My father put a heavy load on your shoulders. But I’ll make it even heavier. My father beat you with whips. But I’ll beat you with bigger whips.’ ”

我父亲使你们负重轭，我必使你们负更重的轭！我父亲用鞭子责打你们，我要用蝎子鞭责打你们！’”

我父亲使你们负重轭，现在我必使你们负更重的轭！我父亲用鞭子惩罚你们，我要用蝎子惩罚你们！’”

我父亲使你们负重轭，现在我必使你们负更重的轭！我父亲用鞭子惩罚你们，我要用蝎子惩罚你们！’”

我父亲使你们负重担，我要使你们负更重的担子；我父亲用鞭子打你们，我要用刺鞭打你们。’”

我父亲把一个重担加在你们身上，我要使你们负更重的重担；我父亲用鞭子责打你们，我要用蝎子鞭责打你们。’”

我父親使你們負重軛，我必使你們負更重的軛！我父親用鞭子責打你們，我要用蠍子鞭責打你們！』」

我父親使你們負重軛，現在我必使你們負更重的軛！我父親用鞭子懲罰你們，我要用蠍子懲罰你們！』」

我父親使你們負重軛，現在我必使你們負更重的軛！我父親用鞭子懲罰你們，我要用蠍子懲罰你們！』」

我父親使你們負重擔，我要使你們負更重的擔子；我父親用鞭子打你們，我要用刺鞭打你們。』」

我父親把一個重擔加在你們身上，我要使你們負更重的重擔；我父親用鞭子責打你們，我要用蠍子鞭責打你們。’”

我父親將負的軛給你們馱上，現在呢、我要加重你們的軛呢；我父親用鞭子責打你們，我卻要用蠍子鞭責打你們呢。」』

我父使爾負重軛、我必益之、我父責爾以鞭、我則責爾以蠍、

父使爾負重軛、我必益之、我父以鞭責爾、我必以蠍螫爾。

我父使爾負重軛、我必使爾負尤重之軛、我父以鞭責爾、我必以蠍責爾、或作我以蠍鞭責爾蠍鞭鞭名鞭稍有鈎如蠍蠆下同

My father laid on you a heavy yoke; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.’”

And now, whereas my father laid on you a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.’”

Yes, my father laid heavy burdens on you, but I’m going to make them even heavier! My father beat you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions!’”

Although my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with barbed whips.’”

Now then, my father loaded you with a heavy yoke; yet I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions!’ ”

And now, whereas my father put a heavy yoke on you, I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scourges!’”

And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.

Although my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with barbed whips.’”

And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.

My father imposed heavy demands on you; I will make them even heavier. My father punished you with ordinary whips; I will punish you with whips that really sting your flesh.’”

Now my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, but I will add to your yoke. My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.’”

“ Here is the way I want you to fast.“ Set free those who are held by chains without any reason. Untie the ropes that hold people as slaves. Set free those who are crushed. Break every evil chain.

Son of man, do not be afraid of them or of what they say. Do not be afraid, even if thorns and bushes are all around you. Do not be afraid, even if you live among scorpions. Do not be afraid of what they say. Do not be terrified by them. They always refuse to obey me.

They made them work hard. They didn’t show them any pity.The people suffered because of their hard labor. The slave drivers forced them to work with bricks and mud. And they made them do all kinds of work in the fields. The Egyptians didn’t show them any pity at all. They made them work very hard.

Asa was angry with the prophet because of what he had said. In fact, he was so angry he put him in prison. At the same time, Asa treated some of his own people very badly.

When that time comes, you will cry out for help because of the king you have chosen. But the Lord won’t answer you at that time.”

Pharaoh continued,“ There are large numbers of your people in the land. But you are stopping them from working.”That same day Pharaoh gave orders to the slave drivers and the overseers in charge of the people.He said,“ Don’t give the people any more straw to make bricks. Let them go and get their own straw.But require them to make the same number of bricks as before. Don’t lower the number they have to make. They are lazy. That’s why they are crying out,‘ Let us go. We want to offer sacrifices to our God.’Make them work harder. Then they will be too busy to pay attention to lies.”

But suppose any nation will put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon. And suppose it serves him. Then I will let that nation remain in its own land. I will let its people plow the land and live there,” ’ ” announces the Lord.

Instead, he followed the advice of the young men. He said,“ My father put a heavy load on your shoulders. But I’ll make it even heavier. My father beat you with whips. But I’ll beat you with bigger whips.”

Out of the smoke came locusts. They came down on the earth. They were given power like the power of scorpions of the earth.They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree. They were supposed to harm only the people without God’s official seal on their foreheads.The locusts were not allowed to kill these people. But the locusts could hurt them over and over for five months. The pain the people suffered was like the sting of a scorpion when it strikes.In those days, people will look for a way to die but won’t find it. They will want to die, but death will escape them.The locusts looked like horses ready for battle. On their heads they wore something like crowns of gold. Their faces looked like human faces.Their hair was like women’s hair. Their teeth were like lions’ teeth.Their chests were covered with something that looked like armor made out of iron. The sound of their wings was like the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle.They had tails that could sting people like scorpions do. And in their tails they had power to hurt people over and over for five months.

Now get to work. We won’t give you any straw. But you still have to make the same number of bricks.”

“ Go. Tell Hananiah,‘ The Lord says,“ You have broken a wooden yoke. But in its place you will get an iron yoke.”The Lord who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says,“ I will put an iron yoke on the necks of all these nations. I will make them serve Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. So they will serve him. I will even give him control over the wild animals.” ’ ”