23 Listen and hear my voice,
Pay attention and hear my words.
24 Does the [a]farmer plow [b]continually to plant seed?
Does he continually [c]turn and break up his ground?
25 Does he not level its surface
And sow dill and scatter (A)cumin
And [d]plant (B)wheat in rows,
Barley in its place and rye within its [e]area?
26 For his God instructs and teaches him properly.
27 For dill is not threshed with a (C)threshing sledge,
Nor is the cartwheel [f]driven over cumin;
But dill is beaten out with a rod, and cumin with a club.
28 Grain for bread is crushed,
Indeed, he does not continue to thresh it forever.
Because the wheel of his cart and his horses eventually [g]damage it,
He does not thresh it longer.
29 This also comes from the Lord of armies,
Who has made His counsel (D)wonderful and His wisdom (E)great.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 28:24 Lit plowman
  2. Isaiah 28:24 Lit all day
  3. Isaiah 28:24 Lit open
  4. Isaiah 28:25 Lit put
  5. Isaiah 28:25 Lit region
  6. Isaiah 28:27 Lit rolled
  7. Isaiah 28:28 Lit discomfit

23 Give ear, and hear my voice;
    hearken, and hear my speech.
24 Does he who plows for sowing plow continually?
    does he continually open and harrow his ground?
25 When he has leveled its surface,
    does he not scatter dill, sow cummin,
and put in wheat in rows
    and barley in its proper place,
    and spelt as the border?
26 For he is instructed aright;
    his God teaches him.

27 Dill is not threshed with a threshing sledge,
    nor is a cart wheel rolled over cummin;
but dill is beaten out with a stick,
    and cummin with a rod.
28 Does one crush bread grain?
    No, he does not thresh it for ever;
when he drives his cart wheel over it
    with his horses, he does not crush it.
29 This also comes from the Lord of hosts;
    he is wonderful in counsel,
    and excellent in wisdom.

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