¹ Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading flower, which is on the head of the rich valleys of them that are overcome with wine! ² Behold, the Lord has a mighty and strong one, which like a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, like a flood of mighty waters overflowing, shall cast down to the earth with his hand. ³ The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim, shall be trodden under foot: ⁴ And the glorious beauty, which is on the head of the rich valley, shall be a fading flower, and as the early fruit before the summer; which when he that looks upon it sees it, while it is yet in his hand he eats it up. ⁵ In that day shall the LORD of hosts be a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty, unto the remnant of his people, ⁶ And for a spirit of justice to him that sits in judgment, and for strength to them that turn back the battle at the gate.

⁷ But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up by wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment. ⁸ For all tables are full of vomit and filthiness, so that there is no place clean. ⁹ Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and taken from the breasts. ¹⁰ For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: ¹¹ For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. ¹² To whom he said, This is the rest with which you may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.

¹³ But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.