Lectionary Calendar
Saturday, August 9th, 2025
the Week of Proper 13 / Ordinary 18
the Week of Proper 13 / Ordinary 18
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Read the Bible
THE MESSAGE
Zechariah 7:11
"But did your ancestors listen? No, they set their jaws in defiance. They shut their ears. They steeled themselves against God 's revelation and the Spirit-filled sermons preached by the earlier prophets by order of God -of-the-Angel-Armies. And God became angry, really angry, because he told them everything plainly and they wouldn't listen to a word he said. "So [this is what God -of-the-Angel-Armies said] if they won't listen to me, I won't listen to them. I scattered them to the four winds. They ended up strangers wherever they were. Their ‘promised land' became a vacant lot—weeds and tin cans and thistles. Not a sign of life. They turned a dreamland into a wasteland."
Jump to:Bible Study Tools • Parallel Bible Verse • Bible Contextual Overview • Bible Cross-References • Gill's Bible Notes • Clarke's Bible Notes • Barnes' Bible Notes
Bible Study Resources
Concordances:
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- InternationalParallel Translations
Christian Standard Bible®
But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder; they closed their ears so they could not hear.
But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder; they closed their ears so they could not hear.
Hebrew Names Version
But they refused to listen, and turned their backs, and stopped their ears, that they might not hear.
But they refused to listen, and turned their backs, and stopped their ears, that they might not hear.
King James Version (1611)
But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their eares, that they should not heare.
But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their eares, that they should not heare.
King James Version
But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear.
But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear.
English Standard Version
But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears that they might not hear.
But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears that they might not hear.
New American Standard Bible
"But they refused to pay attention, and turned a stubborn shoulder and plugged their ears from hearing.
"But they refused to pay attention, and turned a stubborn shoulder and plugged their ears from hearing.
New Century Version
"But they refused to pay attention; they were stubborn and did not want to listen anymore.
"But they refused to pay attention; they were stubborn and did not want to listen anymore.
Amplified Bible
"But they refused to listen and pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder [stiffening themselves in resistance] and stopped up their ears.
"But they refused to listen and pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder [stiffening themselves in resistance] and stopped up their ears.
Geneva Bible (1587)
But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their eares, that they should not heare.
But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their eares, that they should not heare.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears from hearing.
"But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears from hearing.
Legacy Standard Bible
But they refused to give heed and turned a stubborn shoulder and dulled their ears from hearing.
But they refused to give heed and turned a stubborn shoulder and dulled their ears from hearing.
Berean Standard Bible
But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder; they stopped up their ears from hearing.
But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder; they stopped up their ears from hearing.
Contemporary English Version
But everyone who heard those prophets, stubbornly refused to obey. Instead, they turned their backs on everything my Spirit had commanded the earlier prophets to preach. So I, the Lord , became angry
But everyone who heard those prophets, stubbornly refused to obey. Instead, they turned their backs on everything my Spirit had commanded the earlier prophets to preach. So I, the Lord , became angry
Complete Jewish Bible
But they wouldn't listen, they stubbornly turned their shoulder away and stopped up their ears, so that they wouldn't have to hear it.
But they wouldn't listen, they stubbornly turned their shoulder away and stopped up their ears, so that they wouldn't have to hear it.
Darby Translation
But they refused to hearken, and turned a rebellious shoulder, and made their ears heavy, that they should not hear.
But they refused to hearken, and turned a rebellious shoulder, and made their ears heavy, that they should not hear.
Easy-to-Read Version
But they refused to listen and refused to do what he wanted. They closed their ears so that they could not hear what God said.
But they refused to listen and refused to do what he wanted. They closed their ears so that they could not hear what God said.
George Lamsa Translation
But they refused to hearken, they rebelled and stopped their ears, that they should not hear.
But they refused to hearken, they rebelled and stopped their ears, that they should not hear.
Good News Translation
"But my people stubbornly refused to listen. They closed their minds
"But my people stubbornly refused to listen. They closed their minds
Lexham English Bible
But they refused to listen, and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears from listening.
But they refused to listen, and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears from listening.
Literal Translation
But they refused to listen, and gave a stubborn shoulder, and they made their ears heavy from hearing.
But they refused to listen, and gave a stubborn shoulder, and they made their ears heavy from hearing.
American Standard Version
But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they might not hear.
But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they might not hear.
Bible in Basic English
But they would not give attention, turning their backs and stopping their ears from hearing;
But they would not give attention, turning their backs and stopping their ears from hearing;
JPS Old Testament (1917)
But they refused to attend, and turned a stubborn shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they might not hear.
But they refused to attend, and turned a stubborn shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they might not hear.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Neuerthelesse, they would not take heede, but turned their backes, & stopped their eares that they should not heare:
Neuerthelesse, they would not take heede, but turned their backes, & stopped their eares that they should not heare:
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
But they refused to attend, and madly turned their back, and made their ears heavy, so that they should not hear.
But they refused to attend, and madly turned their back, and made their ears heavy, so that they should not hear.
English Revised Version
But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear.
But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear.
World English Bible
But they refused to listen, and turned their backs, and stopped their ears, that they might not hear.
But they refused to listen, and turned their backs, and stopped their ears, that they might not hear.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And thei wolden not `take heede, and thei turneden awei the schuldre, and yeden awei, and `maden heuy her eeris, lest thei herden.
And thei wolden not `take heede, and thei turneden awei the schuldre, and yeden awei, and `maden heuy her eeris, lest thei herden.
Update Bible Version
But they refused to listen, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they might not hear.
But they refused to listen, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they might not hear.
Webster's Bible Translation
But they refused to hearken, and withdrew the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear.
But they refused to hearken, and withdrew the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear.
New English Translation
"But they refused to pay attention, turning away stubbornly and stopping their ears so they could not hear.
"But they refused to pay attention, turning away stubbornly and stopping their ears so they could not hear.
New King James Version
But they refused to heed, shrugged their shoulders, and stopped their ears so that they could not hear.
But they refused to heed, shrugged their shoulders, and stopped their ears so that they could not hear.
New Living Translation
"Your ancestors refused to listen to this message. They stubbornly turned away and put their fingers in their ears to keep from hearing.
"Your ancestors refused to listen to this message. They stubbornly turned away and put their fingers in their ears to keep from hearing.
New Life Bible
But they would not listen. They turned away and stopped their ears from hearing.
But they would not listen. They turned away and stopped their ears from hearing.
New Revised Standard
But they refused to listen, and turned a stubborn shoulder, and stopped their ears in order not to hear.
But they refused to listen, and turned a stubborn shoulder, and stopped their ears in order not to hear.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Howbeit they refused to give heed, but put forth a rebellious shoulder, - and, their ears, made they hard of hearing, that they might not hear;
Howbeit they refused to give heed, but put forth a rebellious shoulder, - and, their ears, made they hard of hearing, that they might not hear;
Douay-Rheims Bible
But they would not hearken, and they turned away the shoulder to depart: and they stopped their ears, not to hear.
But they would not hearken, and they turned away the shoulder to depart: and they stopped their ears, not to hear.
Revised Standard Version
But they refused to hearken, and turned a stubborn shoulder, and stopped their ears that they might not hear.
But they refused to hearken, and turned a stubborn shoulder, and stopped their ears that they might not hear.
Young's Literal Translation
And they refuse to attend, And they give a refractory shoulder, And their ears have made heavy against hearing.
And they refuse to attend, And they give a refractory shoulder, And their ears have made heavy against hearing.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Neuertheles they wolde not take hede, but turned their backes, and stopped their eares, that they shulde not heare.
Neuertheles they wolde not take hede, but turned their backes, and stopped their eares, that they shulde not heare.
Contextual Overview
11"But did your ancestors listen? No, they set their jaws in defiance. They shut their ears. They steeled themselves against God 's revelation and the Spirit-filled sermons preached by the earlier prophets by order of God -of-the-Angel-Armies. And God became angry, really angry, because he told them everything plainly and they wouldn't listen to a word he said. "So [this is what God -of-the-Angel-Armies said] if they won't listen to me, I won't listen to them. I scattered them to the four winds. They ended up strangers wherever they were. Their ‘promised land' became a vacant lot—weeds and tin cans and thistles. Not a sign of life. They turned a dreamland into a wasteland." 14"You're Interested in Religion, I'm Interested in People" On the fourth day of the ninth month, in the fourth year of the reign of King Darius, God 's Message again came to Zechariah. The town of Bethel had sent a delegation headed by Sarezer and Regem-Melech to pray for God 's blessing and to confer with the priests of the Temple of God -of-the-Angel-Armies, and also with the prophets. They posed this question: "Should we plan for a day of mourning and abstinence next August, the seventieth anniversary of Jerusalem's fall, as we have been doing all these years?" God -of-the-Angel-Armies gave me this Message for them, for all the people and for the priests: "When you held days of fasting every fifth and seventh month all these seventy years, were you doing it for me? And when you held feasts, was that for me? Hardly. You're interested in religion, I'm interested in people. "There's nothing new to say on the subject. Don't you still have the message of the earlier prophets from the time when Jerusalem was still a thriving, bustling city and the outlying countryside, the Negev and Shephelah, was populated? [This is the message that God gave Zechariah.] Well, the message hasn't changed. God -of-the-Angel-Armies said then and says now: "‘Treat one another justly. Love your neighbors. Be compassionate with each other. Don't take advantage of widows, orphans, visitors, and the poor. Don't plot and scheme against one another—that's evil.' "But did your ancestors listen? No, they set their jaws in defiance. They shut their ears. They steeled themselves against God 's revelation and the Spirit-filled sermons preached by the earlier prophets by order of God -of-the-Angel-Armies. And God became angry, really angry, because he told them everything plainly and they wouldn't listen to a word he said. "So [this is what God -of-the-Angel-Armies said] if they won't listen to me, I won't listen to them. I scattered them to the four winds. They ended up strangers wherever they were. Their ‘promised land' became a vacant lot—weeds and tin cans and thistles. Not a sign of life. They turned a dreamland into a wasteland."
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
they refused: Zechariah 1:4, Exodus 10:3, 2 Kings 17:13-15, 2 Chronicles 33:10, Nehemiah 9:17, Nehemiah 9:26, Nehemiah 9:29, Proverbs 1:24-32, Isaiah 1:19, Isaiah 1:20, Jeremiah 6:16, Jeremiah 6:17, Jeremiah 7:24, Jeremiah 13:10, Jeremiah 26:5, Jeremiah 26:6, Jeremiah 35:15, Jeremiah 36:31, Jeremiah 44:16, Ezekiel 3:7, Hosea 4:16, Daniel 9:5, Zephaniah 3:2, Acts 7:51, Hebrews 12:25
pulled away the shoulder: Heb. gave a backsliding shoulder, Nehemiah 9:29, Jeremiah 8:5, Hosea 4:16, Hebrews 10:38, Hebrews 10:39
stopped: Heb. made heavy, Psalms 58:4, Psalms 58:5, Isaiah 6:10, Acts 7:57
Reciprocal: Exodus 7:13 - General Exodus 8:15 - he hardened Exodus 32:9 - a stiffnecked Leviticus 26:15 - despise Deuteronomy 9:6 - a stiffnecked 2 Chronicles 24:20 - transgress Psalms 81:11 - people Proverbs 5:12 - How Proverbs 21:13 - stoppeth Proverbs 28:9 - turneth Proverbs 29:1 - shall Isaiah 28:12 - yet Isaiah 30:9 - will not Isaiah 46:12 - ye stouthearted Isaiah 48:4 - I knew Isaiah 65:12 - because Jeremiah 2:19 - and thy Jeremiah 3:3 - thou refusedst Jeremiah 5:3 - they have made Jeremiah 11:8 - obeyed Jeremiah 15:6 - thou art Jeremiah 17:23 - they obeyed Jeremiah 17:27 - ye will Jeremiah 19:15 - because Jeremiah 25:4 - ye Jeremiah 29:19 - General Jeremiah 31:22 - backsliding Jeremiah 32:33 - turned Jeremiah 34:14 - but Jeremiah 42:21 - but Jeremiah 44:5 - they Ezekiel 5:6 - for they Ezekiel 14:5 - I may Hosea 9:17 - because Hosea 11:2 - they called Amos 4:1 - which oppress Amos 6:12 - horses Malachi 2:2 - ye will not hear Matthew 13:15 - ears Matthew 21:32 - repented Romans 2:5 - But after 2 Timothy 4:4 - turn Hebrews 3:8 - Harden
Cross-References
Genesis 6:17
"I'm going to bring a flood on the Earth that will destroy everything alive under Heaven. Total destruction.
"I'm going to bring a flood on the Earth that will destroy everything alive under Heaven. Total destruction.
Genesis 7:5
Noah did everything God commanded him.
Noah did everything God commanded him.
Genesis 7:6
Noah was 600 years old when the floodwaters covered the Earth. Noah and his wife and sons and their wives boarded the ship to escape the flood. Clean and unclean animals, birds, and all the crawling creatures came in pairs to Noah and to the ship, male and female, just as God had commanded Noah. In seven days the floodwaters came.
Noah was 600 years old when the floodwaters covered the Earth. Noah and his wife and sons and their wives boarded the ship to escape the flood. Clean and unclean animals, birds, and all the crawling creatures came in pairs to Noah and to the ship, male and female, just as God had commanded Noah. In seven days the floodwaters came.
Genesis 7:11
It was the six-hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month that it happened: all the underground springs erupted and all the windows of Heaven were thrown open. Rain poured for forty days and forty nights.
It was the six-hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month that it happened: all the underground springs erupted and all the windows of Heaven were thrown open. Rain poured for forty days and forty nights.
Genesis 7:24
The floodwaters took over for 150 days.
The floodwaters took over for 150 days.
2 Kings 7:2
The attendant on whom the king leaned for support said to the Holy Man, "You expect us to believe that? Trapdoors opening in the sky and food tumbling out?" "You'll watch it with your own eyes," he said, "but you will not eat so much as a mouthful!"
The attendant on whom the king leaned for support said to the Holy Man, "You expect us to believe that? Trapdoors opening in the sky and food tumbling out?" "You'll watch it with your own eyes," he said, "but you will not eat so much as a mouthful!"
Isaiah 24:19
The Landscape Will Be a Moonscape Danger ahead! God 's about to ravish the earth and leave it in ruins, Rip everything out by the roots and send everyone scurrying: priests and laypeople alike, owners and workers alike, celebrities and nobodies alike, buyers and sellers alike, bankers and beggars alike, the haves and have-nots alike. The landscape will be a moonscape, totally wasted. And why? Because God says so. He's issued the orders. The earth turns gaunt and gray, the world silent and sad, sky and land lifeless, colorless. Earth is polluted by its very own people, who have broken its laws, Disrupted its order, violated the sacred and eternal covenant. Therefore a curse, like a cancer, ravages the earth. Its people pay the price of their sacrilege. They dwindle away, dying out one by one. No more wine, no more vineyards, no more songs or singers. The laughter of castanets is gone, the shouts of celebrants, gone, the laughter of fiddles, gone. No more parties with toasts of champagne. Serious drinkers gag on their drinks. The chaotic cities are unlivable. Anarchy reigns. Every house is boarded up, condemned. People riot in the streets for wine, but the good times are gone forever— no more joy for this old world. The city is dead and deserted, bulldozed into piles of rubble. That's the way it will be on this earth. This is the fate of all nations: An olive tree shaken clean of its olives, a grapevine picked clean of its grapes. But there are some who will break into glad song. Out of the west they'll shout of God 's majesty. Yes, from the east God 's glory will ascend. Every island of the sea Will broadcast God 's fame, the fame of the God of Israel. From the four winds and the seven seas we hear the singing: "All praise to the Righteous One!" But I said, "That's all well and good for somebody, but all I can see is doom, doom, and more doom." All of them at one another's throats, yes, all of them at one another's throats. Terror and pits and booby traps are everywhere, whoever you are. If you run from the terror, you'll fall into the pit. If you climb out of the pit, you'll get caught in the trap. Chaos pours out of the skies. The foundations of earth are crumbling. Earth is smashed to pieces, earth is ripped to shreds, earth is wobbling out of control, Earth staggers like a drunk, sways like a shack in a high wind. Its piled-up sins are too much for it. It collapses and won't get up again. That's when God will call on the carpet rebel powers in the skies and Rebel kings on earth. They'll be rounded up like prisoners in a jail, Corralled and locked up in a jail, and then sentenced and put to hard labor. Shamefaced moon will cower, humiliated, red-faced sun will skulk, disgraced, Because God -of-the-Angel-Armies will take over, ruling from Mount Zion and Jerusalem, Splendid and glorious before all his leaders.
The Landscape Will Be a Moonscape Danger ahead! God 's about to ravish the earth and leave it in ruins, Rip everything out by the roots and send everyone scurrying: priests and laypeople alike, owners and workers alike, celebrities and nobodies alike, buyers and sellers alike, bankers and beggars alike, the haves and have-nots alike. The landscape will be a moonscape, totally wasted. And why? Because God says so. He's issued the orders. The earth turns gaunt and gray, the world silent and sad, sky and land lifeless, colorless. Earth is polluted by its very own people, who have broken its laws, Disrupted its order, violated the sacred and eternal covenant. Therefore a curse, like a cancer, ravages the earth. Its people pay the price of their sacrilege. They dwindle away, dying out one by one. No more wine, no more vineyards, no more songs or singers. The laughter of castanets is gone, the shouts of celebrants, gone, the laughter of fiddles, gone. No more parties with toasts of champagne. Serious drinkers gag on their drinks. The chaotic cities are unlivable. Anarchy reigns. Every house is boarded up, condemned. People riot in the streets for wine, but the good times are gone forever— no more joy for this old world. The city is dead and deserted, bulldozed into piles of rubble. That's the way it will be on this earth. This is the fate of all nations: An olive tree shaken clean of its olives, a grapevine picked clean of its grapes. But there are some who will break into glad song. Out of the west they'll shout of God 's majesty. Yes, from the east God 's glory will ascend. Every island of the sea Will broadcast God 's fame, the fame of the God of Israel. From the four winds and the seven seas we hear the singing: "All praise to the Righteous One!" But I said, "That's all well and good for somebody, but all I can see is doom, doom, and more doom." All of them at one another's throats, yes, all of them at one another's throats. Terror and pits and booby traps are everywhere, whoever you are. If you run from the terror, you'll fall into the pit. If you climb out of the pit, you'll get caught in the trap. Chaos pours out of the skies. The foundations of earth are crumbling. Earth is smashed to pieces, earth is ripped to shreds, earth is wobbling out of control, Earth staggers like a drunk, sways like a shack in a high wind. Its piled-up sins are too much for it. It collapses and won't get up again. That's when God will call on the carpet rebel powers in the skies and Rebel kings on earth. They'll be rounded up like prisoners in a jail, Corralled and locked up in a jail, and then sentenced and put to hard labor. Shamefaced moon will cower, humiliated, red-faced sun will skulk, disgraced, Because God -of-the-Angel-Armies will take over, ruling from Mount Zion and Jerusalem, Splendid and glorious before all his leaders.
Ezekiel 26:19
"The Message of God , the Master: ‘When I turn you into a wasted city, a city empty of people, a ghost town, and when I bring up the great ocean deeps and cover you, then I'll push you down among those who go to the grave, the long, long dead. I'll make you live there, in the grave in old ruins, with the buried dead. You'll never see the land of the living again. I'll introduce you to the terrors of death and that'll be the end of you. They'll send out search parties for you, but you'll never be found. Decree of God , the Master.'"
"The Message of God , the Master: ‘When I turn you into a wasted city, a city empty of people, a ghost town, and when I bring up the great ocean deeps and cover you, then I'll push you down among those who go to the grave, the long, long dead. I'll make you live there, in the grave in old ruins, with the buried dead. You'll never see the land of the living again. I'll introduce you to the terrors of death and that'll be the end of you. They'll send out search parties for you, but you'll never be found. Decree of God , the Master.'"
Gill's Notes on the Bible
But they refused to hearken,..... That is, the Jews, before the captivity, refusal to give heed to the above exhortations, and obey the voice of God in them:
and pulled away the shoulder; from serving the Lord, and supporting his interest: or "they gave", or presented, "a rebellious shoulder" f; a refractory one, that slides back, like a backsliding or refractory heifer, that will not admit of the yoke, Hosea 4:16 so these could not bear the yoke of the law, nor the burden of duty; nor suffer the words of exhortation, or receive the admonitions given them:
and stopped their ears, that they should not hear; like the deaf adder, Psalms 58:4 they would not hear, and pretended they could not; which was an instance of contempt to the speakers.
f כתף סררת "scapulam aversam", Pagninus; "deflectentem", Montanus; "rebellem", Munster, Tigurine version; "refractarium", Junius Tremellius, Piscator so Ben Melech.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
But they gave a backsliding shoulder - Like a restive animal, which would not endure the yoke, dull and stupid as the beasts: as Hosea says, “Israel slideth back like a backsliding heifer” Hosea 4:16. Nehemiah confesses the same; “they gave a backsliding shoulder and hardened their neck and would not hear” Nehemiah 9:29.
And made heavy their ears - Fulfilling in themselves what God foretold to Isaiah would be the result of his preaching, “make their ears heavy.” The heart, which will not hearken, becomes duller by the outward hearing, as Paul says, “The earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God; but that which beareth thorns and briars is rejected” Hebrews 6:7-8.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Zechariah 7:11. Pulled away the shoulder — From under the yoke of the law, like an unbroken or restive bullock in the plough.
