Parallel Verses

Amplified


The elderly and honorable man, he is the head;
And the prophet who teaches lies, he is the tail.

New American Standard Bible

The head is the elder and honorable man,
And the prophet who teaches falsehood is the tail.

King James Version

The ancient and honourable, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail.

Holman Bible

The head is the elder, the honored one;
the tail is the prophet, the lying teacher.

International Standard Version

the elder and the dignitary is the head, and the prophet who teaches lies is the tail.

A Conservative Version

The elder and the honorable man, he is the head. And the prophet who teaches lies, he is the tail.

American Standard Version

The elder and the honorable man, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail.

Bible in Basic English

The man who is honoured and responsible is the head, and the prophet who gives false teaching is the tail.

Darby Translation

the ancient and honourable, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail.

Julia Smith Translation

The old man and they lifting up faces, he the head; and the prophet teaching falsehood, be the tail.

King James 2000

The elder and honorable, he is the head; and the prophet that teaches lies, he is the tail.

Lexham Expanded Bible

Elders and {the respectable} [are] the head, and prophets who teach lies [are] the tail.

Modern King James verseion

The elder and honorable, he is the head; and the prophet who teaches lies, he is the tail.

Modern Spelling Tyndale-Coverdale

By the head, is understood the senator and honorable man, and by the tail, the Prophet that preacheth lies.

NET Bible

The leaders and the highly respected people are the head, the prophets who teach lies are the tail.

New Heart English Bible

The elder and the honorable man is the head, and the prophet who teaches lies is the tail.

The Emphasized Bible

The eider and favourite, he, is the head, - And the prophet teaching falsehood, he, is the tail;

Webster

The ancient and honorable, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail.

World English Bible

The elder and the honorable man is the head, and the prophet who teaches lies is the tail.

Youngs Literal Translation

Elder, and accepted of face, he is the head, Prophet, teacher of falsehood, he is the tail.

Interlinear

English(KJV)
Strong's
Root Form
Definition
Usage
The ancient
זקן 
Zaqen 
Usage: 178

פּנים 
Paniym 
Usage: 2119

he
היא הוּא 
Huw' 
Usage: 1716

is the head
ראשׁ 
Ro'sh 
Usage: 598

and the prophet
נביא 
Nabiy' 
Usage: 315

שׁקר 
Sheqer 
Usage: 113

References

Fausets

Hastings

Watsons

Context Readings

Yahweh's Anger Against Arrogance

14
Therefore the Lord cuts off head and tail [the highest and the lowest] from Israel,
Both [the high] palm branch and [the low] bulrush in one day.
15 
The elderly and honorable man, he is the head;
And the prophet who teaches lies, he is the tail.
16
For those who lead this people are causing them to go astray;
And those who are led [astray] by them are swallowed up.


Cross References

Isaiah 3:2-3


The brave man and the warrior [He is also removing],
The judge and the prophet,
The diviner and the elder,

Matthew 24:24

For false Christs and false prophets will appear and they will provide great signs and wonders, so as to deceive, if possible, even the elect (God’s chosen ones).

1 Samuel 9:6

The servant said to him, “Look here, in this city there is a man of God, and the man is held in honor; everything that he says comes true. Now let us go there; perhaps he can advise us about our journey [and tell us where we should go].”

1 Kings 13:18

He answered him, “I too am a prophet, as you are; and an angel spoke to me by the word of the Lord, saying, ‘Bring him back with you to your house, so that he may eat bread and drink water.’” But he lied to him.

1 Kings 22:22-24

The Lord said to him, ‘How?’ And he said, ‘I will go out and be a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ Then the Lord said, ‘You are to entice him and also succeed. Go and do so.’

Isaiah 3:5


And the people will be oppressed,
Each one by another, and each one by his neighbor;
The boy will be arrogant and insolent toward the elder
And the vulgar (common) toward the honorable [person of rank].

Isaiah 5:13


Therefore My people go into exile because they lack knowledge [of God];
And their honorable men are famished,
And their common people are parched with thirst.

Isaiah 28:17


“I will make justice the measuring line
And righteousness the mason’s level;
Then hail will sweep away the refuge of lies
And waters will flood over the secret [hiding] place.

Isaiah 29:10


For the Lord has poured over you a spirit of deep sleep.
He has closed your eyes, [you who are] the prophets;
And He has covered your heads, [you who are] the seers.

Jeremiah 5:31


The prophets prophesy falsely,
And the priests rule on their own authority;
And My people love [to have] it so!
But what will you do when the end comes?

Jeremiah 14:14-15

Then the Lord said to me, “The [counterfeit] prophets are prophesying lies in My Name. I have neither sent them nor authorized them nor spoken to them. They are prophesying to you made-up visions [pretending to call forth responses from handmade gods], a worthless divination and the deceit of their own mind.

Jeremiah 23:9


Concerning the prophets:
My heart [says Jeremiah] is broken within me,
All my bones shake;
I have become like a drunken man,
A man whom wine has overcome,
Because of the Lord
And because of His holy words [declared against unfaithful leaders].

Jeremiah 23:14-15


“Also I have seen a horrible thing in the prophets of Jerusalem:
They commit adultery and walk in lies;
They encourage and strengthen the hands of evildoers,
So that no one has turned back from his wickedness.
All of them have become like Sodom to Me,
And her inhabitants like Gomorrah.

Jeremiah 23:25-27

“I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy lies in My Name, saying, ‘I have dreamed, I have dreamed [visions when on my bed at night].’

Jeremiah 27:9-10

And as for you, do not listen to your [counterfeit] prophets, your diviners, your dreams and dreamers, your soothsayers or your sorcerers, who say to you, ‘You will not serve the king of Babylon.’

Jeremiah 27:14-15

Do not listen to and believe the words of the [false] prophets who are saying to you, ‘You will not serve the king of Babylon,’ for they prophesy a lie to you;

Jeremiah 28:15-16

Then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, “Listen now, Hananiah, the Lord has not sent you, and you have made this people trust in a lie.

Jeremiah 29:21-22

“Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning Ahab the son of Kolaiah and concerning Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, who are prophesying lies to you in My Name, ‘Behold, I will hand them over to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will slaughter them before your eyes [yes, all the false prophets in Babylon whom you follow shall die]!

Ezekiel 13:1-16

And the word of the Lord came to me saying,

Ezekiel 13:19

You have profaned Me among My people [in payment] for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, killing people who should not die and giving [a guarantee of] life to those who should not live, because of your lies to My people who pay attention to lies.”’”

Ezekiel 13:22

Because you disheartened the righteous with falsehood when I did not cause him grief, but have encouraged the wicked not to turn from his wicked way and preserve his life,

Hosea 9:8


Ephraim was a watchman with my God, a [true] prophet [to warn the nation];
But the snare of a bird catcher was laid in all his paths.
And there is only deep hostility in the house of his God (the land of Israel).

Malachi 2:9

“So I have also made you despised and abased before all the people, just as you are not keeping My ways but are showing partiality [to people] in [your administration of] the law.”

Matthew 7:15

“Beware of the false prophets, [teachers] who come to you dressed as sheep [appearing gentle and innocent], but inwardly are ravenous wolves.

2 Corinthians 11:13-15

For such men are counterfeit apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ.

Galatians 1:8-9

But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we [originally] preached to you, let him be condemned to destruction!

2 Thessalonians 2:9-12

The coming of the [Antichrist, the lawless] one is through the activity of Satan, [attended] with great power [all kinds of counterfeit miracles] and [deceptive] signs and false wonders [all of them lies],

2 Timothy 4:2-3

preach the word [as an official messenger]; be ready when the time is right and even when it is not [keep your sense of urgency, whether the opportunity seems favorable or unfavorable, whether convenient or inconvenient, whether welcome or unwelcome]; correct [those who err in doctrine or behavior], warn [those who sin], exhort and encourage [those who are growing toward spiritual maturity], with inexhaustible patience and [faithful] teaching.

2 Peter 2:1-3

But [in those days] false prophets arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will subtly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction on themselves.

1 John 4:1

Beloved, do not believe every spirit [speaking through a self-proclaimed prophet]; instead test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets and teachers have gone out into the world.

Revelation 19:20

And the beast (Antichrist) was seized and overpowered, and with him the false prophet who, in his presence, had performed [amazing] signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were hurled alive into the lake of fire which blazes with brimstone.

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