Parallel Verses

Modern Spelling Tyndale-Coverdale

Who can run with horses, or plow with oxen upon the hard rocks of stone? For why? Ye have turned true judgment into bitterness, and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood.

New American Standard Bible

Do horses run on rocks?
Or does one plow them with oxen?
Yet you have turned justice into poison
And the fruit of righteousness into wormwood,

King James Version

Shall horses run upon the rock? will one plow there with oxen? for ye have turned judgment into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock:

Holman Bible

Do horses gallop on the cliffs;
does anyone plow there with oxen?
Yet you have turned justice into poison
and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood

International Standard Version

"Horses don't run over bare rock, do they? One doesn't plow rock with oxen, does he? But you have turned justice to gall, and the fruit of righteousness into bitterness.

A Conservative Version

Shall horses run upon the rock? Will [a man] plow [there] with oxen? That ye have turned justice into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood,

American Standard Version

Shall horses run upon the rock? will one plow there with oxen? that ye have turned justice into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood;

Amplified


Do horses run on rocks?
Do men plow rocks with oxen? [Of course not!]
Yet you have turned justice into poison
And the fruit of righteousness into wormwood (bitterness),

Bible in Basic English

Is it possible for horses to go running on the rock? may the sea be ploughed with oxen? for the right to be turned by you into poison, and the fruit of righteousness into a bitter plant?

Darby Translation

Shall horses run upon the rock? will men plough thereon with oxen? For ye have turned judgment into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood,

Julia Smith Translation

Shall horses run upon the rock? will he plough with oxen? for ye turned judgment to poison and the fruit of justice to wormwood.

King James 2000

Shall horses run upon the rock? will one plow there with oxen? for you have turned justice into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock:

Lexham Expanded Bible

Do horses run on rocks, or does one plow the sea with oxen? But you have turned justice into poison and [the] fruit of righteousness into wormwood!

Modern King James verseion

Shall horses run on the rock? Will one plow there with oxen? For you have turned justice into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock;

NET Bible

Can horses run on rocky cliffs? Can one plow the sea with oxen? Yet you have turned justice into a poisonous plant, and the fruit of righteous actions into a bitter plant.

New Heart English Bible

Do horses run on the rocky crags? Does one plow there with oxen? But you have turned justice into poison, and the fruit of righteousness into bitterness;

The Emphasized Bible

Shall horses run upon crag? or will a man plough there with oxen? For ye have turned to poison the sentence of justice, and the fruit of righteousness, to wormwood:

Webster

Shall horses run upon the rock? will one plow there with oxen? for ye have turned judgment into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock:

World English Bible

Do horses run on the rocky crags? Does one plow there with oxen? But you have turned justice into poison, and the fruit of righteousness into bitterness;

Youngs Literal Translation

Do horses run on a rock? Doth one plough it with oxen? For ye have turned to gall judgment, And the fruit of righteousness to wormwood.

Interlinear

English(KJV)
Strong's
Root Form
Definition
Usage
סס סוּס 
Cuwc 
Usage: 140

run
רוּץ 
Ruwts 
Usage: 103

upon the rock
סלע 
Cela` 
Usage: 60

will one plow
חרשׁ 
Charash 
Usage: 74

there with oxen
בּקר 
Baqar 
Usage: 183

רושׁ ראשׁ 
Ro'sh 
Usage: 12

and the fruit
פּרי 
P@riy 
Usage: 119

References

Context Readings

Yahweh Abhors Israel's Pride

11 Behold, the LORD is minded to smite the great houses, so that they shall decay: and the little houses, that they shall cleave asunder. 12 Who can run with horses, or plow with oxen upon the hard rocks of stone? For why? Ye have turned true judgment into bitterness, and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood. 13 Yea, even ye that rejoice in vain things: ye that say, 'Have not we obtained horns in our own strength?'

Cross References

Amos 5:7

Ye turn the law to wormwood, and cast down righteousness into the ground.

Hosea 10:4

They commune together, and swear vain oaths: they be confederate together, therefore groweth their punishment, as the weeds in the furrows of the land.

1 Kings 21:7-13

Then said Jezebel his wife unto him, "What a goodly kingdom were thou able to make in Israel? Up, and eat meat and set thine heart at rest, for I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite."

Isaiah 59:13-14

Namely transgress and dissemble against the LORD, and fall away from our God: using presumptuous and traitorous imaginations, and casting false matters in our hearts.

Amos 5:11-12

Forsomuch then as ye oppress the poor, and rob him of his best sustenance: therefore, where as ye have builded houses of square stone, ye shall not dwell in them. Marvelous pleasant vineyards shall ye plant; but the wine of them shall ye not drink. And why?

Psalm 94:20-21

Wilt thou have anything to do with the stool of wickedness, which imagineth mischief as a law?

Isaiah 48:4

Howbeit, I knew that thou art obstinate, and that thy neck hath an iron vein, and thy brow is of brass.

Jeremiah 5:3

Where as thou, O LORD, lookest only upon faith and truth. Thou hast scourged them, but they took no repentance: thou hast corrected them for amendment, but they refused thy correction. They made their faces harder than stone, and would not amend.

Jeremiah 6:29-30

The bellows are burnt in the fire, the lead is consumed, the melter melteth in vain, for the evil is not taken away from them.

Hosea 10:13

But now they have plowed them wickedness, therefore shall they reap sin, and eat the fruit of lies. Seeing thou puttest thy confidence in thine own ways, and leanest to the multitude of thy worthies:

Micah 7:3

yet they say they do well when they do evil. As the prince will, so sayeth the judge: that he may do him a pleasure again. The great man speaketh what his heart desireth; and the hearers allow him.

Habakkuk 1:3-4

Why lettest thou me see weariness and labour? Tyranny and violence are before me, power overgoeth right:

Zechariah 7:11-12

Nevertheless, they would not take heed, but turned their backs and stopped their ears, that they should not hear.

Acts 7:51-52

"Ye stiffnecked and of uncircumcised hearts and ears: ye have always resisted the holy ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.

King James Version Public Domain

Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers.

International Standard Version Copyright © 1996-2008 by the ISV Foundation.

New American Standard Bible Copyright ©1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org

American Standard Version Public Domain

NET Bible copyright © 1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. NetBible

Basic English, produced by Mr C. K. Ogden of the Orthological Institute - public domain