priests and prophets are all drunk with wine and beer. They stumble and fall down. The prophets are drunk when they see their dreams. The judges are drunk when they make their decisions. 8 Every table is covered with vomit. There is not a clean place anywhere.
God Wants to Help His People
9 The people say, “Who does he think he is trying to teach and explain his message to? Does he think we are babies who were at their mother’s breast only a very short time ago? 10 He speaks to us as though we were babies:
“Saw lasaw saw lasaw
Qaw laqaw qaw laqaw
Ze’er sham ze’er sham.”[b]
11 So God will use this strange way of talking, and he will use other languages to speak to these people.
12 In the past he spoke to them and said, “Here is a resting place. Let those who are tired come and rest. This is the place of peace.”
But they would not listen to him. 13 So the Lord’s words will be senseless sounds[c] to them:
“Saw lasaw saw lasaw.
Qaw laqaw qaw laqaw.
Ze’er sham ze’er sham.”
When the people try to walk, they will fall backwards. They will be defeated, trapped, and captured.
No One Escapes God’s Judgment
14 You leaders in Jerusalem should listen to the Lord’s message, but now you refuse to listen to him. 15 You have said, “We have made an agreement with death. We have a contract with death. So we will not be punished. Punishment will pass us without hurting us. We will hide behind our tricks and lies.”
16 Because of these things, the Lord God says, “I will put a rock—a cornerstone—in the ground in Zion. This will be a very precious stone.[d] Everything will be built on this very important rock. Anyone who trusts in that rock will not be disappointed.[e]
17 “Workers use a string and weight to show their work is straight and true. I will use justice as the string and goodness as the weight when I lay that foundation. But your safe places were built on lies. So they will be destroyed and washed away when the troubles come against you like hail storms and floods. 18 Your agreement with death will be erased. Your contract with Sheol will not help you.
“Someone will come and punish you. He will make you like the dirt he walks on. 19 He will come and take you away. Your punishment will be terrible. Your punishment will come early in the morning, and it will continue late into the night.
“Then you will understand this story: 20 A man tried to sleep on a bed that was too short for him. He had a blanket that was not wide enough to cover him. The bed and blanket were useless, and so were your agreements.”
21 The Lord will fight as he did at Mount Perazim. He will be angry as he was in Gibeon Valley.[f] He will do what he must do. It will be what some stranger should do, but he will finish his work. Yes, this is a stranger’s job. 22 Now don’t complain about these things. If you fight against them, you will only tighten the ropes around you.
The words I heard will not change. They came from the Lord God All-Powerful, the ruler of all the earth, and these things will be done.
The Lord Punishes Fairly
23 Listen closely to the message I am telling you. 24 Does a farmer plow his field all the time? No, he doesn’t work the soil all the time. 25 A farmer prepares the ground, and then he plants the seed. He plants different kinds of seeds different ways. He scatters dill seeds, he throws cumin seeds on the ground, and he plants wheat in rows. A farmer plants barley in its special place, and he plants spelt seeds at the edge of his field.
26 Our God is using this to teach you a lesson. This example shows us that God is fair when he punishes his people. 27 Does a farmer use large boards with sharp teeth to crush dill seeds? No, and he doesn’t use a wagon to crush cumin seeds. A farmer uses a small stick to break the hulls from these seeds of grain. 28 People grind grain to make flour, but they don’t grind it forever. As God does in punishing people, a worker might drive his wagon over the grain to remove the hulls, but he does not allow the horses[g] to crush it. 29 This lesson comes from the Lord All-Powerful, who gives wonderful advice. He is very wise.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 28:2 that crown That is, Samaria.
- Isaiah 28:10 Saw lasaw … ze’er sham This is probably a Hebrew song to teach little children how to write. It sounds like baby talk or a foreign language, but it can also be translated, “A command here, a command there. A rule here, a rule there. A lesson here, a lesson there.” Also in verse 13.
- Isaiah 28:13 senseless sounds Or “gibberish” or “baby talk.”
- Isaiah 28:16 very precious stone This also means a stone has been tested and shown that it has no cracks.
- Isaiah 28:16 Anyone … disappointed This is found in the ancient Greek version. The standard Hebrew text has “Whoever trusts will not panic.”
- Isaiah 28:21 Mount Perazim … Gibeon Valley See 1 Chron. 14:8-17.
- Isaiah 28:28 horses This word also means “horse soldiers.”
Chinese New Version (CNV). Copyright © 1976, 1992, 1999, 2001, 2005 by Worldwide Bible Society.
Copyright © 2006 by Bible League International