Isaiah 28:14-22

English Standard Version

¹⁴ Therefore hear the word of the Lord, you ^(A)scoffers,
    who rule this people in Jerusalem!
¹⁵ Because you have said, “We have made a covenant with death,
    and with Sheol we have an agreement,
when the ^(B)overwhelming whip passes through
    it will not come to us,
for we have made ^(C)lies our refuge,
    and in falsehood we have taken shelter”;
¹⁶ therefore thus says the Lord God,
^(D)“Behold, I am the one who has laid^[a] as a foundation ^(E)in Zion,
    a stone, a tested stone,
a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation:
    ‘Whoever believes will not be in haste.’
¹⁷ And I will make justice ^(F)the line,
    and righteousness ^(G)the plumb line;
and hail will sweep away the refuge of lies,
    and waters will overwhelm the shelter.”
¹⁸ Then ^(H)your covenant with death will be annulled,
    and your agreement with Sheol will not stand;
when the overwhelming scourge passes through,
    you will be beaten down by it.
¹⁹ As often as it passes through it will take you;
    ^(I)for morning by morning it will pass through,
    by day and by night;
and it will be ^(J)sheer terror to understand the message.
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 ^(K)as on Mount Perazim;
    ^(L)as in the Valley of ^(M)Gibeon he will be roused;
to do his deed—strange is his deed!
    and to work his work—alien is his work!
²² Now therefore do not ^(N)scoff,
    lest your bonds be made strong;
for I have heard ^(O)a decree of destruction
    from the Lord God of hosts against the whole land.