¹¹ And now, whereas my father put a heavy yoke on you, I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with ^[a]scourges!’ ”

³ Then out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth. And to them was given power, ^(A)as the scorpions of the earth have power. ⁴ They were commanded ^(B)not to harm ^(C)the grass of the earth, or any green thing, or any tree, but only those men who do not have ^(D)the seal of God on their foreheads. ⁵ And ^[a]they were not given authority to kill them, ^(E)but to torment them for five months. Their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it strikes a man. ⁶ In those days ^(F)men will seek death and will not find it; they will desire to die, and death will flee from them.

^7 (G)The shape of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle. ^(H)On their heads were crowns of something like gold, ^(I)and their faces were like the faces of men. ⁸ They had hair like women’s hair, and ^(J)their teeth were like lions’ teeth. ⁹ And they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was ^(K)like the sound of chariots with many horses running into battle. ¹⁰ They had tails like scorpions, and there were stings in their tails. Their power was to hurt men five months.

⁶ “And you, son of man, ^(A)do not be afraid of them nor be afraid of their words, though ^(B)briers and thorns are with you and you dwell among scorpions; ^(C)do not be afraid of their words or dismayed by their looks, ^(D)though they are a rebellious house.

¹³ “Go and tell Hananiah, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord: “You have broken the yokes of wood, but you have made in their place yokes of iron.” ¹⁴ For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: ^(A)“I have put a yoke of iron on the neck of all these nations, that they may serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and they shall serve him. ^(B)I have given him the beasts of the field also.” ’ ”

¹¹ But the nations that bring their necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him, I will let them remain in their own land,’ says the Lord, ‘and they shall till it and dwell in it.’ ” ’ ”

¹⁰ Then Asa was angry with the seer, and ^(A)put him in prison, for he was enraged at him because of this. And Asa oppressed some of the people at that time.

¹⁴ and he spoke to them according to the advice of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with ^[a]scourges!”

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