¹¹ And now, whereas ^(A)my father laid on you a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.’”

³ Then from the smoke came ^(A)locusts on the earth, and they were given power like the power of scorpions of the earth. ⁴ They were told ^(B)not to harm ^(C)the grass of the earth or any green plant or any tree, but only those people who do not have ^(D)the seal of God on their foreheads. ⁵ They were allowed to torment them ^(E)for five months, but not to kill them, and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings someone. ⁶ And in those days ^(F)people will seek death and will not find it. They will long to die, but death will flee from them.

^7 (G)In appearance the locusts were like horses prepared for battle: ^(H)on their heads were what looked like crowns of gold; their faces were ^(I)like human faces, ⁸ their hair like women's hair, and ^(J)their teeth like lions' teeth; ⁹ they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the noise of their wings was ^(K)like the noise of many chariots with ^(L)horses rushing into battle. ¹⁰ They have tails and stings like scorpions, and their power to hurt people ^(M)for five months is in their tails.

⁶ And you, son of man, ^(A)be not afraid of them, nor be afraid of their words, ^(B)though briers and thorns are with you and you sit on ^(C)scorpions.^[a] Be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house.

¹³ “Go, tell Hananiah, ‘Thus says the Lord: You have broken wooden bars, but you have made in their place bars of iron. ¹⁴ For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: I have put upon the neck of all these nations ^(A)an iron yoke to serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, ^(B)and they shall serve him, ^(C)for I have given to him even the beasts of the field.’”

^11 (A)But any nation that will bring its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him, I will leave on its own land, to work it and dwell there, declares the Lord.”’”

¹⁰ Then Asa was angry with the seer and put him ^(A)in the stocks in prison, for he was in a rage with him because of this. And Asa inflicted cruelties upon some of the people at the same time.

¹⁴ he spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, ^(A)“My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.”

¹⁸ And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, ^(A)but the Lord will not answer you in that day.”