Jeremiah 9
9
1 #Jeremiah 9:1–26 in the English Bible is 8:23–9:25 in the Hebrew Bible Oh that my head were waters,#Literally “Who he gives my head waters”
and my eyes a fountain of tears,
so that I might weep day and night,
for the slain of the daughter of my people.
2Oh that I had#Literally “Who he gives me” in the desert a place of overnight lodging for travelers,
that I may leave my people and go from them,
for all of them are adulterers,
a band of traitors.
3And they bend their tongue like their bow,
for falsehood and not truth is superior in the land,
for they go forth#Or “proceed” from evil to evil,
and they do not know me,” declares#Literally “a declaration of” Yahweh.
A Nation Characterized by Deceit
4“Let everyone be on your guard against his neighbor,
and you must not trust in any brother,
for everyone surely betrays,
and every neighbor goes about with slander.
5And everyone deceives his neighbor,
and they do not speak the truth,
they have taught their tongues#Hebrew “tongue” to speak lies,#Hebrew “lie”
they are tired from going astray.
6Your dwelling is in the midst of deceit,
upon#Or “through” deceit they refuse to know me,” declares#Literally “a declaration of” Yahweh.
7Therefore, thus says Yahweh of hosts:
“Look, I am about to refine them,
and I will test them,
for what else can I do,
because of the presence#Literally “faces” of the daughter of my people?
8Their tongue is a murderous arrow,
it speaks deceit.
With his mouth he speaks peace with his neighbor,
but in his inner parts he sets up his ambush.
9Because of these things shall I not punish them?” declares#Literally “a declaration of” Yahweh,
“On a nation that is like this shall I not take revenge?
10For the mountains I lift up weeping and wailing,
and for the pastures of the desert a lament,
because they are laid waste so that no man passes through.
And the sounds#Hebrew “sound” of cattle are not heard,
from the birds#Hebrew “bird” of heaven to the animals#Hebrew “animal”
they have fled, they are gone.
11And I will make Jerusalem as heaps of ruins, a lair of jackals,
and the towns of Judah I will make a desolation, without inhabitants.#Literally “from no inhabitant”
12Who is the wise man that can understand this?
And to whom has the mouth of Yahweh spoken, so that he may declare it?
Why is the land destroyed?
It is laid waste like the desert#Or “wilderness” so that no one passes through.”
The Nation is Judged by Yahweh
13And Yahweh said, “Because of their forsaking my law that I set before#Literally “to the face of” them, and they have not obeyed my voice, and have not walked in it, 14but they went after the stubbornness of their heart, and after the Baals, which their ancestors#Or “fathers” taught them.” 15Therefore thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, “Look, I am feeding this people wormwood, and providing drink for them, water of poison, 16and I will scatter them among the nations that they have not known, they and their ancestors,#Or “fathers” and I will send the sword after them until I bring them to an end.”
17Thus says Yahweh of hosts:
“Consider closely, and call for the wailing women, so that they come,
and for the skillful women, so that they come.
18And let them hasten,
and let them lift up wailing over us,
so that our eyes may melt with tears,
and our eyelids may flow with water.
19For a sound of wailing is heard from Zion,
‘How we are devastated!
We are very ashamed because we have left the land,
because they have overthrown our dwelling places.’
20For hear, O women, the word of Yahweh,
and let your ear receive the word of his mouth,
and teach your daughters a lamentation,
and each woman her neighbor a lament.
21For death has come into our windows,
it has entered into our fortresses,
to cut off the children#Hebrew “child” from the streets,#Hebrew “street”
the young men from the public squares.
22Speak, ‘thus declares#Literally “a declaration of” Yahweh:
“The dead body of the human will fall
like dung upon the surface of the field,
and like cut grain behind the reaper,
and there is no one who gathers.” ’ ”
The Things in Which Yahweh Delights
23Thus says Yahweh,
“The wise man must not boast in his wisdom,
and the warrior must not boast in his might,
the wealthy man must not boast in his wealth.
24But only#Literally “But it” in this must the one who boasts boast,
that he has insight,
and that he knows me,
that I am Yahweh,
showing loyal love, justice, and righteousness on the earth,
for in these things I delight,” declares#Literally “a declaration of” Yahweh.
The Way of the Nations
25“Look, days are coming,” declares#Literally “a declaration of” Yahweh, “and I will call into account all those who are circumcised in the foreskin: 26Egypt, Judah, and Edom, and the Ammonites,#Literally “sons/children of Ammon” and Moab, and all those who are trimmed to the side, those who live in the desert,#Or “wilderness” for all the nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised of heart.”
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Jeremiah 9: LEB
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Jeremiah 9
9
1Oh, #Is. 22:4; Jer. 10:19; Lam. 2:18that my head were waters,
And my eyes a fountain of tears,
That I might weep day and night
For the slain of the daughter of my people!
2Oh, that I had in the wilderness
A lodging place for travelers;
That I might leave my people,
And go from them!
For #Jer. 5:7, 8; 23:10; Hos. 4:2they are all adulterers,
An assembly of treacherous men.
3“And like their bow #Ps. 64:3; Is. 59:4; Jer. 9:8; Hos. 4:1, 2they have bent their tongues for lies.
They are not valiant for the truth on the earth.
For they proceed from #Jer. 4:22; 13:23evil to evil,
And they #Judg. 2:10; 1 Sam. 2:12; Jer. 4:22; Hos. 4:1; 1 Cor. 15:34do not know Me,” says the Lord.
4“Everyone#Ps. 12:2; Prov. 26:24, 25; Jer. 9:8; Mic. 7:5, 6 take heed to his neighbor,
And do not trust any brother;
For every brother will utterly supplant,
And every neighbor will #Ps. 15:3; Prov. 10:18; Jer. 6:28walk with slanderers.
5Everyone will #Ps. 36:3, 4; Is. 59:4deceive his neighbor,
And will not speak the truth;
They have taught their tongue to speak lies;
They weary themselves to commit iniquity.
6Your dwelling place is in the midst of deceit;
Through deceit they refuse to know Me,” says the Lord.
7Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts:
“Behold, #Is. 1:25; Jer. 6:27; Mal. 3:3I will refine them and try them;
#Hos. 11:8For how shall I deal with the daughter of My people?
8Their tongue is an arrow shot out;
It speaks #Ps. 12:2deceit;
One speaks #Ps. 55:21peaceably to his neighbor with his mouth,
But in his heart he lies in wait.
9#Is. 1:24; Jer. 5:9, 29Shall I not punish them for these things?” says the Lord.
“Shall I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?”
10I will take up a weeping and wailing for the mountains,
And #Jer. 4:26; Hos. 4:3for the dwelling places of the wilderness a lamentation,
Because they are burned up,
So that no one can pass through;
Nor can men hear the voice of the cattle.
#Jer. 4:25; Hos. 4:3Both the birds of the heavens and the beasts have fled;
They are gone.
11“I will make Jerusalem #Is. 25:2; Jer. 19:3, 8; 26:9a heap of ruins, #Is. 13:22; 34:13a den of jackals.
I will make the cities of Judah desolate, without an inhabitant.”
12#Ps. 107:43; Is. 42:23; Hos. 14:9Who is the wise man who may understand this? And who is he to whom the mouth of the Lord has spoken, that he may declare it? Why does the land perish and burn up like a wilderness, so that no one can pass through?
13And the Lord said, “Because they have forsaken My law which I set before them, and have #Jer. 3:25; 7:24not obeyed My voice, nor walked according to it, 14but they have #Jer. 7:24; 11:8; Rom. 1:21–24walked according to the dictates of their own hearts and after the Baals, #Gal. 1:14; 1 Pet. 1:18which their fathers taught them,” 15therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “Behold, I will #Ps. 80:5feed them, this people, #Deut. 29:18; Jer. 8:14; 23:15; Lam. 3:15with wormwood, and give them water of gall to drink. 16I will #Lev. 26:33; Deut. 28:64; Jer. 15:2–4scatter them also among the Gentiles, whom neither they nor their fathers have known. #Lev. 26:33; Jer. 44:27; Ezek. 5:2And I will send a sword after them until I have consumed them.”
The People Mourn in Judgment
17Thus says the Lord of hosts:
“Consider and call for #2 Chr. 35:25; Job 3:8; Eccl. 12:5; Amos 5:16; Matt. 9:23the mourning women,
That they may come;
And send for skillful wailing women,
That they may come.
18Let them make haste
And take up a wailing for us,
That #Is. 22:4; Jer. 9:1; 14:17our eyes may run with tears,
And our eyelids gush with water.
19For a voice of wailing is heard from Zion:
‘How we are plundered!
We are greatly ashamed,
Because we have forsaken the land,
Because we have been cast out of #Lev. 18:28our dwellings.’ ”
20Yet hear the word of the Lord, O women,
And let your ear receive the word of His mouth;
Teach your daughters wailing,
And everyone her neighbor a lamentation.
21For death has come through our windows,
Has entered our palaces,
To kill off #2 Chr. 36:17; Jer. 6:11; 18:21; Ezek. 9:5, 6the children— no longer to be outside!
And the young men— no longer on the streets!
22Speak, “Thus says the Lord:
‘Even the carcasses of men shall fall #Ps. 83:10; Is. 5:25; Jer. 8:1, 2as refuse on the open field,
Like cuttings after the harvester,
And no one shall gather them.’ ”
23Thus says the Lord:
#(Eccl. 9:11; Is. 47:10); Ezek. 28:3–7“Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,
Let not the mighty man glory in his #Ps. 33:16–18might,
Nor let the rich man glory in his riches;
24But #Ps. 20:7; 44:8; Is. 41:16; Jer. 4:2; 1 Cor. 1:31; 2 Cor. 10:17; (Gal. 6:14)let him who glories glory in this,
That he understands and knows Me,
That I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth.
#Is. 61:8; Mic. 7:18For in these I delight,” says the Lord.
25“Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “that #(Jer. 4:4; Rom. 2:28, 29)I will punish all who are circumcised with the uncircumcised— 26Egypt, Judah, Edom, the people of Ammon, Moab, and all who are in the #Jer. 25:23farthest corners, who dwell in the wilderness. For all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are #Lev. 26:41; Jer. 4:4; 6:10; Ezek. 44:7; (Rom. 2:28)uncircumcised in the heart.”
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The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.