Therefore as truly as I live, sayeth the LORD of Hosts the God of Israel, Moab shall be as Sodom, and Ammon as Gomorrah: even dry thorn hedges, salt pits and perpetual wilderness. The residue of my folk shall spoil them, the remnant of my people shall have them in possession.

I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyards of the foolish man. And lo, it was all covered with nettles, and stood full of thistles, and the stone wall was broken down. This I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and took it for a warning.read more.
Yea, sleep on still a little, slumber a little, fold thine hands together yet a little; so shall poverty come unto thee as one that travaileth by the way, and necessity like a weaponed man.

I show you now my cause, O ye Citizens of Jerusalem and whole Judah: Judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard. What more could have been done for it, that I have not done? Wherefore than hath it given thorns, where I looked to have had grapes of it? Well, now I shall tell you how I will do with my vineyard: I will take the hedge from it, that it may perish, and break down the wall, that it may be trodden under foot.read more.
I will lay it waste, that it shall neither be twisted nor cut, but bear thorns and briers. I will also forbid the clouds, that they shall not rain upon it.

For at the same time shall the LORD whistle for the flies that are about the water of Egypt, and for the bees in the Assyrian land. These shall come, and shall light all in the valleys, and in the vaults of stone, upon all green things, and in all corners. At the same time shall the LORD shave the hair of the head and the feet and the beard clean off, with the razor that he shall hire beyond the water: namely, with the king of the Assyrians.read more.
At the same time shall a man live with a cow, and two sheep. Then because of the abundance of milk, he shall make butter and eat it. So that every one which remaineth in the land, shall eat butter and honey. At the same time all vineyards - though there be a thousand vines in one, and were sold for a thousand silverlings - shall be turned to briers and thorns. Like as they shall come into the land with arrows and bows, so shall all the land become briers and thorns. And as for all hills that now are hewn down, thou shalt not come upon them, for fear of briers and thorns. But the cattle shall be driven thither, and the sheep shall feed there."

O ye rich idle cities, ye that fear no peril: ye shall be abashed and removed, when ye see the bareness, the nakedness, and preparing to war. For as the infants weep when their mothers' teats are dried, so shall you weep for your fair fields and fruitful vineyards. My people's field shall bring thorns and thistles, for in every house is voluptuousness; and in the cities, willfulness.read more.
The palaces also shall be broken, and the greatly occupied cities desolate. The towers and bulwarks shall be become dens forevermore, the pleasure of Mules shall be turned to pasture for sheep: Unto the time that the spirit be poured upon us from above. Then shall the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the plenteous field shall be reckoned for a wood.

Unto thee also, O Zion, shall come the day of the vengeance of God, and the year when thine own judgments shall be recompensed. Thy floods shall be turned to pitch, and thine earth to brimstone, and therewith shall the land be kindled, so that it shall not be quenched day nor night, but smoke evermore and so forth to lie waste. And no man shall go through thy land forever.read more.
But Pelicans, Storks, great Owls, and Ravens shall have it in possession, and dwell therein. For God shall spread out the line of desolation upon it, and weight it with the stones of emptiness. When kings are called upon, there shall be none, and all princes shall be away. Thorns shall grow in their palaces, nettles and thistles in their strongholds; that the dragons may have their pleasure therein, and that they may be a court for Ostriches. There shall strange visures and monstrous beasts meet one another, and the wild keep company together. There shall the llama lie, and have her lodging.

For thorns, there shall grow Fir trees, and the Myrtle tree in the stead of briers. And this shall be done to the praise of the LORD, and for an everlasting token, that shall not be taken away.

What will ye do then in the solemn days, and in the feast of the LORD? Lo, they shall get them away for the destruction. Egypt shall receive them, and Memphis shall bury them. The nettles shall overgrow their pleasant goods, and burrs shall be in their tabernacles.

At the same time all vineyards - though there be a thousand vines in one, and were sold for a thousand silverlings - shall be turned to briers and thorns.

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.

For every tree is known by his fruit. Neither of thorns gather men figs, nor of bushes gather they grapes.

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

But if cause be that my land cry against me, or that the furrows thereof make any complaint; if I have eaten the fruits thereof unpaid for, yea if I have grieved any of the plowmen; then let thistles grow instead of my wheat, and thorns for my barley."

Another similitude put he forth, unto them saying, "The kingdom of heaven is like unto a man which sowed good seed in his field. But while men slept, there came his foe, and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. When the blade was sprung up, and had brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.read more.
The servants then came to the householder, and said unto him, 'Sir, sowest not thou good seed in thy close, from whence then hath it tares?' But he said to them, 'The envious man hath done this.' Then the servants said unto him, 'Wilt thou then that we go and weed them out?' But he said, 'Nay, lest while ye go about to weed out the tares, ye pluck up also with them the wheat by the roots. Let both grow together till harvest come: and in time of harvest, I will say to the reapers, Gather ye first the tares, and bind them in sheaves to be burnt: but gather the wheat into my barn.'"

But and if ye will not drive out the inhabiters of the land before you, then those which ye let remain of them, shall be thorns in your eyes and darts in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell.

So shall the LORD cast out before you great nations and mighty, as ye see how no man hath stand before you hitherto. One of you shall chase a thousand: for the LORD your God he fighteth for you, as he hath said unto you. Take good heed therefore unto your souls, that ye love the LORD your God.read more.
But and if ye shall go back and cleave unto the rest of these nations that remain with you and shall make marriages with them, and shall go to them and they come to you: be sure that the LORD your God will not cast out all these nations before you. But they shall be snares and traps unto you, and scourges for your sides, and pricks in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good land which the LORD your God hath given you.

And the angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim and said, "I brought you out of Egypt and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers. And I said that I would never break my covenant with you, but ye should have made no covenant with the inhabiters of this land, ye should have broken down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice. Why have ye this done? Wherefore I have likewise determined that I will not cast them out before you: that they may be a fall unto you, and their gods shall be snares unto you."

when the unthrifty men are all of them as thorns taken out of their places, which cannot be taken with hands. But the man that shall touch them must be armed with iron on a long helve. And then shall they be burned with fire to sit thereby."

And he said, "Behold, thou son of man: I will send thee to the children of Israel, to those renegades and obstinate people - for they have taken part against me, and are run away from me: both they and their forefathers unto this day. Yea, I will send thee unto a people that have rough visages and stiff stomachs: unto whom thou shalt say on this manner, 'This the LORD God himself hath spoken,' that whether they be obedient or no - for it is a froward household - they may know yet that there hath been a Prophet among them.read more.
"Therefore, thou son of man, fear them not; neither be afraid of their words: for they shall rebel against thee, and despise thee. Yea, thou shalt dwell among scorpions. But fear not their words, be not abashed at their looks: for it is a froward household.

And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, "Thou son of man, set thy face against Sidon. Prophesy upon it, and speak, 'Thus sayeth the LORD God Behold O Sidon, I will upon thee, and get me honour in thee: that it may be known how that I am the LORD, when I punish her, and get me honour in her.read more.
For I will send pestilence and blood shedding into her streets, so that those which be slain with the sword shall lie round about in the midst of her: and they shall know, that I am the LORD. She shall no more be a pricking thorn, and a hurting brier unto the house of Israel, nor unto them that lie round about her and hate her: and they shall know that I am the LORD.

I hear no evil will in my mind. Who will compel me that I, greatly forgetting all faithfulness, should burn it up at once with thorns and bushes?

"If fire break out and catch in the thorns, so that the stacks of corn or the standing corn or field be consumed therewith: he that kindled the fire shall make restitution.

For the ungodly burn, as a fire in the briers and thorns: And as it were out of a fire in a wood or a red bush, so ascendeth the smoke of their pride. For this cause shall the wrath of the LORD of Hosts fall upon the land, and the people shall be consumed, as it were with fire: no man shall spare his brother,

Therefore shall the LORD of Hosts send him poverty in his riches, and burn up his power, as it were with a fire. But the light of Israel shall be that fire, and his Sanctuary shall be the flame, and it shall kindle, and burn up his thorns and briers in one day.

And he spake many things to them in similitudes, saying, "Behold, the sower went forth to sow. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside, and the fowls came, and devoured it up. Some fell upon stony ground where it had not much earth, and anon it sprung up, because it had no depth of earth:read more.
And when the sun was up, it caught heat, and for lack of rooting withered away. Some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprung up and choked it. Part fell in good ground, and brought forth good fruit: some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.

"Hearken to. Behold; The sower went out to sow, and it fortuned as he sowed, that some fell by the wayside, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up. Some fell on a stony ground: where it had not much earth: and by and by sprang up, because it had not depth of earth:read more.
but as soon as the sun was up, it caught heat: and because it had not rooting it withered away. And some fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, so that it gave no fruit. And some fell upon good ground: and did yield fruit that sprang and grew: and brought forth some thirty fold, some sixty fold, and some a hundred fold."

"A sower went out to sow his seed, and as he sowed, some fell by the wayside, and it was trodden under feet, and the fowls of the air devoured it up. And some fell on stone, and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moistness. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it.read more.
And some fell on good ground, and sprang up and bare fruit, a hundred fold." And as he said these things, he cried, "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear."

Hear ye therefore the similitude of the sower. Whosoever heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, there cometh the evil man, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. And this is he which was sown by the wayside. But he that was sown in the stony ground, is he which heareth the word of God, and anon with joy receiveth it,read more.
yet hath no roots in himself, and therefore dureth but a season: for as soon as tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he falleth. He that was sown among thorns, is he that heareth the word of God, but the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and so is he made unfruitful. He which is sown in the good ground, is he, that heareth the word and understandeth it, which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, and some thirtyfold."

And he said unto them, "Perceive ye not this similitude? How then should ye understand all other similitudes? The sower, soweth the word. And they that are by the wayside, where the word is sown, are they to whom as soon as they have heard it, cometh immediately Satan and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.read more.
And likewise, they that are sown on the stony ground: which when they have heard the word, at once they receive it with gladness; yet have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: and anon, as soon as any trouble and persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they fall. And these are they that are sown among the thorns; which are such as hear the word of God, and the care of this world and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things enter in, and choke the word, and it is made unfruitful. And those that were sown in good ground, are they that hear the word and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirty fold some sixty fold, some a hundred fold."

The similitude is this: The seed is the word of God. Those that are beside the way, are they that hear, and afterward cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. They on the stones, are they which, when they hear, receive the word with joy. But these have no roots, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation go away.read more.
And that which fell among thorns, are they which hear, and go forth, and are choked with cares and with riches, and voluptuous living, and bring forth no fruit. That in the good ground, are they which with a good and pure heart, hear the word, and keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.