Isaiah 28:13 kjv — But the word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here…

King James Version

"But the word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken."

— Isaiah 28:13, King James Version

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Isaiah 28:13 in Other Translations

6 versions All translations
  • ASV

    “Therefore shall the word of Jehovah be unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, there a little; that they may go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken. ”

  • WEB

    “Therefore the word of Yahweh will be to them precept on precept, precept on precept; line on line, line on line; here a little, there a little; that they may go, fall backward, be broken, be snared, and be taken.”

  • NET

    “So the LORD’s message to them will sound like meaningless gibberish, senseless babbling, a syllable here, a syllable there. As a result, they will fall on their backsides when they try to walk, and be injured, ensnared, and captured.”

  • DRB

    “And the word of the Lord shall be to them: Command, command again; command, command again; expect, expect again; a little there, a little there: that they may go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.”

  • BBE

    “For this cause the word of the Lord will be to them rule after rule, line after line, here a little, there a little; so that they may go on their way, and falling back may be broken, and taken in the net.”

  • KJVA

    “But the word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.”

Isaiah 28 — Context

10

For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:

11

For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.

12

To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.

13

But the word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.

14

Wherefore hear the word of the Lord, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem.

15

Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:

16

Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.

Isaiah 28:13 — Frequently Asked Questions

7 questions
What does Isaiah 28:13 say?
Isaiah 28:13 in the King James Version reads: “But the word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.”
Where is Isaiah 28:13 in the Bible?
Isaiah 28:13 is found in the Old Testament, in the book of Isaiah, chapter 28, verse 13.
Who wrote Isaiah?
Isaiah is traditionally attributed to Isaiah son of Amoz. Many critical scholars propose multiple authors ("Deutero-" and "Trito-Isaiah") for chapters 40–66; conservative scholarship holds to single Isaianic authorship. It was written c. 740–680 BC.
What is the book of Isaiah about?
Isaiah is the most quoted prophet in the New Testament — a sweeping vision of God's holiness, Judah's sin, coming judgment, and a promised Servant who would bear the iniquity of many. From "Holy, holy, holy" to "by his stripes we are healed," Isaiah speaks the gospel before the gospel.
What are the major themes of Isaiah?
Isaiah explores themes including Holiness, Judgment, Servant of the LORD, Hope, Salvation, Restoration. These themes shape the meaning and context of Isaiah 28:13.
What translation should I read Isaiah 28:13 in?
Isaiah 28:13 is available on GodsGoodBook in the King James Version (KJV), American Standard Version (ASV), World English Bible (WEB), NET Bible, Young's Literal Translation, Darby Bible, Douay-Rheims Bible, and the Bible in Basic English. Each translation reflects different translation philosophies — use the translation picker on this page to compare them, or browse our full translations directory.
How can I memorize Isaiah 28:13?
Isaiah 28:13 reads (KJV): “But the word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.” Read it aloud, break it into short phrases, repeat each phrase three times before adding the next, then put the phrases together. Reading it in multiple translations (above) often helps the meaning settle.
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