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14 Therefore hear the word of the Lord, you scoffers
    who rule this people in Jerusalem.(A)
15 Because you have said, “We have made a covenant with death,
    and with Sheol we have an agreement;
when the overwhelming scourge passes through
    it will not come to us,
for we have made lies our refuge,
    and in falsehood we have taken shelter”;(B)
16 therefore thus says the Lord God,
“See, I am laying[a] in Zion a foundation stone,
    a tested stone,
a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation:
    ‘One who trusts will not panic.’(C)
17 And I will make justice the line
    and righteousness the plummet;
hail will sweep away the refuge of lies,
    and waters will overwhelm the shelter.(D)
18 Then your covenant with death will be annulled,
    and your agreement with Sheol will not stand;
when the overwhelming scourge passes through,
    you will be beaten down by it.(E)
19 As often as it passes through, it will take you,
    for morning by morning it will pass through,
    by day and by night,
and it will be sheer terror to understand the message.”(F)
20 For the bed is too short to stretch oneself on it,
    and the covering is too narrow to wrap oneself in it.
21 For the Lord will rise up as on Mount Perazim;
    he will rage as in the valley of Gibeon
to do his deed—strange is his deed!—
    and to work his work—alien is his work!(G)
22 Now therefore do not scoff,
    or your bonds will be made stronger,
for I have heard a decree of destruction
    from the Lord God of hosts upon the whole land.(H)

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Footnotes

  1. 28.16 Q mss Compare Syr Tg: MT he laid

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

16 So this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“See, I lay a stone in Zion,(G) a tested stone,(H)
    a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation;(I)
the one who relies on it
    will never be stricken with panic.(J)
17 I will make justice(K) the measuring line
    and righteousness the plumb line;(L)
hail(M) will sweep away your refuge, the lie,
    and water will overflow(N) your hiding place.
18 Your covenant with death will be annulled;
    your agreement with the realm of the dead will not stand.(O)
When the overwhelming scourge sweeps by,(P)
    you will be beaten down(Q) by it.
19 As often as it comes it will carry you away;(R)
    morning after morning,(S) by day and by night,
    it will sweep through.”

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

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 28:15 Or false gods