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 ye ear, and hear my voice; hearken, and hear my speech. 24 Doth he that ploweth to sow plow continually? doth he continually open and harrow his ground? 25 When he hath levelled the face thereof, doth he not cast abroad the [a]fitches, and scatter the cummin, and put in the wheat in rows, and the barley in the appointed place, and the spelt in the border thereof? 26 [b]For his God doth instruct him aright, and doth teach him. 27 For the fitches are not threshed with a sharp threshing instrument, neither is a cart wheel turned about upon the cummin; but the fitches are beaten out with a staff, and the cummin with a rod. 28 [c]Bread grain is ground; for he will not be always threshing it: and though the wheel of his cart and his horses scatter it, he doth not grind it. 29 This also cometh forth from Jehovah of hosts, who is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in [d]wisdom.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 28:25 Or, black cummin (Nigella sativa)
  2. Isaiah 28:26 Or, And he traineth each of them aright; his God doth teach him
  3. Isaiah 28:28 Or, Is bread grain crushed? Nay, he will not ever be threshing it, and driving his cart wheels and his horses over it; he doth not crush it
  4. Isaiah 28:29 Or, effectual working