Jeremiah 9
Legacy Standard Bible
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 the (B)daughter of my people!
2 [b](C)Oh that I had in the desert
A travelers’ lodging place,
That I might leave my people
And go from them!
For all of them are (D)adulterers,
A solemn assembly of (E)treacherous men.
3 “They (F)bend their tongue like their bow;
Lies and unfaithfulness prevail in the land,
For they (G)go onward from evil to evil,
And they (H)do not know Me,” declares Yahweh.
4 “Let everyone (I)beware of his neighbor,
And (J)do not trust any brother,
Because every (K)brother [c]surely supplants,
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 iniquity.
6 Your (O)habitation is in the midst of deceit;
Through deceit they (P)refuse to know Me,” declares Yahweh.
7 Therefore thus says Yahweh of hosts,
“Behold, I will refine them and (Q)test them;
For (R)what else can I do, because of the daughter of My people?
8 Their (S)tongue is a slaughtering 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 Yahweh.
“On a nation such as this
Shall I not avenge Myself?
10 “For the (W)mountains I will take up a weeping and wailing,
And for the pastures of the (X)wilderness a funeral lamentation,
Because they are (Y)turned into ruin so that no one passes through,
And the lowing of the cattle is not heard;
Both the (Z)birds of the sky and the beasts 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 man that may understand this? And who is he to whom (AE)the mouth of Yahweh has spoken, that he may declare it? (AF)Why has the land perished, turned into ruin like a desert, so that no one passes through? 13 Yahweh said, “Because they have (AG)forsaken My law, which I set before them, and have not listened to My voice nor walked according to it, 14 but have (AH)walked after the stubbornness of their heart and after the (AI)Baals, as their (AJ)fathers taught them,” 15 therefore thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, “behold, (AK)I will feed them, this people, with wormwood and give them [d](AL)poisoned water to drink. 16 I will (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 consumed them.”
17 Thus says Yahweh of hosts,
“Carefully 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 Let them make haste and take up a wailing for us,
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 we are destroyed!
We are put to great shame,
For we have (AT)left the land
Because they have cast down our dwellings.’”
20 Indeed, hear the word of Yahweh, O you (AU)women,
And let your ear receive the word of His mouth;
Teach your daughters wailing,
And everyone her neighbor a funeral lamentation.
21 For (AV)death has come up through our windows;
It has entered our palaces
To cut off the (AW)infants from the streets,
The choice men from the open squares.
22 Speak, “Thus declares Yahweh,
‘The corpses of men will fall (AX)like dung on the open field
And like the sheaf after the reaper,
But no one will gather them.’”
23 Thus says Yahweh, “(AY)Let not a wise man boast in his wisdom, and let not the (AZ)mighty man boast in his might; let not a (BA)rich man boast in his riches, 24 but let him who boasts (BB)boast in this, that he [f]understands and knows Me, that I am Yahweh who (BC)shows lovingkindness, justice, and righteousness on earth; for I (BD)delight in these things,” declares Yahweh.
25 “Behold, the days are coming,” declares Yahweh, “that I will punish all who are circumcised and yet (BE)uncircumcised— 26 Egypt and Judah, and Edom and the sons of Ammon, and Moab and (BF)all those inhabiting the desert who clip 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 Heb sounds like Jacob (a play on words)
- Jeremiah 9:15 Or gall
- Jeremiah 9:17 Lit wise
- Jeremiah 9:24 Lit has insight
Jeremiah 9
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
9 [a]O that my head were a spring of water
and my eyes a fountain of tears,
so that I might weep day and night
for the slain of the daughter of my people!(A)
2 [b]O that I had in the desert
a traveler’s lodging place,
that I might leave my people
and go away from them!
For they are all adulterers,
a band of traitors.(B)
3 They bend their tongues like bows;
they have grown strong in the land for falsehood and not for truth,
for they proceed from evil to evil,
and they do not know me, says the Lord.(C)
4 Beware of your neighbors,
and put no trust in any of your kin,
for all your kin are supplanters,
and every neighbor goes around like a slanderer.(D)
5 They all deceive their neighbors,
and no one speaks the truth;
they have taught their tongues to speak lies;
they commit iniquity and are too weary to repent.[c](E)
6 Oppression upon oppression, deceit[d] upon deceit!
They refuse to know me, says the Lord.(F)
7 Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts:
I will now refine and test them,
for what else can I do with the daughter of my people?(G)
8 Their tongue is a deadly arrow;
it speaks deceit through the mouth.
They all speak friendly words to their neighbors
but inwardly are planning to lay an ambush.(H)
9 Shall I not punish them for these things? says the Lord,
and shall I not bring retribution
on a nation such as this?(I)
10 Take up[e] weeping and wailing for the mountains
and a lamentation for the pastures of the wilderness,
because they are laid waste so that no one passes through,
and the lowing of cattle is not heard;
both the birds of the air and the animals
have fled and are gone.(J)
11 I will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins,
a lair of jackals,
and I will make the towns of Judah a desolation,
without inhabitant.(K)
12 Who is wise enough to understand this? To whom has the mouth of the Lord spoken, so that they may declare it? Why is the land ruined and laid waste like a wilderness, so that no one passes through?(L) 13 And the Lord says: Because they have forsaken my law that I set before them and have not obeyed my voice or walked in accordance with it(M) 14 but have stubbornly followed their own hearts and have gone after the Baals, as their ancestors taught them.(N) 15 Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: I am feeding this people with wormwood and giving them poisonous water to drink.(O) 16 I will scatter them among nations that neither they nor their ancestors have known, and I will send the sword after them until I have consumed them.(P)
The People Mourn in Judgment
17 Thus says the Lord of hosts:
Consider and call for the mourning women to come;
send for the skilled women to come;(Q)
18 let them quickly raise a dirge over us,
so that our eyes may run down with tears
and our eyelids flow with water.(R)
19 For a sound of wailing is heard from Zion:
“How we are ruined!
We are utterly shamed
because we have left the land,
because they have cast down our dwellings.”(S)
20 Hear, O women, the word of the Lord,
and let your ears receive the word of his mouth;
teach to your daughters a dirge
and each to her neighbor a lament.(T)
21 “Death has come up into our windows;
it has entered our palaces
to cut off the children from the streets
and the young men from the squares.”(U)
22 Speak! Thus says the Lord:
“Human corpses shall fall
like dung upon the open field,
like sheaves behind the reaper,
and no one shall gather them.”(V)
23 Thus says the Lord: Do not let the wise boast in their wisdom; do not let the mighty boast in their might; do not let the wealthy boast in their wealth;(W) 24 but let those who boast boast in this, that they understand and know me, that I am the Lord; I act with steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth, for in these things I delight, says the Lord.(X)
25 The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will attend to all those who are circumcised only in the foreskin:(Y) 26 Egypt, Judah, Edom, the Ammonites, Moab, and all those with shaved temples who live in the desert. For all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel is uncircumcised in heart.(Z)
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New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.