1. Woe to that insolent garland… Ephraim’s faded flower and those whom he hired… Those who have fallen from glory There on their mount of thick branches… Yes, those who get drunk without wine.
2. For Look! the rage of Jehovah is both strong and hard… It’s like hail that falls with great force In a place where there’s nowhere to hide. It’s like a flood that drags away homes In the land where He once sent rest to your hands.
3. Then the feet of Ephraim’s hired Will trample their insolent garland,
4. And its flowers (its hope of glory) will fall Like the shoots of figs on their mountains. Then, all who see it in front of their hands, Will wish to take it and swallow it down.
5. In that day, Jehovah of Armies Will be the only true garland… A crown of glory for His people.
6. For by the spirit of fairness, they will survive… By justice and the strength of destruction withheld.
7. But there are also those who will stagger and reel Because of their liquor and wine. Yes, it is because of the liquor And because they’ve swallowed the wine That the priests and prophets are out of their minds. And then, when they sober, they’ll stagger… Which will be witnessed by all.
8. A curse will thereafter devour their plans; For the plans that they have are just to get rich.
9. To whom have we announced all this evil? To whom have we spoken this message? To those being weaned from the milk, And to those being drawn from the breast.
10. Problems on problems, hope after hope… Still a little, and then a bit more!
11. For in foreign tongues, they’ll speak these foul words:
12. ‘Since those who are starved are unworthy, We will have to destroy them’ Which is something that no one wishes to hear.
13. Then this oracle from God is what they’ll receive: ‘Problems on problems, hope after hope; Still a little, and then a bit more.’ And thereafter, they’ll be faced with great danger. For, first they will have to retreat, And then they’ll be broken and captured.
14. Thus, hear these words of Jehovah: ‘O men who are being attacked And you rulers of Jerusalem;
15. You say that you’ve made a pact with the grave… That you’ve made a treaty with death, And that, if a windstorm should blow, It won’t be blowing on you. So, you have put hope in your lies… And do you think that these lies will protect you?
16. ‘Because of this,’ says Jehovah; ‘Look! Upon the foundation of Zion I’ll place a valuable stone… A costly, select cornerstone, In order to serve as its base… And those trusting in him will never be shamed.
17. Then, in place of hope, will come judgments; And to My charity, I’ll attach weights. So those trusting in vain in the lie Will not be passed by the storm.
18. For, your treaty with death will be gone, Along with your pact with the grave. Then, by a blast, you’ll be crushed…
19. When it’s passing by, it will take you. Morning after morning, it will blow upon you, And it will blow throughout the nights… So, what happens to you will be bad.
20. ‘Learn how to hear, O you who’ve been squeezed… There’s no way you’ll be able to fight it! For, you will be weakened, then captured.
21. ‘From the godless, the Lord will make hills, When to Gibeon's valley, He brings His rage… That’s where His bitter deed will be done. ‘His rage will be brought in strange ways… Yes, these rotten deeds will be odd.
22. And for you, there’ll no longer be joy, Since you won’t have strength, in your chains.’ Yes, all these things will come soon… It’s what He will bring to this land… It’s what Jehovah of Armies has said.
23. So give ear and listen to all that I say… Pay attention and hear all my words!
24. Doesn’t it take a full day To get things ready for plowing? And doesn’t the planter have to prepare Before he starts working the ground?
25. Doesn’t he level its face Before he plants pepperwort or cumin, At the borders of wheat, barley, and spelt?
26. So, that’s how you’ll be corrected… In the fair ways of your God… Then once more, you’ll have reasons for joy.
27. ‘You don’t scrub Pepperwort to clean it, And you don’t run wagons over cumin! You beat out pepperwort’s seeds
28. And cumin should be eaten with bread. ‘So I won’t stay angry with you throughout the age, Or with bitter words, will I trample you down.’
29. Rather, from Jehovah of Armies, Miracles will be sent to your land! So, you should accept all this counsel, And not raise hopes of comfort in vain!