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24 Does a farmer always plow and never sow?
    Is he forever cultivating the soil and never planting?
25 Does he not finally plant his seeds—
    black cumin, cumin, wheat, barley, and emmer wheat—
each in its proper way,
    and each in its proper place?
26 The farmer knows just what to do,
    for God has given him understanding.
27 A heavy sledge is never used to thresh black cumin;
    rather, it is beaten with a light stick.
A threshing wheel is never rolled on cumin;
    instead, it is beaten lightly with a flail.
28 Grain for bread is easily crushed,
    so he doesn’t keep on pounding it.
He threshes it under the wheels of a cart,
    but he doesn’t pulverize it.
29 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is a wonderful teacher,
    and he gives the farmer great wisdom.

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24 When a farmer plows for planting,(A) 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?(B)
Does he not plant wheat in its place,[a]
    barley(C) in its plot,[b]
    and spelt(D) in its field?
26 His God instructs him
    and teaches(E) him the right way.

27 Caraway is not threshed(F) with a sledge,(G)
    nor is the wheel of a cart rolled over cumin;
caraway is beaten out with a rod,(H)
    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(I) 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,(J)
    whose wisdom is magnificent.(K)

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 28:25 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
  2. Isaiah 28:25 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.