The messengers went to every city in the territory of the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, and as far north as the tribe of Zebulun, but people laughed at them and made fun of them.

Like those who would mock a cripple, they glared at me with hate.

Don't laugh at the warning I am giving you! If you do, it will be even harder for you to escape. I have heard the LORD Almighty's decision to destroy the whole country.

The LORD's people have denied him and have said, "He won't really do anything. We won't have hard times; we won't have war or famine."

They have said that the prophets are nothing but windbags and that they have no message from the LORD. The LORD God Almighty said to me, "Jeremiah, because these people have said such things, I will make my words like a fire in your mouth. The people will be like wood, and the fire will burn them up."

LORD, you have deceived me, and I was deceived. You are stronger than I am, and you have overpowered me. Everyone makes fun of me; they laugh at me all day long.

He will be handed over to the Gentiles, who will make fun of him, insult him, and spit on him.

The men who were guarding Jesus made fun of him and beat him.

They blindfolded him and asked him, "Who hit you? Guess!"

Herod and his soldiers made fun of Jesus and treated him with contempt; then they put a fine robe on him and sent him back to Pilate.

The soldiers also made fun of him: they came up to him and offered him cheap wine,

But others made fun of the believers, saying, "These people are drunk!"

When they heard Paul speak about a raising from death, some of them made fun of him, but others said, "We want to hear you speak about this again."

Some were mocked and whipped, and others were put in chains and taken off to prison.

I have been calling you, inviting you to come, but you would not listen. You paid no attention to me.

So when you get into trouble, I will laugh at you. I will make fun of you when terror strikes---

Then you will call for wisdom, but I will not answer. You may look for me everywhere, but you will not find me.

You have never wanted my advice or paid any attention when I corrected you.

When the Pharisees heard all this, they made fun of Jesus, because they loved money.

'Look, you scoffers! Be astonished and die! For what I am doing today is something that you will not believe, even when someone explains it to you!' "

So then, whoever rejects this teaching is not rejecting a human being, but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.

King Zedekiah had imprisoned me there and had accused me of announcing that the LORD had said, "I am going to let the king of Babylonia capture this city,

So they took me and let me down by ropes into Prince Malchiah's well, which was in the palace courtyard. There was no water in the well, only mud, and I sank down in it.

Be happy and glad, for a great reward is kept for you in heaven. This is how the prophets who lived before you were persecuted.

"Listen to another parable," Jesus said. "There was once a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a hole for the wine press, and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to tenants and left home on a trip.

The tenants grabbed his slaves, beat one, killed another, and stoned another.

Last of all he sent his son to them. 'Surely they will respect my son,' he said.

So they grabbed him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.

"He will certainly kill those evil men," they answered, "and rent the vineyard out to other tenants, who will give him his share of the harvest at the right time."

Was there any prophet that your ancestors did not persecute? They killed God's messengers, who long ago announced the coming of his righteous Servant. And now you have betrayed and murdered him.

Why have you abandoned us like this, O God? Will you be angry with your own people forever?

O God, the heathen have invaded your land. They have desecrated your holy Temple and left Jerusalem in ruins.

They shed your people's blood like water; blood flowed like water all through Jerusalem, and no one was left to bury the dead.

LORD, will you be angry with us forever? Will your anger continue to burn like fire?

Because of this, disaster will strike them without warning, and they will be fatally wounded.

If you get more stubborn every time you are corrected, one day you will be crushed and never recover.