Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version My eyes fail from weeping, I am in torment within; my heart is poured out on the ground because my people are destroyed, because children and infants faint in the streets of the city. New Living Translation I have cried until the tears no longer come; my heart is broken. My spirit is poured out in agony as I see the desperate plight of my people. Little children and tiny babies are fainting and dying in the streets. English Standard Version My eyes are spent with weeping; my stomach churns; my bile is poured out to the ground because of the destruction of the daughter of my people, because infants and babies faint in the streets of the city. Berean Standard Bible My eyes fail from weeping; I am churning within. My heart is poured out in grief over the destruction of the daughter of my people, because children and infants faint in the streets of the city. Berean Literal Bible My eyes end in tears, my bowels are troubled; my liver is poured to the ground over the destruction of the daughter of my people, at the fainting of the infants and sucklings in the streets of the city! King James Bible Mine eyes do fail with tears, my bowels are troubled, my liver is poured upon the earth, for the destruction of the daughter of my people; because the children and the sucklings swoon in the streets of the city. New King James Version My eyes fail with tears, My heart is troubled; My bile is poured on the ground Because of the destruction of the daughter of my people, Because the children and the infants Faint in the streets of the city. New American Standard Bible My eyes fail because of tears, My spirit is greatly troubled; My heart is poured out on the earth Because of the destruction of the daughter of my people, When little ones and infants languish In the streets of the city. NASB 1995 My eyes fail because of tears, My spirit is greatly troubled; My heart is poured out on the earth Because of the destruction of the daughter of my people, When little ones and infants faint In the streets of the city. NASB 1977 My eyes fail because of tears, My spirit is greatly troubled; My heart is poured out on the earth, Because of the destruction of the daughter of my people, When little ones and infants faint In the streets of the city. Legacy Standard Bible My eyes fail because of tears; My inmost being is greatly disturbed; My heart is poured out on the earth Because of the destruction of the daughter of my people, When infants and nursing babies faint In the open squares of the city. Amplified Bible My eyes fail because of tears [mourns Jeremiah], My spirit is deeply disturbed; My heart is poured out on the earth [in grief] Because of the destruction of the daughter of my people [Jerusalem], When little ones and infants faint In the streets of the city. Berean Annotated Bible My eyes fail from weeping; I am churning within. My heart is poured out in grief over the destruction of the daughter of my people, because children and infants faint in the streets of the city. Christian Standard Bible My eyes are worn out from weeping; I am churning within. My heart is poured out in grief because of the destruction of my dear people, because infants and nursing babies faint in the streets of the city. Holman Christian Standard Bible My eyes are worn out from weeping; I am churning within. My heart is poured out in grief because of the destruction of my dear people, because children and infants faint in the streets of the city. American Standard Version Mine eyes do fail with tears, my heart is troubled; My liver is poured upon the earth, because of the destruction of the daughter of my people, Because the young children and the sucklings swoon in the streets of the city. Contemporary English Version My eyes are red from crying, my stomach is in knots, and I feel sick all over. My people are being wiped out, and children lie helpless in the streets of the city. English Revised Version Mine eyes do fail with tears, my bowels are troubled, my liver is poured upon the earth, for the destruction of the daughter of my people; because the young children and the sucklings swoon in the streets of the city. GOD'S WORD® Translation My eyes are worn out with tears. My stomach is churning. My heart is poured out on the ground because of the destruction of my people. Little children and infants faint in the city streets. Good News Translation My eyes are worn out with weeping; my soul is in anguish. I am exhausted with grief at the destruction of my people. Children and babies are fainting in the streets of the city. International Standard Version My eyes are worn out from crying, my insides are churning, My emotions pour out in grief because my people are destroyed— Children and infants faint in the streets of the city. NET Bible My eyes are worn out from weeping; my stomach is in knots. My heart is poured out on the ground due to the destruction of my helpless people; children and infants faint in the town squares. New Heart English Bible My eyes are worn out from weeping, my stomach is churning. My heart is poured on the earth, because of the destruction of the daughter of my people, because the young children and the infants faint in the streets of the city. Webster's Bible Translation My eyes do fail with tears, my bowels are troubled, my liver is poured upon the earth, for the destruction of the daughter of my people; because the children and the sucklings swoon in the streets of the city. Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleMy eyes fail from weeping; I am churning within. My heart is poured out in grief over the destruction of the daughter of my people, because children and infants faint in the streets of the city. World English Bible My eyes fail with tears. My heart is troubled. My bile is poured on the earth, because of the destruction of the daughter of my people, because the young children and the infants swoon in the streets of the city. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionMy eyes have been consumed by tears, "" My bowels have been troubled, "" My liver has been poured out to the earth, "" For the breach of the daughter of my people; In infant and suckling being feeble, "" In the broad places of the city, Berean Literal Bible My eyes end in tears, my bowels are troubled; my liver is poured to the ground over the destruction of the daughter of my people, at the fainting of the infants and sucklings in the streets of the city! Young's Literal Translation Consumed by tears have been my eyes, Troubled have been my bowels, Poured out to the earth hath been my liver, For the breach of the daughter of my people; In infant and suckling being feeble, In the broad places of the city, Smith's Literal Translation Mine eyes failed with tears, my bowels were in a ferment, my liver was poured out to the earth, upon the breaking of the daughter of my people; in the fainting of the child and suckling in the wide places of the city. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleCaph. My eyes have failed with weeping, my bowels are troubled: my liver is poured out upon the earth, for the destruction of the daughter of my people, when the children, and the sucklings, fainted away in the streets of the city. Catholic Public Domain Version CAPH. My eyes have exhausted their tears. My internal organs have become disturbed. My liver has been poured out on the earth, over the grief of the daughter of my people, when the little ones and the infants passed away in the streets of the town. New American Bible My eyes are spent with tears, my stomach churns; My bile is poured out on the ground at the brokenness of the daughter of my people, As children and infants collapse in the streets of the town. New Revised Standard Version My eyes are spent with weeping; my stomach churns; my bile is poured out on the ground because of the destruction of my people, because infants and babes faint in the streets of the city. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleMy eyes are dimmed with tears, my soul is disturbed, my pride is low to the ground, because of the destruction of the daughter of my people, because the little children and the babes faint in the streets of the city. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated Kaph My eyes grew dark with tears and my bowels were troubled. My glory is cast down to the ground because of the ruin of the house of my people, when the children and the babies were afflicted in the streets of the city OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917Mine eyes do fail with tears, Mine inwards burn, My liver is poured upon the earth, For the breach of the daughter of my people; Because the young children and the sucklings swoon In the broad places of the city. Brenton Septuagint Translation CHAPH. Mine eyes have failed with tears, my heart is troubled, my glory is cast down to the ground, for the destruction of the daughter of my people; while the infant and suckling swoon in the streets of the city. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context God's Anger over Jerusalem…10The elders of the Daughter of Zion sit on the ground in silence. They have thrown dust on their heads and put on sackcloth. The young women of Jerusalem have bowed their heads to the ground. 11My eyes fail from weeping; I am churning within. My heart is poured out in grief over the destruction of the daughter of my people, because children and infants faint in the streets of the city. 12They cry out to their mothers: “Where is the grain and wine?” as they faint like the wounded in the streets of the city, as their lives fade away in the arms of their mothers.… Cross References My eyes fail from weeping; Psalm 6:7 My eyes fail from grief; they grow dim because of all my foes. Psalm 119:136 My eyes shed streams of tears because Your law is not obeyed. Psalm 38:10 My heart pounds, my strength fails, and even the light of my eyes has faded. I am churning within. Job 30:27 I am churning within and cannot rest; days of affliction confront me. Jeremiah 8:18 My sorrow is beyond healing; my heart is faint within me. 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. My heart is poured out in grief Psalm 62:8 Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts before Him. God is our refuge. Selah 1 Samuel 1:15 “No, my lord,” Hannah replied. “I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have not had any wine or strong drink, but I have poured out my soul before the LORD. Psalm 42:4 These things come to mind as I pour out my soul: how I walked with the multitude, leading the festive procession to the house of God with shouts of joy and praise. over the destruction of the daughter of my people, Isaiah 22:4 Therefore I said, “Turn away from me, let me weep bitterly! Do not try to console me over the destruction of the daughter of my people.” Jeremiah 8:21 For the brokenness of the daughter of my people I am crushed. I mourn; horror has gripped me. Jeremiah 14:17 You are to speak this word to them: ‘My eyes overflow with tears; day and night they do not cease, for the virgin daughter of my people has been shattered by a crushing blow, a severely grievous wound. because children and infants faint in the streets of the city. Isaiah 51:20 Your sons have fainted; they lie at the head of every street, like an antelope in a net. They are full of the wrath of the LORD, the rebuke of your God. Nahum 3:10 Yet she became an exile; she went into captivity. Her infants were dashed to pieces at the head of every street. They cast lots for her dignitaries, and all her nobles were bound in chains. Jeremiah 9:21 For death has climbed in through our windows; it has entered our fortresses to cut off the children from the streets, the young men from the town squares. Jeremiah 9:1 Oh, that my head were a spring of water, and my eyes a fountain of tears! I would weep day and night over the slain daughter of my people. Treasury of Scripture My eyes do fail with tears, my bowels are troubled, my liver is poured on the earth, for the destruction of the daughter of my people; because the children and the sucklings swoon in the streets of the city. eyes Lamentations 1:16 For these things I weep; mine eye, mine eye runneth down with water, because the comforter that should relieve my soul is far from me: my children are desolate, because the enemy prevailed. Lamentations 3:48-51 Mine eye runneth down with rivers of water for the destruction of the daughter of my people… 1 Samuel 30:4 Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep. my bowels Lamentations 1:20 Behold, O LORD; for I am in distress: my bowels are troubled; mine heart is turned within me; for I have grievously rebelled: abroad the sword bereaveth, at home there is as death. Jeremiah 4:19 My bowels, my bowels! I am pained at my very heart; my heart maketh a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, because thou hast heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war. my liver Job 16:13 His archers compass me round about, he cleaveth my reins asunder, and doth not spare; he poureth out my gall upon the ground. Psalm 22:14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels. for Lamentations 4:10 The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children: they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people. Isaiah 22:4 Therefore said I, Look away from me; I will weep bitterly, labour not to comfort me, because of the spoiling of the daughter of my people. Jeremiah 8:19-22 Behold the voice of the cry of the daughter of my people because of them that dwell in a far country: Is not the LORD in Zion? is not her king in her? Why have they provoked me to anger with their graven images, and with strange vanities? … because Lamentations 2:19,20 Arise, cry out in the night: in the beginning of the watches pour out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord: lift up thy hands toward him for the life of thy young children, that faint for hunger in the top of every street… Lamentations 4:3,4,9,10 Even the sea monsters draw out the breast, they give suck to their young ones: the daughter of my people is become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness… Luke 23:29 For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck. swoon or faint Jump to Previous Babes Bowels Broad Children City Daughter Destruction Earth Eyes Fail Faint Grief Ground Heart Infants Inwards Liver Ones Places Poured Soul Spent Spirit Streets Sucklings Swoon Tears Torment Troubled Tumult Weeping Within YoungJump to Next Babes Bowels Broad Children City Daughter Destruction Earth Eyes Fail Faint Grief Ground Heart Infants Inwards Liver Ones Places Poured Soul Spent Spirit Streets Sucklings Swoon Tears Torment Troubled Tumult Weeping Within YoungLamentations 2 1. Jeremiah laments the misery of Jerusalem20. He complains thereof to God My eyes fail from weeping; This phrase reflects the deep sorrow and relentless mourning experienced by the prophet Jeremiah. The imagery of failing eyes suggests an overwhelming amount of tears, indicating profound grief. In the context of Lamentations, this weeping is due to the destruction of Jerusalem and the suffering of its people. The Bible often uses the metaphor of weeping to express deep emotional pain, as seen in Psalm 6:6 and Jeremiah 9:1. The physical exhaustion from crying underscores the intensity of the lament. I am churning within. My heart is poured out in grief over the destruction of the daughter of my people, because children and infants faint in the streets of the city. Persons / Places / Events 1. Jeremiah- Traditionally considered the author of Lamentations, Jeremiah is known as the "weeping prophet" due to his deep sorrow over the destruction of Jerusalem and the suffering of his people. 2. Jerusalem - The city that has been destroyed, leading to the lament expressed in this verse. It was the center of Jewish worship and identity. 3. The Daughter of My People - A poetic expression referring to the people of Jerusalem, emphasizing their vulnerability and the prophet's deep connection to them. 4. Children and Infants - Represent the most vulnerable members of society, whose suffering is particularly poignant and heartbreaking. 5. The Streets of the City - Symbolize the public and visible nature of the suffering, as well as the complete breakdown of societal order. Teaching Points The Depth of GriefThe verse illustrates the profound grief that can accompany witnessing the suffering and destruction of one's community. It is a reminder of the emotional depth that comes with true compassion and empathy. The Consequences of Sin The destruction of Jerusalem serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of turning away from God. It calls believers to reflect on the importance of faithfulness and obedience. The Vulnerability of the Innocent The mention of children and infants highlights the impact of societal sin on the most vulnerable. It challenges believers to protect and care for those who cannot defend themselves. The Role of Lament in Faith Lamentations teaches that expressing grief and sorrow is a valid and important part of faith. It encourages believers to bring their deepest pains before God. Hope Amidst Despair While the verse is filled with sorrow, the broader context of Lamentations points to the hope that can be found in God's faithfulness, even in the darkest times. Bible Study Questions and Answers 1. What is the meaning of Lamentations 2:11?2. How does Lamentations 2:11 illustrate the depth of Jeremiah's sorrow and compassion? 3. What can we learn about God's judgment from Lamentations 2:11? 4. How does Jeremiah's grief in Lamentations 2:11 connect to Jesus' compassion in Matthew 23:37? 5. How can we apply Jeremiah's response to suffering in our own lives today? 6. In what ways can we support others experiencing deep sorrow, as seen in Lamentations 2:11? 7. How does Lamentations 2:11 reflect God's response to human suffering and sin? 8. What historical events led to the lament in Lamentations 2:11? 9. How does Lamentations 2:11 challenge our understanding of divine justice? 10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Lamentations 2? 11. What defines the essence of tragedy? 12. What does Psalm 137:9 mean about dashing babies? 13. Lamentations 5:2 depicts a Jerusalem left desolate--do archaeological findings fully align with the extent of destruction described? 14. Lamentations 2:3 - Why would the Almighty break His own chosen nation's defenses with apparent ease, and does history corroborate this level of destruction? What Does Lamentations 2:11 Mean My eyes fail from weeping• The prophet’s tears have become so constant that his eyesight blurs—grief has literally worn out his eyes. • Psalm 6:6, “I am weary with my groaning; all night I flood my bed with weeping,” shows the same exhausting sorrow. • His tears are not self-pity; they are love-driven. Jeremiah mourns over sin and its consequences, mirroring the Lord who “does not willingly afflict” (Lamentations 3:33). • We are reminded that righteous grief notices what breaks God’s heart and refuses to look away. I am churning within • The phrase pictures visceral anxiety—his stomach is in knots. • Job 30:27 echoes: “My heart is in turmoil and cannot rest.” • God created us with emotions; here they testify to the seriousness of Judah’s fall. • Inner agitation also warns us not to grow numb to evil. When conscience is alive, sin hurts. My heart is poured out in grief over the destruction of the daughter of my people • “Poured out” suggests total emotional depletion—nothing held back. • Jeremiah 8:21, “I am crushed for the brokenness of the daughter of my people,” confirms his identification with them. • The “destruction” is historical: Jerusalem’s walls breached, temple burned (2 Kings 25). Yet it is also moral—covenant rebellion led here (Deuteronomy 28:15–68). • God’s prophet stands in the gap, feeling both divine sorrow and national shame, pointing toward Christ who would later weep over the same city (Luke 19:41). because children and infants faint in the streets of the city • The suffering has reached the most vulnerable. Nothing exposes judgment’s horror more starkly than little ones collapsing for lack of food (Lamentations 2:12 continues the scene). • Hosea 9:13 warns that when a nation sows iniquity, “Ephraim will bring out their children to the slayer.” Sin always spills onto the innocent. • Jesus’ heart for children—“Let the little children come to Me” (Mark 10:14)—shows that whenever they languish, heaven grieves. • The verse presses believers to defend and care for the defenseless while calling society back to the Lord who alone protects. summary Lamentations 2:11 paints a multi-layered portrait of holy grief: eyes exhausted by tears, guts twisted with anguish, a heart emptied out for a ruined people, and a vision of helpless children bearing the fallout of sin. The prophet’s sorrow reflects God’s own heartbreak, reminding us that divine judgment is never detached or indifferent. It urges us to take sin seriously, feel compassion deeply, and intercede fervently for our communities, knowing that the same Lord who disciplines also delights to restore all who return to Him. (11) My liver is poured upon the earth . . .--The phrase is not found elsewhere, but admits of an easy explanation. The "liver," like the "heart" and the "bowels," is thought of as the centre of all intense emotions, both of joy or sorrow (Proverbs 7:23). As such it is represented as giving way without restraint (comp. Lamentations 2:19), under the pressure of the horror caused by the calamities which the next words paint, by the starving children who fainted for hunger in the streets of the city.Verse 11. - My bowels are troubled (see on Lamentations 1:20). My liver is poured upon the earth. A violent emotion being supposed to occasion a copious discharge of bile. The daughter of my people. A poetic expression for Zion or Judah.Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew My eyesעֵינַי֙ (‘ê·nay) Noun - cdc | first person common singular Strong's 5869: An eye, a fountain fail כָּל֨וּ (kā·lū) Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural Strong's 3615: To be complete, at an end, finished, accomplished, or spent from weeping; בַדְּמָע֤וֹת (ḇad·də·mā·‘ō·wṯ) Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine plural Strong's 1832: Tears (of one weeping) I am churning חֳמַרְמְר֣וּ (ḥo·mar·mə·rū) Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person common plural Strong's 2560: To boil up, to ferment, to glow, to smear with pitch within. מֵעַ֔י (mê·‘ay) Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular Strong's 4578: The intestines, the abdomen, sympathy, a vest, the stomach, the uterus, the heart My heart כְּבֵדִ֔י (kə·ḇê·ḏî) Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular Strong's 3516: The liver is poured out נִשְׁפַּ֤ךְ (niš·paḵ) Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 8210: To spill forth, to expend, to sprawl out in grief לָאָ֙רֶץ֙ (lā·’ā·reṣ) Preposition-l, Article | Noun - feminine singular Strong's 776: Earth, land over עַל־ (‘al-) Preposition Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against the destruction שֶׁ֖בֶר (še·ḇer) Noun - masculine singular construct Strong's 7667: A breaking, fracture, crushing, breach, crash of the daughter בַּת־ (baṯ-) Noun - feminine singular construct Strong's 1323: A daughter of my people, עַמִּ֑י (‘am·mî) Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock because children עוֹלֵל֙ (‘ō·w·lêl) Noun - masculine singular Strong's 5768: A suckling and infants וְיוֹנֵ֔ק (wə·yō·w·nêq) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular Strong's 3243: To suck, to give milk faint בֵּֽעָטֵ֤ף (bê·‘ā·ṭêp̄) Preposition-b | Verb - Nifal - Infinitive construct Strong's 5848: To shroud, clothe, to languish in the streets בִּרְחֹב֖וֹת (bir·ḥō·ḇō·wṯ) Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct Strong's 7339: A broad open place, plaza of the city. קִרְיָֽה׃ (qir·yāh) Noun - feminine singular Strong's 7151: A town, city Links Lamentations 2:11 NIVLamentations 2:11 NLT Lamentations 2:11 ESV Lamentations 2:11 NASB Lamentations 2:11 KJV Lamentations 2:11 BibleApps.com Lamentations 2:11 Biblia Paralela Lamentations 2:11 Chinese Bible Lamentations 2:11 French Bible Lamentations 2:11 Catholic Bible OT Prophets: Lamentations 2:11 My eyes do fail with tears my (Lam. La Lm) |
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