top Isaiah ch 28
Greek: Septuagint (LXX)
English: John Barach
Chapter 28
The Fading Crown of Ephraim
1 οὐαὶ τῷ στεφάνῳ τῆς ὕβρεως, οἱ μισθωτοὶ Ἐφραίμ· τὸ ἄνθος τὸ ἐκπεσὸν ἐκ τῆς δόξης ἐπὶ τῆς κορυφῆς τοῦ ὄρους τοῦ παχέος, οἱ μεθύοντες ἄνευ οἴνου. 2 ἰδοὺ ἰσχυρὸν καὶ σκληρὸν ὁ θυμὸς κυρίου ὡς χάλαζα καταφερομένη οὐκ ἔχουσα σκέπην, βίᾳ καταφερομένη· ὡς ὕδατος πολὺ πλῆθος σῦρον χώραν τῇ γῇ ποιήσει ἀνάπαυσιν ταῖς χερσίν. 3 καὶ τοῖς ποσίν καταπατηθήσεται ὁ στέφανος τῆς ὕβρεως, οἱ μισθωτοὶ τοῦ Ἐφραίμ. 4 καὶ ἔσται τὸ ἄνθος τὸ ἐκπεσὸν τῆς ἐλπίδος τῆς δόξης ἐπ' ἄκρου τοῦ ὄρους τοῦ ὑψηλοῦ ὡς πρόδρομος σύκου, ὁ ἰδὼν αὐτὸ πρὶν ἢ εἰς τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ λαβεῖν θελήσει αὐτὸ καταπιεῖν. 1 Woe to the crown of insolence, the hirelings of Ephraim! The flower that fell from glory upon the peak of the fertile mountain, those who are drunk without wine. 2 Behold, the Lord's wrath is strong and harsh, like down-pouring hail that has no shelter, descending with violence; like a great multitude of water dragging the land, He shall bring rest to the country with His hands. 3 And the crown of insolence—the hirelings of Ephraim—shall be trampled by feet. 4 And the fallen flower of the hope of glory upon the peak of the high mountain shall be like a first-ripe fig; he who sees it will desire to swallow it before even taking it into his hand.
The Intoxication of Priest and Prophet
5 τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ ἔσται κύριος σαβαὼθ ὁ στέφανος τῆς ἐλπίδος ὁ πλακεὶς τῆς δόξης τῷ καταλειφθέντι μου λαῷ· 6 καταλειφθήσονται ἐπὶ πνεύματι κρίσεως ἐπὶ κρίσιν καὶ ἰσχὺν κωλύων ἀνελεῖν. 7 οὗτοι γὰρ οἴνῳ πεπλανημένοι εἰσίν, ἐπλανήθησαν διὰ τὸ σίκερα· ἱερεὺς καὶ προφήτης ἐξέστησαν διὰ τὸν οἶνον, ἐσείσθησαν ἀπὸ τῆς μέθης τοῦ σίκερα, ἐπλανήθησαν· τοῦτ' ἔστι φάσμα. 8 ἀρὰ ἔδεται ταύτην τὴν βουλήν· αὕτη γὰρ ἡ βουλὴ ἕνεκεν πλεονεξίας. 5 In that day, the Lord of Hosts shall be the crown of hope, woven of glory for the remnant of My people. 6 They shall be left for a spirit of judgment for judgment, and for strength hindering destruction. 7 For these have gone astray through wine; they have wandered because of strong drink (sikera). Priest and prophet are out of their minds because of wine; they have been shaken by the intoxication of strong drink; they have wandered; this is a phantom (phasma). 8 A curse devours this counsel, for this counsel is for the sake of greed.
9 τίνι ἀνηγγείλαμεν κακὰ καὶ τίνι ἀνηγγείλαμεν ἀγγελίαν, οἱ ἀπογεγαλακτισμένοι ἀπὸ γάλακτος, οἱ ἀπεσπασμένοι ἀπὸ μαστοῦ; 10 θλῖψιν ἐπὶ θλῖψιν προσδέχου, ἐλπίδα, ἐπ' ἐλπίδι ἔτι μικρὸν ἔτι μικρὸν 11 διὰ φαυλισμὸν χειλέων διὰ γλώσσης ἑτέρας, ὅτι λαλήσουσιν τῷ λαῷ τούτῳ 12 λέγοντες αὐτῷ τοῦτο τὸ ἀνάπαυμα τῷ πεινῶντι καὶ τοῦτο τὸ σύντριμμα, καὶ οὐκ ἠθέλησαν ἀκούειν. 13 καὶ ἔσται αὐτοῖς τὸ λόγιον κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ θλῖψις, ἐπὶ θλῖψιν ἐλπὶς ἐπ' ἐλπίδι, ἔτι μικρὸν ἔτι μικρόν, ἵνα πορευθῶσιν καὶ πέσωσιν εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω καὶ κινδυνεύσουσιν καὶ συντριβήσονται καὶ ἁλώσονται. 9 To whom have we announced evils, and to whom have we announced a message? To those weaned from milk, those pulled away from the breast? 10 Expect affliction upon affliction, hope upon hope, yet a little, yet a little, 11 because of the contempt of lips and by means of another tongue; for they shall speak to this people, 12 saying to them: "This is the rest for the hungry and this is the ruin," and they were not willing to hear. 13 And the word of the Lord God shall be to them: "Affliction upon affliction, hope upon hope, yet a little, yet a little," so that they may go and fall backward, and be in danger, and be broken, and be captured.
The Foundation Stone in Zion
14 διὰ τοῦτο ἀκούσατε λόγον κυρίου, ἄνδρες τεθλιμμένοι καὶ ἄρχοντες τοῦ λαοῦ τούτου τοῦ ἐν Ἱερουσαλὴμ 15 ὅτι εἴπατε ἐποιήσαμεν διαθήκην μετὰ τοῦ ᾅδου καὶ μετὰ τοῦ θανάτου συνθήκας, καταιγὶς φερομένη ἐὰν παρέλθῃ οὐ μὴ ἔλθῃ ἐφ' ἡμᾶς, ἐθήκαμεν ψεῦδος τὴν ἐλπίδα ἡμῶν καὶ τῷ ψεύδει σκεπασθησόμεθα. 14 Therefore, hear the word of the Lord, you afflicted men and rulers of this people in Jerusalem. 15 Because you said: "We have made a covenant with Hades, and agreements with Death; if a rushing storm passes through, it shall not come upon us, for we have made a lie our hope, and by the lie we shall be sheltered."
16 διὰ τοῦτο οὕτως λέγει κύριος ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἐμβαλῶ εἰς τὰ θεμέλια Σιὼν λίθον πολυτελῆ ἐκλεκτὸν ἀκρογωνιαῖον ἔντιμον εἰς τὰ θεμέλια αὐτῆς, καὶ ὁ πιστεύων ἐπ' αὐτῷ οὐ μὴ καταισχυνθῇ. 17 καὶ θήσω κρίσιν εἰς ἐλπίδα, ἡ δὲ ἐλεημοσύνη μου εἰς σταθμούς, καὶ οἱ πεποιθότες μάτην ψεύδει· ὅτι οὐ μὴ παρέλθῃ ὑμᾶς καταιγίς, 18 μὴ καὶ ἀφέλῃ ὑμῶν τὴν διαθήκην τοῦ θανάτου, καὶ ἡ ἐλπὶς ὑμῶν ἡ πρὸς τὸν ᾅδην οὐ μὴ ἐμμείνῃ· καταιγὶς φερομένη ἐὰν ἐπέλθῃ, ἔσεσθε αὐτῇ εἰς καταπάτημα. 19 ὅταν παρέλθῃ, λήμψεται ὑμᾶς· πρωῒ πρωῒ παρελεύσεται ἡμέρας, καὶ ἐν νυκτὶ ἔσται ἐλπὶς πονηρά· μάθετε ἀκούειν. 16 Therefore thus says the Lord: "Behold, I lay into the foundations of Zion a precious stone, a chosen, precious cornerstone into her foundations; and the one believing in it shall by no means be put to shame. 17 And I will set judgment for hope, and my mercy for weights [on a scale]; and you who trust in a lie [trust] in vain. For the storm shall not pass you by, 18 lest it also take away your covenant with death; and your hope toward Hades shall not remain. When the rushing storm comes upon you, you shall be for it to trample down. 19 Whenever it passes by, it shall take you; morning by morning it shall pass by during the day, and in the night there shall be an evil hope. Learn to hear!"
The Parable of the Farmer
20 στενοχωρούμενοι οὐ δυνάμεθα μάχεσθαι, αὐτοὶ δὲ ἀσθενοῦμεν τοῦ ἡμᾶς συναχθῆναι. 21 ὥσπερ ὄρος ἀσεβῶν ἀναστήσεται καὶ ἔσται ἐν τῇ φάραγγι Γαβαών· μετὰ θυμοῦ ποιήσει τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ, πικρίας ἔργον· ὁ δὲ θυμὸς αὐτοῦ ἀλλοτρίως χρήσεται, καὶ ἡ πικρία αὐτοῦ ἀλλοτρία. 22 καὶ ὑμεῖς μὴ εὐφρανθείητε, μηδὲ ἰσχυσάτωσαν ὑμῶν οἱ δεσμοί· διότι συντετελεσμένα καὶ συντετμημένα πράγματα ἤκουσα παρὰ κυρίου σαβαὼθ, ἃ ποιήσει ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν. 20 Being distressed, we are unable to fight; and we ourselves are too weak for us to be gathered. 21 Just as a mountain of ungodly men, He shall rise up, and He shall be in the valley of Gibeon; with wrath He shall perform His works—a work of bitterness; and His wrath shall deal strangely, and His bitterness is strange. 22 And as for you, do not be glad, nor let your bonds be strengthened; because I have heard of finished and shortened things from the Lord of Hosts, which He will perform upon all the earth.
23 ἐνωτίζεσθε καὶ ἀκούετε τῆς φωνῆς μου, προσέχετε καὶ ἀκούετε τοὺς λόγους μου. 24 μὴ ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν μέλλει ὁ ἀροτριῶν; ἀροτριᾶν ἢ σπόρον προετοιμάσει πρὶν ἐργάσασθαι τὴν γῆν; 25 οὐχ ὅταν ὁμαλίσῃ αὐτῆς τὸ πρόσωπον, τότε σπείρει μικρὸν μελάνθιον καὶ κύμινον καὶ πάλιν σπείρει πυρὸν καὶ κριθὴν καὶ ζέαν ἐν τοῖς ὁρίοις σου; 26 καὶ παιδευθήσῃ κρίματι θεοῦ σου καὶ εὐφρανθήσῃ. 23 Give ear and hear my voice; attend and hear my words. 24 Does the plowman intend to plow all day? To plow or prepare the seed before working the earth? 25 When he has leveled its face, does he not then sow a little black cumin and cumin? And does he not then sow wheat and barley and spelt in your borders? 26 And you shall be disciplined by the judgment of your God and you shall be glad.
27 οὐ γὰρ μετὰ σκληρότητος καθαίρεται τὸ μελάνθιον, οὐδὲ τροχὸς ἁμάξης περιάξει ἐπὶ τὸ κύμινον, ἀλλὰ ῥάβδῳ ἐκτινάσσεται τὸ μελάνθιον, τὸ δὲ κύμινον 28 μετὰ ἄρτου βρωθήσεται. οὐ γὰρ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ἐγὼ ὑμῖν ὀργισθήσομαι, οὐδὲ φωνὴ τῆς πικρίας μου καταπατήσει ὑμᾶς. 29 καὶ ταῦτα παρὰ κυρίου σαβαὼθ ἐξῆλθεν τὰ τέρατα· βουλεύσασθε, ὑψώσατε ματαίαν παράκλησιν. 27 For black cumin is not cleansed with harshness, nor is a wagon wheel turned over cumin; but black cumin is shaken out with a staff, and cumin 28 is eaten with bread. For I will not be angry with you forever, nor shall the voice of my bitterness trample you. 29 And these wonders went forth from the Lord of Hosts; take counsel, exalt a vain consolation.