(A)These also reel with wine
    and (B)stagger with strong drink;
the priest and (C)the prophet reel with strong drink,
    they are swallowed by[a] wine,
    they stagger with strong drink,
they reel in vision,
    they stumble in giving judgment.
For all tables are full of filthy vomit,
    with no space left.

(D)“To whom will he teach knowledge,
    and to whom will he explain the message?
Those who are weaned from the milk,
    those taken from the breast?
10 For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept,
    line upon line, line upon line,
    here a little, there a little.”

11 (E)For by people of strange lips
    and with a foreign tongue
the Lord will speak to this people,
12     to whom he has said,
(F)“This is rest;
    give rest to the weary;
and this is repose”;
    yet they would not hear.
13 And the word of the Lord will be to them
precept upon precept, precept upon precept,
    line upon line, line upon line,
    here a little, there a little,
(G)that they may go, and fall backward,
    and be broken, and snared, and taken.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 28:7 Or confused by

These people also[a] stagger from wine
    and reel from strong drink.
Priests and prophets stagger from strong drink;
    they’re drunk from[b] wine;
they reel from strong drink,
    waver when seeing visions,
        and stumble when rendering decisions.
For all the tables are covered in vomit and filth,
    with no clean[c] space left.

Misuse of God’s Word

To whom will he teach knowledge,
    and to whom will he explain the message?
To children just weaned from milk?
    To those just taken from the breast?
10 For it is: “Do this and do that,
    do this and do that,
Line upon line, line upon line,
    a little here, a little there.”

11 Very well, then, through the mouths of foreigners[d]
    and foreign languages
        the Lord will speak to this people
12 to whom he said,
    “This is the resting place,
        so give rest to the weary”’
and,
    “This is the place of repose”—
        but they would not listen.
13 So, then, the message from the Lord to them will become:
    “Do this and do that,
        do this and do that,
    line upon line,
        line upon line,
    a little here,
        a little there,”
so that they will go,
    but fall backward,
        and be injured, snared, and captured.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 28:7 1QIsaa lacks people also; MT lacks people
  2. Isaiah 28:7 Lit. are devoured by
  3. Isaiah 28:8 1QIsaa MT lack clean
  4. Isaiah 28:11 Or through foreign lips