ISAIAH.
Chapter 28.
Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunken men of Ephraim, and to the flower falling down of the glory of the full out joying thereof, that were in the top of the fattest valley, and erred of wine. 
Lo! the mighty and strong Lord, as the fierceness of hail, and whirlwind breaking altogether, as the fierceness of many waters flowing, and sent out on a large land. 
The crown of pride of the drunken men of Ephraim shall be defouled with feet, 
and the flower of the glory of the full out joying of him, that is on the top of the valley of fat things, shall be falling down, as a timely thing before the ripeness of harvest; which when a man seeing beholdeth, anon as he taketh with hand, he shall devour it. 
In that day the Lord of hosts shall be a crown of glory, and a garland of full out joying, to the residue of his people; 
and a spirit of doom to him that sitteth on the throne, and strength to them that turn again from the battle to the gate. 
But also they knew not for wine, and erred for drunkenness; the priest and prophet knew not for drunken-ness; they were sopped up of wine, they erred in drunkenness; they knew not a prophet, they knew not doom. 
For why all boards were filled with spewing and filths, so that there was no more place. 
Whom shall he teach knowing, and whom shall he make to understand the hearing? Men weaned from milk, men drawn away from teats. 
For why command thou, command thou again; command thou, command thou again; abide thou, abide thou again; abide thou, abide thou again; a little there, a little there. 
For why in the speech of lip, and in other language, he shall speak to this people, 
to which he said, This is my rest; refresh ye a weary man, and this is my refreshing; and they would not hear. 
And the word of the Lord shall be to them, Send thou, send thou again; send thou, send thou again; abide thou, abide thou again; abide thou, abide thou again; a little there, a little there; that they go, and fall backward, and be all-broken, and be snared, and be taken. 
For this thing, ye men scorners, that be lords over my people which is in Jerusalem, hear the word of the Lord. 
For ye said, We have smitten a bond of peace with death, and we have made covenant with hell; a scourge flowing, when it shall pass, shall not come up on us, for we have set a leasing our hope, and we be covered with a leasing. 
Therefore the Lord God saith these things, Lo! I shall send in the foundaments of Zion a cornerstone precious, proved, founded in the foundament; he that believeth, shall not hasten. 
And I shall set doom in weight, and rightfulness or rightwiseness in measure; and hail shall destroy the hope of leasing, and waters shall flow on protection. 
And your bond of peace with death shall be done away, and your covenant with hell shall not stand; when the scourge flowing shall pass, ye shall be to it into defouling. 
Whenever it shall pass, it shall take away you; for why early in the gray morrowtide it shall pass, in day and night; and only travail alone shall give understanding to the hearing. 
Forsooth the bed is strait, so that the tother fall down; and a short mantle shall not cover ever either. 
For as in the hill of partings or divisions the Lord shall stand, as in the valley, which is in Gibeon, he shall be wroth, that he do his work; his work alien or alien is his work, that he work his work; his work is strange from him. 
And now do not ye scorn, lest peradventure your bonds be made strait together; for I heard of the Lord God of hosts, ending and abridging on all earth. 
Perceive ye with ears, and hear ye my voice; perceive ye, and hear ye my speech. 
Whether he that eareth, shall ear all day, for to sow, and shall he carve, and purge his land? 
Whether when he hath made even the face thereof, shall he not sow gith, and sprinkle abroad cumin? and he shall not set wheat by order, and barley, and millet, and fitches in his coasts? 
And his God shall teach him, in doom he shall teach him. 
Forsooth gith shall not be threshed in saws, and a wheel of a wain shall not compass on the cumin; but gith shall be beaten out with a rod, and the cumin with a staff. 
Soothly bread shall be made less, but he that thresheth shall not thresh it without end, neither shall travail it with a wheel of a wain, neither shall make it less with his claws. 
And this thing went out of the Lord God of hosts, that he should make wonderful counsel, and magnify rightfulness or rightwiseness. 
