Flames of fire burn up straw. Dry grass sinks down into those flames. Evil people will be like plants whose roots rot away. They will be like flowers that are blown away like dust. That’s because they have said no to the law of the Lord who rules over all. They have turned against the message of the Holy One of Israel.

火苗怎样吞灭碎秸，干草怎样落在火焰之中，照样，他们的根必像朽物，他们的花必像灰尘飞腾；因为他们厌弃万军之耶和华的训诲，藐视以色列圣者的言语。

火苗怎样吞灭碎秸，干草怎样落在火焰之中，照样，他们的根必然腐朽，他们的花像灰尘扬起；因为他们厌弃万军之耶和华的教诲，藐视以色列圣者的言语。

火苗怎样吞灭碎秸，干草怎样落在火焰之中，照样，他们的根必然腐朽，他们的花像灰尘扬起；因为他们厌弃万军之耶和华的教诲，藐视以色列圣者的言语。

他们的根必朽烂，花朵如飞尘飘落，就像火焰吞灭禾秸，烧尽干草，因为他们厌弃以色列之圣者的训诲，藐视万军之耶和华的言语。

因此，火舌怎样吞灭碎秸，干草怎样落在火焰之中，照样，他们的根必像腐朽之物，他们的花必像尘土飞扬；因为他们弃绝万军之耶和华的训诲，藐视以色列圣者的话。

因此，火舌怎样吞噬麦秸，干草怎样倒在火焰中，照样，他们的根也必像腐朽之物，他们的花必像尘土飞散；因为他们厌弃万军之耶和华的训诲，藐视以色列圣者的言语。

火苗怎樣吞滅碎稭，乾草怎樣落在火焰之中，照樣，他們的根必像朽物，他們的花必像灰塵飛騰；因為他們厭棄萬軍之耶和華的訓誨，藐視以色列聖者的言語。

火苗怎樣吞滅碎稭，乾草怎樣落在火焰之中，照樣，他們的根必然腐朽，他們的花像灰塵揚起；因為他們厭棄萬軍之耶和華的教誨，藐視以色列聖者的言語。

火苗怎樣吞滅碎稭，乾草怎樣落在火焰之中，照樣，他們的根必然腐朽，他們的花像灰塵揚起；因為他們厭棄萬軍之耶和華的教誨，藐視以色列聖者的言語。

他們的根必朽爛，花朵如飛塵飄落，就像火焰吞滅禾稭，燒盡乾草，因為他們厭棄以色列之聖者的訓誨，藐視萬軍之耶和華的言語。

因此，火舌怎樣吞滅碎稭，乾草怎樣落在火燄之中，照樣，他們的根必像腐朽之物，他們的花必像塵土飛揚；因為他們棄絕萬軍之耶和華的訓誨，藐視以色列聖者的話。

火舌怎樣吞滅碎稭，乾草怎樣銷沉於火燄中，他們的根也必怎樣像朽爛之物，他們的花必像飛塵上騰；因為他們棄絕了萬軍之永恆主的指教，藐視了以色列之聖者的訓言。

因此，火舌怎樣吞噬麥稭，乾草怎樣倒在火焰中，照樣，他們的根也必像腐朽之物，他們的花必像塵土飛散；因為他們厭棄萬軍之耶和華的訓誨，藐視以色列聖者的言語。

故若禾稿焚於火、枯草銷於焰、其根將朽、其花飛揚若塵、因其廢棄萬軍耶和華之律、藐視以色列聖者之言、

耶和華萬有之真宰、以色列族之聖主、定律例、立法度、彼蔑棄之、藐視之、故必敗亡、若火之燬稈、若燄之燃蒭、本實必撥、花蕊必謝、

故其根必若朽物、其花飛散如塵、勢如火焰焚稈、烈焰燬芻、因彼違棄萬有之主之法、藐視以色列聖主之言、

Therefore, as tongues of fire lick up straw and as dry grass sinks down in the flames, so their roots will decay and their flowers blow away like dust; for they have rejected the law of the Lord Almighty and spurned the word of the Holy One of Israel.

Therefore, as the tongue of fire devours the stubble, and as dry grass sinks down in the flame, so their root will be as rottenness, and their blossom go up like dust; for they have rejected the law of the Lord of hosts, and have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.

Therefore, just as fire licks up stubble and dry grass shrivels in the flame, so their roots will rot and their flowers wither. For they have rejected the law of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies; they have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.

Therefore, as a tongue of fire consumes straw and as dry grass shrivels in the flame, so their roots will become like something rotten and their blossoms will blow away like dust, for they have rejected the instruction of the LORD of Armies, and they have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.

Therefore, as a tongue of fire consumes stubble, And dry grass collapses in the flame, So their root will become like rot, and their blossom blow away like dust; For they have rejected the Law of the Lord of armies, And discarded the word of the Holy One of Israel.

Therefore, as the fire devours the stubble, And the flame consumes the chaff, So their root will be as rottenness, And their blossom will ascend like dust; Because they have rejected the law of the Lord of hosts, And despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.

Therefore as the tongue of fire devoureth the stubble, and as the dry grass sinketh down in the flame, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust; because they have rejected the law of Jehovah of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.

Therefore, as a tongue of fire consumes straw and as dry grass shrivels in the flame, so their roots will become like something rotten and their blossoms will blow away like dust, for they have rejected the instruction of the Lord of Hosts, and they have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.

Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff,[ so] their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.

Therefore, as flaming fire devours straw, and dry grass disintegrates in the flames, so their root will rot, and their flower will blow away like dust. For they have rejected the law of the LORD who commands armies, they have spurned the commands of the Holy One of Israel.

Therefore as the tongue of fire devours the stubble, and as the dry grass sinks down in the flame, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust, because they have rejected the law of Yahweh of Armies, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.

Their roots dry up under them. Their branches dry up above them.

So the Holy One of Israel speaks. He says,“ You have turned your backs on what I have said. You have depended on telling people lies. You have crushed others.

They sound like chariots as they leap over the mountaintops. They crackle like fire burning up dry weeds. They are like a mighty army that is ready for battle.

They are just like straw. Fire will burn them up. They can’t even save themselves from the powerful flames. These are not like coals that can warm anyone. This is not like a fire to sit by.

Because of your great majesty, you threw down those who opposed you. Your burning anger blazed out. It burned them up like straw.

That’s because these people of Judah refuse to obey me. They are children who tell lies. They will not listen to what I want to teach them.

His pitchfork is in his hand to toss the straw away from his threshing floor. He will gather the wheat into his barn. But he will burn up the husks with fire that can’t be put out.”

But Samuel said to him,“ I won’t go back with you. You have refused to do what the Lord told you to do. So he has refused to have you as king over Israel!”

Suppose someone refuses to accept our teaching. They are not turning their back on us. They are turning their back on God. This same God gives you his Holy Spirit.

“ Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever does not accept you does not accept me. But whoever does not accept me does not accept the one who sent me.”

Refusing to obey the Lord is as sinful as using evil magic. Being proud is as evil as worshiping statues of gods. You have refused to do what the Lord told you to do. So he has refused to have you as king.”

“ Yet I destroyed the Amorites to make room in the land for my people. The Amorites were as tall as cedar trees. They were as strong as oak trees. But I cut off their fruit above the ground and their roots below it.

So he will cut off from Israel heads and tails alike. In a single day he will cut off palm branches and tall grass alike. The palm branches are the people who rule over others. The tall grass is the people who bow down to them.The elders and important leaders are the heads. The prophets who teach lies are the tails.Those who guide the people of Israel are leading them down the wrong path. So those who follow them aren’t on the right road.The Lord will not be pleased with the young men. He won’t take pity on widows and on children whose fathers have died. All of them are ungodly and evil. They say foolish things with their mouths. Even then, the Lord is still angry. His hand is still raised against them.

A person may build on it using gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay or straw.But each person’s work will be shown for what it is. On judgment day it will be brought to light. It will be put through fire. The fire will test how good each person’s work is.

His pitchfork is in his hand to clear the straw from his threshing floor. He will gather his wheat into the storeroom. But he will burn up the husks with fire that can’t be put out.”

“ But they didn’t obey you. Instead, they turned against you. They turned their backs on your law. They killed your prophets. The prophets had warned them to return to you. But they did very evil things that dishonored you.

Earth, pay attention. I am going to bring trouble on them. I will punish them because of the evil things they have done. They have not listened to my words. They have said no to my law.

His enemies will be tangled up among thorns. Their wine will make them drunk. They’ll be burned up like dry straw.

You hate my teaching. You turn your back on what I say.

But the people wouldn’t listen. They were as stubborn as their people of long ago had been. Those people didn’t trust in the Lord their God.They refused to obey his rules. They broke the covenant he had made with them. They didn’t pay any attention to the rules he had warned them to keep. They worshiped worthless statues of gods. Then they themselves became worthless. They followed the example of the nations around them. They did it even though the Lord had ordered them not to. He had said,“ Do not do as they do.”

Those who think they are wise will be put to shame. They will become terrified. They will be trapped. They have not accepted my message. So what kind of wisdom do they have?

But the Pharisees and the authorities on the law did not accept for themselves God’s purpose. So they had not been baptized by John.

“ You can be sure the day of the Lord is coming. My anger will burn like a furnace. All those who are proud will be like straw. So will all those who do what is evil. The day that is coming will set them on fire,” says the Lord who rules over all.“ Not even a root or a branch will be left to them.

I will be like a moth to Ephraim. I will cause Judah to rot away.

But there is a judge for anyone who does not accept me and my words. These words I have spoken will judge them on the last day.

“ I am like the gently flowing stream of Siloam. But the people of Judah have turned their backs on me. They are filled with joy because of the fall of Rezin and the son of Remaliah.

Suppose someone did not obey the law of Moses. And suppose two or three witnesses made charges against them. That person would die without mercy.People who deserve even more punishment include those who have hated the Son of God. They include people who have said no to him. They include people who have treated as unholy the blood of the covenant that makes them holy. They also include people who have disrespected the Holy Spirit who brings God’s grace. Don’t you think people like this should be punished more than anyone else?

Why did you turn your back on what I told you to do? You did what is evil in my sight. You made sure that Uriah, the Hittite, would be killed in battle. You took his wife to be your own. You let the men of Ammon kill him with their swords.So time after time members of your own royal house will be killed with swords. That’s because you turned your back on me. You took the wife of Uriah, the Hittite, to be your own.’

“‘ Look, you who make fun of the truth! Wonder and die! I am going to do something in your days that you would never believe. You wouldn’t believe it even if someone told you.’ ”( Habakkuk 1:5)

Ephraim is like a worthless plant. Its roots are dried up. It does not produce any fruit. Suppose Ephraim’s people have children. Then I will kill the children they love so much.”