HOLY BIBLE: Isaiah 28 (original) (raw)

7 οὗτοι γὰρ οἴνῳ πεπλανημένοι εἰσίν ἐπλανήθησαν διὰ τὸ σικερα ἱερεὺς καὶ προφήτης ἐξέστησαν διὰ τὸν οἶνον ἐσείσθησαν ἀπὸ τῆς μέθης τοῦ σικερα ἐπλανήθησαν τοῦ{T'} ἔστι φάσμα 8 ἀρὰ ἔδεται ταύτην τὴν βουλήν αὕτη γὰρ ἡ βουλὴ ἕνεκεν πλεονεξίας 9 τίνι ἀνηγγείλαμεν κακὰ καὶ τίνι ἀνηγγείλαμεν ἀγγελίαν οἱ ἀπογεγαλακτισμένοι ἀπὸ γάλακτος οἱ ἀπεσπασμένοι ἀπὸ μαστοῦ 10 θλῖψιν ἐπὶ θλῖψιν προσδέχου ἐλπίδα ἐ{P'} ἐλπίδι ἔτι μικρὸν ἔτι μικρὸν 11 διὰ φαυλισμὸν χειλέων διὰ γλώσσης ἑτέρας ὅτι λαλήσουσιν τῷ λαῷ τούτῳ 12 λέγοντες αὐτῷ τοῦτο τὸ ἀνάπαυμα τῷ πεινῶντι καὶ τοῦτο τὸ σύντριμμα καὶ οὐκ ἠθέλησαν ἀκούειν 13 καὶ ἔσται αὐτοῖς τὸ λόγιον κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ θλῖψις ἐπὶ θλῖψιν ἐλπὶς ἐ{P'} ἐλπίδι ἔτι μικρὸν ἔτι μικρόν ἵνα πορευθῶσιν καὶ πέσωσιν εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω καὶ κινδυνεύσουσιν καὶ συντριβήσονται καὶ ἁλώσονται

7 What, these too? These too fuddled with wine, bemused with their revelling? High revel they hold, priest and prophet together, till all are fuddled and sodden with wine, their wits bemused; what wonder if the true seer goes unrecognized, if justice is forgotten? 8 No room is left at their tables for aught but filth and vomit. 9 Here is one (they say) has knowledge to impart,[1] has a message to make known, to whom? Does he think we are children new-weaned, fresh from their mothers’ milk? 10 It is ever, Pass the word on, pass the word on, Wait a while yet, wait a while yet, A word with you, here, A word with you, there! 11 Here is stammering speech, here is outlandish talk for our folk to listen to! 12 Yet he did but counsel rest and repose; rest none other, repose none other, than to give respite to a weary nation. And listen they would not; 13 to them, the Lord’s message was all Pass the word on, pass the word on, Wait a while yet, wait a while yet, A word with you, here, and a word with you, there! And so they will go on their way, to stumble backwards and break their bones, to fall into a trap and lie there caught.

7

Verum hi quoque præ vino nescierunt, et præ ebrietate erraverunt;
sacerdos et propheta nescierunt præ ebrietate;
absorpti sunt a vino, erraverunt in ebrietate,
nescierunt videntem, ignoraverunt judicium.

8
Omnes enim mensæ repletæ sunt vomitu sordiumque,
ita ut non esset ultra locus. 9
Quem docebit scientiam?
et quem intelligere faciet auditum?
Ablactatos a lacte,
avulsos ab uberibus. 10
Quia manda, remanda; manda, remanda;
exspecta, reexspecta; exspecta, reexspecta;
modicum ibi, modicum ibi. 11
In loquela enim labii,
et lingua altera
loquetur ad populum istum. 12
Cui dixit: Hæc est requies mea,
reficite lassum;
et hoc est meum refrigerium:
et noluerunt audire. 13
Et erit eis verbum Domini:
Manda, remanda; manda, remanda;
exspecta, reexspecta; exspecta, reexspecta;
modicum ibi, modicum ibi;
ut vadant, et cadant retrorsum,
et conterantur, et illaqueentur, et capiantur.

14 διὰ τοῦτο ἀκούσατε λόγον κυρίου ἄνδρες τεθλιμμένοι καὶ ἄρχοντες τοῦ λαοῦ τούτου τοῦ ἐν Ιερουσαλημ 15 ὅτι εἴπατε ἐποιήσαμεν διαθήκην μετὰ τοῦ ᾅδου καὶ μετὰ τοῦ θανάτου συνθήκας καταιγὶς φερομένη ἐὰν παρέλθῃ οὐ μὴ ἔλθῃ ἐ{F'} ἡμᾶς ἐθήκαμεν ψεῦδος τὴν ἐλπίδα ἡμῶν καὶ τῷ ψεύδει σκεπασθησόμεθα 16 διὰ τοῦτο οὕτως λέγει κύριος ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἐμβαλῶ εἰς τὰ θεμέλια Σιων λίθον πολυτελῆ ἐκλεκτὸν ἀκρογωνιαῖον ἔντιμον εἰς τὰ θεμέλια αὐτῆς καὶ ὁ πιστεύων ἐ{P'} αὐτῷ οὐ μὴ καταισχυνθῇ 17 καὶ θήσω κρίσιν εἰς ἐλπίδα ἡ δὲ ἐλεημοσύνη μου εἰς σταθμούς καὶ οἱ πεποιθότες μάτην ψεύδει ὅτι οὐ μὴ παρέλθῃ ὑμᾶς καταιγίς 18 μὴ καὶ ἀφέλῃ ὑμῶν τὴν διαθήκην τοῦ θανάτου καὶ ἡ ἐλπὶς ὑμῶν ἡ πρὸς τὸν ᾅδην οὐ μὴ ἐμμείνῃ καταιγὶς φερομένη ἐὰν ἐπέλθῃ ἔσεσθε αὐτῇ εἰς καταπάτημα 19 ὅταν παρέλθῃ λήμψεται ὑμᾶς πρωὶ πρωὶ παρελεύσεται ἡμέρας καὶ ἐν νυκτὶ ἔσται ἐλπὶς πονηρά μάθετε ἀκούειν 20 στενοχωρούμενοι οὐ δυνάμεθα μάχεσθαι αὐτοὶ δὲ ἀσθενοῦμεν τοῦ ἡμᾶς συναχθῆναι 21 ὥσπερ ὄρος ἀσεβῶν ἀναστήσεται καὶ ἔσται ἐν τῇ φάραγγι Γαβαων μετὰ θυμοῦ ποιήσει τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ πικρίας ἔργον ὁ δὲ θυμὸς αὐτοῦ ἀλλοτρίως χρήσεται καὶ ἡ πικρία αὐτοῦ ἀλλοτρία 22 καὶ ὑμεῖς μὴ εὐφρανθείητε μηδὲ ἰσχυσάτωσαν ὑμῶν οἱ δεσμοί διότι συντετελεσμένα καὶ συντετμημένα πράγματα ἤκουσα παρὰ κυρίου σαβαωθ ἃ ποιήσει ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν

14 Hear the Lord’s word, then, you mockers, that bear rule over my people in Jerusalem. 15 Did you think to make terms with death, enter into alliance with the grave itself, that the flood of ruin should pass you by, so confident in your vain hopes, so armed with illusion? 16 A message to you, then, from the Lord God, See, I am laying a stone in the foundations of Sion that has been tested and found true, a corner-stone, a stone of worth, built into the foundations themselves.[2] Hurry to and fro who will; faith knows better. 17 You shall have justice dealt out to you by weight, your sentence shall be strictly measured; shattered, the vain hopes, as by a storm of hail, buried the illusion as by a deluge. 18 Hold they shall not, your terms with death, your compact with the grave; when the flood of ruin sweeps past, it shall leave you prostrate. 19 It will carry you away as it passes; pass it will, suddenly, in the space of a day and a night, and the very alarm of it will make you understand the revelation at last. 20 Too narrow a bed, and one or the other must fall out; a short cloak is no covering for two.[3] 21 Who stands there? None other than the Lord himself, as he stood once on the mountain of Disruption,[4] vengeful still, as when he stood in the valley at Gabaon; but now, his own purpose to achieve, he lends himself to the purpose of another, now his will is, to let the alien have his will. 22 Mock, then, no more, if you would not see your chains riveted tighter; the Lord God of hosts is my witness, he means to make a short and sharp reckoning with the whole earth.

14
Propter hoc audite verbum Domini, viri illusores,
qui dominamini super populum meum, qui est in Jerusalem. 15
Dixistis enim: Percussimus fœdus cum morte,
et cum inferno fecimus pactum:
flagellum inundans cum transierit, non veniet super nos
quia posuimus mendacium spem nostram,
et mendacio protecti sumus. 16
Idcirco hæc dicit Dominus Deus:
Ecce ego mittam in fundamentis Sion lapidem,
lapidem probatum,
angularem, pretiosum, in fundamento fundatum;
qui crediderit, non festinet. 17
Et ponam in pondere judicium,
et justitiam in mensura;
et subvertet grando spem mendacii,
et protectionem aquæ inundabunt. 18
Et delebitur fœdus vestrum cum morte,
et pactum vestrum cum inferno non stabit:
flagellum inundans cum transierit, eritis ei in conculcationem. 19
Quandocumque pertransierit, tollet vos,
quoniam in mane diluculo pertransibit in die et in nocte;
et tantummodo sola vexatio intellectum dabit auditui. 20
Coangustatum est enim stratum, ita ut alter decidat;
et pallium breve utrumque operire non potest. 21
Sicut enim in monte divisionum stabit Dominus;
sicut in valle quæ est in Gabaon irascetur,
ut faciat opus suum, alienum opus ejus:
ut operetur opus suum, peregrinum est opus ejus ab eo. 22
Et nunc nolite illudere,
ne forte constringantur vincula vestra;
consummationem enim et abbreviationem audivi
a Domino Deo exercituum, super universam terram.

23 ἐνωτίζεσθε καὶ ἀκούετε τῆς φωνῆς μου προσέχετε καὶ ἀκούετε τοὺς λόγους μου 24 μὴ ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν μέλλει ὁ ἀροτριῶν ἀροτριᾶν ἢ σπόρον προετοιμάσει πρὶν ἐργάσασθαι τὴν γῆν 25 οὐχ ὅταν ὁμαλίσῃ αὐτῆς τὸ πρόσωπον τότε σπείρει μικρὸν μελάνθιον καὶ κύμινον καὶ πάλιν σπείρει πυρὸν καὶ κριθὴν καὶ ζέαν ἐν τοῖς ὁρίοις σου 26 καὶ παιδευθήσῃ κρίματι θεοῦ σου καὶ εὐφρανθήσῃ 27 οὐ γὰρ μετὰ σκληρότητος καθαίρεται τὸ μελάνθιον οὐδὲ τροχὸς ἁμάξης περιάξει ἐπὶ τὸ κύμινον ἀλλὰ ῥάβδῳ ἐκτινάσσεται τὸ μελάνθιον τὸ δὲ κύμινον 28 μετὰ ἄρτου βρωθήσεται οὐ γὰρ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ἐγὼ ὑμῖν ὀργισθήσομαι οὐδὲ φωνὴ τῆς πικρίας μου καταπατήσει ὑμᾶς 29 καὶ ταῦτα παρὰ κυρίου σαβαωθ ἐξῆλθεν τὰ τέρατα βουλεύσασθε ὑψώσατε ματαίαν παράκλησιν

23 Listen now, and give me a hearing, mark well the message I bring. 24 Plough the farmer must, ere he sow, but will he be ever ploughing? For hoe and harrow is there no rest? 25 Nay, he will level it anon, plant fennel, sow cummin, with a border of wheat or barley, millet or vetch; 26 such lore he has learned, such prudence his God has given him. 27 What, shall sledge crush the fennel seed, threshing-wheel pass to and fro over the cummin? A switch for the fennel, a rod for the cummin, and they shall be beaten enough. 28 Thrashed the corn must be, sure enough, yet not for ever does the wheel harry it, do the spikes wear it down.[5] 29 This lesson, too, the Lord would teach us; learn we how wonderful are his designs, how high above us his dealings.

23

Auribus percipite, et audite vocem meam:
attendite, et audite eloquium meum.

24
Numquid tota die arabit arans ut serat?
proscindet et sarriet humum suam? 25
Nonne cum adæquaverit faciem ejus,
seret gith et cyminum sparget?
et ponet triticum per ordinem, et hordeum,
et milium, et viciam in finibus suis? 26
Et erudiet illum in judicio;
Deus suus docebit illum. 27
Non enim in serris triturabitur gith,
nec rota plaustri super cyminum circuibit;
sed in virga excutietur gith,
et cyminum in baculo. 28
Panis autem comminuetur;
verum non in perpetuum triturans triturabit illum,
neque vexabit eum rota plaustri,
neque ungulis suis comminuet eum. 29
Et hoc a Domino Deo exercituum exivit,
ut mirabile faceret consilium, et magnificaret justitiam.

[1] In verses 9-13, the prophet evidently relates a personal experience. It seems as if the dissolute notables of Jerusalem had taunted him, over their wine, with always repeating the same ‘catch’ phrases, like one teaching children to spell, or a stammerer who can get no further with his sentence, or a foreigner who cannot express himself. Some think that ‘he’ in verse 11 is Almighty God, who will ‘speak to’ his people through a foreign invasion, but it seems simpler to understand it of the prophet himself.

[2] In verses 15 and 16 the reference, according to some, is to those Jews who put their trust in a projected alliance with Egypt against Assyria (cf. ch. 31 below). We know nothing about the corner-stone, except that the prophet refers here, at least indirectly, to our Lord’s coming. Cf. Rom. 9.33, where the verse ends ‘The believer will not be disappointed’ instead of ‘Hurry to and fro who will; faith knows better’.

[3] This is clearly a proverb, intended to justify God’s design in saving some of the Jewish people, rejecting others.

[4] ‘The mountain of Disruption’, that is, Baal Parasim, II Kg. 5.20; for Gabaon, see Jos. 10.10. The same God who once fought for his people will now carry out his purposes by granting success, for the time being, to foreign invaders.

[5] It is not certain whether this parable in verses 23-28 is meant to explain the merciful gradation God shews in his judgements, or to recommend a less oppressive policy to the Jewish rulers (cf. verse 12 above).

Knox Translation Copyright © 2013 Westminster Diocese
Nihil Obstat. Father Anton Cowan, Censor.
Imprimatur. +Most Rev. Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster. 8th January 2012.
Re-typeset and published in 2012 by Baronius Press Ltd