Jeremiah 9 Parallel Bible Translations

Jeremiah 9 ▼
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1 |Oh, that my head were a spring of water, and my eyes a fountain of tears, for then I would cry day and night for those of my people who have been killed. Oh that 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! Oh, that my head were a spring of water and my eyes a fountain of tears! I would weep day and night for the slain of my people.
2 Oh, that I had a lodging place for travelers in the desert, so that I could leave my people and go away from them. For all of them are adulterers, a band of traitors. Oh that I had in the desert a travelers’ lodging place, that I might leave my people and go away from them! For they are all adulterers, a company of treacherous men. Oh, that I had in the desert a lodging place for travelers, so that I might leave my people and go away from them; for they are all adulterers, a crowd of unfaithful people.
3 They use their tongues like a bow. Lies rather than truth fly throughout the land. They progress from one evil to another, and they don't know me,| declares the LORD. They bend their tongue like a bow; falsehood and not truth has grown strong in the land; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they do not know me, declares the LORD. “They make ready their tongue like a bow, to shoot lies; it is not by truth that they triumph in the land. They go from one sin to another; they do not acknowledge me,” declares the LORD.
4 |Beware of your neighbors, and don't trust any of your relatives. For all of your relatives act deceitfully, and every friend goes around as a slanderer. Let everyone beware of his neighbor, and put no trust in any brother, for every brother is a deceiver, and every neighbor goes about as a slanderer. “Beware of your friends; do not trust anyone in your clan. For every one of them is a deceiver, and every friend a slanderer.
5 People deceive their friends, and they don't tell the truth. They have taught their tongues to tell lies. They exhaust themselves practicing evil. Everyone deceives his neighbor, and no one speaks the truth; they have taught their tongue to speak lies; they weary themselves committing iniquity. Friend deceives friend, and no one speaks the truth. They have taught their tongues to lie; they weary themselves with sinning.
6 You yourself live in the midst of deception, and because they are deceived they do not know me,| declares the LORD. Heaping oppression upon oppression, and deceit upon deceit, they refuse to know me, declares the LORD. You live in the midst of deception; in their deceit they refuse to acknowledge me,” declares the LORD.
7 Therefore, this is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies says: |Look, I'm about to refine and test them. Because they're my people, what else can I do? Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts: “Behold, I will refine them and test them, for what else can I do, because of my people? Therefore this is what the LORD Almighty says: “See, I will refine and test them, for what else can I do because of the sin of my people?
8 Their tongue is a deadly arrow that speaks deceit. With his mouth a person says, 'Peace,' to his friend, but inwardly he sets a trap for him. Their tongue is a deadly arrow; it speaks deceitfully; with his mouth each speaks peace to his neighbor, but in his heart he plans an ambush for him. Their tongue is a deadly arrow; it speaks deceitfully. With their mouths they all speak cordially to their neighbors, but in their hearts they set traps for them.
9 Should I not punish them for these things?| asks the LORD, |and should I not avenge myself on a nation like this?| Shall I not punish them for these things? declares the LORD, and shall I not avenge myself on a nation such as this? Should I not punish them for this?” declares the LORD. “Should I not avenge myself on such a nation as this?”
10 I'll weep and mourn for the mountains, and lament for the desert pastures, because they are desolate and no one passes through them. They don't hear the lowing of the cattle. Both the birds of the sky and the animals have fled. They're gone! “I will take up weeping and wailing for the mountains, and a lamentation for the pastures of the wilderness, because they are laid waste so that no one passes through, and the lowing of cattle is not heard; both the birds of the air and the beasts have fled and are gone. I will weep and wail for the mountains and take up a lament concerning the wilderness grasslands. They are desolate and untraveled, and the lowing of cattle is not heard. The birds have all fled and the animals are gone.
11 |I'll make Jerusalem a heap of ruins, a refuge for jackals. I'll make the towns of Judah desolate, without inhabitants.| I will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins, a lair of jackals, and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation, without inhabitant.” “I will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins, a haunt of jackals; and I will lay waste the towns of Judah so no one can live there.”
12 Who is the wise person who understands this, and to whom has the LORD spoken so that he may declare it? Why is the land destroyed, ruined like the desert, without anyone passing through it? Who is the man so wise that he can understand this? To whom has the mouth of the LORD spoken, that he may declare it? Why is the land ruined and laid waste like a wilderness, so that no one passes through? Who is wise enough to understand this? Who has been instructed by the LORD and can explain it? Why has the land been ruined and laid waste like a desert that no one can cross?
13 The LORD said, |It is because they have forsaken my Law that I gave them. They didn't obey me and didn't live according to it. And the LORD says: “Because they have forsaken my law that I set before them, and have not obeyed my voice or walked in accord with it, The LORD said, “It is because they have forsaken my law, which I set before them; they have not obeyed me or followed my law.
14 Instead, they followed their rebellious hearts and the Baals, as their ancestors taught them.| but have stubbornly followed their own hearts and have gone after the Baals, as their fathers taught them. Instead, they have followed the stubbornness of their hearts; they have followed the Baals, as their ancestors taught them.”
15 Therefore, this is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies, the God of Israel, says: |Look, I'll make these people eat wormwood and drink poisoned water. Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will feed this people with bitter food, and give them poisonous water to drink. Therefore this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “See, I will make this people eat bitter food and drink poisoned water.
16 I'll scatter them among nations that neither they nor their ancestors have known, and I'll pursue them with the sword until I've finished them off.| I will scatter them among the nations whom neither they nor their fathers have known, and I will send the sword after them, until I have consumed them.” I will scatter them among nations that neither they nor their ancestors have known, and I will pursue them with the sword until I have made an end of them.”
17 This is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies says: |Think about what I'm saying! Indeed, call out the professional mourners! Send for the best of them to come. Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Consider, and call for the mourning women to come; send for the skillful women to come; This is what the LORD Almighty says: “Consider now! Call for the wailing women to come; send for the most skillful of them.
18 Let them hurry and lament for us. Let tears run down from our eyes, and let our eyelids flow with water. let them make haste and raise a wailing over us, that our eyes may run down with tears and our eyelids flow with water. Let them come quickly and wail over us till our eyes overflow with tears and water streams from our eyelids.
19 For a sound of mourning is heard from Zion: 'How we're ruined! Our shame is very great, because we have left the land, because our houses are torn down.'| For a sound of wailing is heard from Zion: ‘How we are ruined! We are utterly shamed, because we have left the land, because they have cast down our dwellings.’” The sound of wailing is heard from Zion: ‘How ruined we are! How great is our shame! We must leave our land because our houses are in ruins.’”
20 |Now, you women, hear the message from the LORD; listen to what he has to say! Teach your daughters how to mourn, let every woman teach her friend how to lament. Hear, O women, the word of the LORD, and let your ear receive the word of his mouth; teach to your daughters a lament, and each to her neighbor a dirge. Now, you women, hear the word of the LORD; open your ears to the words of his mouth. Teach your daughters how to wail; teach one another a lament.
21 For death comes up through our windows; it has come into our palaces to eliminate children from the streets and young men from the town squares. For death has come up into our windows; it has entered our palaces, cutting off the children from the streets and the young men from the squares. Death has climbed in through our windows and has entered our fortresses; it has removed the children from the streets and the young men from the public squares.
22 Speak! 'This is what the LORD says: |The corpses of people will fall like dung on the surface of the field, and like a row of cut grain behind the harvester when there is no one to gather it.|'| Speak: “Thus declares the LORD, ‘The dead bodies of men shall fall like dung upon the open field, like sheaves after the reaper, and none shall gather them.’” Say, “This is what the LORD declares: “’Dead bodies will lie like dung on the open field, like cut grain behind the reaper, with no one to gather them.’”
23 This is what the LORD says: |The wise man is not to boast in his wisdom; the strong man is not to boast in his strength; and the rich man is not to boast in his riches. Thus says the LORD: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, This is what the LORD says: “Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches,
24 Rather, let the one who boasts, boast in this: that he understands and knows me, for I am the LORD who acts with gracious love, justice, and righteousness in the land. I delight in these things,| declares the LORD. but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.” but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” declares the LORD.
25 |Look, days are coming,| declares the LORD, |when I'll punish all who are circumcised only in the flesh: “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will punish all those who are circumcised merely in the flesh— “The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will punish all who are circumcised only in the flesh—
26 Egypt, Judah, Edom, the people of Ammon, Moab, all those who live in the desert and shave the corners of their beard; indeed all the other nations that are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel that is uncircumcised of heart.| Egypt, Judah, Edom, the sons of Ammon, Moab, and all who dwell in the desert who cut the corners of their hair, for all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in heart.” Egypt, Judah, Edom, Ammon, Moab and all who live in the wilderness in distant places. For all these nations are really uncircumcised, and even the whole house of Israel is uncircumcised in heart.”
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