Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version Why is my pain unending and my wound grievous and incurable? You are to me like a deceptive brook, like a spring that fails. New Living Translation Why then does my suffering continue? Why is my wound so incurable? Your help seems as uncertain as a seasonal brook, like a spring that has gone dry.” English Standard Version Why is my pain unceasing, my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Will you be to me like a deceitful brook, like waters that fail? Berean Standard Bible Why is my pain unending, and my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? You have indeed become like a mirage to me—water that is not there. Berean Literal Bible Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? You will surely be to me like a liar, waters that fail? King James Bible Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, which refuseth to be healed? wilt thou be altogether unto me as a liar, and as waters that fail? New King James Version Why is my pain perpetual And my wound incurable, Which refuses to be healed? Will You surely be to me like an unreliable stream, As waters that fail? New American Standard Bible Why has my pain been endless And my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Will You indeed be to me like a deceptive stream With water that is unreliable? NASB 1995 Why has my pain been perpetual And my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Will You indeed be to me like a deceptive stream With water that is unreliable? NASB 1977 Why has my pain been perpetual And my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Wilt Thou indeed be to me like a deceptive stream With water that is unreliable? Legacy Standard Bible Why has my pain been perpetual And my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Will You indeed be to me like a deceptive stream With water that is unreliable? Amplified Bible Why has my pain been perpetual And my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Will you indeed be to me like a deceptive brook With water that is unreliable? Berean Annotated Bible Why is my pain unending, and my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? You have indeed become like a mirage to me—water that is not there. Christian Standard Bible Why has my pain become unending, my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? You truly have become like a mirage to me — water that is not reliable. Holman Christian Standard Bible Why has my pain become unending, my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? You truly have become like a mirage to me— water that is not reliable. American Standard Version Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, which refuseth to be healed? wilt thou indeed be unto me as a deceitful brook, as waters that fail? Contemporary English Version I am badly injured and in constant pain. Are you going to disappoint me, like a stream that goes dry in the heat of summer? English Revised Version Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, which refuseth to be healed? wilt thou indeed be unto me as a deceitful brook, as waters that fail? GOD'S WORD® Translation Why is my pain unending and my wound incurable, refusing to heal? Will you disappoint me like a stream that dries up in summertime? Good News Translation Why do I keep on suffering? Why are my wounds incurable? Why won't they heal? Do you intend to disappoint me like a stream that goes dry in the summer?" International Standard Version Why is my pain unending and my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? You are like a deceptive brook, whose waters cannot be depended on. NET Bible Why must I continually suffer such painful anguish? Why must I endure the sting of their insults like an incurable wound? Will you let me down when I need you like a brook one goes to for water, but that cannot be relied on?" New Heart English Bible Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, which refuses to be healed? Will you indeed be to me as a deceitful brook, as waters that fail?" Webster's Bible Translation Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, which refuseth to be healed? wilt thou be altogether to me as a liar, and as waters that fail? Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleWhy is my pain unending, and my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? You have indeed become like a mirage to me—water that is not there. World English Bible Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, which refuses to be healed? Will you indeed be to me as a deceitful brook, like waters that fail? Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionWhy has my pain been continuous? And my wound incurable? It has refused to be healed, "" You are surely as a failing stream to me, "" Waters [that are] not steadfast. Berean Literal Bible Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? You will surely be to me like a liar, waters that fail? Young's Literal Translation Why hath my pain been perpetual? And my wound incurable? It hath refused to be healed, Thou art surely to me as a failing stream, Waters not stedfast. Smith's Literal Translation Wherefore was my pain everlasting and my blow incurable, refusing to be healed? Being, wilt thou be to me as falsehood, the waters were not faithful? Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleWhy is my sorrow become perpetual, and my wound desperate so as to refuse to be healed? it is become to me as the falsehood of deceitful waters that cannot be trusted. Catholic Public Domain Version Why has my sorrow become never-ending, and why has my wound become so dire that it refuses to be cured? It has become for me like the deception of untrustworthy waters.” New American Bible Why is my pain continuous, my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? To me you are like a deceptive brook, waters that cannot be relied on! New Revised Standard Version Why is my pain unceasing, my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Truly, you are to me like a deceitful brook, like waters that fail. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleWhy is my pain so grievous and my wound so severe that it refuses to be healed? Wilt thou be to me as a mirage that cannot be believed? Peshitta Holy Bible Translated Why has my sorrow been strong and my wound serious and is unwilling to be healed, and you have been to me as false waters that are untrustworthy? OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917Why is my pain perpetual, And my wound incurable, so that it refuseth to be healed? Wilt Thou indeed be unto me as a deceitful brook, As waters that fail? Brenton Septuagint Translation Why do they that grieve me prevail against me? my wound is severe; whence shall I be healed? it is indeed become to me as deceitful water, that has no faithfulness. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Jeremiah's Woe…17I never sat with the band of revelers, nor did I celebrate with them. Because Your hand was on me, I sat alone, for You have filled me with indignation. 18Why is my pain unending, and my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? You have indeed become like a mirage to me— water that is not there. Cross References Why is my pain unending, Job 30:17 Night pierces my bones, and my gnawing pains never rest. Psalm 38:17 For I am ready to fall, and my pain is ever with me. Psalm 31:10 For my life is consumed with grief and my years with groaning; my iniquity has drained my strength, and my bones are wasting away. and my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Jeremiah 30:12 For this is what the LORD says: “Your injury is incurable; your wound is grievous. Micah 1:9 For her wound is incurable; it has reached even Judah; it has approached the gate of my people, as far as Jerusalem itself. Nahum 3:19 There is no healing for your injury; your wound is severe. All who hear the news of you applaud your downfall, for who has not experienced your constant cruelty? You have indeed become like a mirage to me— Job 23:8-9 If I go east, He is not there, and if I go west, I cannot find Him. / When He is at work in the north, I cannot behold Him; when He turns to the south, I cannot see Him. Psalm 22:1 For the choirmaster. To the tune of “The Doe of the Dawn.” A Psalm of David. My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Why are You so far from saving me, so far from my words of groaning? Psalm 13:1 For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? water that is not there. Job 6:15-20 But my brothers are as faithless as wadis, as seasonal streams that overflow, / darkened because of the ice and the inflow of melting snow, / but ceasing in the dry season and vanishing from their channels in the heat. … Isaiah 41:17-18 The poor and needy seek water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. I, the LORD, will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. / I will open rivers on the barren heights, and fountains in the middle of the valleys. I will turn the desert into a pool of water, and the dry land into flowing springs. Jeremiah 2:13 “For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living water, and they have dug their own cisterns—broken cisterns that cannot hold water. Job 30:26-31 But when I hoped for good, evil came; when I looked for light, darkness fell. / I am churning within and cannot rest; days of affliction confront me. / I go about blackened, but not by the sun. I stand up in the assembly and cry for help. … Psalm 42:9-11 I say to God my Rock, “Why have You forgotten me? Why must I walk in sorrow because of the enemy’s oppression?” / Like the crushing of my bones, my enemies taunt me, while they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” / Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why the unease within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God. Psalm 77:7-9 “Will the Lord spurn us forever and never show His favor again? / Is His loving devotion gone forever? Has His promise failed for all time? / Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has His anger shut off His compassion?” Selah Psalm 88:13-18 But to You, O LORD, I cry for help; in the morning my prayer comes before You. / Why, O LORD, do You reject me? Why do You hide Your face from me? / From my youth I was afflicted and near death. I have borne Your terrors; I am in despair. … Treasury of Scripture Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, which refuses to be healed? will you be altogether to me as a liar, and as waters that fail? my pain. Jeremiah 14:19 Hast thou utterly rejected Judah? hath thy soul lothed Zion? why hast thou smitten us, and there is no healing for us? we looked for peace, and there is no good; and for the time of healing, and behold trouble! Psalm 6:3 My soul is also sore vexed: but thou, O LORD, how long? Psalm 13:1-3 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me? … my wound. Jeremiah 30:12,15 For thus saith the LORD, Thy bruise is incurable, and thy wound is grievous… Job 34:6 Should I lie against my right? my wound is incurable without transgression. Micah 1:9 For her wound is incurable; for it is come unto Judah; he is come unto the gate of my people, even to Jerusalem. as a. Jeremiah 1:18,19 For, behold, I have made thee this day a defenced city, and an iron pillar, and brasen walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land… Jeremiah 20:7 O LORD, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived: thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed: I am in derision daily, every one mocketh me. and as. Jeremiah 14:3 And their nobles have sent their little ones to the waters: they came to the pits, and found no water; they returned with their vessels empty; they were ashamed and confounded, and covered their heads. Job 6:15-20 My brethren have dealt deceitfully as a brook, and as the stream of brooks they pass away; … fail. Jump to Previous Altogether Brook Deceitful Deceptive Fail Fails Grievous Healed Hope Incurable Indeed Liar Offering Pain Perpetual Refuses Refuseth Refusing Sorrow Spring Stream Unceasing Unending Unreliable Water Waters Wilt WoundJump to Next Altogether Brook Deceitful Deceptive Fail Fails Grievous Healed Hope Incurable Indeed Liar Offering Pain Perpetual Refuses Refuseth Refusing Sorrow Spring Stream Unceasing Unending Unreliable Water Waters Wilt WoundJeremiah 15 1. The utter rejection and manifold judgments of the people.10. Jeremiah, complaining of their spite, receives a promise for himself; 12. and a threatening for them. 15. He prays; 19. and receives a gracious promise. Why is my pain unending Jeremiah's lament reflects the deep anguish and persistent suffering he experiences as a prophet. This phrase captures the emotional and spiritual turmoil that Jeremiah feels due to the rejection and persecution he faces from his own people. The unending nature of his pain can be seen as a metaphor for the ongoing rebellion of Israel against God, which results in continuous judgment and hardship. This echoes the broader biblical theme of the consequences of sin and the enduring nature of suffering in a fallen world, as seen in the lamentations of other prophets and figures like Job. and my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? You have indeed become like a mirage to me— water that is not there. Persons / Places / Events 1. JeremiahThe prophet who is expressing his deep anguish and questioning God about his ongoing suffering and the apparent lack of relief. 2. God The one whom Jeremiah is addressing, expressing his feelings of abandonment and questioning God's reliability. 3. Judah The nation to which Jeremiah is prophesying, facing impending judgment due to their disobedience and idolatry. 4. Deceptive Brook A metaphor used by Jeremiah to describe his perception of God's promises as unreliable, akin to a stream that dries up when most needed. 5. Babylonian Threat The looming danger and eventual exile that Judah faces, which is part of the context of Jeremiah's lament. Teaching Points Understanding SufferingRecognize that even faithful servants of God, like Jeremiah, experience deep pain and questioning. Suffering is a part of the human experience and can lead to a deeper relationship with God. Expressing Honest Emotions Jeremiah's candidness with God teaches us that it is okay to bring our raw emotions and doubts before Him. God desires an honest relationship with His people. Perseverance in Faith Despite feelings of abandonment, believers are called to persevere in faith, trusting that God is ultimately reliable and His promises are true. Metaphors of Faith Reflect on the imagery of a "deceptive brook" and consider how our perceptions of God's faithfulness can be clouded by our circumstances. Hope in God's Character While circumstances may seem dire, believers are encouraged to hold onto the truth of God's unchanging character and His ultimate plan for redemption. Bible Study Questions and Answers 1. What is the meaning of Jeremiah 15:18?2. How can we trust God when feeling like a "deceptive brook" in Jeremiah 15:18? 3. What does Jeremiah 15:18 teach about expressing doubts and struggles to God? 4. How does Jeremiah 15:18 relate to Jesus' suffering and perseverance in the Gospels? 5. How can Jeremiah 15:18 guide us in seeking God's healing during trials? 6. What practical steps can strengthen faith when feeling abandoned, as in Jeremiah 15:18? 7. Why does Jeremiah feel abandoned by God in Jeremiah 15:18? 8. How does Jeremiah 15:18 challenge the belief in God's constant presence? 9. What historical context explains Jeremiah's lament in Jeremiah 15:18? 10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Jeremiah 15? 11. What does 'God is a Healer' mean? 12. How can one heal from being hurt by the church? 13. What biblical guidance is there for PTSD? 14. What fate awaits Edom according to biblical prophecies? What Does Jeremiah 15:18 Mean Why is my pain unendingJeremiah speaks out of deep personal anguish. The prophet has endured ridicule (Jeremiah 15:10) and threats (Jeremiah 11:19). • Like the psalmist who cries, “I am worn out from groaning” (Psalm 6:6), Jeremiah feels pain that never takes a day off. • His complaint echoes Job’s “months of futility” (Job 7:3) and Lamentations 3:17, where peace seems forgotten. • The verse reminds us that long-term suffering is not evidence of weak faith; it is part of life in a fallen world, even for God’s servants. and my wound incurable Jeremiah’s “wound” pictures an injury so deep that no human remedy can touch it. • Israel is repeatedly called “incurably wounded” because of sin (Jeremiah 30:12-13; Hosea 5:13). • Micah saw the same spiritual infection: “her wound is incurable” (Micah 1:9). • The prophet feels that the hurt will not mend because the root problem—his people’s rebellion—still festers (Jeremiah 15:1-4). refusing to be healed? The wording implies that the wound resists treatment. Jeremiah longs for God’s intervention yet perceives none. • Israel had been promised healing if they repented (2 Chronicles 7:14), but the nation would not turn. • Isaiah foresaw a day when God would “bind up the brokenness of His people” (Isaiah 30:26). That hope, not yet visible, intensifies Jeremiah’s frustration: why no relief now? • Honest lament is welcomed in Scripture; it drives the sufferer to seek God’s promised but sometimes delayed restoration. You have indeed become like a mirage to me—water that is not there. Jeremiah feels that God, the very source of living water (Jeremiah 2:13), has vanished. • Job compared unreliable friends to streams that “run dry in the heat” (Job 6:15-17); Jeremiah fears God Himself has taken on that role. • Yet elsewhere God promises that His people will be “like a spring whose waters never fail” (Isaiah 58:11). The tension between felt absence and promised presence is real. • Jeremiah’s words are not unbelief but relational honesty. He knows God is faithful (Jeremiah 15:15-20) even while confessing that, in the moment, the well seems empty. • Like the deer panting for streams (Psalm 42:1), the prophet thirsts, and that very thirst keeps him seeking the Lord who will ultimately satisfy. summary Jeremiah 15:18 captures the raw heartbeat of a faithful servant wounded by relentless opposition and the apparent delay of divine relief. His pain feels endless, his wound incurable, and God’s presence like a vanishing mirage. Scripture shows that such lament is neither rebellion nor defeat; it is the honest struggle of a believer who clings to God’s character when circumstances shout the opposite. In time, the God who seems distant will prove Himself the unfailing spring, healing both prophet and people according to His perfect timetable. (18) Wilt thou be altogether unto me as a liar . . .?--The words express a bitter sense of failure and disappointment. God had not prospered the mission of His servant as He had promised. The Hebrew, however, is not so startlingly bold as the English, and is satisfied by the rendering, wilt thou be unto me as a winter torrent, i.e., as in Job 6:15, like one which flows only in that season, and is dried up and parched in summer. See the play upon the word achzib (= a lie) in Micah 1:14.Verse 18. - Why is my pain perpetual? One who could honestly speak of himself in terms such as those of Vers. 16, 17, seemed to have a special claim on the Divine protection. But Jeremiah's hopes have been disappointed. His vexation is perpetual, and his wounded spirit finds no comfort. As a liar; rather, as a deceitful stream. The word "stream" has to be understood as in Micah 1:14. Many of the water courses of Palestine are filled with a rushing torrent in the winter, but dry in summer. Hence the pathetic complaint of Job (Job 6:15). The opposite phrase to that used by Jeremiah is "a perennial stream" (Amos 5:24). The force of the passage is increased if we read it in the light of Dr. Gratz's hypothesis.Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew Whyלָ֣מָּה (lām·māh) Interrogative Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what is הָיָ֤ה (hā·yāh) Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be my pain כְאֵבִי֙ (ḵə·’ê·ḇî) Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular Strong's 3511: Suffering, adversity unending, נֶ֔צַח (ne·ṣaḥ) Noun - masculine singular Strong's 5331: Eminence, enduring, everlastingness, perpetuity and my wound וּמַכָּתִ֖י (ū·mak·kā·ṯî) Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular Strong's 4347: A wound, carnage, pestilence incurable, אֲנוּשָׁ֑ה֙ (’ă·nū·šāh) Adjective - feminine singular Strong's 605: To be frail, feeble, melancholy refusing מֵֽאֲנָה֙ (mê·’ă·nāh) Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person feminine singular Strong's 3985: To refuse to be healed? הֵֽרָפֵ֔א (hê·rā·p̄ê) Verb - Nifal - Infinitive construct Strong's 7495: To mend, to cure You have indeed become הָי֨וֹ (hā·yōw) Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be like כְּמ֣וֹ (kə·mōw) Preposition Strong's 3644: Like, as, when a mirage to me— אַכְזָ֔ב (’aḵ·zāḇ) Noun - masculine singular Strong's 391: Deceptive, disappointing water מַ֖יִם (ma·yim) Noun - masculine plural Strong's 4325: Water, juice, urine, semen that is not לֹ֥א (lō) Adverb - Negative particle Strong's 3808: Not, no there. נֶאֱמָֽנוּ׃ (ne·’ĕ·mā·nū) Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common plural Strong's 539: To confirm, support Links Jeremiah 15:18 NIVJeremiah 15:18 NLT Jeremiah 15:18 ESV Jeremiah 15:18 NASB Jeremiah 15:18 KJV Jeremiah 15:18 BibleApps.com Jeremiah 15:18 Biblia Paralela Jeremiah 15:18 Chinese Bible Jeremiah 15:18 French Bible Jeremiah 15:18 Catholic Bible OT Prophets: Jeremiah 15:18 Why is my pain perpetual and my (Jer.) |
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