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22 Ah! Those who are champions at drinking wine,
    masters at mixing drink!

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22 Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink:

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Chapter 6

Third Woe

Woe to those who are complacent in Zion,
    secure on the mount of Samaria,
Leaders of the first among nations,
    to whom the people of Israel turn.
Pass over to Calneh and see,
    go from there to Hamath the great,
    and down to Gath[a] of the Philistines.
Are you better than these kingdoms,
    or is your territory greater than theirs?
You who would put off the day of disaster,
    yet hasten the time of violence!
Those who lie on beds of ivory,
    and lounge upon their couches;
Eating lambs taken from the flock,
    and calves from the stall;
Who improvise to the music of the harp,
    composing on musical instruments like David,
Who drink wine from bowls,
    and anoint themselves with the best oils,
    but are not made ill by the collapse of Joseph;
Therefore, now they shall be the first to go into exile,
    and the carousing of those who lounged shall cease.

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Footnotes

  1. 6:2 Calneh…Hamath…Gath: city-states overcome by the Assyrians in the eighth century B.C., whose fate should be a lesson to the Israelites. The prophet castigates the leaders for being more intent on pursuing a luxurious lifestyle (vv. 1, 4–6) than reading the signs of the times.

Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came!

Pass ye unto Calneh, and see; and from thence go ye to Hamath the great: then go down to Gath of the Philistines: be they better than these kingdoms? or their border greater than your border?

Ye that put far away the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near;

That lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the stall;

That chant to the sound of the viol, and invent to themselves instruments of musick, like David;

That drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief ointments: but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.

Therefore now shall they go captive with the first that go captive, and the banquet of them that stretched themselves shall be removed.

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