Jeremiah 20:9
New International Version
But if I say, “I will not mention his word or speak anymore in his name,” his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.

New Living Translation
But if I say I’ll never mention the LORD or speak in his name, his word burns in my heart like a fire. It’s like a fire in my bones! I am worn out trying to hold it in! I can’t do it!

English Standard Version
If I say, “I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name,” there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot.

Berean Standard Bible
If I say, “I will not mention Him or speak any more in His name,” His message becomes a fire burning in my heart, shut up in my bones, and I become weary of holding it in, and I cannot prevail.

King James Bible
Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.

New King James Version
Then I said, “I will not make mention of Him, Nor speak anymore in His name.” But His word was in my heart like a burning fire Shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, And I could not.

New American Standard Bible
But if I say, “I will not remember Him Nor speak anymore in His name,” Then in my heart it becomes like a burning fire Shut up in my bones; And I am tired of holding it in, And I cannot endure it.

NASB 1995
But if I say, “I will not remember Him Or speak anymore in His name,” Then in my heart it becomes like a burning fire Shut up in my bones; And I am weary of holding it in, And I cannot endure it.

NASB 1977
But if I say, “I will not remember Him Or speak anymore in His name,” Then in my heart it becomes like a burning fire Shut up in my bones; And I am weary of holding it in, And I cannot endure it.

Legacy Standard Bible
But if I say, “I will not remember Him Or speak anymore in His name,” Then in my heart it becomes like a burning fire Shut up in my bones; And I am weary of holding it in, And I cannot prevail.

Amplified Bible
If I say, “I will not remember Him Or speak His name anymore,” Then my heart becomes a burning fire Shut up in my bones. And I am weary of enduring and holding it in; I cannot endure it [nor contain it any longer].

Christian Standard Bible
I say, “I won’t mention him or speak any longer in his name.” But his message becomes a fire burning in my heart, shut up in my bones. I become tired of holding it in, and I cannot prevail.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
If I say, “I won’t mention Him or speak any longer in His name,” His message becomes a fire burning in my heart, shut up in my bones. I become tired of holding it in, and I cannot prevail.

American Standard Version
And if I say, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name, then there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with forbearing, and I cannot contain.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And I said, “I shall not call him to mind and I shall not speak again in his name!” And he was in my heart as a fire that burns, and he kindled in my bones, and I begged to endure it, and I could not

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Then I said, I will by no means name the name of the Lord, and I will no more at all speak in his name. But it was a burning fire flaming in my bones, and I am utterly weakened on all sides, and cannot bear up.

Contemporary English Version
Sometimes I tell myself not to think about you, LORD, or even mention your name. But your message burns in my heart and bones, and I cannot keep silent.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Then I said: I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name: and there came in my heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was wearied, not being able to bear it.

English Revised Version
And if I say, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name, then there is in mine heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with forbearing, and I cannot contain.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
I think to myself, "I can forget the LORD and no longer speak his name." But [his word] is inside me like a burning fire shut up in my bones. I wear myself out holding it in, but I can't do it any longer.

Good News Translation
But when I say, "I will forget the LORD and no longer speak in his name," then your message is like a fire burning deep within me. I try my best to hold it in, but can no longer keep it back.

International Standard Version
When I say, "I won't remember the LORD , nor will I speak in his name anymore, then there is this burning fire in my heart. It is bound up in my bones, I grow weary of trying to hold it in, and I cannot do it!

JPS Tanakh 1917
And if I say: 'I will not make mention of Him, Nor speak any more in His name', Then there is in my heart as it were a burning fire Shut up in my bones, And I weary myself to hold it in, But cannot.

Literal Standard Version
And I said, “I do not mention Him, | Nor do I speak anymore in His Name,” | And it has been in my heart | As a burning fire shut up in my bones, | And I have been weary of containing, | And I am not able.

Majority Standard Bible
If I say, “I will not mention Him or speak any more in His name,” His message becomes a fire burning in my heart, shut up in my bones, and I become weary of holding it in, and I cannot prevail.

New American Bible
I say I will not mention him, I will no longer speak in his name. But then it is as if fire is burning in my heart, imprisoned in my bones; I grow weary holding back, I cannot!

NET Bible
Sometimes I think, "I will make no mention of his message. I will not speak as his messenger any more." But then his message becomes like a fire locked up inside of me, burning in my heart and soul. I grow weary of trying to hold it in; I cannot contain it.

New Revised Standard Version
If I say, “I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name,” then within me there is something like a burning fire shut up in my bones; I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot.

New Heart English Bible
If I say, "I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name," then there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with forbearing, and I can't contain it.

Webster's Bible Translation
Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in my heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.

World English Bible
If I say that I will not make mention of him, or speak any more in his name, then there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones. I am weary with holding it in. I can’t.

Young's Literal Translation
And I said, 'I do not mention Him, Nor do I speak any more in His name,' And it hath been in my heart As a burning fire shut up in my bones, And I have been weary of containing, And I am not able.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Jeremiah's Complaint
8For whenever I speak, I cry out; I proclaim violence and destruction. For the word of the LORD has become to me a reproach and derision all day long. 9If I say, “I will not mention Him or speak any more in His name,” His message becomes a fire burning in my heart, shut up in my bones, and I become weary of holding it in, and I cannot prevail. 10For I have heard the whispering of many: “Terror is on every side! Report him; let us report him!” All my trusted friends watch for my fall: “Perhaps he will be deceived so that we may prevail against him and take our vengeance upon him.”…

Cross References
Acts 4:20
For we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard."

1 Kings 19:3
And Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there,

1 Kings 19:4
while he himself traveled on a day's journey into the wilderness. He sat down under a broom tree and prayed that he might die. "I have had enough, LORD," he said. "Take my life, for I am no better than my fathers."

Job 32:18
For I am full of words, and my spirit within me compels me.

Psalm 39:3
My heart grew hot within me; as I mused, the fire burned. Then I spoke with my tongue:

Jeremiah 4:19
My anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain! Oh, the pain in my chest! My heart pounds within me; I cannot be silent. For I have heard the sound of the horn, the alarm of battle.

Jeremiah 6:11
But I am full of the LORD's wrath; I am tired of holding it back. "Pour it out on the children in the street, and on the young men gathered together. For both husband and wife will be captured, the old and the very old alike.


Treasury of Scripture

Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in my heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.

I will.

1 Kings 19:3,4
And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there…

John 1:2,3
The same was in the beginning with God…

John 4:2,3
(Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,) …

was in.

Jeremiah 6:11
Therefore I am full of the fury of the LORD; I am weary with holding in: I will pour it out upon the children abroad, and upon the assembly of young men together: for even the husband with the wife shall be taken, the aged with him that is full of days.

Job 32:18-20
For I am full of matter, the spirit within me constraineth me…

Psalm 39:3
My heart was hot within me, while I was musing the fire burned: then spake I with my tongue,

Jump to Previous
Able Anymore Bones Burning Contain Containing Fire Forbearing Heart Hold Holding Mention Mind Remember Shut Speak Tired Wearied Weary Word
Jump to Next
Able Anymore Bones Burning Contain Containing Fire Forbearing Heart Hold Holding Mention Mind Remember Shut Speak Tired Wearied Weary Word
Jeremiah 20
1. Pashur, smiting Jeremiah, receives a new name, and a fearful doom.
7. Jeremiah complains of contempt;
10. of treachery;
14. and of his birth.














(9) Then I said . . .--The sense of a hopeless work, destined to fail, weighed on the prophet's soul, and he would fain have withdrawn from it; but it (the words in italics, though they do not spoil the sense, are hardly needed) burnt like fire within him, and would not be restrained.

I could not stay.--Better, I prevailed not. Here again the interpolated word is needless, and in part spoils the emphasis. The "I could" is the same word as the "prevailed" of Jeremiah 20:7. God had prevailed against him, compelled him to undertake a work against his will, but he could not prevail against God. Like so much of Jeremiah's language this also came from the hymns of Israel (Psalm 39:3).

Verse 9. - Then I said, etc.; rather, And when I say, I will not make mention of him, etc., then it becometh (i.e. I am conscious of a feeling) in my heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones; and I weary myself to hold it in, but cannot. The prophet has repeatedly been tempted to withdraw from the painful duty, but his other and higher self (comp. 'Old Self and New Self' in the 'Lyra Apostolica') overpowers these lower bayings for peace and quiet. The fire of the Divine wrath against sin burns so fiercely within him that he cannot help resuming his work.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
If I say,
וְאָמַרְתִּ֣י (wə·’ā·mar·tî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“I will not
לֹֽא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

mention Him
אֶזְכְּרֶ֗נּוּ (’ez·kə·ren·nū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 2142: To mark, to remember, to mention, to be male

or speak
אֲדַבֵּ֥ר (’ă·ḏab·bêr)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 1696: To arrange, to speak, to subdue

any more
עוֹד֙ (‘ō·wḏ)
Adverb
Strong's 5750: Iteration, continuance, again, repeatedly, still, more

in His name,”
בִּשְׁמ֔וֹ (biš·mōw)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 8034: A name

[His message] becomes
וְהָיָ֤ה (wə·hā·yāh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

a fire
כְּאֵ֣שׁ (kə·’êš)
Preposition-k | Noun - common singular
Strong's 784: A fire

burning
בֹּעֶ֔רֶת (bō·‘e·reṯ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singular
Strong's 1197: To kindle, consume, to be, brutish

in my heart,
בְלִבִּי֙ (ḇə·lib·bî)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 3820: The heart, the feelings, the will, the intellect, centre

shut up
עָצֻ֖ר (‘ā·ṣur)
Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular
Strong's 6113: To inclose, to hold back, to maintain, rule, assemble

in my bones,
בְּעַצְמֹתָ֑י (bə·‘aṣ·mō·ṯāy)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 6106: A bone, the body, the substance, selfsame

and I become weary
וְנִלְאֵ֥יתִי (wə·nil·’ê·ṯî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 3811: To tire, to be, disgusted

of holding it in,
כַּֽלְכֵ֖ל (kal·ḵêl)
Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct
Strong's 3557: To keep in, to measure, to maintain

and I cannot
וְלֹ֥א (wə·lō)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

prevail.
אוּכָֽל׃ (’ū·ḵāl)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 3201: To be able, have power


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OT Prophets: Jeremiah 20:9 If I say I will not make (Jer.)
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