Parallel Verses

New American Standard Bible

The best of them is like a briar,
The most upright like a thorn hedge.
The day when you post your watchmen,
Your punishment will come.
Then their confusion will occur.

King James Version

The best of them is as a brier: the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge: the day of thy watchmen and thy visitation cometh; now shall be their perplexity.

Holman Bible

The best of them is like a brier;
the most upright is worse than a hedge of thorns.
The day of your watchmen,
the day of your punishment, is coming;
at this time their panic is here.

International Standard Version

The best of them is like a thorn, and their most upright like a hedge of thorns. The day announced by your watchmen and by your own calculations approaches. Now it's your time to be confused!

A Conservative Version

The best of them is as a brier. The most upright is [worse] than a thorn hedge. The day of thy watchmen, even thy visitation, has come. Now shall be their perplexity.

American Standard Version

The best of them is as a brier; the most upright is worse than a thorn hedge: the day of thy watchmen, even thy visitation, is come; now shall be their perplexity.

Amplified


The best of them is [injurious] like a briar;
The most upright is [prickly] like a thorn hedge.
The day of your watchmen [that is, the time predicted by the prophets]
And your punishment comes;
Now shall be their confusion.

Bible in Basic English

The best of them is like a waste plant, and their upright ones are like a wall of thorns. Sorrow! the day of their fate has come; now will trouble come on them.

Darby Translation

The best of them is as a briar; the most upright, worse than a thorn-fence. The day of thy watchmen, thy visitation is come; now shall be their perplexity.

Julia Smith Translation

Their good as the thorn, the upright more than the thorn-hedge: the day of thy watchings and thy reviewings came; now shall be their perplexity.

King James 2000

The best of them is like a brier: the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge: the day of your watchmen and your punishment comes; now shall be their perplexity.

Lexham Expanded Bible

The best of them [is] like a brier; [the most] upright [worse] than a thorn hedge. The day of your watchman, your punishment, has come; now their confusion will come.

Modern King James verseion

The best of them is like a briar; the most upright is sharper than a hedge of thorns. The day of your watchmen and your punishment comes; now their shame shall come.

Modern Spelling Tyndale-Coverdale

The best of them is but as a thistle, and the most righteous of them is but as a brier in the hedge. But when the day of thy preachers cometh, that thou shalt be visited: then shall they be wasted away.

NET Bible

The best of them is like a thorn; the most godly among them are more dangerous than a row of thorn bushes. The day you try to avoid by posting watchmen -- your appointed time of punishment -- is on the way, and then you will experience confusion.

New Heart English Bible

The best of them is like a brier. The most upright is worse than a thorn hedge. The day of your watchmen, even your visitation, has come; now is the time of their confusion.

The Emphasized Bible

The best of them, is as a sharp briar, and, the most upright, worse than a thorn hedge, The day of thy watchmen - of thy visitation, hath come, Now, shall be their confusion!

Webster

The best of them is as a brier: the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge: the day of thy watchmen and thy visitation cometh; now shall be their perplexity.

World English Bible

The best of them is like a brier. The most upright is worse than a thorn hedge. The day of your watchmen, even your visitation, has come; now is the time of their confusion.

Youngs Literal Translation

Their best one is as a brier, The upright one -- than a thorn-hedge, The day of thy watchmen -- Thy visitation -- hath come. Now is their perplexity.

Interlinear

English(KJV)
Strong's
Root Form
Definition
Usage
of them is as a brier
חדק 
Chedeq 
Usage: 2

מסוּכה 
M@cuwkah 
Usage: 1

the day
יום 
Yowm 
Usage: 2293

צפה 
Tsaphah 
Usage: 36

פּקדּה 
P@quddah 
Usage: 32


come, bring, ... in, enter, go, carry, ...down, pass, ...out,
Usage: 0

Context Readings

Wait Upon Yahweh

3 They diligently seek to do evil with their hands. The prince asks and the judge is ready for a bribe. The great man utters his own evil desire. They weave it together. 4 The best of them is like a briar,
The most upright like a thorn hedge.
The day when you post your watchmen,
Your punishment will come.
Then their confusion will occur.
5 Do not put your faith in your neighbor. Do not trust a friend! Guard your lips from her who lies in your bosom (is your intimate companion).

Cross References

Isaiah 22:5

The Lord Jehovah of Hosts has a day of tumult, trampling and terror in the Valley of Vision. It is a day of battering down walls and of crying out to the mountains.

Ezekiel 2:6

Son of man, do not be afraid of them or the things they say. Do not be afraid, even though thorns and thistles are around you and you live among scorpions. Do not let the things they say frighten you. Do not be terrified in their presence even though they are rebellious people.

2 Samuel 23:6-7

All the evildoers will be like thorns to be pushed away. They may not be gripped in the hand:

Isaiah 10:3

What will you do on the day you are called to account for these things, when destruction comes from far away? Where will you run for help? Where will you leave your wealth?

Isaiah 55:13

Instead of the thornbush the pine tree will grow. Instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for Jehovah's fame. It will be for an everlasting sign, which will not be destroyed.

Jeremiah 8:12

Were they ashamed because of the abomination they had done? They certainly were not ashamed! And they did not know how to blush. For that reason they will fall among those who fall. At the time of their punishment they will be brought down, Says Jehovah.

Jeremiah 10:15

They are worthless, a work of mockery. In the time of their punishment they will perish.

Ezekiel 12:23-24

Therefore say to them: 'The Lord Jehovah says: 'I will make this proverb cease so that they will no longer use it as a proverb in Israel. Tell them: 'The days draw near as well as the fulfillment of every vision.'

Hosea 9:7-8

The time for them to be punished will come. The time for them to pay for their sins will come. When this happens, Israel will know it. They think that prophets are fools and that spiritual people are crazy. They have sinned a lot, and are filled with hostility.

Amos 8:2

He said: Amos, what do you see? And I said, A basket of summer fruit. Then Jehovah said to me: The end has come to my people Israel. I will spare them no longer.

Nahum 1:10

Entangled like thorns and drunken from drink, they are consumed like dry stubble.

Luke 21:25

There will be signs in sun and moon and stars. The earth will experience distress of nations in disarray for the roaring of the sea and the waves.

Hebrews 6:8

That which bears thorns and briars is rejected, and is near to being cursed. It ends up being burned.

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