You will be like someone whose bed is too short to lie down on. You will be like those whose blankets are too small to wrap themselves in.

原来，床榻短，使人不能舒身；被窝窄，使人不能遮体。

床榻短，人不能伸展；被子窄，人无从裹身。

床榻短，人不能伸展；被子窄，人无从裹身。

你们的床太小，不能舒身；你们的被子太窄，不足裹身。

床铺太短，人就不能伸直，被窝太窄，就盖不住全身。

床铺太短，伸不直身子；被子太窄，裹不住全身。

原來，牀榻短，使人不能舒身；被窩窄，使人不能遮體。

床榻短，人不能伸展；被子窄，人無從裹身。

床榻短，人不能伸展；被子窄，人無從裹身。

你們的床太小，不能舒身；你們的被子太窄，不足裹身。

床鋪太短，人就不能伸直，被窩太窄，就蓋不住全身。

因為床鋪太短，手腳伸不直；手腳縮作一團，被窩又太窄。

床鋪太短，伸不直身子；被子太窄，裹不住全身。

榻短不能舒體、被狹不能蔽身、

諺云、床榻甚短、不能暢其四肢、衾裯甚狹、不能蔽其全體、

其勢必如床短不能舒身、被狹不足蔽體、

The bed is too short to stretch out on, the blanket too narrow to wrap around you.

For the bed is too short to stretch oneself on, and the covering too narrow to wrap oneself in.

The bed you have made is too short to lie on. The blankets are too narrow to cover you.

Indeed, the bed is too short to stretch out on, and its cover too small to wrap up in.

The bed is too short on which to stretch out, And the blanket is too small to wrap oneself in.

For the bed is too short to stretch out on, And the covering so narrow that one cannot wrap himself in it.

For the bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself on it; and the covering narrower than that he can wrap himself in it.

Indeed, the bed is too short to stretch out on, and its cover too small to wrap up in.

For the bed is shorter than that[ a man] can stretch himself[ on it]: and the covering narrower than that he can wrap himself[ in it].

For the bed is too short to stretch out on, and the blanket is too narrow to wrap around oneself.

For the bed is too short to stretch out on, and the blanket is too narrow to wrap oneself in.

What should we say then? Gentiles did not look for a way to be right with God. But they found it by having faith.The people of Israel tried to obey the law to make themselves right with God. But they didn’t reach their goal of being right with God.Why not? Because they tried to do it without faith. They tried to be right with God by what they did. They tripped over the stone that causes people to trip and fall.

But others are not like that. They sacrifice bulls to me, but at the same time they kill people. They offer lambs to me, but they also sacrifice dogs to other gods. They bring grain offerings to me, but they also offer pig’s blood to other gods. They burn incense to me, but they also worship statues of gods. They have chosen to go their own way. They take delight in things I hate.So I have also made a choice. I will make them suffer greatly. I will bring on them what they are afraid of. When I called out to them, no one answered me. When I spoke to them, no one listened. They did what is evil in my sight. They chose to do what displeases me.”Listen to the word of the Lord. Listen, you who tremble with fear when he speaks. He says,“ Some of your own people hate you. They turn their backs on you because you are faithful to me. They make fun of you and say,‘ Let the Lord show his glory by saving you. Then we can see how happy you are.’ But they will be put to shame.Hear the loud sounds coming from the city! Listen to the noise coming from the temple! I am the one causing it. I am paying back my enemies for everything they have done.

But look! You are trusting in worthless lies.“‘ “You continue to steal and commit murder. You commit adultery. You tell lies in court. You burn incense to Baal. You worship other gods you didn’t know before.Then you come and stand in front of me. You keep coming to this house where I have put my Name. You say,‘ We are safe.’ You think you are safe when you do so many things I hate.

The plans they make are like the eggs of poisonous snakes. Anyone who eats those eggs will die. When one of them is broken, a snake comes out.Those people weave their evil plans together like a spider’s web. But the webs they make can’t be used as clothes. They can’t cover themselves with what they make. Their acts are evil. They do things to harm others.

You have not done what is right or good. I will let everyone know about it. And that will not be of any benefit to you.Go ahead and cry out for help to all the statues of your gods. See if they can save you! The wind will carry them off. Just a puff of air will blow them away. But anyone who comes to me for safety will receive the land. They will possess my holy mountain of Zion.”

The message of the cross seems foolish to those who are lost and dying. But it is God’s power to us who are being saved.It is written,“ I will destroy the wisdom of those who are wise. I will do away with the cleverness of those who think they are so smart.”( Isaiah 29:14)Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where are the great thinkers of our time? Hasn’t God made the wisdom of the world foolish?God wisely planned that the world would not know him through its own wisdom. It pleased God to use the foolish things we preach to save those who believe.Jews require signs. Greeks look for wisdom.But we preach about Christ and his death on the cross. That is very hard for Jews to accept. And everyone else thinks it’s foolish.But there are those God has chosen, both Jews and Greeks. To them Christ is God’s power and God’s wisdom.The foolish things of God are wiser than human wisdom. The weakness of God is stronger than human strength.Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when God chose you. Not many of you were considered wise by human standards. Not many of you were powerful. Not many of you belonged to important families.But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise. God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.God chose the things of this world that are common and looked down on. God chose things considered unimportant to do away with things considered important.So no one can boast to God.Because of what God has done, you belong to Christ Jesus. He has become God’s wisdom for us. He makes us right with God. He makes us holy and sets us free.It is written,“ The one who boasts should boast about what the Lord has done.”( Jeremiah 9:24)

All of us have become like someone who is“ unclean.” All the good things we do are like dirty rags to you. All of us are like leaves that have dried up. Our sins sweep us away like the wind.