New International Version NIV
Orthodox Jewish Bible OJB
1 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!
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8 Hoy (woe, doom) to the ateret ge’ut (crown of pride), to the shikkorei Ephrayim (drunkards of Ephrayim), whose glorious beauty is a fading tzitz (flower), which are on the rosh of the verdant gey (valley) of them that are overcome with yayin!
2 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.
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Hinei, Adonoi hath one, chazak and strong, which as a tempest of barad (hail) and a destroying storm, as a flood of mighty mayim overflowing, shall cast them down to ha’aretz with the yad.
3 That wreath, the pride of Ephraim’s drunkards, will be trampled underfoot.
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The ateret ge’ut (crown of pride), the shikkorei Ephrayim, shall be trodden under foot;
4 That fading flower, his glorious beauty, set on the head of a fertile valley, will be like figs ripe before harvest— as soon as people see them and take them in hand, they swallow them.
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And the glorious beauty, which is at the rosh of the verdant gey, shall be a fading tzitz, and as the bikkurah (first ripe fruit) before kayitz (summer); which when he that looketh upon it seeth, while it is yet in his palm he eateth it up.
5 In that day the LORD Almighty will be a glorious crown, a beautiful wreath for the remnant of his people.
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In that day shall Hashem Tzva’os be for an ateret of glory, and for a wreath tiferet, unto the remnant of His people,
6 He will be a spirit of justice to the one who sits in judgment, a source of strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.
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And for a ruach mishpat to him that sitteth in mishpat, and for gevurah to them that turn back the milchamah at the gate.
7 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.
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But they also have gone astray through yayin, and through strong drink are out of the way; the kohen and the navi have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up with yayin, they are out of the way through strong drink; they go astray from the vision, they stumble in rendering decisions.
8 All the tables are covered with vomit and there is not a spot without filth.
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For all shulchanot are full of vomit and filthiness, so that there is no makom (place) clean.
9 “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?
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Whom shall He teach da’as? And whom shall He make to understand doctrine? Them that are just weaned from cholov, and just drawn from the breasts.
10 For it is: Do this, do that, a rule for this, a rule for that ; a little here, a little there.”
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For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; sham (here) a little, and sham (there) a little;
11 Very well then, with foreign lips and strange tongues God will speak to this people,
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For with stammering safah (lips) and with lashon acheret (another tongue, different tongue) will He speak to HaAm Hazeh.
12 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.
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To whom He said, This is the menuchah (rest) wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing; yet they would not hear.
13 So then, the word of the LORD to them will become: Do this, do that, a rule for this, a rule for that; a little here, a little there— so that as they go they will fall backward; they will be injured and snared and captured.
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But the Devar Hashem was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; sham a little, and sham a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken [captive].
14 Therefore hear the word of the LORD, you scoffers who rule this people in Jerusalem.
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Therefore hear the Devar Hashem, ye scoffing anashim, that rule HaAm Hazeh which is in Yerushalayim.
15 You boast, “We have entered into a covenant with death, with the realm of the dead 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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Because ye have said, We have cut a brit with mavet, and with Sheol are we in agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us; for we have made kazav our refuge, and under sheker have we hid ourselves;
16 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 relies on it will never be stricken with panic.
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Therefore thus saith Adonoi Hashem, Hineni, I lay in Tziyon for a foundation an even (stone), an even bochan (a tried stone), a pinnat yikrat (precious cornerstone), a sure foundation; the ma’amin (believer) shall not panic.
17 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.
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Mishpat also will I make as the measuring line, and tzedakah to be the plumbline; and the barad shall sweep away the refuge of kazav, and the mayim shall overflow the hiding place.
18 Your covenant with death will be annulled; your agreement with the realm of the dead will not stand. When the overwhelming scourge sweeps by, you will be beaten down by it.
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And your brit (covenant) with mavet shall be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it.
19 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.
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As often as it goeth forth it shall seize you; for boker by boker shall it pass over, by day and by night; and it shall be a terror just to understand the message.
20 The bed is too short to stretch out on, the blanket too narrow to wrap around you.
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For the matztza (bed, mattress) is shorter than one can stretch himself on it; and the blanket narrower than that he can wrap himself in.
21 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.
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For Hashem shall rise up as in Har Peratzim, He shall be in wrath as in the valley of Giveon, that He may do His ma’aseh, His zar ma’aseh (strange work, foreign work); and bring to pass His avodah, His nochriyah avodah.
22 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.
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Now therefore be ye not mockers, lest your chains be made chazak; for I have heard from Adonoi Hashem Tzva’os a destruction, even determined upon kol ha’aretz (the whole earth).
23 Listen and hear my voice; pay attention and hear what I say.
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Give ye ozen, and hear my voice; pay heed, and hear my speech.
24 When a farmer plows for planting, does he plow continually? Does he keep on breaking up and working the soil?
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Doth the plowman plow kol hayom to sow? Doth he keep turning and breaking the clods of his adamah?
25 When he has leveled the surface, does he not sow caraway and scatter cumin? Does he not plant wheat in its place,barley in its plot,and spelt in its field?
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When he hath made level the surface thereof, doth he not sow the dill, and scatter the cumin, and plant in rows the chittah (wheat) and the se’orah (barley) in the appointed place, and the spelt in their place?
26 His God instructs him and teaches him the right way.
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For Elohav doth instruct him, and doth teach him properly.
27 Caraway is not threshed with a sledge, nor is the wheel of a cart rolled over cumin; caraway is beaten out with a rod, and cumin with a stick.
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For the dill is not threshed with a threshing sledge, neither is an ofan agalah (cart wheel) rolled about upon the cumin; but the dill is beaten out with a rod, and the cumin with a club.
28 Grain must be ground to make bread; so one does not go on threshing it forever. The wheels of a threshing cart may be rolled over it, but one does not use horses to grind grain.
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Grain for lechem must be ground; because he will not ever be threshing it, nor break it with the gilgal (wheel) of his agalah (cart, wagon), nor grind it with his parash.
29 All this also comes from the LORD Almighty, whose plan is wonderful, whose wisdom is magnificent.
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This also cometh forth from Hashem Tzva’os, Who is wonderful in etzah, and excellent in wisdom.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.
The Orthodox Jewish Bible fourth edition, OJB. Copyright 2002,2003,2008,2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International. All rights reserved.