Isaiah 28

King James Version

Full text for Isaiah Chapter 28

1¶ Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty [is] a fading flower, which [are] on the head of the fat valleys of them that are overcome with wine!

2Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one, [which] as a tempest of hail [and] a destroying storm, as a flood of mighty waters overflowing, shall cast down to the earth with the hand.

3The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim, shall be trodden under feet:

4And the glorious beauty, which [is] on the head of the fat valley, shall be a fading flower, [and] as the hasty fruit before the summer; which [when] he that looketh upon it seeth, while it is yet in his hand he eateth it up.

5In that day shall the LORD of hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty, unto the residue of his people,

6And for a spirit of judgment to him that sitteth in judgment, and for strength to them that turn the battle to the gate.

7But 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 of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble [in] judgment.

8For 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] drawn from the breasts.

10For precept [must be] upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, [and] there a little:

11For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.

12To whom he said, This [is] the rest [wherewith] ye may cause the weary to rest; and this [is] the refreshing: yet they would not hear.

13But 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.

14¶ Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which [is] in Jerusalem.

15Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:

16Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner [stone], a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.

17Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.

18And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it.

19From the time that it goeth forth it shall take you: for morning by morning shall it pass over, by day and by night: and it shall be a vexation only [to] understand the report.

20For the bed is shorter than that [a man] can stretch himself [on it]: and the covering narrower than that he can wrap himself [in it].

21For the LORD shall rise up as [in] mount Perazim, he shall be wroth as [in] the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his work, his strange work; and bring to pass his act, his strange act.

22Now therefore be ye not mockers, lest your bands be made strong: for I have heard from the Lord GOD of hosts a consumption, even determined upon the whole earth.

23¶ Give ye ear, and hear my voice; hearken, and hear my speech.

24Doth the plowman plow all day to sow? doth he open and break the clods of his ground?

25When he hath made plain the face thereof, doth he not cast abroad the fitches, and scatter the cummin, and cast in the principal wheat and the appointed barley and the rie in their place?

26For his God doth instruct him to discretion, [and] doth teach him.

27For the fitches are not threshed with a threshing instrument, neither is a cart wheel turned about upon the cummin; but the fitches are beaten out with a staff, and the cummin with a rod.

28Bread [corn] is bruised; because he will not ever be threshing it, nor break [it with] the wheel of his cart, nor bruise it [with] his horsemen.

29This also cometh forth from the LORD of hosts, [which] is wonderful in counsel, [and] excellent in working.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Isaiah 28 begins with a woe against the proud and drunken leaders of Ephraim, whose glory is fleeting and will be destroyed by a divine judgment. It then condemns the priests and prophets of Judah for their similar inebriation and spiritual blindness, rejecting the Lord's clear instruction. The chapter reveals the scornful rulers of Jerusalem trusting in a "covenant with death" and lies, but God promises to lay a sure foundation in Zion and annul their false security with an overwhelming judgment. The chapter concludes with an agricultural parable illustrating God's wise and discerning methods, even in His severe judgments.

Medium Summary

Isaiah 28 opens with a woe against the proud and drunken leaders of Ephraim, whose fleeting glory is likened to a fading flower destined to be trodden underfoot by a mighty, storm-like judgment from the Lord. In contrast, the Lord promises to be a true crown of glory and a spirit of judgment for the faithful remnant. However, the prophet then turns to Judah, lamenting that even its priests and prophets are overcome by strong drink, leading to error in vision and judgment, and a general state of spiritual filthiness. The people reject the Lord's simple, repeated instructions, leading to their snare and brokenness. The chapter then denounces Jerusalem's scornful rulers who boast of a "covenant with death" and rely on lies for protection against an impending "overflowing scourge." The Lord declares He will lay a "tried stone, a precious corner stone" in Zion as a sure foundation, while their false covenant will be disannulled and swept away by His righteous judgment. This judgment will be relentless and inescapable, a "strange work" of God. The chapter concludes with a parable of a farmer, demonstrating God's wisdom and discretion in His methods, assuring that even His severe judgments are purposeful and perfectly executed.

Long Summary

Isaiah 28 opens with a stern pronouncement of woe against the proud and drunken leaders of Ephraim, whose fleeting beauty and glory are depicted as a fading flower on a fertile valley, destined to be utterly cast down and trodden underfoot by a powerful, storm-like judgment sent by the Lord. Amidst this impending destruction, a promise is given that in a future day, the LORD of hosts will become a true crown of glory and a diadem of beauty for the faithful remnant of His people, providing a spirit of judgment for those in authority and strength for those who defend. Yet, the prophecy quickly shifts to Judah, revealing that its spiritual leaders—priests and prophets—are also deeply corrupted by wine and strong drink, leading them astray in vision and causing them to stumble in judgment, their tables filled with vomit. The prophet laments that the people are unwilling to receive clear, simple instruction from the Lord, given "precept upon precept, line upon line," and thus will be taught by "stammering lips and another tongue," signifying foreign invaders, leading to their downfall. The focus then narrows to the scornful rulers in Jerusalem, who arrogantly boast of a "covenant with death" and an "agreement with hell," believing their lies and falsehoods will protect them from an "overflowing scourge." In response, the Lord God declares His divine plan: He will lay in Zion a "tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation," upon which those who believe shall not be confounded. Conversely, He will apply judgment with precision and righteousness, sweeping away their refuge of lies with hail and overflowing their hiding places with waters. Their covenant with death will be disannulled, and their agreement with hell will not stand, as the relentless scourge will utterly consume them, morning by morning, day and night. Their false security is likened to a bed too short and a covering too narrow. The Lord will rise up in wrath, performing His "strange work" and "strange act" of judgment, warning them not to mock, for a consumption determined upon the whole earth has been heard from the Lord. The chapter concludes with an agricultural parable, illustrating that just as a farmer works with wisdom and discretion, knowing the right time and method for plowing, sowing, and threshing different crops, so too the Lord of hosts, who is "wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working," executes His plans, including His judgments, with perfect wisdom and purpose.

Core Concepts

  • Woe to EphraimThe initial condemnation of the Northern Kingdom's proud and drunken leaders, whose glory is fleeting and will be destroyed by a divine judgment.
  • Spiritual Drunkenness in JudahThe widespread corruption among priests and prophets in Jerusalem, who are overcome by strong drink, leading to impaired vision, flawed judgment, and spiritual defilement.
  • Precept upon PreceptThe Lord's method of teaching, offering simple, repeated instructions, which the people reject, leading to their inability to understand and their eventual downfall.
  • Covenant with DeathThe arrogant boast of Jerusalem's rulers, who believe they have secured themselves against divine judgment through alliances and falsehoods, which the Lord declares will be annulled.
  • The Tried CornerstoneGod's promise to lay a precious, sure foundation stone in Zion, representing a source of stability and salvation for those who trust in Him, contrasting with the false refuges of the wicked.
  • The Overflowing ScourgeThe relentless and inescapable divine judgment that will sweep away the false security of the wicked, disannulling their covenants and consuming them.
  • God's Discretion in JudgmentIllustrated by the farmer's wisdom, this concept highlights that even God's severe and "strange work" of judgment is executed with perfect counsel, purpose, and discerning method.