1 Lāsts Ēfraima dzērāju lepnajam valdinieku vainagam un vīstošam puķu vainagam vīna apreibināto galvā treknā ielejā!
2 Tam Kungam jau ir kāds pie rokas, stiprs un varens: kā krusas negaiss, kā graujoša vētra un kā briesmīga lietus gāze ar ūdens straumēm Viņš tos nogāzīs pie zemes.
3 Zem kājām samīs Efraima dzērāju lepno vainagu,
4 Un viņa mirdzošā skaistuma vīstošajam ziedu klājam treknās ielejas zemes virsotnē klāsies tā kā agrīnai vīģei ražas ievākšanas priekšlaikā: līdz kā to kāds ierauga, tūdaļ viņš ņem to un apēd.
5 Tanī laikā būs tas Kungs Cebaots savas tautas atlikumam par skaistu vainagu un par krāšņu pieres greznuma sloksni;
6 Viņš iedvesīs taisnības garu tiem, kas sēd tiesas amatos, un stiprumu tiem, kas no vārtiem atsit ienaidnieku uzbrukumu.
7 Bet ari viņi grīļojas, vīna piedzēruši un stipra dzēriena apdullināti; priesteri un pravieši, kas vīna un stipra dzēriena apreibināti, kaut ko muld, pravietodami un tiesu spriezdami!
8 Patiesi, visi galdi apspļauti un pilni netīrumu!
9 Kam tad tāds spēks iedvest kam kādu atziņu, kam mācīs saprašanu? Taču ne tikko kā no piena atradinātiem, no mātes krūts atšķirtiem bērniem?
10 Jo tur tiek teikts: „Dari tu to, tu atkal to, rīkojies vienreiz tā, otrreiz atkal tā, šeit pa drusciņai, tur pa drusciņai!“
11 Tiešām, ar ļaužu starpniecību, kam pinas lūpas un kas šļupst ar svešādu mēli, Viņš runās uz šo tautu,
12 Viņš, kas tiem sacījis: „Šeit ir dusas vieta! Dodiet atdusu piekusušiem; šeit ir miera vieta!“ —Bet tie to negribēja dzirdēt.
13 Tādēļ atskanēs uz tiem šis vārds kā tā Kunga vārds: „Dari tu to, tu atkal to, rīkojies šoreiz tā, citreiz atkal tā, šeit pa drusciņai, tur pa drusciņai!“ —Lai viņi ietu un pakristu augšpēdu, tiktu satriekti vai sapītos un kristu gūstā.
14 Tādēļ klausaities tā Kunga vārdu, zabotājies un pļāpātāji, jūs, kas valdāt pār šo tautu Jeruzālemē.
15 Jo jūs taču sacījāt: „Mēs slēdzām derību ar nāvi un līgumu ar elli; kad pāri mums nāks plūdu briesmas ar savām bangām, tās mūs neskars: meli taču ir mūsu patvērums, un viltus ir mūsu apsega.“ —
16 Tādēļ saka Dievs tas Kungs: „Redzi, Es lieku Ciānā pamatakmeni, izraudzītu akmeni, dārgu stūra akmeni, kas klintij līdzīgi pamatots; kas tic, nepaliks kaunā!
17 Es padarīšu tiesības par lietu mērauklu un taisnīgumu par atsvaru; krusa aizraus melu aizsargu pārklāju, un ūdensplūdi aizskalos viņu paslēptuvi.“
18 Tad jūsu derība ar nāvi zaudēs spēku, un jūsu līgums ar elli vairs nepa-stāvēs. Kad soda briesmas nāks ar savām bangām, tās jūs satrieks.
19 Kad vien tās ies jums pāri, tās jūs skars un jums uzbruks: tās nāks ik rītus, dienā un naktī. Tīrās šausmās tad būs sajust piepildāmies atklāsmi, sajust, kādās šausmās īstenībā izpaužas pravietiskā pamācība.
20 Gulta ir par īsu, lai varētu tajā izstiepties, sega ir par šauru, lai varētu tajā ietīties.
21 Jo tas Kungs celsies kā pie Peracima kalna, Viņš iedegsies un trīcēs dusmās kā Gibeona ielejā, lai izpildītu savu nodomu, savu neparasto nodomu, lai padarītu savu darbu, savu savādo darbu.
22 Rimstiet, paļātāji, lai jūsu važas netop savilktas vēl ciešāk, jo es dzirdēju no tā Kunga Cebaota, ka iznīcināšana nolemta uz visas zemes.
23 Esiet modrigi un klausaities manu balsi, uzklausait un ņemiet vērā, ko es saku!
24 Vai tad zemkopis vienmēr aŗ savu tīrumu sēšanai, to vienmēr vago un ecē?
25 Vai nav tā? Kad arumi ir nolī-dzināti, viņš taču kaisa dilles un dēstī ķimenes un sēj kviešus rindās un miežus norādītā vietā un gar malu vēl ko citu.
26 Tā viņam Dievs ir ierādījis, ka tas tā pareizi, un viņu pamācījis.
27 Dilles taču nekuļ ar kuļamo veltni nedz ķimenes ar kuļamo ratu, bet dilles kuļ ar spriguli un ķimenes izsit ar kulstīklu.
28 Labības graudu kuļot, to taču nesamaļ, to nekuļ bez pārtraukuma; kad pār to veļas kuļamo ratu riteņi un zirgi tam iet pāri, to tomēr nesamaļ.
29 Ari tas nāk no tā Kunga Cebaota, —brīnišķs Viņš padomā un liels gudrībā!
A Warning to the Northern Kingdom
1 The kingdom of Israel is doomed! Its glory is fading like the crowns of flowers on the heads of its drunken leaders. Their proud heads are well perfumed, but there they lie, dead drunk. 2 The Lord has someone strong and powerful ready to attack them, someone who will come like a hailstorm, like a torrent of rain, like a rushing, overpowering flood, and will overwhelm the land. 3 The pride of those drunken leaders will be trampled underfoot. 4 The fading glory of those proud leaders will disappear like the first figs of the season, picked and eaten as soon as they are ripe.
5 A day is coming when the Lord Almighty will be like a glorious crown of flowers for his people who survive. 6 He will give a sense of justice to those who serve as judges, and courage to those who defend the city gates from attack.
Isaiah and the Drunken Prophets of Judah
7 Even the prophets and the priests are so drunk that they stagger. They have drunk so much wine and liquor that they stumble in confusion. The prophets are too drunk to understand the visions that God sends, and the priests are too drunk to decide the cases that are brought to them. 8 The tables where they sit are all covered with vomit, and not a clean spot is left.
9 They complain about me. They say, “Who does that man think he's teaching? Who needs his message? It's only good for babies that have just stopped nursing! 10 He is trying to teach us letter by letter, line by line, lesson by lesson.”
11 If you won't listen to me, then God will use foreigners speaking some strange-sounding language to teach you a lesson. 12 He offered rest and comfort to all of you, but you refused to listen to him. 13 That is why the Lord is going to teach you letter by letter, line by line, lesson by lesson. Then you will stumble with every step you take. You will be wounded, trapped, and taken prisoner.
A Cornerstone for Zion
14 Now you arrogant leaders who rule here in Jerusalem over this people, listen to what the Lord is saying. 15 You boast that you have made a treaty with death and reached an agreement with the world of the dead. You are certain that disaster will spare you when it comes, because you depend on lies and deceit to keep you safe. 16 This, now, is what the Sovereign Lord says: “I am placing in Zion a foundation that is firm and strong. In it I am putting a solid cornerstone on which are written the words, ‘Faith that is firm is also patient.’ 17 Justice will be the measuring line for the foundation, and honesty will be its plumb line.”
Hailstorms will sweep away all the lies you depend on, and floods will destroy your security. 18 The treaty you have made with death will be abolished, and your agreement with the world of the dead will be canceled. When disaster sweeps down, you will be overcome. 19 It will strike you again and again, morning after morning. You will have to bear it day and night. Each new message from God will bring new terror! 20 You will be like the person in the proverb, who tries to sleep in a bed too short to stretch out on, with a blanket too narrow to wrap himself in. 21 The Lord will fight as he did at Mount Perazim and in the valley of Gibeon, in order to do what he intends to do—strange as his actions may seem. He will complete his work, his mysterious work.
22 Don't laugh at the warning I am giving you! If you do, it will be even harder for you to escape. I have heard the Lord Almighty's decision to destroy the whole country.
God's Wisdom
23 Listen to what I am saying; pay attention to what I am telling you. 24 Farmers don't constantly plow their fields and keep getting them ready for planting. 25 Once they have prepared the soil, they plant the seeds of herbs such as dill and cumin. They plant rows of wheat and barley, and at the edges of their fields they plant other grain. 26 They know how to do their work, because God has taught them. 27 They never use a heavy club to beat out dill seeds or cumin seeds; instead they use light sticks of the proper size. 28 They do not ruin the wheat by threshing it endlessly, and they know how to thresh it by driving a cart over it without bruising the grains. 29 All this wisdom comes from the Lord Almighty. The plans God makes are wise, and they always succeed.
