Isaiah 28:9-14
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
9 [a]“To whom would he impart knowledge?
To whom would he convey the message?
To those just weaned from milk,
those weaned from the breast?
10 For he says,
‘Command on command, command on command,
rule on rule, rule on rule,
here a little, there a little!’”
11 [b]Yes, with stammering lips and in a strange language
he will speak to this people,(A)
12 to whom he said:
“This is the resting place,
give rest to the weary;
And this is the place of repose”—
but they refused to hear.(B)
13 So for them the word of the Lord shall be:
“Command on command, command on command,
Rule on rule, rule on rule,
here a little, there a little!”
So that when they walk, they shall stumble backward,
broken, ensnared, and captured.(C)
14 Therefore, hear the word of the Lord, you scoffers,
who rule[c] this people in Jerusalem:(D)
Footnotes
- 28:9–10 The words of those who ridicule Isaiah. The Hebrew of v. 10, by its very sound, conveys the idea of mocking imitation of what the prophet says, as though he spoke like a stammering child: “sau lasau, sau lasau, kau lakau, kau lakau, ze’er sham, ze’er sham.” But in v. 13 God repeats these words in deadly earnest, putting them in the mouth of the victorious Assyrian army.
- 28:11 God will answer the mockers and defend Isaiah. Strange language: spoken by the invading army.
- 28:14 Who rule: there is a play on words; the same expression could also mean, “Proverb makers,” that is, scoffers of this people.
Isaiah 28:9-14
New International Version
9 “Who is it he is trying to teach?(A)
To whom is he explaining his message?(B)
To children weaned(C) from their milk,(D)
to those just taken from the breast?
10 For it is:
Do this, do that,
a rule for this, a rule for that[a];
a little here, a little there.(E)”
11 Very well then, with foreign lips and strange tongues(F)
God will speak to this people,(G)
12 to whom he said,
“This is the resting place, let the weary rest”;(H)
and, “This is the place of repose”—
but they would not listen.
13 So then, the word of the Lord to them will become:
Do this, do that,
a rule for this, a rule for that;
a little here, a little there(I)—
so that as they go they will fall backward;
they will be injured(J) and snared and captured.(K)
Footnotes
- Isaiah 28:10 Hebrew / sav lasav sav lasav / kav lakav kav lakav (probably meaningless sounds mimicking the prophet’s words); also in verse 13
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