XXVIII. 1 Ah, the proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim, and the fading ﬂower of his glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley of them that are smitten down with wine!

2 Behold, the Lord hath a strong and mighty One, like a storm of hail, a tempest of destruction; like a storm of mighty overflowing waters, he casteth it down to the ground with force.

3 The proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim shall be trodden with feet;

4 And the fading flower of his glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley, shall be as an early ﬁg before the summer, which when any seeth, he swalloweth it while it is yet in his hand.

5 In that day shall the Lord of Hosts be for a crown of beauty and a diadem of glory unto the remnant of his people,

6 And for a spirit of judgment to him that sitteth ’over the judgment, and for might to them that turn back war at the gate.

7 And these also have erred with wine, and are gone astray with strong drink; priest and prophet have erred with strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are gone astray with strong drink; they have erred. in vision, have wavered in decision.

12. ‘ beat out ’ or ‘beat off ’1. ‘fat valley,’ lit. ‘valley of ’ (so ver.2. ‘ casteth ’ causative of verb meaning ‘ ’ ‘ settle ’ ‘with force, lit. ‘hand.’4. Lit. ‘ which when he that seeth seeth, he swalloweth...7. ‘have erred...are gone astray...’: or,

8 For all tables are full of ﬁlthy vomit; there is no place (left).

9 Whom will he teach knowledge? and whom will he make to discern the message? those that are weaned from the milk, removed from the breasts?

10 For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line line upon line; here a little, there a little.

11 For with stamrnerings of lip and another tongue will he speak to this people.

12 He who said to them, This is the. rest, give ye rest to the weary ; and this is the refreshing; and they would not hear.

13 And the word of the Lord shall be unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line ; here a little, there a little; that they may go, and stumble backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.

14 Therefore hear the word of the lord, ye men of scorn, rulers of this people which is in Jerusalem.

15 Because ye have said: We have made a covenant with death, and have made an agreement with hell; the overflowing scourge, when it passeth through, shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and in falsehood have we hid ourselves:

16 Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I am he that hath founded in Zion a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner-, stone of sure foundation; he that believeth shall not be in haste.

17 And I will set judgment for a line, and righteousness for a, plummet ; and hail sweepeth the refuge of lies, and waters shall overflow the hiding place.

9. ‘ ’: lit. hearing.12 init. Or, ‘Inasmuch as he ’ ‘refreshing’: or, ‘quiet.15. ‘an ’ lit. a vision (an interview ?). ‘overflowing’: or, ‘sweeping’: so ver. 18.16. Generally held to be the strict rendering of the pointed Hebrew: in which case A.V. ‘I ’ requires diff. pointing. ‘a tried ’ lit. a stone of proof. ‘of ’ Heb. ‘of founded ’

18 And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; the overﬂowing scourge, when it passeth through, ye shall be for it to tread down.

19 As oft as it passeth through, it shall take you away; for morning by morning shall it pass through, by day and by night; and it shall be sheer vexation to discern the message.

20 For the bed is too short for stretching oneself out, and the covering too narrow when wrapping oneself.