Isaiah 28:1-6

New International Reader's Version

The Lord Will Judge the Leaders of Ephraim and Judah

28 How terrible it will be for the city of Samaria!
    It sits on a hill like a wreath of flowers.
The leaders of Ephraim are drunk.
    They take pride in their city.
It sits above a valley that has rich soil.
    How terrible it will be for the glorious beauty of that fading flower!
²The Lord will bring the strong and powerful king of Assyria against Samaria.
    The Lord will throw that city down to the ground with great force.
It will be like a hailstorm.
    It will be like a wind that destroys everything.
    It will be like a driving rain and a flooding storm.
³That city is like a wreath.
    The leaders of Ephraim are drunk.
They take pride in their city.
    But its enemies will walk all over it.
⁴It sits on a hill above a rich valley.
    The city is like a wreath of flowers whose glorious beauty is fading away.
But it will become like figs that are ripe before harvest.
    As soon as people see them,
    they pick them and swallow them.

⁵At that time the Lord who rules over all
    will be like a glorious crown.
He will be like a beautiful wreath
    for those of his people who will be left alive.
⁶He will help those
    who are fair when they judge.
He will give strength to those
    who turn back their enemies at the city gate.