Ephraim Crown Wey Dey Fade
Priests wey don drink dey laugh di prophet teaching say na pikin talk. Jerusalem rulers dey boast say dem don make deal wit death; hail go sweep dat hiding place comot. Against am, di Papa lay cornerstone wey dem don test, and e end wit farmer wey dey thresh each grain only as hard as e need.
28 1Woe to di proud crown of di drunkard people of Ephraim, and to di flower wey dey fade, wey be im fine-fine glory, wey siddon for di head of di rich valley of dem wey wine don conquer! 2Look, di Sovereign Papa get person wey get mighty power and wey strong; like hailstorm, like storm wey dey destroy, like flood of mighty water wey dey overflow, e go throway am for ground wit im hand. 3Di proud crown of di drunkard people of Ephraim, dem go trample am for ground. 4And di flower wey dey fade, wey be im fine-fine glory, wey siddon for di head of di rich valley, e go be like di first fig wey ripe before summer—anybody wey see am go swallow am sharp-sharp once e enter im hand. 5For dat day, di Papa wey be Oga ova di army for heaven go be crown of glory and fine crown of beauty for di remnant of im people, 6and spirit of justice for di person wey dey siddon to judge, and strength for dem wey dey push di war back for di gate.
7But dis ones too dey stagger wit wine, dem dey waka anyhow wit strong drink: di priest and di prophet dey stagger wit strong drink, wine don confuse dem, dem dey waka anyhow wit strong drink, dem dey stagger wen dem see vision, dem dey miss road wen dem wan give judgment. 8Because dirty vomit don cover all di table, no clean place remain.
9“Na who e wan teach knowledge, and na who e wan explain di message give? Na dem wey dem just comot from breast milk, dem wey dem just remove from breast? 10Because na order on top order, order on top order, line on top line, line on top line, small here, small there.” a a v10 Di way dem dey sing di words repeat-repeat fit be say dem dey mock how di prophet dey teach — boring lesson wey dem dey drill, wey di rulers no gree take serious.
11For true, na wit people wey get strange lip and language wey no be dem own, e go take talk to dis people,
12dem wey e don tell say, “Na dis be di rest; make you give rest to di person wey tire; na dis be di place to rest”—but dem no gree listen. 13So di word of our Papa go be to dem rule on top rule, rule on top rule, line on top line, line on top line, small here, small there, so dat dem go waka go fall backward, and dem go break, and trap go catch dem, and dem go carry dem go.
14So make una hear di word of our Papa, una wey dey mock, una wey dey rule dis people for Jerusalem! 15Because una don talk say, “We don cut Covenant wit death, and we don make agreement wit di grave; wen di flood wey dey destroy pass through, e no go reach us, because we don make lie our hiding place and we don hide ourself inside falsehood”,
16so na dis be wetin di Sovereign Papa talk: “Look, I dey lay one stone for Zion, stone wey dem don test, cornerstone wey precious, foundation wey sure: di person wey believe no go panic. b b v16 Paul and Peter, di two of dem apply dis verse to Jesus — Romans 9:33 and 1 Peter 2:6. Di cornerstone wey our Papa lay for Zion na im Pikin, di foundation wey every person wey believe dey rest on top. 17And I go make justice be di measuring line and correct-and-holy way be di plumb line; hail go sweep comot di hiding place of lie, and water go flood di place wey dem hide. 18Den di Covenant wey una make wit death go wipe comot, and di agreement wey una make wit di grave no go stand; wen di flood wey dey destroy pass through, e go trample una for ground. 19Every time wey e pass through, e go grab una; because morning by morning e go pass through, for day and for night, and na pure fear go catch person just to hear di news.”
20Because di bed short too much wey person no fit stretch body on top am, and di blanket small too much wey person no fit wrap body inside. 21Because our Papa go rise up like as e do for Mount Perazim, e go move like as e do for di Valley of Gibeon, so e go do im work—im work strange!—and e go do im task—im task na stranger own! 22So now make una no mock again, if not, di chain wey tie una go tight pass; because I don hear di order of destruction wey come from di Papa wey be Oga ova di army for heaven, against di whole land.
23Bend una ear come hear my voice; pay attention make una hear my words. 24Abi na di whole day di farmer dey plow before e go plant? E dey continue to dey break and dey turn im ground so? 25Wen e don level di top of di ground, no be dill e dey scatter and cumin e dey sow, and e dey plant wheat for line and barley for im own place, and spelt for di border side? 26Im Papa dey teach am di correct way; im Papa dey teach am. c c v26 Even di everyday wisdom wey farmer get, na from our Papa e dey come—na im be di teacher wey dey behind all skill and good sense. 27Dem no dey use heavy sledge thresh dill, dem no dey roll cart wheel on top cumin; but na wit stick dem dey beat dill comot, and cumin na wit rod. 28Dem must grind grain wey dem go take make bread, but e no dey thresh am forever; e dey drive im cart wheel and im horse on top am, but e no dey grind am turn powder. 29Dis one too na from di Papa wey be Oga ova di army for heaven e dey come; im advice dey wonderful and im wisdom great well well.
