Woe to Samaria

28 Woe to the coronet proud of the drunkards of Ephraim!

Woe to the fading flower of her glorious beauty,

which crowns the heads of the men who are prostate with wine!

2 See! The Lord has in readiness one who is mighty and strong –

like a storm of hail, or like tempest destructive,

like storm of a mighty tempestuous flood –

who will bring her with violence down to the ground.

3 The coronet proud of the drunkards of Ephraim

will be trampled under foot;

4 and the fading flower of her glorious beauty,

which crowned the head of the fertile valley,

will be as the first ripe fig before summer –

no sooner seen than swallowed,

the moment it is in the hand.

5 But that day will the Lord of Hosts

unto those that are left of his people

be coronet lovely and diadem fair –

6 a spirit of justice to him

who presides over justice,

of valour to those at the gate

that stem the tide of war.