Isaiah

¹ shabby and washed out and seedy— Tipsy, sloppy-fat, beer-bellied parodies of a proud and handsome past.

² someone tough and strong to flatten them. Like a hailstorm, like a hurricane, like a flash flood, one-handed he'll throw them to the ground.

³ will be knocked off with one blow.

⁴ a piece of meat tossed to a dog.

⁵ the beautiful crown on the head of what's left of his people:

⁶ strength and prowess to those who guard and protect.

⁷ weaving, falling-down drunks, Besotted with wine and whiskey, can't see straight, can't talk sense.

⁸ They live in vomit.

⁹ Who are you to lord it over us? We're not babies in diapers to be talked down to by such as you—

¹⁰ blah, blah, blah, blah. That's a good little girl, that's a good little boy.' "

¹¹ God will speak to this people In baby talk, one syllable at a time—

¹² He said before, "This is the time and place to rest, to give rest to the weary. This is the place to lay down your burden." But they won't listen.

¹³ and address them in baby talk, one syllable at a time— "Da, da, da, da, blah, blah, blah, blah. That's a good little girl, that's a good little boy." And like toddlers, they will get up and fall down, get bruised and confused and lost.

¹⁴ you who rule this people in Jerusalem.

¹⁵ We've hedged all our bets, covered all our bases. No disaster can touch us. We've thought of everything. We're advised by the experts. We're set."

¹⁶ "Watch closely. I'm laying a foundation in Zion, a solid granite foundation, squared and true. And this is the meaning of the stone: a trusting life won't topple.

¹⁷ and righteousness the plumb line for the building. A hailstorm will knock down the shantytown of lies, and a flash flood will wash out the rubble.

¹⁸ wasn't worth the paper it was written on. Your careful precautions against death were a pack of illusions and lies. When the disaster happens, you'll be crushed by it.

¹⁹ disaster in the morning, disaster at night." Every report of disaster will send you cowering in terror.

²⁰ nothing to hide under.

²¹ raging as he did long ago on Mount Perazim And in the valley of Gibeon against the Philistines. But this time it's against you. Hard to believe, but true. Not what you'd expect, but it's coming.

²² Scoffing will just make it worse. I've heard the orders issued for destruction, orders from God-of-the-Angel-Armies—ending up in an international disaster.

²³ Give me your closest attention.

²⁴ Or harrow and harrow and do nothing but harrow?

²⁵ Don't they scatter dill and spread cumin, Plant wheat and barley in the fields and raspberries along the borders?

²⁶ Their God is their teacher.

²⁷ the dill and cumin, are treated delicately.

²⁸ The farmer knows how to treat each kind of grain.

²⁹ who knows everything about when and how and where.