1 God warns the people in Ephraim. They are proud and drink too much. Their pretty crown will fade. 2 God will send a strong storm to knock them down. ️ 3 The proud crown will fall and be stepped on. 4 Their pretty city will be grabbed fast, like a tasty fig that someone eats quick. ️ 5 God will be like a bright crown for the few who stay with Him. ✨ 6 God will help judges be fair and help soldiers be strong. ⚖️️ 7 But the leaders and teachers drink too much. They fall and make bad calls. 8 Their tables are dirty and gross. ️ 9 The people make fun and say, “Who will teach us? We are not babies!” 10 God teaches little by little, line by line, step by step. 11 God will send people with strange talk to speak to them. ️ 12 God said, “I give you rest. Come rest.” But they would not listen. ✋ 13 Since they would not listen, they trip and fall. They break and get stuck. 14 God says, “Leaders in Jerusalem who make fun, listen to Me.” ️ 15 “You say, ‘We made a deal with death and the grave. Bad hits will pass us by. We hide in lies.’” ️ 16 God says, “I put a strong base stone in Zion, My city. The one who trusts will be safe and calm.” 17 God will use a line to make things fair. A storm will wash away lies and hideouts. ️ 18 Your deal with death will break. The storm will hit you. ⛈️❌ 19 Trouble will come again and again, day and night. The news will scare you a lot. 20 Your bed is too short, and your blanket is too small. Your plan will not work. ️ 21 God will stand up and do a big work, like long ago. It will feel strange to you. 22 So stop making fun, or it will get worse. God has set a hard plan for the whole land. ✋ 23 Isaiah says, “Listen to me. Hear my words.” ️ 24 A farmer does not plow all the time. He makes the dirt ready. 25 Then the farmer puts each seed in the right place. 26 God teaches the farmer how to do it. 27 The farmer uses gentle tools for small seeds and strong tools for big grain. ️ 28 He crushes grain just right to make bread. He does not crush it forever. 29 All this comes from God. He is very wise and good at work. ✨