Isaiah 28
Common English Bible
Judgment on Ephraim and Judah
28 Oh, the majestic garland of Ephraim’s drunks
and the fading flower of its splendid beauty
on the head that flows with perfume[a]
of those hammered with wine.
2 Look! The Lord has someone who is powerful and strong;
like a hailstorm, a disastrous tempest,
like a downpour of mighty, overflowing waters,
he can level them to the ground with his hand.
3 The majestic garland of Ephraim’s drunks
will be trampled underfoot.
4 The withered flower, which is a thing of beauty[b]
as it sits on the head of those bloated with fat,[c]
will be like an early fig before the summer harvest:
whoever sees it swallows it as soon as it is in hand.
5 On that day, the Lord of heavenly forces will be a splendid garland and a beautiful wreath for the people who survive, 6 and a spirit of justice for the one who sits in judgment, and a strength for those who repel the assault at the gate.
7 These also stagger from wine and stumble from beer:
priest and prophet stagger from beer;
they are confused by wine;
they stray on account of beer;
they err when receiving visions;
they stumble when making judgments.
8 All the tables are covered with vomit;
filth overruns the place.
9 To whom will God teach knowledge?
To whom will he explain the message?
To those just weaned from milk?
To those who have hardly outgrown the breast?
10 It is “tsav letsav, tsav letsav; qav leqav, qav leqav,”[d]
a little of this, a little of that.
11 With derisive speech and a foreign tongue,
he will speak to this people.
12 He has said to them,
“This is the place of rest;
give rest to the weary;
this is the place of repose”;
but they refused to listen.
13 So the Lord’s word will be for them:
“tsav letsav, tsav letsav; qav leqav, qav leqav,”
a little of this, a little of that.
So that they will go and stagger backward,
they will be broken, snared, and captured.
The covenant with death overturned
14 Therefore, hear the Lord’s word,
you scoffers who rule this people in Jerusalem.
15 You said, “We’ve cut a deal with death;[e]
with the underworld[f] we made a pact.
When the overflowing flood passes through, it won’t reach us;
for we have made lies our hiding place,
and in falsehood we take shelter.”
16 Therefore, the Lord God says:
Look! I’m laying in Zion a stone,
a tested stone, a valuable cornerstone,
a sure foundation:
the one who trusts won’t tremble.
17 I will make justice the measuring line
and righteousness the plumb line.
But hail will sweep away the hiding place of lies,
and water will overflow the shelter.
18 Your deal with death[g] will be dissolved,
and your pact with the grave[h] won’t stand.
The rushing flood: when it passes through,
you will be annihilated by it.
19 Every time it passes through it will take you,
for morning by morning it will pass,
by day and by night.
It will be nothing but terror to understand the message.
20 The bed is too short to stretch out,
and the shroud is too narrow to cover oneself.
21 Just as on Mount Perazim, the Lord will rise up;
as in the Gibeon Valley he will rage to do his deed—strange is his deed!—
And to work his work—foreign is his work!
22 So now stop your scoffing,
or your chains will be tightened,
because destruction has been ordered—I have heard it!—
by the Lord God of heavenly forces against the whole land.
Plowing and threshing
23 Listen and hear my voice;
pay attention and hear my word:
24 Does the plowman plow without stopping for planting,
opening and harrowing their ground?
25 When he has smoothed its surface,
doesn’t he scatter fennel,[i] and sow cumin,
and plant wheat and barley in their places,
and spelt as a border?
26 They are properly ordered;
their God directs them.[j]
27 Fennel[k] isn’t threshed with a threshing sledge,
nor is a cart wheel rolled over cumin,
but fennel[l] is beaten with a staff,
and cumin with a rod.
28 Bread grain is crushed,
but the thresher[m] doesn’t thresh it forever.
He drives the cart wheel over it;
he spreads it out but doesn’t crush it.
29 This also comes from the Lord of heavenly forces,
who gives wondrous counsel and increases wisdom.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 28:1 DSS (1QIsaa)
- Isaiah 28:4 Heb uncertain
- Isaiah 28:4 Or at the head of the fat valley
- Isaiah 28:10 A Hebrew version of baby talk or gibberish
- Isaiah 28:15 Heb Maveth
- Isaiah 28:15 Heb Sheol
- Isaiah 28:18 Heb Maveth
- Isaiah 28:18 Heb Sheol
- Isaiah 28:25 Or black cumin
- Isaiah 28:26 Or waters them
- Isaiah 28:27 Or black cumin
- Isaiah 28:27 Or black cumin
- Isaiah 28:28 DSS (1QIsaa)
Jesaja 28
Svenska Folkbibeln
Ve över Samaria
28 Ve dig, du stolta krona av Efraims druckna män,
du vissnande blomma av hans strålande härlighet
på bergskrönet ovanför de vinberusades bördiga dal.
2 Se, från Herren kommer en som är stark och mäktig,
lik en hagelskur, en förödande storm,
lik en flod med väldiga, översvämmande vatten,
som med makt slår allt till jorden.
3 Den stolta kronan av Efraims druckna män trampas då under fötterna.
4 Den vissnande blomman av hans strålande härlighet
på bergskrönet ovanför den bördiga dalen
skall bli som ett tidigt moget fikon före sommaren:
Så snart någon får syn på det slukar han det,
medan det ännu är i hans hand.
5 På den dagen skall Herren Sebaot bli en härlig krona
och en strålande krans för kvarlevan av sitt folk.
6 Han skall bli en rättens ande för den som skipar rätt
och en styrka för dem som driver fienden på porten.
7 Men också dessa raglar av vin
och vinglar av starka drycker.
Både präst och profet raglar av starka drycker.
De är berusade av vin
och vinglar.
De raglar när de profeterar,
de stapplar när de skipar rätt.
8 Alla bord är täckta med vämjeliga spyor,
det finns ingen ren fläck.
9 "Vem kan han lära förstånd?
För vem förklarar han budskapet?
Dem som just är avvanda från modersmjölken,
nyss tagna från modersbröstet?
10 Ty det är bud på bud, bud på bud,
ljud på ljud, ljud på ljud,
lite här, lite där!"[a]
11 Ja, genom stammande läppar
och på främmande språk
skall han tala till detta folk,
12 han som en gång sade till dem:
"Här är viloplatsen, låt den trötte vila.
Här är vederkvickelse."
Men de ville inte höra.
13 Och Herrens ord blev för dem
"bud på bud, bud på bud,
ljud på ljud, ljud på ljud,
lite här, lite där."
Så skall de, bäst de går,
falla baklänges och krossas,
bli snärjda och fångade.
14 Hör därför Herrens ord, ni hånare,
ni som härskar över folket här i Jerusalem.
15 Ni säger:
"Vi har slutit förbund med döden,
vi har ingått fördrag med dödsriket.
När gisslet far fram som en översvämmande flod,
skall det inte nå oss,
ty vi har gjort lögnen till vår tillflykt,
falskheten till vårt gömställe."
16 Därför säger Herren Herren så:
Se, jag har lagt en grundsten i Sion, en beprövad sten,
en dyrbar hörnsten,
en fast grundval.
Den som tror på den behöver inte fly.
17 Och jag skall låta rätten vara mätsnöret
och rättfärdigheten sänklodet.
Hagel skall slå ner lögnens tillflykt,
vatten skall skölja bort gömstället.
18 Ert förbund med döden skall upplösas,
ert fördrag med dödsriket skall inte bestå.
När gisslet far fram som en översvämmande flod,
skall ni bli nertrampade av det.
19 Så ofta det far fram, skall det träffa er.
Morgon efter morgon skall det fara fram,
ja, både dag och natt.
Det blir bara förfäran när man förstår budskapet.
20 Ty sängen är för kort att sträcka ut sig på,
täcket för smalt att svepa in sig i.
21 Ja, Herren skall resa sig som på Perasims berg,
och han skall vredgas som i Gibeons dal
för att utföra sitt verk, sitt främmande verk,
och fullgöra sitt arbete, sitt förunderliga arbete.
22 Sluta nu med ert hån,
så att era band inte dras åt ännu hårdare,
ty jag har hört från Herren, Herren Sebaot
om förödelse och orubbligt beslutad straffdom över hela jorden.
23 Lyssna och hör min röst,
akta på vad jag säger.
24 När åkermannen vill så,
plöjer han då ständigt
och hackar upp och harvar sin åker?
25 Är det inte så att när han har berett marken,
strör han ut svartkummin och kryddkummin,
sår vete i rader och korn på dess plats
och spältvete[b] i kanten.
26 Ty hans Gud har undervisat honom
och lärt honom det rätta sättet.
27 Man tröskar inte heller svartkummin med tröskvagn
och låter inte vagnshjul gå över kryddkummin,
utan man klappar ut svartkummin med stav
och kryddkummin med käpp.
28 Brödsäden mals och tröskas inte i det oändliga,
man driver inte ständigt sina vagnshjul och hästar över den.
Man vill ju inte tröska sönder den.
29 Också detta kommer från Herren Sebaot,
underbar i råd och stor i vishet.
Footnotes
- Jesaja 28:10 De korta, ljudliknande orden anspelar på assyriernas obegripliga språk.
- Jesaja 28:25 spältvete är en sorts vete.
Isaiah 28
New King James Version
Woe to Ephraim and Jerusalem
28 Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim,
Whose glorious beauty is a fading flower
Which is at the head of the [a]verdant valleys,
To those who are overcome with wine!
2 Behold, the Lord has a mighty and strong one,
(A)Like a tempest of hail and a destroying storm,
Like a flood of mighty waters overflowing,
Who will bring them down to the earth with His hand.
3 The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim,
Will be trampled underfoot;
4 And the glorious beauty is a fading flower
Which is at the head of the [b]verdant valley,
Like the first fruit before the summer,
Which an observer sees;
He eats it up while it is still in his hand.
5 In that day the Lord of hosts will be
For a crown of glory and a diadem of beauty
To the remnant of His people,
6 For a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment,
And for strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.
7 But they also (B)have erred through wine,
And through intoxicating drink are out of the way;
(C)The priest and the prophet have erred through intoxicating drink,
They are swallowed up by wine,
They are out of the way through intoxicating drink;
They err in vision, they stumble in judgment.
8 For all tables are full of vomit and filth;
No place is clean.
9 “Whom(D) will he teach knowledge?
And whom will he make to understand the message?
Those just weaned from milk?
Those just drawn from the breasts?
10 (E)For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept,
Line upon line, line upon line,
Here a little, there a little.”
11 For with (F)stammering lips and another tongue
He will speak to this people,
12 To whom He said, “This is the (G)rest with which
You may cause the weary to rest,”
And, “This is the refreshing”;
Yet they would not hear.
13 But the word of the Lord was to them,
“Precept upon precept, precept upon precept,
Line upon line, line upon line,
Here a little, there a little,”
That they might go and fall backward, and be broken
And snared and caught.
14 Therefore hear the word of the Lord, you scornful men,
Who rule this people who are in Jerusalem,
15 Because you have said, “We have made a covenant with death,
And with Sheol we are in agreement.
When the overflowing scourge passes through,
It will not come to us,
(H)For we have made lies our refuge,
And under falsehood we have hidden ourselves.”
A Cornerstone in Zion
16 Therefore thus says the Lord God:
“Behold, I lay in Zion (I)a stone for a foundation,
A tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation;
Whoever believes will not act hastily.
17 Also I will make justice the measuring line,
And righteousness the plummet;
The hail will sweep away the refuge of lies,
And the waters will overflow the hiding place.
18 Your covenant with death will be annulled,
And your agreement with Sheol will not stand;
When the overflowing scourge passes through,
Then you will be trampled down by it.
19 As often as it goes out it will take you;
For morning by morning it will pass over,
And by day and by night;
It will be a terror just to understand the report.”
20 For the bed is too short to stretch out on,
And the covering so narrow that one cannot wrap himself in it.
21 For the Lord will rise up as at Mount (J)Perazim,
He will be angry as in the Valley of (K)Gibeon—
That He may do His work, (L)His awesome work,
And bring to pass His act, His [c]unusual act.
22 Now therefore, do not be mockers,
Lest your bonds be made strong;
For I have heard from the Lord God of hosts,
(M)A [d]destruction determined even upon the whole earth.
Listen to the Teaching of God
23 Give ear and hear my voice,
Listen and hear my speech.
24 Does the plowman keep plowing all day to sow?
Does he keep turning his soil and breaking the clods?
25 When he has leveled its surface,
Does he not sow the black cummin
And scatter the cummin,
Plant the wheat in rows,
The barley in the appointed place,
And the [e]spelt in its place?
26 For He instructs him in right judgment,
His God teaches him.
27 For the black cummin is not threshed with a threshing sledge,
Nor is a cartwheel rolled over the cummin;
But the black cummin is beaten out with a stick,
And the cummin with a rod.
28 Bread flour must be ground;
Therefore he does not thresh it forever,
Break it with his cartwheel,
Or crush it with his horsemen.
29 This also comes from the Lord of hosts,
(N)Who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in [f]guidance.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 28:1 Lit. valleys of fatness
- Isaiah 28:4 Lit. valley of fatness
- Isaiah 28:21 Lit. foreign
- Isaiah 28:22 Lit. complete end
- Isaiah 28:25 rye
- Isaiah 28:29 sound wisdom
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible
1996, 1998 by Stiftelsen Svenska Folkbibeln
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
