Isaiah 28:1-13 - Judgment Against The Leaders Of Ephraim

¹ Ho! crown of pride of those who are given up to wine in Ephraim, and the dead flower of his glory which is on the head of those who are overcome by strong drink! ² See, the Lord has a strong and cruel one; like a rain of ice, a storm of destruction, like the overflowing of a strong river, he will violently overcome them. ³ The crown of pride of those who are given up to wine in Ephraim will be crushed under foot; ⁴ And the dead flower of his glory, which is on the head of the fertile valley, will be like the first early fruit before the summer; which a man takes and puts in his mouth the minute he sees it. ⁵ In that day will the Lord of armies be a crown of glory, and a fair ornament, to the rest of his people; ⁶ And a spirit of wisdom to the judge, and strength to those who keep back the attackers at the door of the town.

⁷ And further, these are uncertain through wine, and have gone out of the right way through strong drink: the priest and the prophet are uncertain through strong drink, they are overcome by wine, they have gone out of the way through strong drink; their vision is false, they go wrong in their decisions. ⁸ For all the tables are covered with coughed-up food, so that there is not a clean place. ⁹ To whom will he give knowledge? and to whom will he make clear the word? Will it be to those who have newly given up milk, and who have only now been taken from the breast? ¹⁰ For it is one rule after another; one line after another; here a little, there a little. ¹¹ No, but with broken talk, and with a strange tongue, he will give his word to this people: ¹² To whom he said, This is the rest, give rest to him who is tired; and by this you may get new strength; but they would not give ear.

¹³ For this cause the word of the Lord will be to them rule after rule, line after line, here a little, there a little; so that they may go on their way, and falling back may be broken, and taken in the net.