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Isaiah 28:23-29
American Standard Version
Isaiah 28:23-29
American Standard Version
23 Give ye ear, and hear my voice; hearken, and hear my speech. 24 Doth he that ploweth to sow plow continually? doth he continually open and harrow his ground? 25 When he hath levelled the face thereof, doth he not cast abroad the [a]fitches, and scatter the cummin, and put in the wheat in rows, and the barley in the appointed place, and the spelt in the border thereof? 26 [b]For his God doth instruct him aright, and doth teach him. 27 For the fitches are not threshed with a sharp threshing instrument, neither is a cart wheel turned about upon the cummin; but the fitches are beaten out with a staff, and the cummin with a rod. 28 [c]Bread grain is ground; for he will not be always threshing it: and though the wheel of his cart and his horses scatter it, he doth not grind it. 29 This also cometh forth from Jehovah of hosts, who is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in [d]wisdom.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Isaiah 28:25 Or, black cummin (Nigella sativa)
- Isaiah 28:26 Or, And he traineth each of them aright; his God doth teach him
- Isaiah 28:28 Or, Is bread grain crushed? Nay, he will not ever be threshing it, and driving his cart wheels and his horses over it; he doth not crush it
- Isaiah 28:29 Or, effectual working
Isaiah 28:23-29
Lexham English Bible
Isaiah 28:23-29
Lexham English Bible
A Parable of Yahweh’s Work
23 Listen, and hear my voice!
Listen attentively, and hear my word!
24 Is it all day that the plowman plows,
opens to sow seed, harrows his ground?
25 When he has leveled its surface,[a] does he not scatter dill,
and sow cumin seed,
and plant[b] wheat in planted rows,[c]
and barley in an appointed place,
and spelt grain as its border?
26 And his God instructs him about the prescription;[d]
he teaches him.
27 For dill is not threshed with a threshing sledge,
nor is a wheel of a utility cart rolled[e] over cumin,
but dill is beaten out with a stick,
and cumin with a rod.
28 Grain is crushed fine,
but certainly one does not thresh it forever;
and one drives the wheel of his cart,
but his horses do not crush it.
29 This also comes forth from Yahweh of hosts.
He is wonderful in advice;
he makes great wisdom.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 28:25 Literally “face”
- Isaiah 28:25 Literally “place”
- Isaiah 28:25 Hebrew “row”
- Isaiah 28:26 That is, “the proper way”
- Isaiah 28:27 Literally “turned”
Isaiah 28:23-29
New International Version
Isaiah 28:23-29
New International Version
23 Listen(A) and hear my voice;
pay attention and hear what I say.
24 When a farmer plows for planting,(B) 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?(C)
Does he not plant wheat in its place,[a]
barley(D) in its plot,[b]
and spelt(E) in its field?
26 His God instructs him
and teaches(F) him the right way.
27 Caraway is not threshed(G) with a sledge,(H)
nor is the wheel of a cart rolled over cumin;
caraway is beaten out with a rod,(I)
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(J) 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,(K)
whose wisdom is magnificent.(L)
Footnotes
- Isaiah 28:25 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
- Isaiah 28:25 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
American Standard Version (ASV)
Public Domain (Why are modern Bible translations copyrighted?)
Lexham English Bible (LEB)
2012 by Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.