Jeremiah 4

Jeremiah · Chapter 4

Jeremiah 4:19

1If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the LORD, return unto me: and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight, then shalt thou not remove.2And thou shalt swear, The LORD liveth, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; and the nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory.3For thus saith the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns.4Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.5Declare ye in Judah, and publish in Jerusalem; and say, Blow ye the trumpet in the land: cry, gather together, and say, Assemble yourselves, and let us go into the defenced cities.6Set up the standard toward Zion: retire, stay not: for I will bring evil from the north, and a great destruction.7The lion is come up from his thicket, and the destroyer of the Gentiles is on his way; he is gone forth from his place to make thy land desolate; and thy cities shall be laid waste, without an inhabitant.8For this gird you with sackcloth, lament and howl: for the fierce anger of the LORD is not turned back from us.9And it shall come to pass at that day, saith the LORD, that the heart of the king shall perish, and the heart of the princes; and the priests shall be astonished, and the prophets shall wonder.10Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! surely thou hast greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall have peace; whereas the sword reacheth unto the soul.11At that time shall it be said to this people and to Jerusalem, A dry wind of the high places in the wilderness toward the daughter of my people, not to fan, nor to cleanse,12Even a full wind from those places shall come unto me: now also will I give sentence against them.13Behold, he shall come up as clouds, and his chariots shall be as a whirlwind: his horses are swifter than eagles. Woe unto us! for we are spoiled.14O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee?15For a voice declareth from Dan, and publisheth affliction from mount Ephraim.16Make ye mention to the nations; behold, publish against Jerusalem, that watchers come from a far country, and give out their voice against the cities of Judah.17As keepers of a field, are they against her round about; because she hath been rebellious against me, saith the LORD.18Thy way and thy doings have procured these things unto thee; this is thy wickedness, because it is bitter, because it reacheth unto thine heart.19My 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.20Destruction upon destruction is cried; for the whole land is spoiled: suddenly are my tents spoiled, and my curtains in a moment.21How long shall I see the standard, and hear the sound of the trumpet?22For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.23I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light.24I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly.25I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled.26I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the LORD, and by his fierce anger.27For thus hath the LORD said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end.28For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black: because I have spoken it, I have purposed it, and will not repent, neither will I turn back from it.29The whole city shall flee for the noise of the horsemen and bowmen; they shall go into thickets, and climb up upon the rocks: every city shall be forsaken, and not a man dwell therein.30And when thou art spoiled, what wilt thou do? Though thou clothest thyself with crimson, though thou deckest thee with ornaments of gold, though thou rentest thy face with painting, in vain shalt thou make thyself fair; thy lovers will despise thee, they will seek thy life.31For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail, and the anguish as of her that bringeth forth her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion, that bewaileth herself, that spreadeth her hands, saying, Woe is me now! for my soul is wearied because of murderers.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
19My 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 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 anguish, my anguish! I am pained at my very heart; my heart is disquieted in me; I cannot hold my peace; because thou hast heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.

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
inward parts myמֵעַ֣י׀me-'AIH4578
belly

מְעָא (me.ah) external belly, abdomen Aramaic of me.eh (מֵעֶה "belly" H4578)

inward parts myמֵעַ֨י׀me-'AIH4578
belly

מְעָא (me.ah) external belly, abdomen Aramaic of me.eh (מֵעֶה "belly" H4578)

I am waitingאוֹחִ֜ילָה'a-chu-lahH3176G
to wait: wait

יָחַל (ya.chal) : wait[for_time] 1) to wait, hope, expect 1a) (Niphal) to wait 1b) (Piel) 1b1) to wait, await, tarry 1b2) to wait for, hope for 1c) (Hiphil) to wait, tarry, wait for, hope for Also means: ya.chal (יָחַל ": hope" H3176H)

[the] walls ofקִיר֥וֹתki-ROTH7023
wall

קִיר (qir) 1) wall, side 1a) wall (of house or chamber) 1b) the sides (of the altar)

heart myלִבִּ֛יli-BIH3820A
mind

בָּל (bal) mind, heart Aramaic of lev (לֵב "heart" H3820A)

[is] in turmoilהֹֽמֶה־ho-meh-H1993
to roar

הָמָה (ha.mah) 1) to murmur, growl, roar, cry aloud, mourn, rage, sound, make noise, tumult, be clamorous, be disquieted, be loud, be moved, be troubled, be in an uproar 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to growl 1a2) to murmur (fig. of a soul in prayer) 1a3) to roar 1a4) to be in a stir, be in a commotion 1a5) to be boisterous, be turbulent

heart myלִבִּ֖יli-BIH3820A
mind

בָּל (bal) mind, heart Aramaic of lev (לֵב "heart" H3820A)

notלֹ֣אlo'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)

I will keep silentאַחֲרִ֑ישׁ'a-cha-RISHH2790B
be quiet

חָרֵשׁ (cha.resh) 1) to be silent, be dumb, be speechless, be deaf 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to be silent 1a2) to be deaf 1b) (Hiphil) 1b1) to be silent, keep quiet 1b2) to make silent 1b3) to be deaf, show deafness 1c) (Hithpael) to remain silent

forכִּ֣יkiH3588A
for

כִּי (ki) 1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since 1a) that 1a1) yea, indeed 1b) when (of time) 1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force) 1c) because, since (causal connection) 1d) but (after negative) 1e) that if, for if, indeed if, for though, but if 1f) but rather, but 1g) except that 1h) only, nevertheless 1i) surely 1j) that is 1k) but if 1l) for though 1m) forasmuch as, for therefore

[the] sound ofק֤וֹלKolH6963H
voice

קוֹל (qol) : voice/shout/loud 1) voice, sound, noise 1a) voice 1b) sound (of instrument)

a trumpetשׁוֹפָר֙sho-FARH7782
trumpet

שֹׁפָר (sho.phar) horn, ram's horn

you have heardשָׁמַ֣עַתְּsha-ma'-tiH8085G
to hear: hear

שָׁמַע (sha.ma) : hear v 1) to hear, listen to, obey 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to hear (perceive by ear) 1a2) to hear of or concerning 1a3) to hear (have power to hear) 1a4) to hear with attention or interest, listen to 1a5) to understand (language) 1a6) to hear (of judicial cases) 1a7) to listen, give heed 1a7a) to consent, agree 1a7b) to grant request 1a8) to listen to, yield to 1a9) to obey, be obedient 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be heard (of voice or sound) 1b2) to be heard of 1b3) to be regarded, be obeyed 1c) (Piel) to cause to hear, call to hear, summon 1d) (Hiphil) 1d1) to cause to hear, tell, proclaim, utter a sound …

O self myנַפְשִׁ֔יnaf-SHIH5315I
soul

נֶ֫פֶשׁ (ne.phesh) 1) soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion 1a) that which breathes, the breathing substance or being, soul, the inner being of man 1b) living being 1c) living being (with life in the blood) 1d) the man himself, self, person or individual 1e) seat of the appetites 1f) seat of emotions and passions 1g) activity of mind 1g1) uncertain 1h) activity of the will 1h1) uncertain 1i) activity of the character 1i1) uncertain

[the] shout ofתְּרוּעַ֖תte-ru-'ATH8643
shout

תְּרוּעָה (te.ru.ah) 1) alarm, signal, sound of tempest, shout, shout or blast of war or alarm or joy 1a) alarm of war, war-cry, battle-cry 1b) blast (for march) 1c) shout of joy (with religious impulse) 1d) shout of joy (in general)

battleמִלְחָמָֽה׃mil-cha-MAHH4421
battle

מִלְחָמָה (mil.cha.mah) battle, war

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