Read New International Version, 2011 Isaiah 28 Bible Online

Isaiah 28 - New International Version, 2011 bible

Isaiah 28

¹Woe to that wreath, the pride of Ephraim’s drunkards, to the fading flower, his glorious beauty, set on the head of a fertile valley — to that city, the pride of those laid low by wine!

²See, the Lord has one who is powerful and strong. Like a hailstorm and a destructive wind, like a driving rain and a flooding downpour, he will throw it forcefully to the ground.

³That wreath, the pride of Ephraim’s drunkards, will be trampled underfoot.

⁴That fading flower, his glorious beauty, set on the head of a fertile valley, will be like figs ripe before harvest — as soon as people see them and take them in hand, they swallow them.

⁵In that day the LORD Almighty will be a glorious crown, a beautiful wreath for the remnant of his people.

⁶He will be a spirit of justice to the one who sits in judgment, a source of strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.

⁷And these also stagger from wine and reel from beer: Priests and prophets stagger from beer and are befuddled with wine; they reel from beer, they stagger when seeing visions, they stumble when rendering decisions.

⁸All the tables are covered with vomit and there is not a spot without filth.

⁹“Who is it he is trying to teach? To whom is he explaining his message? To children weaned from their milk, to those just taken from the breast?

¹⁰For it is: Do this, do that, a rule for this, a rule for that [60]; a little here, a little there.”

¹¹Very well then, with foreign lips and strange tongues God will speak to this people,

¹²to whom he said, “This is the resting place, let the weary rest”; and, “This is the place of repose” — but they would not listen.

¹³So then, the word of the LORD to them will become: Do this, do that, a rule for this, a rule for that; a little here, a little there — so that as they go they will fall backward; they will be injured and snared and captured.

¹⁴Therefore hear the word of the LORD, you scoffers who rule this people in Jerusalem.

¹⁵You boast, “We have entered into a covenant with death, with the realm of the dead we have made an agreement. When an overwhelming scourge sweeps by, it cannot touch us, for we have made a lie our refuge and falsehood [61] our hiding place.”

¹⁶So this is what the Sovereign LORD says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who relies on it will never be stricken with panic.

¹⁷I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the plumb line; hail will sweep away your refuge, the lie, and water will overflow your hiding place.

¹⁸Your covenant with death will be annulled; your agreement with the realm of the dead will not stand. When the overwhelming scourge sweeps by, you will be beaten down by it.

¹⁹As often as it comes it will carry you away; morning after morning, by day and by night, it will sweep through.” The understanding of this message will bring sheer terror.

²⁰The bed is too short to stretch out on, the blanket too narrow to wrap around you.

²¹The LORD will rise up as he did at Mount Perazim, he will rouse himself as in the Valley of Gibeon — to do his work, his strange work, and perform his task, his alien task.

²²Now stop your mocking, or your chains will become heavier; the Lord, the LORD Almighty, has told me of the destruction decreed against the whole land.

²³Listen and hear my voice; pay attention and hear what I say.

²⁴When a farmer plows for planting, does he plow continually? Does he keep on breaking up and working the soil?

²⁵When he has leveled the surface, does he not sow caraway and scatter cumin? Does he not plant wheat in its place, [62] barley in its plot, [63] and spelt in its field?

²⁶His God instructs him and teaches him the right way.

²⁷Caraway is not threshed with a sledge, nor is the wheel of a cart rolled over cumin; caraway is beaten out with a rod, and cumin with a stick.

²⁸Grain must be ground to make bread; so one does not go on threshing it forever. The wheels of a threshing cart may be rolled over it, but one does not use horses to grind grain.

²⁹All this also comes from the LORD Almighty, whose plan is wonderful, whose wisdom is magnificent.