I am the Most High God. But they do not turn to me. They are like a bow that does not shoot straight. Their leaders will be killed by swords. They will die because they have spoken too proudly. The people of Egypt will make fun of them.”

他们归向，却不归向至上者；他们如同翻背的弓。他们的首领必因舌头的狂傲倒在刀下；这在埃及地必作人的讥笑。”

他们归向，但不是归向至上者；终究必如松弛的弓。他们的领袖必因舌头的狂傲倒在刀下，这在埃及地必成为人的笑柄。

他们归向，但不是归向至上者；终究必如松弛的弓。他们的领袖必因舌头的狂傲倒在刀下，这在埃及地必成为人的笑柄。

他们回转，却不肯转向至高者，他们就像无用的断弓。他们的首领要因出言狂妄而丧身刀下，成为埃及人的笑柄。

他们转向巴力，成了不可靠的弓。他们的领袖因自己舌头上的狂傲倒在刀下，这在埃及地必成为被人讥笑的对象。”

他們歸向，卻不歸向至上者；他們如同翻背的弓。他們的首領必因舌頭的狂傲倒在刀下；這在埃及地必作人的譏笑。

他們歸向，但不是歸向至上者；終究必如鬆弛的弓。他們的領袖必因舌頭的狂傲倒在刀下，這在埃及地必成為人的笑柄。

他們歸向，但不是歸向至上者；終究必如鬆弛的弓。他們的領袖必因舌頭的狂傲倒在刀下，這在埃及地必成為人的笑柄。

他們回轉，卻不肯轉向至高者，他們就像無用的斷弓。他們的首領要因出言狂妄而喪身刀下，成為埃及人的笑柄。

他們轉向巴力，成了不可靠的弓。他們的領袖因自己舌頭上的狂傲倒在刀下，這在埃及地必成為被人譏笑的對象。”

他們轉向於巴力；如同乖張的弓；他們的首領必因其舌頭之傲氣而倒斃於刀下：這在埃及地必成了人們嗤笑的對象。

彼雖回轉、然不向上、有若偏反之弓、其牧伯口出狂言、必仆於刃、在埃及地為人姍笑、

彼所歸誠者、非至上之主、如弦絕弓反、口出妄言、諸牧伯亡於鋒刃、為埃及人姍笑。

彼所歸誠者、非至上之主、彼如已翻之弓、其侯伯殞亡於刃、因其口出狂言、必因此為伊及國之人所姍笑、

They do not turn to the Most High; they are like a faulty bow. Their leaders will fall by the sword because of their insolent words. For this they will be ridiculed in the land of Egypt.

They return, but not upward; they are like a treacherous bow; their princes shall fall by the sword because of the insolence of their tongue. This shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.

They look everywhere except to the Most High. They are as useless as a crooked bow. Their leaders will be killed by their enemies because of their insolence toward me. Then the people of Egypt will laugh at them.

They turn, but not to what is above; they are like a faulty bow. Their leaders will fall by the sword because of their insolent tongue. They will be ridiculed for this in the land of Egypt.

They turn, but not upward, They are like a loose bow; Their officials will fall by the sword Because of the insolence of their tongue. This will be their derision in the land of Egypt.

They return, but not to the Most High; They are like a treacherous bow. Their princes shall fall by the sword For the cursings of their tongue. This shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.

They return, but not to him that is on high; they are like a deceitful bow; their princes shall fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue: this shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.

They turn, but not to what is above; they are like a faulty bow. Their leaders will fall by the sword because of the cursing of their tongue. They will be ridiculed for this in the land of Egypt.

They return,[ but] not to the most High: they are like a deceitful bow: their princes shall fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue: this[ shall be] their derision in the land of Egypt.

They turn to Baal; they are like an unreliable bow. Their leaders will fall by the sword because their prayers to Baal have made me angry. So people will disdain them in the land of Egypt.

They return, but not to the Most High. They are like a faulty bow. Their princes will fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue. This will be their derision in the land of Egypt.

They were like their people who lived long ago. They turned away from him and were not faithful. They were like a bow that doesn’t shoot straight. They couldn’t be trusted.

You won’t remain in the Lord’ s land. Ephraim, you will return to Egypt. You will eat“ unclean” food in Assyria.

They brag as if they owned heaven itself. They talk as if they controlled the earth.

The Lord and King says to Oholibah,“ You will drink from your sister’s cup. It is large and deep. It is filled with the wine of my anger. So others will laugh at you. They will make fun of you.

Some of you will escape without being destroyed. But you will die in Egypt. Your bodies will be buried at Memphis. Weeds will cover your treasures of silver. Thorns will grow up in your tents.

They say,“ What we speak with our tongues will win the battle. What we say with our lips will keep us safe. No one will have victory over us.”

In spite of all this, their sister nation Judah did not come back to me. They were not faithful to me either. They did not return with all their heart. They only pretended to,” announces the Lord.

“ What happens when an evil spirit comes out of a person? It goes through dry areas looking for a place to rest. But it doesn’t find it. Then it says,‘ I will return to the house I left.’When it arrives there, it finds the house swept clean and put in order.Then the evil spirit goes and takes seven other spirits more evil than itself. They go in and live there. That person is worse off than before.”

But here is what I tell you. On judgment day, everyone will have to account for every empty word they have spoken.

Men who are like lions are all around me. I am forced to lie down among people who are like hungry animals. Their teeth are like spears and arrows. Their tongues are like sharp swords.

Jerusalem is about to fall. And so is Judah. They say and do things against the Lord. They dare to disobey him to his very face.

They turned away from him. They weren’t faithful to the covenant he had made with them.

My people have made up their minds to turn away from me. Even if they call me the Most High God, I will certainly not honor them.”

The Lord says,“ Ephraim, what can I do with you? And what can I do with you, Judah? Your love for me vanishes like the morning mist. It soon disappears like the early dew.

That good man lived among them day after day. He saw and heard the evil things they were doing. They were breaking God’s laws. And the godly spirit of Lot was deeply troubled.

How terrible it will be for them! They have wandered away from me. So they will be destroyed. That’s because they have refused to obey me. I long to save them. But they tell lies about me.

They offer sacrifices as gifts to me. They eat the meat of the animals they bring. But the Lord is not pleased with any of this. He will remember the evil things they have done. He will punish them for their sins. And they will return to Egypt.Israel has forgotten the God who made them. They have built palaces for themselves. Judah has built forts in many towns. But I will send down fire on their cities. It will burn up their forts.”

They treated my name as if it were not holy. They did it everywhere they went among the nations. People said about them,‘ They are the Lord’ s people. But they were forced to leave his land.’

They said,“ Come on. Let’s make plans against Jeremiah. We’ll still have priests to teach us the law. We’ll always have wise people to give us advice. We’ll have prophets to bring us messages from the Lord. So come on. Let’s speak out against Jeremiah. We shouldn’t pay any attention to what he says.”

The beast was given a mouth to brag and speak evil things against God. The beast was allowed to use its authority for 42 months.

The seed on rocky ground stands for those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But they have no roots. They believe for a while. But when they are tested, they fall away from the faith.

In the same way, the tongue is a small part of a person’s body. But it talks big. Think about how a small spark can set a big forest on fire.

You plan ways to destroy others. Your tongue is like a blade that has a sharp edge. You are always telling lies.