Jeremiah 9
Christian Standard Bible
9 If my head were a flowing spring,
my eyes a fountain of tears,
I would weep day and night(A)
over the slain of my dear[a] people.
2 If only I had a traveler’s lodging place
in the wilderness,(B)
I would abandon my people
and depart from them,
for they are all adulterers,(C)
a solemn assembly of treacherous people.(D)
3 They bent their tongues like their bows;
lies and not faithfulness prevail in the land,
for they proceed from one evil to another,
and they do not take me into account.(E)
This is the Lord’s declaration.
Imminent Ruin and Exile
4 Everyone has to be on guard against his friend.
Don’t trust any brother,
for every brother will certainly deceive,(F)
and every friend spread slander.(G)
5 Each one betrays his friend;(H)
no one tells the truth.
They have taught their tongues to speak lies;
they wear themselves out doing wrong.
6 You live in a world of deception.[b](I)
In their deception they refuse to know me.(J)
This is the Lord’s declaration.
7 Therefore, this is what the Lord of Armies says:
I am about to refine them and test them,(K)
for what else can I do
because of my dear[c] people?[d]
8 Their tongues are deadly arrows—
they speak deception.(L)
With his mouth
one speaks peaceably with his friend,
but inwardly he sets up an ambush.
9 Should I not punish them for these things?
This is the Lord’s declaration.
Should I not avenge myself(M)
on such a nation as this?
10 I will raise weeping and a lament
over the mountains,
a dirge over the wilderness grazing land,
for they have been so scorched
that no one passes through.
The sound of cattle is no longer heard.
From the birds of the sky to the animals,(N)
everything has fled—they have gone away.
11 I will make Jerusalem a heap of rubble,(O)
a jackals’ den.(P)
I will make the cities of Judah a desolation,
an uninhabited place.
12 Who is the person wise enough to understand this?(Q) Who has the Lord spoken to, that he may explain it? Why is the land destroyed and scorched like a wilderness, so no one can pass through?
13 The Lord said, “It is because they abandoned my instruction,(R) which I set before them, and did not obey my voice or walk according to it. 14 Instead, they followed the stubbornness of their hearts(S) and followed the Baals as their ancestors taught them.”(T) 15 Therefore, this is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: “I am about to feed this people wormwood(U) and give them poisonous water to drink.(V) 16 I will scatter them among the nations(W) that they and their ancestors have not known. I will send a sword after them until I have finished them off.”
Mourning over Judah
17 This is what the Lord of Armies says:
Consider, and summon the women who mourn;(X)
send for the skillful women.
18 Let them come quickly to raise a lament over us
so that our eyes may overflow with tears,
our eyelids be soaked with weeping.
19 For a sound of lamentation is heard from Zion:
How devastated we are.
We are greatly ashamed,(Y)
for we have abandoned the land;
our dwellings have been torn down.
20 Now hear the word of the Lord, you women.
Pay attention to[e] the words from his mouth.
Teach your daughters a lament
and one another a dirge,
21 for Death(Z) has climbed through our windows;
it has entered our fortresses,
cutting off children from the streets,
young men from the squares.
22 “Speak as follows: ‘This is what the Lord declares: Human corpses will fall like manure on the surface of the field,(AA) like newly cut grain(AB) after the reaper with no one to gather it.
Boast in the Lord
23 “‘This is what the Lord says:
The wise person should not boast in his wisdom;
the strong should not boast in his strength;
the wealthy should not boast in his wealth.
24 But the one who boasts should boast in this:
that he understands and knows me(AC)—
that I am the Lord, showing faithful love,
justice, and righteousness on the earth,
for I delight in these things.
This is the Lord’s declaration.
25 “‘Look, the days are coming—this is the Lord’s declaration—when I will punish all the circumcised yet uncircumcised:(AD) 26 Egypt, Judah, Edom, the Ammonites, Moab, and all the inhabitants of the desert who clip the hair on their temples.[f] All these nations are uncircumcised, and the whole house of Israel is uncircumcised in heart.’”(AE)
Jeremiah 9
English Standard Version
9 [a] (A)Oh that my head were waters,
and my eyes a fountain of tears,
that I might weep day and night
for the slain of (B)the daughter of my people!
2 [b] Oh that I had in the desert
a travelers' lodging place,
that I might leave my people
and go away from them!
For they are all (C)adulterers,
a company of (D)treacherous men.
3 (E)They bend their tongue like a bow;
falsehood and not truth has grown strong[c] in the land;
for they proceed from evil to evil,
(F)and they do not know me, declares the Lord.
4 (G)Let everyone beware of his neighbor,
and put no trust in any brother,
for every (H)brother is a deceiver,
and every neighbor (I)goes about as a slanderer.
5 Everyone deceives his neighbor,
and no one speaks the truth;
they have taught their tongue to speak lies;
they weary themselves committing iniquity.
6 Heaping oppression upon oppression, and deceit upon deceit,
(J)they refuse to know me, declares the Lord.
7 Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts:
“Behold, (K)I will refine them and (L)test them,
for what else can I do, (M)because of my people?
8 (N)Their tongue is a deadly arrow;
(O)it speaks deceitfully;
with his mouth (P)each speaks peace to his neighbor,
but in his heart (Q)he plans an ambush for him.
9 (R)Shall I not punish them for these things? declares the Lord,
and shall I not avenge myself
on a nation such as this?
10 “I will take up weeping and wailing for the mountains,
and a lamentation for (S)the pastures of the wilderness,
(T)because they are laid waste so that no one passes through,
and the lowing of cattle is not heard;
(U)both the birds of the air and the beasts
have fled and are gone.
11 (V)I will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins,
(W)a lair of jackals,
(X)and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation,
without inhabitant.”
12 (Y)Who is the man so wise that he can understand this? To whom has the mouth of the Lord spoken, that he may declare it? Why is the land ruined (Z)and laid waste like a wilderness, so that no one passes through? 13 And the Lord says: (AA)“Because they have forsaken my law that I set before them, and have not obeyed my voice or walked in accord with it, 14 but (AB)have stubbornly followed their own hearts and have gone after the Baals, as their fathers taught them. 15 Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: (AC)Behold, I will feed this people with bitter food, and give them (AD)poisonous water to drink. 16 (AE)I will scatter them among the nations (AF)whom neither they nor their fathers have known, and I will (AG)send the sword after them, until I have consumed them.”
17 Thus says the Lord of hosts:
(AH)“Consider, and call for the mourning women to come;
send for the skillful women to come;
18 let them make haste (AI)and raise a wailing over us,
(AJ)that our eyes may run down with tears
and our eyelids flow with water.
19 For a sound of wailing is heard from Zion:
(AK)‘How we are ruined!
We are utterly shamed,
because we have left the land,
because they have cast down our dwellings.’”
20 Hear, O women, the word of the Lord,
and let your ear receive the word of his mouth;
teach to your daughters a lament,
and each to her neighbor a dirge.
21 For death has come up into our windows;
it has entered our palaces,
(AL)cutting off the children from the streets
and the young men from the squares.
22 Speak: “Thus declares the Lord,
(AM)‘The dead bodies of men shall fall
like dung upon the open field,
(AN)like sheaves after the reaper,
and none shall gather them.’”
23 Thus says the Lord: (AO)“Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, 24 but (AP)let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. (AQ)For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.”
25 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when (AR)I will punish all those who are circumcised merely in the flesh— 26 (AS)Egypt, Judah, Edom, the sons of Ammon, Moab, and (AT)all who dwell in the desert who cut the corners of their hair, for all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are (AU)uncircumcised in heart.”
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 9:1 Ch 8:23 in Hebrew
- Jeremiah 9:2 Ch 9:1 in Hebrew
- Jeremiah 9:3 Septuagint; Hebrew and not for truth they have grown strong
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
