Jeremiah 15

Jeremiah · Chapter 15

Jeremiah 15:18

1Then said the LORD unto me, Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my mind could not be toward this people: cast them out of my sight, and let them go forth.2And it shall come to pass, if they say unto thee, Whither shall we go forth? then thou shalt tell them, Thus saith the LORD; Such as are for death, to death; and such as are for the sword, to the sword; and such as are for the famine, to the famine; and such as are for the captivity, to the captivity.3And I will appoint over them four kinds, saith the LORD: the sword to slay, and the dogs to tear, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the earth, to devour and destroy.4And I will cause them to be removed into all kingdoms of the earth, because of Manasseh the son of Hezekiah king of Judah, for that which he did in Jerusalem.5For who shall have pity upon thee, O Jerusalem? or who shall bemoan thee? or who shall go aside to ask how thou doest?6Thou hast forsaken me, saith the LORD, thou art gone backward: therefore will I stretch out my hand against thee, and destroy thee; I am weary with repenting.7And I will fan them with a fan in the gates of the land; I will bereave them of children, I will destroy my people, since they return not from their ways.8Their widows are increased to me above the sand of the seas: I have brought upon them against the mother of the young men a spoiler at noonday: I have caused him to fall upon it suddenly, and terrors upon the city.9She that hath borne seven languisheth: she hath given up the ghost; her sun is gone down while it was yet day: she hath been ashamed and confounded: and the residue of them will I deliver to the sword before their enemies, saith the LORD.10Woe is me, my mother, that thou hast borne me a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth! I have neither lent on usury, nor men have lent to me on usury; yet every one of them doth curse me.11The LORD said, Verily it shall be well with thy remnant; verily I will cause the enemy to entreat thee well in the time of evil and in the time of affliction.12Shall iron break the northern iron and the steel?13Thy substance and thy treasures will I give to the spoil without price, and that for all thy sins, even in all thy borders.14And I will make thee to pass with thine enemies into a land which thou knowest not: for a fire is kindled in mine anger, which shall burn upon you.15O LORD, thou knowest: remember me, and visit me, and revenge me of my persecutors; take me not away in thy longsuffering: know that for thy sake I have suffered rebuke.16Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.17I sat not in the assembly of the mockers, nor rejoiced; I sat alone because of thy hand: for thou hast filled me with indignation.18Why 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?19Therefore thus saith the LORD, If thou return, then will I bring thee again, and thou shalt stand before me: and if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth: let them return unto thee; but return not thou unto them.20And I will make thee unto this people a fenced brasen wall: and they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee: for I am with thee to save thee and to deliver thee, saith the LORD.21And I will deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem thee out of the hand of the terrible.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
18Why 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?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.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?

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
to why?לָ֣מָּהLA-mahH4100
what

מָא (ma) 1) what, whatever 1a) what? 1b) whatever, what, whatsoever 1c) how?, why?, wherefore? (with prefixes)

is itהָיָ֤הha-YAHH1961
to be

הָיָה (ha.yah) 1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out 1a) (Qal) 1a1) --- 1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass 1a1b) to come about, come to pass 1a2) to come into being, become 1a2a) to arise, appear, come 1a2b) to become 1a2b1) to become 1a2b2) to become like 1a2b3) to be instituted, be established 1a3) to be 1a3a) to exist, be in existence 1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time) 1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality) 1a3d) to accompany, be with 1b) (Niphal) …

pain myכְאֵבִי֙khe-'e-VIH3511
pain

כְּאֵב (ke.ev) pain (mental and physical), sorrow

perpetuityנֶ֔צַחNE-tzachH5331
perpetuity

נֵ֫צַח (ne.tsach) 1) eminence, perpetuity, strength, victory, enduring, everlastingness 1a) eminence 1b) enduring of life 1c) endurance in time, perpetual, continual, unto the end 1d) everlastingness, ever

and wound myוּמַכָּתִ֖יu-ma-ka-TIH4347
wound

מַכָּה (mak.kah) 1) blow, wound, slaughter 1a) blow, stripe 1b) beating, scourging 1c) wound 1d) slaughter 1e) defeat, conquest 1f) plague

incurableאֲנוּשָׁ֑ה֙'a-nu-SHAHH0605
be incurable

אָנַשׁ (a.nash) 1) to be weak, sick, frail 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to be incurable 1a2) to be sick 1a3) desperate, incurable, desperately wicked, woeful, very sick (pass participle) (metaph.) 1b) (Niphal) to be sick

it has refusedמֵֽאֲנָה֙me-'a-NAHH3985
to refuse

מָאֵן (ma.en) (Piel) to refuse

to be healedהֵֽרָפֵ֔אhe-ra-FE'H7495
to heal

רָפָא (ra.pah) 1) to heal, make healthful 1a) (Qal) to heal 1a1) of God 1a2) healer, physician (of men) 1a3) of hurts of nations involving restored favour (fig) 1a4) of individual distresses (fig) 1b) (Niphal) to be healed 1b1) literal (of persons) 1b2) of water, pottery 1b3) of national hurts (fig) 1b4) of personal distress (fig) 1c) (Piel) to heal 1c1) literal 1c2) of national defects or hurts (fig) 1d) (Hithpael) in order to get healed (infinitive)

certainly to beingהָי֨וֹha-YOH1961
to be

הָיָה (ha.yah) 1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out 1a) (Qal) 1a1) --- 1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass 1a1b) to come about, come to pass 1a2) to come into being, become 1a2a) to arise, appear, come 1a2b) to become 1a2b1) to become 1a2b2) to become like 1a2b3) to be instituted, be established 1a3) to be 1a3a) to exist, be in existence 1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time) 1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality) 1a3d) to accompany, be with 1b) (Niphal) …

you areתִֽהְיֶ֥הtih-YEHH1961
to be

הָיָה (ha.yah) 1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out 1a) (Qal) 1a1) --- 1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass 1a1b) to come about, come to pass 1a2) to come into being, become 1a2a) to arise, appear, come 1a2b) to become 1a2b1) to become 1a2b2) to become like 1a2b3) to be instituted, be established 1a3) to be 1a3a) to exist, be in existence 1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time) 1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality) 1a3d) to accompany, be with 1b) (Niphal) …

likeכְּמ֣וֹke-MOH3644G
like

כְּמוֹ (ke.mo) adv 1) like, as, the like of which conj 2) when, according as, as it were

a deceitful thingאַכְזָ֔ב'akh-ZAVH0391
deceptive

אַכְזָב (akh.zav) deceitful, treacherous, deception, lie, deceptive, disappointing

watersמַ֖יִםMA-yimH4325G
water

מַי (ma.yim) 1) water, waters 1a) water 1b) water of the feet, urine 1c) of danger, violence, transitory things, refreshment (fig.)

[which] notלֹ֥אlo'H3808
not

לֹא (lo) 1) not, no 1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition) 1b) not (with modifier-negation) 1c) nothing (subst) 1d) without (with particle) 1e) before (of time) Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)

they are reliableנֶאֱמָֽנוּ׃ סne-'e-MA-nuH0539
be faithful

אָמַן (a.man) 1) to support, confirm, be faithful 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to support, confirm, be faithful, uphold, nourish 1a1a) foster-father (subst.) 1a1b) foster-mother, nurse 1a1c) pillars, supporters of the door 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be established, be faithful, be carried, make firm 1b1a) to be carried by a nurse 1b1b) made firm, sure, lasting 1b1c) confirmed, established, sure 1b1d) verified, confirmed 1b1e) reliable, faithful, trusty 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to stand firm, to trust, to be certain, to believe in 1c1a) stand firm 1c1b) trust, believe Aramaic equivalent: a.man (אֲמַן "to trust" H0540)

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.