Isaiah 28 JPS Tanakh (1917)
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (1)
- Numbers like (22-2) in the text give the Hebrew verse numbering where it differs.
1 Woe to the crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim, and to the fading flower of his glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley of them that are smitten down with wine!
1 Woe to the crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim, and to the fading flower of his glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fertile valley of those who are overcome with wine!
2 Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one, as a storm of hail, a tempest of destruction, as a storm of mighty waters overflowing, that casteth down to the earth with violence.
2 Behold, the Lord has one who is mighty and strong. Like a storm of hail, a destroying storm, and like a storm of mighty waters overflowing, he will cast them down to the earth with his hand.
3 The crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim shall be trodden under foot;
3 The crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim will be trodden under foot.
4 And the fading flower of his glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley, shall be as the first-ripe fig before the summer, which when one looketh upon it, while it is yet in his hand he eateth it up.
4 The fading flower of his glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fertile valley, shall be like the first-ripe fig before the summer, which someone picks and eats as soon as he sees it.
5 In that day shall the LORD of hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty, unto the residue of His people;
5 In that day, Yahweh of Armies will become a crown of glory and a diadem of beauty to the residue of his people,
6 And for a spirit of judgment to him that sitteth in judgment, and for strength to them that turn back the battle at the gate.
6 and a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment, and strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.
7 But these also reel through wine, and stagger through strong drink; the priest and the prophet reel through strong drink, they are confused because of wine, they stagger because of strong drink; they reel in vision, they totter in judgment.
7 They also reel with wine, and stagger with strong drink. The priest and the prophet reel with strong drink. They are swallowed up by wine. They stagger with strong drink. They err in vision. They stumble in judgment.
8 For all tables are full of filthy vomit, and no place is clean.
8 For all tables are completely full of filthy vomit and filthiness.
9 Whom shall one teach knowledge? And whom shall one make to understand the message? Them that are weaned from the milk, them that are drawn from the breasts?
9 Whom will he teach knowledge? To whom will he explain the message? Those who are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts?
10 For it is precept by precept, precept by precept, line by line, line by line; here a little, there a little.
10 For it is precept on precept, precept on precept; line on line, line on line; here a little, there a little.
11 For with stammering lips and with a strange tongue shall it be spoken to this people;
11 But he will speak to this nation with stammering lips and in another language,
12 To whom it was said: 'This is the rest, give ye rest to the weary; and this is the refreshing'; yet they would not hear.
12 to whom he said, “This is the resting place. Give rest to the weary,” and “This is the refreshing;” yet they would not hear.
13 And so the word of the LORD is unto them precept by precept, precept by precept, line by line, line by line; here a little, there a little; that they may go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.
13 Therefore Yahweh’s word will be to them precept on precept, precept on precept; line on line, line on line; here a little, there a little; that they may go, fall backward, be broken, be snared, and be taken.
14 Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scoffers, the ballad-mongers of this people which is in Jerusalem:
14 Therefore hear Yahweh’s word, you scoffers, that rule this people in Jerusalem:
15 Because ye have said: 'We have made a covenant with death, and with the nether-world are we at agreement; when the scouring scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us; for we have made lies our refuge, and in falsehood have we hid ourselves';
15 “Because you have said, ‘We have made a covenant with death, and we are in agreement with Sheol. When the overflowing scourge passes through, it won’t come to us; for we have made lies our refuge, and we have hidden ourselves under falsehood.’”
16 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD: Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a costly corner-stone of sure foundation; he that believeth shall not make haste.
16 Therefore the Lord Yahweh says, “Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone of a sure foundation. He who believes shall not act hastily.
17 And I will make justice the line, and righteousness the plummet; and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding-place.
17 I will make justice the measuring line, and righteousness the plumb line. The hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters will overflow the hiding place.
18 And your covenant with death shall be disannulled and your agreement with the nether-world shall not stand; when the scouring scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it,
18 Your covenant with death shall be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol shall not stand. When the overflowing scourge passes through, then you will be trampled down by it.
19 As often as it passeth through, it shall take you; for morning by morning shall it pass through, by day and by night; and it shall be sheer terror to understand the message.
19 As often as it passes through, it will seize you; for morning by morning it will pass through, by day and by night; and it will be nothing but terror to understand the message.”
20 For the bed is too short for a man to stretch himself; and the covering too narrow when he gathereth himself up.
20 For the bed is too short to stretch out on, and the blanket is too narrow to wrap oneself in.
21 For the LORD will rise up as in mount Perazim, He will be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon; that He may do His work, strange is His work, and bring to pass His act, strange is His act.
21 For Yahweh will rise up as on Mount Perazim. He will be angry as in the valley of Gibeon; that he may do his work, his unusual work, and bring to pass his act, his extraordinary act.
22 Now therefore be ye not scoffers, lest your bands be made strong; for an extermination wholly determined have I heard from the Lord, the GOD of hosts, upon the whole land.
22 Now therefore don’t be scoffers, lest your bonds be made strong; for I have heard a decree of destruction from the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, on the whole earth.
23 Give ye ear, and hear my voice; attend, and hear my speech.
23 Give ear, and hear my voice! Listen, and hear my speech!
24 Is the plowman never done with plowing to sow, with the opening and harrowing of his ground?
24 Does he who plows to sow plow continually? Does he keep turning the soil and breaking the clods?
25 When he hath made plain the face thereof, doth he not cast abroad the black cummin, and scatter the cummin, and put in the wheat in rows and the barley in the appointed place and the spelt in the border thereof?
25 When he has leveled its surface, doesn’t he plant the dill, and scatter the cumin seed, and put in the wheat in rows, the barley in the appointed place, and the spelt in its place?
26 For He doth instruct him aright; his God doth teach him.
26 For his God instructs him in right judgment and teaches him.
27 For the black cummin is not threshed with a threshing-sledge, neither is a cart-wheel turned about upon the cummin; but the black cummin is beaten out with a staff, and the cummin with a rod.
27 For the dill isn’t threshed with a sharp instrument, neither is a cart wheel turned over the cumin; but the dill is beaten out with a stick, and the cumin with a rod.
28 Is bread corn crushed? Nay, he will not ever be threshing it; and though the roller of his wagon and its sharp edges move noisily, he doth not crush it.
28 Bread flour must be ground; so he will not always be threshing it. Although he drives the wheel of his threshing cart over it, his horses don’t grind it.
29 This also cometh forth from the LORD of hosts: Wonderful is His counsel, and great His wisdom.
29 This also comes out from Yahweh of Armies, who is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in wisdom.
Cross references (29)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Hosea 7:5; Isaiah 28:7; Isaiah 28:3–4; 2 Kings 14:25–27; Isaiah 5:22
- 2 Isaiah 30:30; Ezekiel 13:11; Nahum 1:8; Isaiah 27:1; Isaiah 29:6
- 3 Isaiah 26:6; Hebrews 10:29; Isaiah 28:1; Daniel 8:13; Revelation 11:2
- 4 Nahum 3:12; Micah 7:1; Hosea 6:4; Isaiah 28:1; Psalm 73:19–20
- 5 1 Peter 5:4; Isaiah 62:3; Isaiah 60:19; Romans 11:5–6; Psalm 90:16–17
- 6 Psalm 18:32–34; John 5:30; Numbers 11:16–17; Joshua 1:9; Isaiah 11:2–4
- 7 Isaiah 56:10–12; Luke 21:34; Micah 2:11; Isaiah 19:14; Ecclesiastes 10:17
- 8 Jeremiah 48:26; Proverbs 26:11; Habakkuk 2:15–16
- 9 Psalm 131:2; Jeremiah 6:10; John 12:38; Matthew 11:25; Matthew 21:15–16
- 10 Isaiah 28:13; 2 Timothy 3:7; Jeremiah 11:7; Jeremiah 25:3–7; Nehemiah 9:29–30
- 11 1 Corinthians 14:21; Deuteronomy 28:49; Jeremiah 5:15; Isaiah 33:19
- 12 Matthew 11:28–29; Isaiah 30:15; Jeremiah 6:16; Isaiah 11:10; Jeremiah 44:16
- 13 Matthew 13:14; Isaiah 6:9–10; 2 Peter 3:16; Isaiah 28:10; Isaiah 8:14–15
- 14 Isaiah 28:22; Isaiah 1:10; Isaiah 29:20; Acts 13:41; Hosea 7:5
- 15 Isaiah 8:7–8; Hosea 2:18; Daniel 11:22; Ecclesiastes 8:8; Jeremiah 5:31
- 16 Psalm 118:22; Acts 4:11–12; 1 Peter 2:6–8; Luke 20:17–18; Romans 9:33
- 17 2 Kings 21:13; Revelation 16:21; Amos 7:7–9; Romans 2:5; Romans 2:2
- 18 Isaiah 7:7; Isaiah 8:10; Isaiah 28:15; Malachi 4:1–3; Isaiah 28:3
- 19 Habakkuk 3:16; Jeremiah 19:3; Isaiah 33:7; Daniel 8:27; 2 Kings 24:2
- 20 1 Corinthians 1:18–31; Isaiah 64:6; Romans 9:30–32; Jeremiah 7:8–10; Isaiah 59:5–6
- 21 1 Chronicles 14:11; Joshua 10:12; 2 Samuel 5:20; Joshua 10:10; 2 Samuel 5:25
- 22 Isaiah 10:22–23; Isaiah 24:1–23; Luke 21:24; Lamentations 1:14; Jeremiah 15:17
- 23 Isaiah 1:2; Jeremiah 22:29; Deuteronomy 32:1; Revelation 2:14; Revelation 2:11
- 24 Hosea 10:11–12; Jeremiah 4:3
- 25 Ezekiel 4:9; Matthew 23:23; Exodus 9:31–32
- 26 Exodus 36:2; Exodus 31:3–6; James 1:17; Job 35:11; Psalm 144:1
- 27 Isaiah 41:15; Isaiah 27:7–8; Jeremiah 10:24; Jeremiah 46:28; 2 Kings 13:7
- 28 Amos 9:9; Isaiah 21:10; Matthew 13:37–43; Matthew 3:12; 1 Corinthians 3:9
- 29 Romans 11:33; Job 5:9; Jeremiah 32:19; Isaiah 9:6; Psalm 92:5
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
Wherefore also Isaiah says: "Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I deposit in the foundations of Zion a stone, precious, elect, the chief, the corner-one, to be had in honour." So, then, we understand that His advent in human nature was not by the will of a man, but by the will of God.
… slavery, and through that astonishment was going on to a desire of trying it, and from it to the trial itself, and thence, perchance, to fall into that bondage whereat he was so astonished, seeing he was ready to enter into "a covenant with death;" and he that loves danger shall fall into it.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)
He is called a Stone, not a lifeless stone, cut out by men's hands, but a chief corner-stone, on whom whosoever believeth shall not be put to shame.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)
Since then these things are so, and we have broken up for ourselves the fallows of Divinity, so as not to sow upon thorns, and have made plain the face of the ground, being moulded and moulding others by Holy Scripture...let us now enter upon Theological questions, setting at the head thereof the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)
"Behold, I lay in Zion a stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on Him shall not be confounded." Why anointed?
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 7 (1888)