1[1] 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! (Jer 8:21; Jer 13:17)2[2] 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. (Isa 21:2; Jer 5:7; Jer 23:10; Ho 7:4)3They bend their tongue like a bow; falsehood and not truth has grown strong[3] in the land; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they do not know me, declares the Lord. (Jud 2:10; Ps 64:3; Ho 4:1)4Let 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. (Ge 27:36; Le 19:16; Ps 41:9; Jer 6:28; Jer 12:6; Mic 7:5)5Everyone deceives his neighbor, and no one speaks the truth; they have taught their tongue to speak lies; they weary themselves committing iniquity.6Heaping oppression upon oppression, and deceit upon deceit, they refuse to know me, declares the Lord. (Jer 8:5)7Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts: “Behold, I will refine them and test them, for what else can I do, because of my people? (Isa 1:25; Jer 6:27; Jer 8:21)8Their 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. (Ps 12:2; Ps 28:3; Ps 57:4; Ps 120:3; Ho 7:6)9Shall I not punish them for these things? declares the Lord, and shall I not avenge myself on a nation such as this? (Jer 5:9; Jer 5:29)10“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. (Ps 65:12; Jer 4:25; Jer 9:12; Jer 12:4)11I will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins, a lair of jackals, and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation, without inhabitant.” (Isa 25:2; Jer 10:22; Jer 34:22; Jer 44:6; Jer 49:33; Jer 51:37)12Who 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? (Ps 107:43; Jer 9:10; Jer 23:18; Ho 14:9)13And 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, (Ps 89:30)14but have stubbornly followed their own hearts and have gone after the Baals, as their fathers taught them. (Jer 3:17)15Therefore 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. (De 29:18; Ps 80:5; Jer 8:14)16I 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.” (Le 26:33; De 28:64; Jer 14:12; Jer 15:14; Jer 49:37; Eze 5:2; Eze 5:12)17Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Consider, and call for the mourning women to come; send for the skillful women to come; (2Ch 35:25)18let them make haste and raise a wailing over us, that our eyes may run down with tears and our eyelids flow with water. (Jer 9:1; Jer 14:17; Am 5:16; Mt 9:23; Mr 5:38)19For 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.’” (Jer 4:13)20Hear, 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.21For 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. (Jer 6:11)22Speak: “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.’” (Le 23:22; Job 5:26; Jer 8:2)23Thus 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, (Pr 3:5; Pr 21:30; Ec 9:11)24but 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.” (Ps 34:2; Mic 6:8; Mic 7:18; 1Co 1:31; 2Co 10:17)25“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will punish all those who are circumcised merely in the flesh— (Isa 24:21)26Egypt, 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.” (Le 19:27; Le 26:41; De 10:16; Jer 4:4; Jer 25:19; Jer 25:23; Jer 49:32; Eze 44:7; Ro 2:28)
Jeremiah 9
New International Version
1[1] 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.2Oh, that I had in the desert a lodging place for travellers, so that I might leave my people and go away from them; for they are all adulterers, a crowd of unfaithful people.3‘They make ready their tongue like a bow, to shoot lies; it is not by truth that they triumph[2] in the land. They go from one sin to another; they do not acknowledge me,’ declares the Lord.4‘Beware of your friends; do not trust anyone in your clan. For every one of them is a deceiver,[3] and every friend a slanderer.5Friend deceives friend, and no-one speaks the truth. They have taught their tongues to lie; they weary themselves with sinning.6You[4] live in the midst of deception; in their deceit they refuse to acknowledge me,’ declares the Lord.7Therefore 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?8Their tongue is a deadly arrow; it speaks deceitfully. With their mouths they all speak cordially to their neighbours, but in their hearts they set traps for them.9Should I not punish them for this?’ declares the Lord. ‘Should I not avenge myself on such a nation as this?’10I will weep and wail for the mountains and take up a lament concerning the wilderness grasslands. They are desolate and untravelled, and the lowing of cattle is not heard. The birds have all fled and the animals are gone.11‘I will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins, a haunt of jackals; and I will lay waste the towns of Judah so that no-one can live there.’12Who 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?13The Lord said, ‘It is because they have forsaken my law, which I set before them; they have not obeyed me or followed my law.14Instead, they have followed the stubbornness of their hearts; they have followed the Baals, as their ancestors taught them.’15Therefore this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘See, I will make this people eat bitter food and drink poisoned water.16I 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.’17This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Consider now! Call for the wailing women to come; send for the most skilful of them.18Let them come quickly and wail over us till our eyes overflow with tears and water streams from our eyelids.19The 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.” ’20Now, 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.21Death 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.22Say, ‘This is what the Lord declares: ‘ “Dead bodies will lie like dung on the open field, like cut corn behind the reaper, with no-one to gather them.” ’23This 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,24but 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‘The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will punish all who are circumcised only in the flesh –26Egypt, Judah, Edom, Ammon, Moab and all who live in the wilderness in distant places.[5] For all these nations are really uncircumcised, and even the whole house of Israel is uncircumcised in heart.’
Jeremiah 9
King James Version
1Oh that my head were waters, and mine 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 of wayfaring men; that I might leave my people, and go from them! for they be all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men.3And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies: but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the LORD.4Take ye heed every one of his neighbour, and trust ye not in any brother: for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbour will walk with slanders.5And they will deceive every one his neighbour, and will not speak the truth: they have taught their tongue to speak lies, and weary themselves to commit iniquity.6Thine habitation is in the midst of deceit; through deceit they refuse to know me, saith the LORD.7Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, I will melt them, and try them; for how shall I do for the daughter of my people?8Their tongue is as an arrow shot out; it speaketh deceit: one speaketh peaceably to his neighbour with his mouth, but in heart he layeth his wait.9Shall I not visit them for these things ? saith the LORD: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?10For the mountains will I take up a weeping and wailing, and for the habitations of the wilderness a lamentation, because they are burned up, so that none can pass through them ; neither can men hear the voice of the cattle; both the fowl of the heavens and the beast are fled; they are gone.11And I will make Jerusalem heaps, and a den of dragons; and I will make the cities of Judah desolate, without an inhabitant.12Who is the wise man, that may understand this? and who is he to whom the mouth of the LORD hath spoken, that he may declare it, for what the land perisheth and is burned up like a wilderness, that none passeth through?13And the LORD saith, Because they have forsaken my law which I set before them, and have not obeyed my voice, neither walked therein;14But have walked after the imagination of their own heart, and after Baalim, which their fathers taught them:15Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will feed them, even this people, with wormwood, and give them water of gall to drink.16I will scatter them also among the heathen, whom neither they nor their fathers have known: and I will send a sword after them, till I have consumed them.17Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Consider ye, and call for the mourning women, that they may come; and send for cunning women , that they may come:18And let them make haste, and take up a wailing for us, that our eyes may run down with tears, and our eyelids gush out with waters.19For a voice of wailing is heard out of Zion, How are we spoiled! we are greatly confounded, because we have forsaken the land, because our dwellings have cast us out.20Yet hear the word of the LORD, O ye women, and let your ear receive the word of his mouth, and teach your daughters wailing, and every one her neighbour lamentation.21For death is come up into our windows, and is entered into our palaces, to cut off the children from without, and the young men from the streets.22Speak, Thus saith the LORD, Even the carcases of men shall fall as dung upon the open field, and as the handful after the harvestman, and none shall gather them .23Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:24But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.25Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will punish all them which are circumcised with the uncircumcised;26Egypt, and Judah, and Edom, and the children of Ammon, and Moab, and all that are in the utmost corners, that dwell in the wilderness: for all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in the heart.
Jeremiah 9
New International Reader’s Version
1I wish my head were a spring of water! I wish my eyes were a fountain of tears! I would weep day and night for my people who have been killed.2I wish I had somewhere to go in the desert where a traveller could stay! Then I could leave my people. I could get away from them. All of them commit adultery by worshipping other gods. They aren’t faithful to the LORD.3‘They get ready to use their tongues like bows,’ announces the LORD. ‘Their mouths shoot out lies like arrows. They tell lies to gain power in the land. They go from one sin to another. They do not pay any attention to me.4Be on guard against your friends. Do not trust the members of your own family. Every one of them cheats. Every friend tells lies.5One friend cheats another. No one tells the truth. They have taught their tongues how to lie. They wear themselves out sinning.6Jeremiah, you live among people who tell lies. When they lie, they refuse to pay any attention to me,’ announces the LORD.7So the LORD who rules over all says, ‘I will put them through the fire to test them. What else can I do? My people are so sinful!8Their tongues are like deadly arrows. They tell lies. With their mouths all of them speak kindly to their neighbours. But in their hearts they set traps for them.9Shouldn’t I punish them for this?’ announces the LORD. ‘Shouldn’t I pay back the nation that does these things?’10I will cry and mourn over the mountains. I will sing a song of sadness about the desert grasslands. They are dry and empty. No one travels through them. The mooing of cattle isn’t heard there. The birds have flown away. All the animals are gone.11The LORD says, ‘I will knock down all of Jerusalem’s buildings. I will make it a home for wild dogs. The towns of Judah will be completely destroyed. No one will be able to live in them.’12Who is wise enough to understand these things? Who has been taught by the LORD? Who can explain them? Why has the land been destroyed so completely? Why has it become like a desert that no one can go across?13The LORD answered me, ‘Because my people have turned away from my law. I gave it to them. But they have not kept it. They have not obeyed me.14Instead, they have done what their stubborn hearts wanted them to do. They have worshipped the gods that are named Baal. They have done what their people have taught them to do through the years.’15So now the LORD who rules over all speaks. He is the God of Israel. He says, ‘I will make these people eat bitter food. I will make them drink poisoned water.16I will scatter them among the nations. They and their people before them didn’t know about these nations. With swords I will chase these people. I will hunt them down until I have destroyed them.’17The LORD rules over all. He says, ‘Here is something I want you to think about. Send for the women who mourn for the dead. Send for the most skilled among them.’18Let them come quickly and weep for us. Let them cry until tears flow from our eyes. Let them weep until water pours out of our eyes.19People are heard weeping in Zion. They are saying, ‘We are destroyed! We are filled with shame! We must leave our land. Our houses have been torn down.’20You women, hear the LORD’s message. Listen to what he’s saying. Teach your daughters how to mourn for the dead. Teach one another a song of sadness.21Death has climbed in through our windows. It has entered our forts. Death has removed the children from the streets. It has taken the young men out of the market.22Say, ‘The LORD announces, ‘ “Dead bodies will be like human waste lying in the open fields. They will lie there like corn that is cut down at harvest time. No one will gather them up.” ’23The LORD says, ‘Do not let wise people boast about how wise they are. Do not let strong people boast about how strong they are. Do not let rich people boast about how rich they are.24But here is what the one who boasts should boast about. They should boast that they have the understanding to know me. I want them to know that I am the LORD. No matter what I do on earth, I am always kind, fair and right. And I take delight in this,’ announces the LORD.25‘The days are coming when I will judge people,’ announces the LORD. ‘I will punish all those who are circumcised only in their bodies.26That includes the people of Egypt, Judah, Edom, Ammon and Moab. It also includes all those who live in the desert in places far away. None of the people in these nations is really circumcised. And not even the people of Israel are circumcised in their hearts.’