As soon as Joseph saw his brothers, he recognised them, but he pretended to be a stranger and spoke harshly to them. ‘Where do you come from?’ he asked.

‘From the land of Canaan,’ they replied, ‘to buy food.’

Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he treated them like strangers and spoke roughly to them. “Where do you come from?” he said. They said, “From the land of Canaan, to buy food.”

‘The man who is lord over the land spoke harshly to us and treated us as though we were spying on the land.

“The man, the lord of the land spoke roughly to us and took us to be spies of the land.

They made their lives bitter with harsh labour in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their harsh labour, the Egyptians worked them ruthlessly.

and made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and brick, and in all kinds of work in the field. In all their work they ruthlessly made them work as slaves.

Moses reported this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and harsh labour.

Moses spoke thus to the people of Israel, but they did not listen to Moses, because of their broken spirit and harsh slavery.

They served as judges for the people at all times. The difficult cases they brought to Moses, but the simple ones they decided themselves.

And they judged the people at all times. Any hard case they brought to Moses, but any small matter they decided themselves.

‘I have seen these people,’ the  Lord said to Moses, ‘and they are a stiff-necked people.

And the  Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people.

Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people and I might destroy you on the way.’

Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; but I will not go up among you, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people.”

For the  Lord had said to Moses, ‘Tell the Israelites, “You are a stiff-necked people. If I were to go with you even for a moment, I might destroy you. Now take off your ornaments and I will decide what to do with you.”’

For the  Lord had said to Moses, “Say to the people of Israel, ‘You are a stiff-necked people; if for a single moment I should go up among you, I would consume you. So now take off your ornaments, that I may know what to do with you.’”

‘Lord,’ he said, ‘if I have found favour in your eyes, then let the Lord go with us. Although this is a stiff-necked people, forgive our wickedness and our sin, and take us as your inheritance.’

And he said, “If now I have found favor in your sight, O Lord, please let the Lord go in the midst of us, for it is a stiff-necked people, and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for your inheritance.”

Understand, then, that it is not because of your righteousness that the  Lord your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff-necked people.

“Know, therefore, that the  Lord your God is not giving you this good land to possess because of your righteousness, for you are a stubborn people.

And the  Lord said to me, ‘I have seen this people, and they are a stiff-necked people indeed!

“Furthermore, the  Lord said to me, ‘I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stubborn people.

Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Overlook the stubbornness of this people, their wickedness and their sin.

Remember your servants, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Do not regard the stubbornness of this people, or their wickedness or their sin,

If someone has a stubborn and rebellious son who does not obey his father and mother and will not listen to them when they discipline him,

“If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and, though they discipline him, will not listen to them,

They shall say to the elders, ‘This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious. He will not obey us. He is a glutton and a drunkard.’

and they shall say to the elders of his city, ‘This our son is stubborn and rebellious; he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton and a drunkard.’

But the Egyptians ill-treated us and made us suffer, subjecting us to harsh labour.

And the Egyptians treated us harshly and humiliated us and laid on us hard labor.

When such a person hears the words of this oath and they invoke a blessing on themselves, thinking, ‘I will be safe, even though I persist in going my own way,’ they will bring disaster on the watered land as well as the dry.

one who, when he hears the words of this sworn covenant, blesses himself in his heart, saying, ‘I shall be safe, though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart.’ This will lead to the sweeping away of moist and dry alike.

For I know how rebellious and stiff-necked you are. If you have been rebellious against the  Lord while I am still alive and with you, how much more will you rebel after I die!

For I know how rebellious and stubborn you are. Behold, even today while I am yet alive with you, you have been rebellious against the  Lord. How much more after my death!

But when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt than those of their ancestors, following other gods and serving and worshipping them. They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways.

But whenever the judge died, they turned back and were more corrupt than their fathers, going after other gods, serving them and bowing down to them. They did not drop any of their practices or their stubborn ways.

And the hand of the Israelites pressed harder and harder against Jabin king of Canaan until they destroyed him.

And the hand of the people of Israel pressed harder and harder against Jabin the king of Canaan, until they destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.

‘Not so, my lord,’ Hannah replied, ‘I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the  Lord.

But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the  Lord.

David asked, ‘Who will tell me if your father answers you harshly?’

Then David said to Jonathan, “Who will tell me if your father answers you roughly?”

His name was Nabal and his wife’s name was Abigail. She was an intelligent and beautiful woman, but her husband was surly and mean in his dealings – he was a Calebite.

Now the name of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife Abigail. The woman was discerning and beautiful, but the man was harsh and badly behaved; he was a Calebite.

The battle that day was very fierce, and Abner and the Israelites were defeated by David’s men.

And the battle was very fierce that day. And Abner and the men of Israel were beaten before the servants of David.

And today, though I am the anointed king, I am weak, and these sons of Zeruiah are too strong for me. May the  Lord repay the evildoer according to his evil deeds!’

And I was gentle today, though anointed king. These men, the sons of Zeruiah, are more severe than I. The  Lord repay the evildoer according to his wickedness!”

‘Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but now lighten the harsh labour and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you.’

“Your father made our yoke heavy. Now therefore lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke on us, and we will serve you.”

The king answered the people harshly. Rejecting the advice given him by the elders,

And the king answered the people harshly, and forsaking the counsel that the old men had given him,

So when Ahijah heard the sound of her footsteps at the door, he said, ‘Come in, wife of Jeroboam. Why this pretence? I have been sent to you with bad news.

But when Ahijah heard the sound of her feet, as she came in at the door, he said, “Come in, wife of Jeroboam. Why do you pretend to be another? For I am charged with unbearable news for you.

Sullen and angry, the king of Israel went to his palace in Samaria.

And the king of Israel went to his house vexed and sullen and came to Samaria.

So Ahab went home, sullen and angry because Naboth the Jezreelite had said, ‘I will not give you the inheritance of my ancestors.’ He lay on his bed sulking and refused to eat.

And Ahab went into his house vexed and sullen because of what Naboth the Jezreelite had said to him, for he had said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.” And he lay down on his bed and turned away his face and would eat no food.

His wife Jezebel came in and asked him, ‘Why are you so sullen? Why won’t you eat?’

But Jezebel his wife came to him and said to him, “Why is your spirit so vexed that you eat no food?”

‘Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but now lighten the harsh labour and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you.’

“Your father made our yoke heavy. Now therefore lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke on us, and we will serve you.”

The king answered them harshly. Rejecting the advice of the elders,

And the king answered them harshly; and forsaking the counsel of the old men,

‘You warned them in order to turn them back to your law, but they became arrogant and disobeyed your commands. They sinned against your ordinances, of which you said, “The person who obeys them will live by them.” Stubbornly they turned their backs on you, became stiff-necked and refused to listen.

And you warned them in order to turn them back to your law. Yet they acted presumptuously and did not obey your commandments, but sinned against your rules which if a person does them, he shall live by them, and they turned a stubborn shoulder and stiffened their neck and would not obey.

Have I not wept for those in trouble?
Has not my soul grieved for the poor?

Did not I weep for him whose day was hard?
Was not my soul grieved for the needy?

You have shown your people desperate times;
you have given us wine that makes us stagger.

You have made your people see hard things;
you have given us wine to drink that made us stagger.

He rules for ever by his power,
his eyes watch the nations –
let not the rebellious rise up against him.

who rules by his might forever,
whose eyes keep watch on the nations—
let not the rebellious exalt themselves.  Selah

God sets the lonely in families,
he leads out the prisoners with singing;
but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.

God settles the solitary in a home;
he leads out the prisoners to prosperity,
but the rebellious dwell in a parched land.

When you ascended on high,
you took many captives;
you received gifts from people,
even from the rebellious –
that you,  Lord God, might dwell there.

You ascended on high,
leading a host of captives in your train
and receiving gifts among men,
even among the rebellious that the  Lord God may dwell there.

They would not be like their ancestors –
a stubborn and rebellious generation,
whose hearts were not loyal to God,
whose spirits were not faithful to him.

and that they should not be like their fathers,
a stubborn and rebellious generation,
a generation whose heart was not steadfast,
whose spirit was not faithful to God.

So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts
to follow their own devices.

So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts,
to follow their own counsels.

(She is unruly and defiant,
her feet never stay at home;

She is loud and wayward;
her feet do not stay at home;

Place me like a seal over your heart,
like a seal on your arm;
for love is as strong as death,
its jealousy unyielding as the grave.
It burns like blazing fire,
like a mighty flame.

Set me as a seal upon your heart,
as a seal upon your arm,
for love is strong as death,
jealousy is fierce as the grave.
Its flashes are flashes of fire,
the very flame of the  Lord.

Your rulers are rebels,
partners with thieves;
they all love bribes
and chase after gifts.
They do not defend the cause of the fatherless;
the widow’s case does not come before them.

Your princes are rebels
and companions of thieves.
Everyone loves a bribe
and runs after gifts.
They do not bring justice to the fatherless,
and the widow’s cause does not come to them.

On the day the  Lord gives you relief from your suffering and turmoil and from the harsh labour forced on you,

When the  Lord has given you rest from your pain and turmoil and the hard service with which you were made to serve,

I will hand the Egyptians over
to the power of a cruel master,
and a fierce king will rule over them,’
declares the Lord, the  Lord Almighty.

and I will give over the Egyptians
into the hand of a hard master,
and a fierce king will rule over them,
declares the Lord  God of hosts.

A dire vision has been shown to me:
the traitor betrays, the looter takes loot.
Elam, attack! Media, lay siege!
I will bring to an end all the groaning she caused.

A stern vision is told to me;
the traitor betrays,
and the destroyer destroys.
Go up, O Elam;
lay siege, O Media;
all the sighing she has caused
I bring to an end.

In that day,

the  Lord will punish with his sword –
his fierce, great and powerful sword –
Leviathan the gliding serpent,
Leviathan the coiling serpent;
he will slay the monster of the sea.

In that day the  Lord with his hard and great and strong sword will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan the twisting serpent, and he will slay the dragon that is in the sea.

By warfare and exile you contend with her –
with his fierce blast he drives her out,
as on a day the east wind blows.

Measure by measure by exile you contended with them;
he removed them with his fierce breath in the day of the east wind.

‘Woe to the obstinate children,’
declares the  Lord,
‘to those who carry out plans that are not mine,
forming an alliance, but not by my Spirit,
heaping sin upon sin;

“Ah, stubborn children,” declares the  Lord,
“who carry out a plan, but not mine,
and who make an alliance, but not of my Spirit,
that they may add sin to sin;

For I knew how stubborn you were;
your neck muscles were iron,
your forehead was bronze.

Because I know that you are obstinate,
and your neck is an iron sinew
and your forehead brass,

All day long I have held out my hands
to an obstinate people,
who walk in ways not good,
pursuing their own imaginations –

I spread out my hands all the day
to a rebellious people,
who walk in a way that is not good,
following their own devices;

At that time they will call Jerusalem The Throne of the  Lord, and all nations will gather in Jerusalem to honour the name of the  Lord. No longer will they follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts.

At that time Jerusalem shall be called the throne of the  Lord, and all nations shall gather to it, to the presence of the  Lord in Jerusalem, and they shall no more stubbornly follow their own evil heart.

But these people have stubborn and rebellious hearts;
they have turned aside and gone away.

But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart;
they have turned aside and gone away.

They are all hardened rebels,
going about to slander.
They are bronze and iron;
they all act corruptly.

They are all stubbornly rebellious,
going about with slanders;
they are bronze and iron;
all of them act corruptly.

But they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubborn inclinations of their evil hearts. They went backwards and not forwards.

But they did not obey or incline their ear but walked in their own counsels and the stubbornness of their evil hearts, and went backward and not forward.

Instead, they have followed the stubbornness of their hearts; they have followed the Baals, as their ancestors taught them.’

but have stubbornly followed their own hearts and have gone after the Baals, as their fathers taught them.

But they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubbornness of their evil hearts. So I brought on them all the curses of the covenant I had commanded them to follow but that they did not keep.”’

Yet they did not obey or incline their ear but everyone walked in the stubbornness of his evil heart. Therefore I brought upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do, but they did not.”

These wicked people, who refuse to listen to my words, who follow the stubbornness of their hearts and go after other gods to serve and worship them, will be like this belt – completely useless!

This evil people, who refuse to hear my words who stubbornly follow their own heart and have gone after other gods to serve them and worship them, shall be like this loincloth, which is good for nothing.

But you have behaved more wickedly than your ancestors. See how all of you are following the stubbornness of your evil hearts instead of obeying me.

and because you have done worse than your fathers, for behold, every one of you follows his stubborn, evil will, refusing to listen to me.

But they will reply, “It’s no use. We will continue with our own plans; we will all follow the stubbornness of our evil hearts.”’

“But they say ‘That is in vain! We will follow our own plans, and will every one act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart.’