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- Woe 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!
- See, 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.
- That wreath, the pride of Ephraim's drunkards, will be trampled underfoot.
- That fading flower, his glorious beauty, set on the head of a fertile valley, will be like a fig ripe before harvest-- as soon as someone sees it and takes it in his hand, he swallows it.
- In that day the LORD Almighty will be a glorious crown, a beautiful wreath for the remnant of his people.
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- Woe to the proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim, And to the fading flower of its glorious beauty, Which is at the head of the fertile valley Of those who are overcome with wine!
- Behold, the Lord has a strong and mighty agent; As a storm of hail, a tempest of destruction, Like a storm of mighty overflowing waters, He has cast it down to the earth with His hand.
- The proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim is trodden under foot.
- And the fading flower of its glorious beauty, Which is at the head of the fertile valley, Will be like the first-ripe fig prior to summer, Which one sees, And as soon as it is in his hand, He swallows it.
- In that day the LORD of hosts will become a beautiful crown And a glorious diadem to the remnant of His people;
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- He will be a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment, a source of strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.
- And 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.
- All the tables are covered with vomit and there is not a spot without filth.
- "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?
- For it is: Do and do, do and do, rule on rule, rule on rule ; a little here, a little there."
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- A spirit of justice for him who sits in judgment, A strength to those who repel the onslaught at the gate.
- And these also reel with wine and stagger from strong drink: The priest and the prophet reel with strong drink, They are confused by wine, they stagger from strong drink; They reel while having visions, They totter when rendering judgment.
- For all the tables are full of filthy vomit, without a single clean place.
- "To whom would He teach knowledge, And to whom would He interpret the message? Those just weaned from milk? Those just taken from the breast?
- "For He says, 'Order on order, order on order, Line on line, line on line, A little here, a little there.'"
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- Very well then, with foreign lips and strange tongues God will speak to this people,
- to whom he said, "This is the resting place, let the weary rest"; and, "This is the place of repose"-- but they would not listen.
- So then, the word of the LORD to them will become: Do and do, do and do, rule on rule, rule on rule; a little here, a little there-- so that they will go and fall backward, be injured and snared and captured.
- Therefore hear the word of the LORD, you scoffers who rule this people in Jerusalem.
- You boast, "We have entered into a covenant with death, with the grave 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 our hiding place."
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- Indeed, He will speak to this people Through stammering lips and a foreign tongue,
- He who said to them, "Here is rest, give rest to the weary," And, "Here is repose," but they would not listen.
- So the word of the LORD to them will be, "Order on order, order on order, Line on line, line on line, A little here, a little there," That they may go and stumble backward, be broken, snared and taken captive.
- Therefore, hear the word of the LORD, O scoffers, Who rule this people who are in Jerusalem,
- Because you have said, "We have made a covenant with death, And with Sheol we have made a pact The overwhelming scourge will not reach us when it passes by, For we have made falsehood our refuge and we have concealed ourselves with deception."
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- So 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 trusts will never be dismayed.
- I 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.
- Your covenant with death will be annulled; your agreement with the grave will not stand. When the overwhelming scourge sweeps by, you will be beaten down by it.
- As 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.
- The bed is too short to stretch out on, the blanket too narrow to wrap around you.
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- Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone, A costly cornerstone for the foundation, firmly placed. He who believes in it will not be disturbed.
- "I will make justice the measuring line And righteousness the level; Then hail will sweep away the refuge of lies And the waters will overflow the secret place.
- "Your covenant with death will be canceled, And your pact with Sheol will not stand; When the overwhelming scourge passes through, Then you become its trampling place.
- "As often as it passes through, it will seize you; For morning after morning it will pass through, anytime during the day or night, And it will be sheer terror to understand what it means."
- The bed is too short on which to stretch out, And the blanket is too small to wrap oneself in.
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- The 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.
- Now 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.
- Listen and hear my voice; pay attention and hear what I say.
- When a farmer plows for planting, does he plow continually? Does he keep on breaking up and harrowing the soil?
- When he has leveled the surface, does he not sow caraway and scatter cummin? Does he not plant wheat in its place, barley in its plot, and spelt in its field?
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- For the LORD will rise up as at Mount Perazim, He will be stirred up as in the valley of Gibeon, To do His task, His unusual task, And to work His work, His extraordinary work.
- And now do not carry on as scoffers, Or your fetters will be made stronger; For I have heard from the Lord GOD of hosts Of decisive destruction on all the earth.
- Give ear and hear my voice, Listen and hear my words.
- Does the farmer plow continually to plant seed? Does he continually turn and harrow the ground?
- Does he not level its surface And sow dill and scatter cummin And plant wheat in rows, Barley in its place and rye within its area?
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- His God instructs him and teaches him the right way.
- Caraway is not threshed with a sledge, nor is a cartwheel rolled over cummin; caraway is beaten out with a rod, and cummin with a stick.
- Grain must be ground to make bread; so one does not go on threshing it forever. Though he drives the wheels of his threshing cart over it, his horses do not grind it.
- All this also comes from the LORD Almighty, wonderful in counsel and magnificent in wisdom.
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- For his God instructs and teaches him properly.
- For dill is not threshed with a threshing sledge, Nor is the cartwheel driven over cummin; But dill is beaten out with a rod, and cummin with a club.
- Grain for bread is crushed, Indeed, he does not continue to thresh it forever. Because the wheel of his cart and his horses eventually damage it, He does not thresh it longer.
- This also comes from the LORD of hosts, Who has made His counsel wonderful and His wisdom great.
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