Wycliffe WYC
New International Reader's Version NIRV
1 Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunken men of Ephraim, and to the flower falling down of the glory of the full out joying thereof, that were in the top of the fattest valley, and erred of wine. (Woe to the crown of pride of the drunken men of Ephraim, and to the declining glory, or the diminishing beauty, of the revellers? flowers, that were on the fat, or the proud, heads, of those who wandered about because of the wine.)
1
How terrible it will be for the city of Samaria! It sits on a hill like a crown of flowers. The leaders of Ephraim are drunk. They take pride in their city. It sits above a valley that has rich soil. How terrible it will be for the glorious beauty of that fading flower!
2 Lo! the mighty and strong Lord, as the fierceness of hail, and whirlwind breaking together, as the fierceness of many waters (over)flowing, and sent out on a large land. (Lo! the Lord hath someone strong and mighty, like the fierceness of the hail, and like the fierceness of the whirlwind that altogether breaketh up, and like the fierceness of many waters overflowing, whom he shall send out upon the large, or the broad, land.)
2
The Lord will bring the strong and powerful king of Assyria against Samaria. The Lord will throw that city down to the ground with great force. It will be like a hailstorm. It will be like a wind that destroys everything. It will be like a driving rain and a flooding storm.
3 The crown of pride of the drunken men of Ephraim shall be defouled with feet, (The crown of pride of the drunken men of Ephraim shall be defiled underfoot,)
3
That city is like a crown. The leaders of Ephraim are drunk. They take pride in their city. But its enemies will walk all over it.
4 and the flower of [the] glory of the full out joying of him, that is on the top of the valley of fat things, shall be falling down, as a timely thing before the ripeness of harvest; which when a man seeing beholdeth, anon as he taketh with hand, he shall devour it. (and the glory, or the beauty, of the flowers, that were on the fat, or on the proud, heads of the revellers, shall decline, or shall diminish, like a timely thing before the ripeness of the harvest, which when a person seeing beholdeth, as soon as he taketh hold of it with his hand, he shall devour it.)
4
It sits on a hill above a rich valley. It's like a crown of flowers whose glorious beauty is fading away. But it will become like a fig that is ripe before harvest. As soon as someone sees it, he picks it and swallows it.
5 In that day the Lord of hosts shall be a crown of glory, and a garland of full out joying, to the residue of his people; (On that day the Lord of hosts shall be a crown of glory, and a beautiful garland, for the remnant of his people;)
5
At that time the LORD who rules over all will be like a glorious crown. He will be like a beautiful wreath for those of his people who will be left alive.
6 and a spirit of doom to him that sitteth on the throne, and strength to them that turn again from [the] battle to the gate. (and a spirit of justice, or of judgement, for him who sitteth upon the throne, and strength to them who return from the battle at the gate.)
6
He will help those who are fair when they judge. He will give strength to those who turn back their enemies at the city gate.
7 But also they knew not for wine, and erred for drunkenness; the priest and (the) prophet knew not for drunkenness; they were sopped up of wine, they erred in drunkenness; they knew not a prophet, they knew not doom. (But they also knew not because of the wine, and wandered about in drunkenness; yea, the priest and the prophet knew not because of drunkenness; they were swallowed up by wine, and so they wandered about in drunkenness, and they knew not prophecy, and they did not have good judgement.)
7
Israel's leaders are drunk from wine. They can't walk straight. They are drunk from beer. They are unsteady on their feet. Priests and prophets drink beer. They can't walk straight. They are mixed up from drinking too much wine. They drink too much beer. They are unsteady on their feet. The prophets see visions but don't really understand them. The priests aren't able to make good decisions.
8 For why all (the) boards were filled with spewing and filths, so that there was no more place. (For all the tables were covered with vomit and filth, so that there was no clean place left.)
8
They throw up. All of the tables are covered with the mess they've made. There isn't one spot on the tables that isn't smelly and dirty.
9 Whom shall he teach knowing, and whom shall he make to understand [the] hearing? Men weaned from milk, men drawn away from teats. (And so to whom shall he teach knowledge, and who shall he make understand the teaching? Those just weaned from milk, yea, those just drawn away from the breast!/?)
9
My people are making fun of me. They say, "Who does he think he's trying to teach? Who does he think he's explaining his message to? Is it to children who do not need their mother's milk anymore? Is it to those who have just been taken from her breast?
10 For why command thou, command thou again; command thou, command thou again; abide thou, abide thou again; abide thou, abide thou again; a little there, a little there (a little here, a little there).
10
Here is how he teaches. Do this and do that. Do that and do this. Obey this rule and obey that rule. Obey that rule and obey this rule. Learn a little here and learn a little there."
11 For why in [the] speech of lip, and in other language, he shall speak to this people,
11
All right then, these people won't listen to me. So God will speak to them. He will speak by using people who speak unfamiliar languages. He will speak by using the mouths of strangers.
12 to which he said, This is my rest; refresh ye a weary man, and this is my refreshing; and they would not hear. (to whom he said, This is my rest; refresh ye all the weary, and this is my refreshing; but they would not listen to him.)
12
He said to his people, "I am offering you a resting place. Let those who are tired rest." He continued, "I am offering you a place of peace and quiet." But they wouldn't listen.
13 And the word of the Lord shall be to them, Send thou, send thou again; send thou, send thou again; abide thou, abide thou again; abide thou, abide thou again; a little there, a little there (a little here, a little there); (so) that they go, and fall backward, and be all-broken, and be snared, and be taken.
13
So then, here is what the LORD's message will become to them. Do this and do that. Do that and do this. Obey this rule and obey that rule. Obey that rule and obey this rule. Learn a little here and learn a little there. So when they try to go forward, they'll fall back and be wounded. They'll be trapped and captured.
14 For this thing, ye men scorners, that be lords over my people which is in Jerusalem, hear the word of the Lord. (And so because of this, ye mockers, who be lords over my people who be in Jerusalem, hear the word of the Lord.)
14
Listen to the LORD's message, you who make fun of the truth. Listen, you who rule over these people in Jerusalem.
15 For ye said, We have smitten a bond of peace with death, and we have made covenant with hell; a scourge (over)flowing, when it shall pass, shall not come [up]on us, for we have set a leasing our hope, and we be covered with a leasing. (For ye said, We have struck a covenant with death, and we have made a covenant with Sheol, that is, the land of the dead/and we have made a covenant with hell; an overflowing scourge, when it shall pass by, shall not come upon us, for we have made a lie to be our hope, and we be covered with, or protected by, a lie.)
15
You brag, "We have entered into a covenant with death. We have made an agreement with the grave. When a terrible plague comes to punish us, it can't touch us. That's because we depend on lies to keep us safe. We hide behind what isn't true."
16 Therefore the Lord God saith these things, Lo! I shall send in the foundaments of Zion a cornerstone precious, proved, founded in the foundament; he that believeth, shall not hasten. (And so the Lord God saith these things, Lo! I shall put in the foundation of Zion a precious cornerstone, proved, and laid in the foundation; he who believeth shall not be in haste, but shall be patient, or shall be steadfast.)
16
So the LORD and King speaks. He says, "Look! I am laying a stone in Zion. It is a stone that has been tested. It is the most important stone for a firm foundation. The one who trusts in that stone will never be shaken.
17 And I shall set doom in weight, and rightfulness in measure; and hail shall destroy the hope of leasing, and waters shall (over)flow on (your) protection. (And I shall put justice in weights, and righteousness in measures; and hail shall destroy the hope of lies, and water shall overflow your protection.)
17
I will use a measuring line to prove that you have not been fair. I will use a plumb line to prove that you have not done what is right. Hail will sweep away the lies you depend on to keep you safe. Water will flood your hiding place.
18 And your bond of peace with death shall be done away, and your covenant with hell shall not stand; when the scourge (over)flowing shall pass, ye shall be to it into defouling. (And your covenant with death shall be done away, and your covenant with Sheol, or the land of the dead, shall not stand/and your covenant with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass by, ye shall be defiled by it.)
18
Your covenant with death will be called off. The agreement you made with the grave will not stand. When the terrible plague comes to punish you, you will be beaten down by it.
19 Whenever it shall pass, it shall take away you (And when it shall pass by you, it shall take you away); for why early in the gray morrowtide it shall pass (by), (and) in day and night; and only travail alone shall give understanding to [the] hearing.
19
As often as it comes, it will carry you away. Morning after morning, day and night, it will come to punish you." If you understand this message, it will bring you absolute terror.
20 Forsooth the bed is strait, so that the tother fall down; and a short mantle shall not cover ever either. (For the bed is too short, so that no one can stretch out on it; and the blanket is too small, so that no one can be covered by it.)
20
You will be like someone whose bed is too short to lie down on. You will be like those whose blankets are too small to wrap themselves in.
21 For as in the hill of partings the Lord shall stand, as in the valley, which is in Gibeon, he shall be wroth, that he do his work; his work alien, that he work his work; his work is strange from him. (For the Lord shall stand, as he did at Mount Perazim, and he shall be angry, as he was in the Valley of Gibeon; so that he do his work, his strange work; yea, that he work his work, his strange work.)
21
The LORD will rise up to judge, just as he did at Mount Perazim. He will get up to act, just as he did in the Valley of Gibeon. He'll do his work, but it will be strange work. He'll carry out his task, but it will be an unexpected one.
22 And now do not ye scorn, lest peradventure your bonds be made strait together; for I heard of the Lord God of hosts, ending and abridging on all (the) earth. (And now do not ye mock, lest peradventure your bonds be made altogether strait, or tight; for I have heard from the Lord God of hosts, of the ending and the shortening, or destruction, of all the earth.)
22
Now stop making fun of me. If you don't, your chains will become heavier. The LORD who rules over all has spoken to me. The Lord has told me he has ordered that the whole land be destroyed.
23 Perceive ye with ears, and hear ye my voice; perceive ye, and hear ye my speech. (Listen, and hear ye my voice; pay attention, yea, listen to me!)
23
Listen and hear my voice. Pay attention to what I'm saying.
24 Whether he that eareth, shall ear all day, for to sow, and shall he carve (up), and purge his land? (Shall he who ploweth, plow every day, in order to sow, and to furrow, and to purge his land?)
24
When a farmer plows in order to plant, does he plow without stopping? Does he keep on breaking up the soil and making the field level?
25 Whether when he hath made even the face thereof, shall he not sow gith, and sprinkle abroad cummin? and he shall not set wheat by order, and barley, and millet, and fitches in his coasts? (Or rather, when he hath smoothed, or leveled, its surface, shall he not sow gith, and sprinkle abroad cummin? and shall he not put in, by order, wheat, and barley, and millet, and fitches, in all his fields?)
25
When he's made the surface even, doesn't he plant caraway seeds? Doesn't he scatter cummin? Doesn't he plant wheat in its proper place? Doesn't he plant barley where it belongs? Doesn't he plant spelt along the edge of the field?
26 And his God shall teach him, in doom he shall teach him. (And his God shall teach him, yea, he shall teach him good judgement.)
26
His God directs him. He teaches him the right way to do his work.
27 Forsooth (the) gith shall not be threshed in saws, and a wheel of a wain shall not compass on [the] cummin (For the gith shall not be threshed with saws, and the wheel of a wagon shall not roll over, or grind down, the cummin); but (the) gith shall be beaten out with a rod, and [the] cummin with a staff.
27
Caraway seeds are beaten out with a rod. They aren't separated out under a threshing sled. Cummin seeds are beaten out with a stick. The wheel of a cart isn't rolled over them.
28 Soothly bread shall be made less, but he that thresheth shall not thresh it without end, neither shall travail it with a wheel of a wain, neither shall make it less with his claws. (And the corn shall be crushed, but he who thresheth it shall not thresh it out forever, nor shall he grind it down with the wheel of a wagon, nor shall he make it fine with his horses? hooves.)
28
Grain must be ground up to make bread. A farmer separates it out. But he doesn't go on doing it forever. He drives the wheels of a threshing cart over it. But he doesn't let the horses grind it to dust.
29 And this thing went out of the Lord God of hosts, that he should make wonderful counsel, and magnify rightfulness. (And this word went out from the Lord God of hosts, whose counsel is wonderful, and whose rightfulness is great.)
29
All of those insights come from the LORD who rules over all. His advice is wonderful. His wisdom is glorious.
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.
Holy Bible, New International Reader's Version® Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.