And these also (A)reel with wine and stagger from intoxicating drink:
(B)The priest and (C)the prophet reel with intoxicating drink,
They are confused by wine, they stagger from (D)intoxicating drink;
They reel while [a]having (E)visions,
They stagger when rendering a verdict.
For all the tables are full of filthy (F)vomit, without a single clean place.

“To (G)whom would He teach knowledge,
And to whom would He interpret the message?
Those just (H)weaned from milk?
Those just taken from the breast?
10 For He says,
[b](I)Order on order, order on order,
Line on line, line on line,
A little here, a little there.’”
11 Indeed, He will speak to this people
Through (J)stammering lips and a foreign tongue,
12 He who said to them, “This is the (K)place of quiet, give rest to the weary,”
And, “This is the resting place,” but they would not listen.
13 So the word of the Lord to them will be,
[c]Order on order, order on order,
Line on line, line on line,
A little here, a little there,”
That they may go and (L)stumble backward, be broken, snared, and taken captive.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 28:7 Lit seeing
  2. Isaiah 28:10 Heb Sav lasav, sav lasav, Kav lakav, kav lakav, Zeer sham, zeer sham. These Hebrew fragments, imitating the babbling of a child, mock the prophet’s preaching.
  3. Isaiah 28:13 See note v 10. The Lord responds to their scoffing by imitating their mockery, to represent the unintelligible language of a conqueror.

And even these reel with wine, and stagger with strong drink; the priest and the prophet reel with strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they stagger with strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment. For all tables are full of vomit and filthiness, so that there is no place clean.

[a]Whom will he teach knowledge? and whom will he make to understand the [b]message? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts? 10 For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept; [c]line upon line, line upon line; here a little, there a little.

11 [d]Nay, but by men of strange lips and with another tongue will he speak to this people; 12 to whom he said, This is the rest, give ye rest to him that is weary; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear. 13 Therefore shall the word of Jehovah be unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, there a little; that they may go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 28:9 Or, Whom shall he teach . . . and whom shall he make . . . breasts. For etc.
  2. Isaiah 28:9 Or, report
  3. Isaiah 28:10 Or, rule
  4. Isaiah 28:11 Or, For with stammering lips