Compounds of formula I are effective modulators of JNK: wherein X is CR.sup.11 or N; Y is --C(O)R.sup.3, 5-membered heteroaryl, or 5-membered heterocyclyl; Z is phenyl, cycloalkyl, heterocyclyl or heteroaryl, and is substituted with R.sup.1 and R.sup.2; R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are each independently H, halo, CN, lower alkyl, or --Y.sup.1--Y.sup.2--Y.sup.3--R.sup.8, or R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 together form --O(CH.sub.2).sub.nO--, where n is 1 or 2; Y.sup.1 is --O--, --C(O)--, --C(O)O--, --C(O)NR.sup.9--, --NR.sup.9C(O)--, --S--, --SO.sub.2--, or a bond; Y.sup.2 is cycloalkylene, heterocycloalkylene, lower alkylene or a bond; Y.sup.3 is --O--, --C(O)--, --C(O)O--, --C(O)NR.sup.9--, --NR.sup.9C(O)--, --SO.sub.2--, or a bond; R.sup.8 is H, lower alkyl, lower alkoxy, cycloalkyl, heterocycloalkyl, or --NR.sup.9R.sup.10, wherein R.sup.8 other than H is optionally substituted with lower alkyl, halo, --CF.sub.3, or --OH; R.sup.9 and R.sup.10 are each independently H or lower alkyl; R.sup.3 is OH, lower alkyl, lower alkoxy, (lower alkoxy)-lower alkoxy, or --NR.sup.9R.sup.10; R.sup.4 is lower alkyl, phenyl, heterocyclyl, cycloalkyl, heterocycloalkyl, or heteroaryl, and is optionally substituted with lower alkyl, hydroxy, lower alkoxy, halo, nitro, amino, cyano, or halo-lower alkyl; R.sup.5 and R.sup.6 are each independently H, halo, cyano, lower alkyl, --CF.sub.3, lower alkoxy, --OCHF.sub.2, --NO.sub.2, or --NR.sup.9R.sup.10; R.sup.7 is H, F, Cl, methyl, or OH; R.sup.11 is H, lower alkyl, lower cycloalkyl, or phenyl; or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.