18 [a]My (A)sorrow is beyond healing,
My (B)heart is faint within me!
19 Behold, listen! The cry of the daughter of my people from a (C)distant land:
“Is the Lord not in Zion? Is her King not within her?”
“Why have they (D)provoked Me with their carved images, with foreign [b](E)idols?”
20 “Harvest is past, summer is over,
And we are not saved.”
21 I am broken over the (F)brokenness of the daughter of my people.
I (G)mourn, dismay has taken hold of me.
22 Is there no (H)balm in Gilead?
Is there no physician there?
(I)Why then has not the [c]health of the daughter of my people [d]been restored?

Grief over Zion

[e](J)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 (K)daughter of my people!
[f](L)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 (M)adulterers,
An assembly of (N)treacherous people.

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 8:18 As in LXX and ancient versions
  2. Jeremiah 8:19 Lit futilities
  3. Jeremiah 8:22 Or healing
  4. Jeremiah 8:22 Lit gone up
  5. Jeremiah 9:1 Ch 8:23 in Heb
  6. Jeremiah 9:2 Ch 9:1 in Heb

18 Oh that I could comfort myself against sorrow! my heart is faint within me. 19 Behold, the voice of the cry of the daughter of my people [a]from a land that is very far off: Is not Jehovah in Zion? is not her King in her? Why have they provoked me to anger with their graven images, and with foreign vanities? 20 The harvest is past, the [b]summer is ended, and we are not saved. 21 For the hurt of the daughter of my people am I hurt: I mourn; dismay hath taken hold on me. 22 Is there no balm in Gilead? is there no physician there? why then is not the [c]health of the daughter of my people [d]recovered?

Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people! [e]Oh that I had in the wilderness a lodging-place of wayfaring men; that I might leave my people, and go from them! for they are all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men.

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 8:19 Or, because of
  2. Jeremiah 8:20 Or, ingathering of summer fruits
  3. Jeremiah 8:22 Or, healing
  4. Jeremiah 8:22 Or, perfected. Hebrew gone up.
  5. Jeremiah 9:2 Or, Oh that I were in the wilderness, in etc.