1
Woe to the crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim,
to the fading flower of his glorious adornment
— the city set high on a hill, above a fertile valley,
filled with those overcome by wine —!
2
Behold, with the Lord there is a mighty and strong one,
one like a storm of hail,
a destroying tempest,
one like a storm of mighty overflowing waters;
he will hurl them down to the earth with violence.
3
The crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim
shall be trampled underfoot,
4
and the fading flower of his glorious adornment
— the city set high on a hill, above a fertile valley —
its fate shall be like the fate of an early-ripe fig
before the summer heat:
as soon as it is seen,
it is plucked and swallowed.
5
In that day the LORD of hosts
will be a crown of beauty,
and a glorious diadem for the remnant of his people,
6
and a spirit of justice
for the one who sits in judgment,
and a spirit of valor
for those who turn back the battle at the gate.
7
But these also reel because of wine
and stagger because of strong drink.
Priest and prophet alike
reel because of strong drink;
they are confused by wine,
they stagger because of strong drink,
they reel in vision,
they stumble in giving judgment.
8
Indeed, all the tables
are full of vomit, filth,
so that there is no clean place left.
9
And they say:
“To whom will he teach knowledge,
and to whom will he explain the message?
To children just weaned,
just taken from the breast!
10
For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept,
line upon line, line upon line,
here a little, there a little!”
11
Truly, by people of strange speech
and by foreigners of another tongue
he will speak to this people,
12
he who said to them:
“This is the resting place,
give rest to the weary;
this is the place of repose!”
But they would not listen.
13
Therefore the word of the LORD will be to them:
“Precept upon precept, precept upon precept,
line upon line, line upon line,
here a little, there a little!”
so that as they go they may fall backward,
and be broken, trapped, and taken captive.
14
Therefore hear the word of the LORD,
you scoffers,
you rulers of this people
who are in Jerusalem!
15
Because you have said:
“We have made a covenant with death,
and with Sheol we have made an agreement;
though the sweeping scourge passes through,
it shall not come to us;
for we have made lies our refuge,
and in falsehood we have hidden ourselves,”
16
therefore thus says the Lord GOD:
“Behold, I lay in Zion
for a foundation a stone,
a tested stone,
a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation:
whoever believes will not be in haste!
17
And I will make justice the measuring line,
and righteousness the plumb line;
hail will sweep away the refuge of lies,
and waters will overflow the hiding place.”
18
Your covenant with death shall be annulled,
and your agreement with Sheol shall not stand;
when the overwhelming scourge passes through,
you shall be beaten down by it.
19
As often as it passes through,
it will take you;
for morning by morning it will pass through,
by day and by night;
and it will be sheer terror
to understand the message that is heard.
20
For the bed is too short to stretch oneself on,
and the covering too narrow to wrap oneself in.
21
For the LORD will rise up as on Mount Perazim,
he will be stirred up as in the valley near Gibeon,
to do his deed — strange is his deed;
and to work his work — extraordinary is his work!
22
Therefore do not scoff,
lest your bonds be made stronger;
for I have heard of a destruction already determined
from the Lord GOD of hosts
upon the whole land.
23
Give ear and hear my voice;
pay attention and hear my speech!
24
Does the plowman plow all day to sow?
Does he keep breaking up and harrowing his ground?
25
When he has leveled its surface,
does he not scatter black cumin and sow cumin,
and put wheat in rows, barley in its place,
and spelt along the border?
26
For he is instructed in right order;
his God teaches him.
27
For black cumin is not threshed with a threshing sledge,
nor is a cartwheel rolled over cumin;
but black cumin is beaten out with a stick,
and cumin with a rod.
28
Is grain crushed for bread?
No, he does not keep threshing it forever;
and though he drives the wheel of his cart and his horses over it,
yet he does not crush it.
29
This also comes from the LORD of hosts;
he is wonderful in counsel
and great in wisdom.
👑🍷🏗️ Summary of Isaiah 28 – Rebuke for Drunken Leaders and the Promise of the Cornerstone
Isaiah 28 is a sharp prophecy against the leaders of Ephraim (Northern Israel) and Jerusalem (Judah). They are described as proud drunkards, full of false security, though they are heading toward ruin. Yet in the midst of rebuke, God foretells the coming of the “cornerstone” that will become the true foundation of salvation. This is a call to repent and build life on the word of God, not on lies.
📌 1. The False Crown of Pride (verses 1–6)
“Woe to the proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim…”
- Ephraim (the northern kingdom) is warned because of pride and revelry
- Their crown of pride is only a fading flower
- The Lord will become a crown of glory and strength for the remnant people
🎯 Pride without God is only ornament that quickly fades.
📌 2. The Drunken Priests and Prophets (verses 7–13)
“They also reel because of wine…”
- Even the priests and prophets, spiritual leaders, joined in drunkenness and folly
- The word of the Lord was treated lightly: “Precept upon precept… a little here, a little there…”
- Because they rejected the word, the Lord would speak through foreign nations — a language they did not understand
🎯 When the heart is hard, even clear words sound like nonsense.
📌 3. The Covenant with Death Annulled (verses 14–22)
“We have made a covenant with death…”
- The leaders of Judah made a political and military alliance (perhaps with Egypt or Babylon), hoping it would save them
- The Lord calls it a covenant with death and the realm of the dead
- But the Lord declares: “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone, a cornerstone…”
🎯 True hope is not in human strategy, but in the firm foundation of God.
📌 4. The Lord Teaches like a Wise Farmer (verses 23–29)
“Does one keep plowing forever…?”
- The Lord is pictured as a wise farmer — He knows when to plow, sow, and reap
- The Lord also knows how to instruct His people: with justice, patience, and wisdom
🎯 The Lord is not only a judge — He is also the divine educator, who shapes our lives so that they may bear fruit.
📖 Main Teaching
- Spiritual leaders who are drunk will lead the people to ruin
- The word of the Lord must be received with humility — not mocked as too simple
- All protection that is not from the Lord is a covenant with death
- Christ is the true cornerstone — the only unshakable foundation
- The Lord teaches and leads with patience and heavenly strategy
✨ Spiritual Meaning (New Testament)
“Behold, I lay in Zion a chosen stone…”
➡️ Quoting Isaiah 28:16 – Christ is the firm cornerstone
“With Christ Jesus as the cornerstone…”
“Whoever believes in Him will not be put to shame.”
“For by this time you ought to be teachers… yet you still need milk…”
➡️ Answering the mockery of leaders who considered the word “childish”
🎯 Isaiah 28 warns that the only foundation of life that can stand the test is Christ.
🕊️ “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone…” – Isaiah 28:16
🕊️ “Precept upon precept, line upon line…” – Isaiah 28:10
🕊️ “The crown of pride of Ephraim’s drunkards is only a fading flower.” – Isaiah 28:1
