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
Jeremiah 9
New American Standard Bible
Grief over Zion
9 [a](A)Oh, that my head were waters
And my eyes a fountain of tears,
That I might weep day and night
For those slain of the (B)daughter of my people!
2 [b](C)Oh that I had in the desert
A travelers’ lodging place;
So that I might leave my people
And go away from them!
For all of them are (D)adulterers,
An assembly of (E)treacherous people.
3 “They (F)bend their tongues like their bows;
Lies and not truth prevail in the land;
For they (G)proceed from evil to evil,
And they (H)do not know Me,” declares the Lord.
4 “Let everyone (I)be on guard against his neighbor,
And (J)do not trust any brother;
Because every (K)brother utterly [c]betrays,
And every neighbor (L)goes about as a slanderer.
5 Everyone (M)deceives his neighbor
And does not speak the truth.
They have taught their tongue to speak lies;
They (N)weary themselves committing wrongdoing.
6 Your (O)dwelling is in the midst of deceit;
Through deceit they (P)refuse to know Me,” declares the Lord.
7 Therefore this is what the Lord of armies says:
“Behold, I will refine them and (Q)put them to the test;
For (R)what else can I do, because of the daughter of My people?
8 Their (S)tongue is a deadly arrow;
It speaks deceit;
With his mouth one (T)speaks peace to his neighbor,
But inwardly he (U)sets an ambush for him.
9 (V)Shall I not punish them for these things?” declares the Lord.
“Shall I not avenge Myself
On a nation such as this?
10 “I will take up a weeping and wailing for the (W)mountains,
And for the pastures of the (X)wilderness a song of mourning,
Because they are (Y)laid waste so that no one passes through,
And the sound of the livestock is not heard;
Both the (Z)birds of the sky and the animals have fled; they are gone.
11 I will make Jerusalem a (AA)heap of ruins,
A haunt of (AB)jackals;
And I will make the cities of Judah a (AC)desolation without inhabitant.”
12 Who is the (AD)wise person who may understand this? And who is he to whom (AE)the mouth of the Lord has spoken, that he may declare it? (AF)Why is the land destroyed, laid waste like the desert, so that no one passes through? 13 The Lord said, “Because they have (AG)abandoned My Law which I put before them, and have not obeyed My voice nor walked according to it, 14 but have (AH)followed the stubbornness of their heart and the (AI)Baals, [d]as their (AJ)fathers taught them,” 15 therefore this is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel says: “Behold, (AK)I will feed this people wormwood; and I will give them (AL)poisoned water to drink. 16 I will also (AM)scatter them among the nations, whom neither they nor their fathers have known; and I will send the (AN)sword after them until I have put an end to them.”
17 This is what the Lord of armies says:
“Consider and call for the (AO)mourning women, that they may come;
And send for the [e](AP)skillful women, that they may come!
18 Have them hurry and take up a wailing for us,
So that our (AQ)eyes may shed tears,
And our eyelids flow with water.
19 For a voice of (AR)wailing is heard from Zion:
‘(AS)How devastated we are!
We are put to great shame,
For we have (AT)abandoned the land
Because they have torn down our homes.’”
20 Now hear the word of the Lord, you (AU)women,
And let your ears receive the word of His mouth;
Teach your daughters wailing,
And have every woman teach her neighbor a song of mourning.
21 For (AV)death has come up through our windows;
It has entered our palaces
To eliminate the (AW)children from the streets,
The young men from the public squares.
22 Speak, “This is what the Lord says:
‘The corpses of people will fall (AX)like dung on the open field,
And like the sheaf after the reaper,
But no one will gather them.’”
23 This is what the Lord says: “(AY)Let no wise man boast of his wisdom, nor let the (AZ)mighty man boast of his might, nor a (BA)rich man boast of his riches; 24 but let the one who boasts (BB)boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who (BC)exercises [f]mercy, justice, and righteousness on the earth; for I (BD)delight in these things,” declares the Lord.
25 “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “that I will punish all who are circumcised and yet (BE)uncircumcised— 26 Egypt, Judah, Edom, the sons of Ammon, Moab, and (BF)all those inhabiting the desert who trim the hair on their temples; for all the nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are (BG)uncircumcised of heart.”
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 9:1 Ch 8:23 in Heb
- Jeremiah 9:2 Ch 9:1 in Heb
- Jeremiah 9:4 I.e., like Jacob (a play on words)
- Jeremiah 9:14 Lit which
- Jeremiah 9:17 I.e., professional mourners
- Jeremiah 9:24 Or faithfulness
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
