Isaiah:28

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* Alas ! for the proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim , And for his fading wreath of majestic beauty , Which is on the head of the fertile valley , of them who are overcome with wine . * Lo ! My Lord hath one who is , strong and bold , Like a storm of hail , a destroying tempest , Like a storm of mighty waters overflowing , Hath he thrust it down to the earth with force : * With the feet shall be trodden down , the proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim , * So shall his fading wreath of majestic beauty , Which is on the head of the fertile valley , become Like the first-ripe fig before fruit-harvest , Which when he that looketh upon it seeth while it is yet in his hand , he swalloweth it up . * In that day , will Yahweh of hosts become A crown of beauty , and A diadem of majesty , Unto the remnant of his people : * Even a spirit of justiceto him that presideth over justice , And strength to them who would turn back the battle at the gate . * But as for these , With wine , do they reel , and With strong drink , do they stagger , Priest and prophet , reel with strong drink They are swallowed up through wine They stagger through strong drink , They reel in prophetic vision , They totter in pronouncing judgment . * For , all tables , are full of filthy vomit , There is no place ! * Whom , would he teach knowledge ? And , whom , would he cause to understand the message ? Them who are weaned from the milk ? taken from the breasts ? * For it is Precept upon precept , precept upon precept , Line upon line , line upon line , A little here a little there . * For , with a jabbering lip , and with an alien tongue , must he speak unto this people ! * To whom he said This , is the restgive ye rest to the weary , and This , is the quietness , But they were unwilling to hear . * So the word of Yahweh must be to them Precept upon precept , precept upon precept , Line upon line , line upon line , A little here , a little there , That they may go and fall backward and be torn and snared and captured . * Wherefore , hear ye the word of Yahweh , Ye men who scoff , Ye rulers of this people that is in Jerusalem . * Because ye have said We have solemnised a covenant with death , And with hades , have we effected a vision , The overflowing scourge when it sweepeth by , shall not reach unto us , For we have made lying our refuge . And in falsehood , have we hid ourselves , * Therefore , Thus , saith My Lord , Yahweh , Behold me ! founding in Zion a stone , A stone of testing , The costly corner of a well-laid foundation , he that trusteth , shall not make haste ! * But I will make Justice the line , and Righteousness the plummet , And the hail shall , sweep away , your refuge of lying , And your hiding-place , the waters shall overflow ; * So shall be wiped out your covenant with death , And your vision with hades , not stand , When the overflowing scourge , sweepeth past , then shall ye be thereby beaten down : * As often as it sweepeth past , it shall take you away , For morning by morning , shall it pass along . By day and by night , And it shall be nothing less than a terror to make out the message ; * For too short is the couch to stretch oneself out , And , the coverlet , too narrow , when one draweth up his feet . * For as in Mount Perazim , will Yahweh , arise , As in the vale of Gibeon , will he be stirred , To do his workforeign is his work , And to perform his taskstrange is his task . * Now , therefore do not show yourselves scoffers , Lest your fetters , be bound fast , For , of a full end , and that a decreed one , have I heard from My Lord , Yahweh of hosts upon all the land * Give ear , and hear ye my voice , Hearken , and hear ye my speech : * All day long , doth the plowman plow for sowing ? Doth he continue laying open and harrowing his soil ? * Doth he not when he hath levelled the face thereof , Cast abroad the fennel ? And , the cummin , doth he not scatter ? And plant wheat in rows , And barley in a lot , And spelt in the border thereof ? * Yea One hath trained him to good judgment , His God , directeth him . * For not with a sledge , must , black coriander be threshed , Nor must , the wheel of a cart , on cummin , be turned , But with a staff , must fennel be eaten , And cummin with a rod : * Bread-corn , must be crushed , Yet would he not be evermore , threshing , it , So he hasteneth over it the wheel of his cart , with his horsemen , He crusheth it not ! * Even this , from Yahweh of hosts , cometh forth , Who hath bestowed distinction upon counsel , And magnified sound wisdom .

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