1 Woe that He gave a crown to the proud and foolish prince of Israel, and that He gave a diadem to the wicked of the house of the sanctuary of His praise; those who are at the head of the fertile valley are struck down with wine. 2 Plagues, strong and mighty, are coming from the LORD, like a storm of hail, like a whirlwind, like a storm of mighty overflowing waters; so the nations will come upon them and lead them into captivity to another land, on account of the sins that are in their hands. 3 The crown of the pride of the foolish prince of Israel will be trampled underfoot. 4 And the diadem that He gave to the wicked of the house of the sanctuary of His praise, which is on the head of the fertile valley, will be like the first ripe fig before the summer; when one sees it, no sooner is it in his hand than he devours it. 5 At that time the Messiah of the LORD of hosts will be a crown of rejoicing⁠a and a crown of praise to the remnant of His people, 6 a word of true judgment to those who sit in the house of justice, so that they may judge according to truth; and to give victory to those who go out into battle, to bring them back in peace to their homes. 7 But these too are drunk with wine and swallowed up by old wine; the priest and the scribe are drunk, by old wine they are swallowed up; because of wine they have gone astray, they are led after sweet food, their judges have gone astray. 8 For all their tables are full of polluted and loathsome food; they have not a spot free from plunder. 9 To whom was the Torah given? And to whom was the command given to understand wisdom? Was it not to the house of Israel, who were beloved above all nations and beloved above all the kingdoms? 10 Surely they were commanded to do the Torah, but what they were commanded they were not willing to do. The prophets prophesied to them that if they would repent it would be forgiven them, but they did not obey the words of the prophets; they walked after the desire of their soul, nor did they desire to do my Torah. They hoped to have idolatrous worship established among them, and they did not consider the worship of the house of my sanctuary; to worship in the house of my sanctuary was a small thing in their eyes, my Shekinah was a small thing in their eyes. 11 Because with feigned speech and with mocking language this people mocked the prophets who prophesied to them.⁠b 12 The prophets said to them, “This is the house of the sanctuary, worship in it; and this is the inheritance in which there is rest.” But they would not accept instruction. 13 This will be the cup of their punishment, because they have transgressed the word of the LORD, and because they were commanded to do my Torah but would not do what they were commanded. Therefore they will be handed over to the nations who do not know the Torah, because they walked after the desire of their soul and had no delight in doing my will. Therefore they will hope for help at the time I bring distress upon them, but they will have no help or support. Because the house of my sanctuary was too small in their eyes to worship there, therefore they will be left as a small thing in the eyes of the nations among whom they will go into captivity, so that they may walk and stumble backward, and be broken and snared and taken. 14 Therefore hear the word of the LORD, O wicked men, rulers of this people who are in Jerusalem: 15 Because you say, “We have made a covenant with death and have made peace with the destroyer”; you say, when the blow of the enemy comes upon you like an overwhelming river, “It will not come upon us, because we have placed our confidence in a lie and have hidden ourselves under falsehood.” 16 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, “I appoint a King in Zion, a King mighty, powerful, and awesome;⁠c I will make Him powerful, and I will strengthen Him,” says the prophet. But the righteous who believe these things will not be moved when distress comes. 17 And I will make judgment straight as a builder’s line, and justice as a plummet, because you would hide yourselves. And my justice will burn against the confidence of your lie; and because you would hide yourselves from the coming distress, the nations will lead you into captivity. 18 And your covenant with death will be destroyed, and your peace with the destroyer will not stand. When the stroke of the enemy comes upon you, it will be like an overwhelming river, and you will be trampled underfoot by them. 19 At the time of its passing by, it will lead you captive, because morning by morning it will pass by, by day and by night; and before the time of the curse has come, you will consider the words of the prophets. 20 For their strength will be diminished by reason of harsh slavery, and the government of the oppressor will increase their subjection. 21 For as the mountains trembled when the glory of the LORD was revealed in the days of King Uzziah, and in the wonders He performed for Joshua in the valley of Gibeon, taking vengeance on the wicked who had transgressed against His Memra, so He will be revealed to take vengeance on those who do works, strange works, and on those who worship with idolatrous worship. 22 But now do not deal wickedly, or your bonds will be made strong; for I have heard from the LORD, the God of hosts, of a full and final end decreed upon all the inhabitants of the land. 23 The prophet said, Listen and hear my voice; turn and hear my word. 24 The prophets prophesied at all times in order to teach, in case the ears of sinners might be opened and receive instruction. 25 Is it not so? If the house of Israel would set their faces to do the Torah and repent, then He would gather them from among the nations among whom they were dispersed, like dill and cumin that are scattered; and He would bring their offspring together according to their tribes, like seed of wheat in the uncultivated field, and barley in the appointed place, and spelt in the borders.⁠d 26 All these things are an instruction of judgment, that they may know that our God shows them the right path in which they ought to walk. 27 For dill is not threshed with an iron threshing instrument, nor is a cart wheel rolled over the cumin; but dill is beaten out with a staff, and cumin with a rod. 28 Grain is threshed, yet they will not keep threshing it forever; but one drives the wheel of his cart over it, and separates the grain, and blows away the chaff. 29 This also comes forth from the LORD of hosts, who by the vast knowledge of His mind established the world; He multiplied His works in the beginning by His great wisdom.