1
Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim,
Whose glorious beauty is a fading flower
Which is at the head of the 1 verdant valleys,
To those who are overcome with wine!
2
Behold, the Lord has a mighty and strong one,
a Like a tempest of hail and a destroying storm,
Like a flood of mighty waters overflowing,
Who will bring them down to the earth with His hand.
3
The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim,
Will be trampled underfoot;
4
And the glorious beauty is a fading flower
Which is at the head of the 2 verdant valley,
Like the first fruit before the summer,
Which an observer sees;
He eats it up while it is still in his hand.
5
In that day the LORD of hosts will be
For a crown of glory and a diadem of beauty
To the remnant of His people,
6
For a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment,
And for strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.
7
But they also b have erred through wine,
And through intoxicating drink are out of the way;
c The priest and the prophet have erred through intoxicating drink,
They are swallowed up by wine,
They are out of the way through intoxicating drink;
They err in vision, they stumble in judgment.
8
For all tables are full of vomit and filth;
No place is clean.
9
"Whom d will he teach knowledge?
And whom will he make to understand the message?
Those just weaned from milk?
Those just drawn from the breasts?
10
e For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept,
Line upon line, line upon line,
Here a little, there a little."
11
For with f stammering lips and another tongue
He will speak to this people,
12
To whom He said, "This is the g rest with which
You may cause the weary to rest,"
And, "This is the refreshing";
Yet they would not hear.
13
But the word of the LORD was to them,
"Precept upon precept, precept upon precept,
Line upon line, line upon line,
Here a little, there a little,"
That they might go and fall backward, and be broken
And snared and caught.