They make a lot of promises. They make agreements among themselves. They make promises they don’t mean to keep. So court cases spring up like poisonous weeds in a plowed field.

他们为立约说谎言，起假誓；因此，灾罚如苦菜滋生在田间的犁沟中。

他们讲空话，以假誓立约；因此，惩罚如苦菜滋生在田间的犁沟中。

他们讲空话，以假誓立约；因此，惩罚如苦菜滋生在田间的犁沟中。

他们说虚话，起假誓，立空盟，因此不法之事滋长，犹如田间犁沟中蔓延的毒草。

他们说很多话，起假誓，又立盟约；所以审判像毒草一般在田间的犁沟中生长起来。

他們為立約說謊言，起假誓；因此，災罰如苦菜滋生在田間的犂溝中。

他們講空話，以假誓立約；因此，懲罰如苦菜滋生在田間的犁溝中。

他們講空話，以假誓立約；因此，懲罰如苦菜滋生在田間的犁溝中。

他們說虛話，起假誓，立空盟，因此不法之事滋長，猶如田間犁溝中蔓延的毒草。

他們說很多話，起假誓，又立盟約；所以審判像毒草一般在田間的犁溝中生長起來。

嘿，講空話，起假誓，立盟約！莫怪司法如毒草、發生於田間的犂溝中呀！

彼出虛言、假誓立約、故災罰滋生、若毒草之於隴畝、

先知曰、斯民立約誑辭是尚、故災害必降、譬諸茵蔯、生於田疇、

斯民出言惟虛、立盟妄誓、故災罰滋生、如茵蔯生於田隴、

They make many promises, take false oaths and make agreements; therefore lawsuits spring up like poisonous weeds in a plowed field.

They utter mere words; with empty oaths they make covenants; so judgment springs up like poisonous weeds in the furrows of the field.

They spout empty words and make covenants they don’t intend to keep. So injustice springs up among them like poisonous weeds in a farmer’s field.

They speak mere words, taking false oaths while making covenants. So lawsuits break out like poisonous weeds in the furrows of a field.

They speak mere words, With worthless oaths they make covenants; And judgment sprouts like poisonous weeds in the furrows of the field.

They have spoken words, Swearing falsely in making a covenant. Thus judgment springs up like hemlock in the furrows of the field.

They speak vain words, swearing falsely in making covenants: therefore judgment springeth up as hemlock in the furrows of the field.

They speak mere words, taking false oaths while making covenants. So lawsuits break out like poisonous weeds in the furrows of a field.

They have spoken words, swearing falsely in making a covenant: thus judgment springeth up as hemlock in the furrows of the field.

They utter empty words, taking false oaths and making empty agreements. Therefore legal disputes sprout up like poisonous weeds in the furrows of a plowed field.

They make promises, swearing falsely in making covenants. Therefore judgment springs up like poisonous weeds in the furrows of the field.

There are people among you who turn what is fair into something bitter. They throw down to the ground what is right.

People curse one another. They tell lies and commit murder. They steal and commit adultery. They break all my laws. They keep spilling the blood of other people.

Horses don’t run on rocky ground. People don’t plow the sea with oxen. But you have turned fair treatment into poison. You have turned the fruit of right living into bitterness.

Then Nebuchadnezzar made a peace treaty with Zedekiah. He was a member of Jerusalem’s royal family. Nebuchadnezzar made him promise he would keep the treaty. He also took away the leading men of the land as prisoners.He did it to bring down their kingdom. It would not rise again. In fact, it would be able to last only by keeping his treaty.But Zedekiah turned against him. He sent messengers to Egypt. They went there to get horses and a large army. Will he succeed? Will he who does things like that escape? Can he break the peace treaty and still escape?“‘ Zedekiah will die in Babylon,’ announces the Lord and King.‘ And that is just as sure as I am alive. He will die in the land of King Nebuchadnezzar, who put him on the throne. Zedekiah didn’t keep his promise to Nebuchadnezzar and broke his treaty.So Nebuchadnezzar will build ramps against the walls of Jerusalem. He will set up war machines to destroy many lives. Pharaoh will not be able to help Zedekiah during the war. The huge and mighty army of Egypt will not be of any help.Zedekiah didn’t keep his promise to Nebuchadnezzar and broke his treaty. Zedekiah had made a firm promise to keep it. But he broke it anyway. So he will not escape.“‘ The Lord and King says,“ Zedekiah didn’t keep the promise he made in my name. He broke the treaty. So I will pay him back. And that is just as sure as I am alive.

Shalmaneser came up to attack Hoshea. Shalmaneser was king of Assyria. He had been Hoshea’s master. He had forced Hoshea to bring him gifts.But the king of Assyria found out that Hoshea had turned against him. Hoshea had sent messengers to So, the king of Egypt. Hoshea didn’t send gifts to the king of Assyria anymore. He had been sending them every year. So Shalmaneser grabbed him and put him in prison.

Just as at the city of Adam, they disobeyed me, they have broken the covenant I made with them. They were not faithful to me there.

They won’t love others. They won’t forgive others. They will tell lies about people. They will be out of control. They will be wild. They will hate what is good.

They do not understand. They can’t be trusted. They are not loving and kind.

Make sure there isn’t a man or woman among your families or tribes who turns away from the Lord our God. No one must worship the gods of those nations. Make sure that kind of worship doesn’t spread like bitter poison through your whole community.

Be sure that no one misses out on God’s grace. See to it that a bitter plant doesn’t grow up. If it does, it will cause trouble. And it will make many people impure.

We’ve refused to obey the Lord. We’ve made evil plans against him. We’ve turned our backs on our God. We’ve stirred up conflict and refused to follow him. We’ve told lies that came from our own minds.So people stop others from doing what is fair. They keep them from doing what is right. No one tells the truth in court anymore. No one is honest there.In fact, truth can’t be found anywhere. Those who refuse to do evil are attacked. The Lord sees that people aren’t treating others fairly. That makes him unhappy.

The third angel blew his trumpet. Then a great star fell from the sky. It looked like a blazing torch. It fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water.The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the water turned bitter. Many people died from it.

The vineyard of the Lord who rules over all is the nation of Israel. The people of Judah are the vines he took delight in. He kept looking for them to do what is fair. But all he saw was blood being spilled. He kept looking for them to do what is right. But all he heard were cries of suffering.

I see that you are very bitter. You are a prisoner of sin.”