7. Priests and prophets stumblebecause they are drunk.Their minds are too confusedto receive God's messagesor give honest decisions.
8. Their tables are covered,completely covered,with their stinking vomit.
9. You drunken leadersare like babies!How can you possibly understandor teach the Lord's message?
10. You don't even listen—all you hear is senseless soundafter senseless sound.
11. So, the Lord will speakto his peoplein strange soundsand foreign languages.
12. He promised youperfect peace and rest,but you refused to listen.
13. Now his message to youwill be senseless soundafter senseless sound.Then you will fall backwards,injured and trapped.
14. You rulers of Jerusalemdo nothing but sneer;now you must listento what the Lord says.
15. Do you think you havean agreement with deathand the world of the dead?Why do you trust in your liesto keep you safe from dangerand the mighty flood?
16. And so the Lord says,“I'm laying a firm foundationfor the city of Zion.It's a valuable cornerstoneproved to be trustworthy;no one who trusts itwill ever be disappointed.
17. Justice and fairnesswill be the measuring linesthat help me build.”Hailstones and floodswill destroy and wash awayyour shelter of lies.
18. Your agreement with deathand the world of the deadwill be broken.Then angry, roaring waveswill sweep over you.
19. Morning, noon, and nightan overwhelming floodwill wash you away.The terrible things that happenwill teach you this lesson:
20. your bed is too short,your blanket too skimpy.
21. The Lord will fiercely attackas he did at Mount Perazimand in Gibeon Valley.But this time the Lordwill do something surprising,not what you expect.
22. So you had better stop sneeringor you will be in worse shapethan ever before.I heard the Lord All-Powerfulthreaten the whole countrywith destruction.
23. Pay close attentionto what I am saying.
24. Farmers don't just ploughand break up the ground.