Parallel Verses

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),

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;

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;

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.

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 For behold, the Lord is going to command that the great house be smashed to pieces and the small house to fragments. 12 
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),
13
You who [self-confidently] rejoice in Lo-debar (Nothing),
Who say, “Have we not by our own strength taken Karnaim (Strength) for ourselves?”


Cross References

Amos 5:7


“For those [shall be consumed] who turn justice into wormwood (bitterness)
And cast righteousness down to the earth.”

Hosea 10:4


They have spoken empty (disingenuous) words,
Swearing falsely to make covenants [they intend to break];
Therefore, judgment springs up like poisonous weeds in the furrows of the field.

1 Kings 21:7-13

Jezebel his wife said to him, “Do you now reign over Israel? Get up, eat food, and let your heart rejoice; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”

Isaiah 59:13-14


Rebelling against and denying the Lord,
Turning away from [following] our God,
Speaking oppression and revolt,
Conceiving and muttering from the heart lying words.

Amos 5:11-12


Therefore, because you impose heavy rent on the poor
And demand a tribute (food-tax) of grain from them,
Though you have built [luxurious] houses of square stone,
You will not live in them;
You have planted beautiful vineyards, but you will not drink their wine.

Psalm 94:20-21


Can a throne of destruction be allied with You,
One which frames and devises mischief by decree [under the sacred name of law]?

Isaiah 48:4


“Because I know that you are obstinate,
And your neck is an iron tendon
And your brow is bronze [both unyielding],

Jeremiah 5:3


O Lord, do not Your eyes look for truth?
You [have seen their faithless heart and] have stricken them,
But they did not weaken;
You have consumed them,
But they refused to take correction or instruction.
They have made their faces harder than rock;
They have refused to repent and return to You.

Jeremiah 6:29-30


The bellows blow fiercely,
The lead is consumed by the fire;
In vain they continue refining,
But the wicked are not separated and removed.

Hosea 10:13


You have plowed and planted wickedness, you have reaped the [willful] injustice [of oppressors],
You have eaten the fruit of lies.
Because you have trusted in your own way and your chariots, and in your many warriors,

Micah 7:3


Concerning evil, both of their hands pursue it and do it diligently and thoroughly;
The prince asks, also the judge, for a bribe,
And a great man speaks the [evil] desire of his soul.
So they twist the course of justice between them.

Habakkuk 1:3-4


Why do You make me see iniquity,
And cause me to look on wickedness?
For destruction and violence are before me;
Strife continues and contention arises.

Zechariah 7:11-12

But they refused to listen and pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder [stiffening themselves in resistance] and stopped up their ears.

Acts 7:51-52

“You stiff-necked and stubborn people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you are always actively resisting the Holy Spirit. You are doing just as your fathers did.

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