OET JER chapter 9

Readers’ Version

Literal Version

9 If only my head was water, and my eyes were a fountain of tears,

→ then I’d weep day and night for my people’s slain daughter.

2 Who will give me a lodging place for travellers in the desert?

Then I would leave my people and walk away from them,

because all of them are adulterers—

≈ a treacherous group of people.

3 They bend their tongues like bows—

chasing lies rather than faithfulness.

They grow strong in the land

because they go from evil to evil and they don’t know me.

That’s Yahweh’s declaration.

4 Let each person beware of his neighbour,

≈ and don’t rely on any relative,

because brothers consistently betray,

≈ and neighbours go around slandering.

5 Every one will deceive their neighbour,

≈ and they won’t tell the truth—

≈ they teach their tongues to tell lies.

→ They wear themselves out being disobedient.

6 Your residence is in the middle of deceit—

because of deceit they refuse to know me.

That’s Yahweh’s declaration.

7 Because of that, Commander-in-chief Yahweh says,

I’m about to refine them and test them,

because how else should I act towards my people’s daughter.

8 Their tongue is a deadly arrow—

it speaks out deceit.

With his mouth, a man speaks peace with his neighbours,

while in his mind, he’s planning his ambush.

9 Shouldn’t I punish them for those things? Yahweh says.

≈ Shouldn’t I avenge myself against a nation like that?

10 On the mountains I’ll take up weeping and wailing,

≈ and a funeral song out in the wilderness pastures,

because they’re left desolate as no one passes through there.

They don’t hear the sound of cattle or birds or wild animals—

they’ve fled and gone away.

11 Then I’ll make Yerushalem (Jerusalem) into piles of ruins—

a place for jackals to live in—

and I’ll make Yehudah’s (Judah’s) cities into uninhabited wastelands.

12 Who is the person that’s wise and understands this?

Who has Yahweh’s mouth spoken to so that they can declare it—

concerning why the nation has perished and been destroyed

like the wilderness with no one passing through it?

13 Then Yahweh said, “Because they abandoned my instructions that I gave to them,

≈ and they don’t listen to my voice or follow what say,

14 and they’re guided by their own stubborn minds,

≈ and follow after the Baal that their ancestors taught them about,

15 then Commander-in-chief Yahweh says this:

Listen, I’m about to feed them bitter food

≈ and give them poison water to drink.

16 Then I’ll scatter them among nations that neither they nor their ancestors knew anything about,

and I’ll send an army after them until I’ve finished them off.

9 [fn] who will_he _give _me in_wilderness a _lodging _place _of travelers and_I _will _leave DOM people _of_my and_I _will _go from_with_them if/because of _them _of_all are_adulterers an _assembly _of those _who_act _treacherously.
2 [fn] and_they _have _bent DOM tongue _of_their bow _of_their falsehood and_not to_faithfulness they _are _strong in/on _the_earth if/because from_evil to evil they _have _gone _out and_me not they _know the _utterance _of YHWH.
3 [fn] each from_neighbour _of_his take _heed and_on any _of brother do _not rely if/because every _of brother persistently _(betray) he _betrays and_all neighbour slander he _goes _about.
4 [fn] and_each (in)_neighbour _of_his they _deceive and_truth not they _speak they _have _taught tongue _of_their to _speak falsehood to _do _iniquity they _are _weary.
5 [fn] dwelling_your in _the_middle deceit on_deceit they _have _refused to _know me the _utterance _of YHWH.
6 [fn] for_so/thus/hence thus YHWH he _says soldiers/messengers HERE_I am_about _of_to _refine _them and_I_will _test _them if/because how will _I _act from_face/in _front _of the _daughter _of my _people _of_my.
7 [fn] is_an _arrow beaten[fn] tongue _of_their deceit it _speaks with_mouth _of_his peace with his/its_neighbour someone _speaks[fn] and_in_his _inner _of_being he _sets ambush _of_his.
8 [fn] on these_things not will _I _visit (in)_them the _utterance _of YHWH or on_a _nation which is_like_this_one not will _it _avenge _itself self _of_my.
9 [fn] on the_mountains I _will _take _up weeping and_wailing and_on the_pastures _of the_wilderness lamentation if/because they _are _left _desolate from_not _of anyone who_passes _through and_not people _hear the_sound _of livestock from_the _bird[s]_of the_heavens and_unto animal[s] they _have _fled they _have _gone.
10 [fn] and_I _will _make DOM Yərūshālam/(Jerusalem) into_heaps _of _stones a _habitation _of jackals and_DOM the _cities _of Yəhūdāh/(Judah) I _will _make a _waste from_not _of inhabitant.
11 [fn] who the_man (the)_wise and_he _will _understand DOM this and_which it _has _spoken the _mouth _of YHWH to_him/it so_that_he _may _declare _it concerning what has _it _been _destroyed the_earth/land has _it _become _ruined like_wilderness from_not _of one _who_passes _through.
12 [fn] and_ YHWH _he/it _said because they_have _abandoned DOM law _of_my which I _set before_them and_not they _have _listened to_voice _of_my and_not they _have _walked in_it.
13 [fn] and_they _have _walked after the _stubbornness _of their _own _heart _of_their and_after the_Baˊal which they_taught _them ancestors _of_their.
14 [fn] for_so/thus/hence thus YHWH he _says soldiers/messengers the _god _of Yisrā^ʼēl/(Israel) HERE_I am_about _of_to _feed _them DOM the_people the_this wormwood and_I_will _give _them _to _drink water _of poison.
15 [fn] and_I_will _scatter _them among_nations which not they _knew they and_ancestors _of_their and_I _will _send _forth after_them DOM the_drought//sword/knife until I_have _made _an _end _of them.
16 [fn] thus YHWH he _says soldiers/messengers consider and_summon (to)_the_who]_wail so_that _they _may _come and_near/to the _skillful_women send so_that _they _may _come.

9:17 The requesting of people of Yerushalem

17 Commander-in-chief Yahweh says this:

Consider that and summon funeral wailers to come—

≈ get the most skillful women to come.

18 Let them hurry and start wailing about us,

→ so our eyes have tears running down them,

≈ and our eyelids flow with water,

19 because the sound of mourning can be heard from Tsiyyon (Zion):

‘We’ve been so devastated.

We’re terribly ashamed, because we’ve left the land

because they tore down our houses.’

20 So now hear Yahweh’s message, you women.

≈ Let your ear receive the message from his mouth,

and teach your daughters a mourning song,

≈ and each woman teach her neighbour a funeral song,

21 because death has come up into our windows.

≈ It enters into our fortresses,

cutting off children from the street

≈ and young men from the open plazas.

22 Yahweh says to pass this on:

Human corpses will fall like dung across the ground’s surface

and like fallen grain after the harvesters have finished,

and there’s no one to collect them.

23 Yahweh says this:

Don’t let the wise person boast about their wisdom,

≈ and don’t let the warrior boast about his strength.

≈ Don’t let the rich person boast about their riches,

24 because if they want to boast, let them boast about this:

Understanding and knowing me because I’m Yahweh,

demonstrating loyal commitment, justice, and righteousness on the earth

because I take pleasure in those things.[ref]

That is Yahweh’s declaration.

25 Listen, Yahweh declares that there’s a time coming

when I will punish all those who’ve been physically circumcised:

26 the Egyptians, Judeans, Edomites, Ammonites, and Moabites,

and all those who trim the corners of their beards, those living in the wilderness,

because all the uncircumcised nations and all the Israelis have uncircumcised hearts.

9:24: 1Cor 1:31; 2Cor 10:17.

17 [fn] and_let _them _hasten and_let _them _take _up on_us wailing eyes _of_our so_that _they _may _run _down tear[s] and_eyelids _of_our they _may _flow water.
18 [fn] if/because a _sound _of wailing it _has _been _heard from_Tsiyyōn/(Zion) how we _have _been _devastated we _have _been _put _to _shame exceedingly if/because we _have _left the_land if/because people _have _throw _down dwellings _of_our.
19 [fn] if/because hear Oh _women the _message _of YHWH ear _of_your(pl) and_let _it _receive the _message _of his _mouth _of_his and_teach daughters _of_your(pl) a _mourning _song and_every _woman fem_of_her _neighbour a _lamentation.
20 [fn] if/because death it _has _come _up in_windows _of_our it _has _come in_fortresses _of_our to_cut _off child[ren] from_the_street young _men from_the_open _places.
21 [fn] speak thus the _utterance _of YHWH and_ the _corpse[s]_of _it _will _fall the_humankind like_dung on the _surface _of the_field and_like_cut _grain from_behind the_reaper and_there_will_not_be one _who_gathers.
22 [fn] thus YHWH he _says not let _him _boast a _wise_person in_wisdom _of_his and_not let _him _boast the _mighty_person in_might _of_his not let _him _boast a _rich_person in_rich[es]_of_his.
23 [fn] if/because (if) in_this let _him _boast the_one_who_boasts he _has _insight and_he _knows me if/because _that I am_YHWH who_does covenant _loyalty justice and_righteousness on _the_earth if/because in_these _things I _delight the _utterance _of YHWH.
24 [fn] HERE days are_coming the _utterance _of YHWH and_I _will _visit_judgement on every _of man_circumcised in_a _foreskin.
25 [fn] on Miʦrayim/(Egypt) and_on Yəhūdāh/(Judah) and_on ʼEdōm and_on the _people _of ˊAmmōn and_on Mōʼāⱱ and_on all _of those _who _are_cut _off _of the_corner who_dwell in_wilderness if/because all _of the_nations are_uncircumcised and_all the _house _of Yisrā^ʼēl/(Israel) are_uncircumcised _of heart.

9:1 Note: KJB: Jer.9.2

9:2 Note: KJB: Jer.9.3

9:3 Note: KJB: Jer.9.4

9:4 Note: KJB: Jer.9.5

9:5 Note: KJB: Jer.9.6

9:6 Note: KJB: Jer.9.7

9:7 Note: KJB: Jer.9.8

9:7 OSHB variant note: שוחט: (x-qere) ’שָׁח֛וּט’: lemma_7819 a n_1.0.0 morph_HVqsmsa id_24hgx שָׁח֛וּט

9:7 OSHB note: We read one or more accents in L differently than BHS. Often this notation indicates a typographical error in BHS.

9:8 Note: KJB: Jer.9.9

9:9 Note: KJB: Jer.9.10

9:10 Note: KJB: Jer.9.11

9:11 Note: KJB: Jer.9.12

9:12 Note: KJB: Jer.9.13

9:13 Note: KJB: Jer.9.14

9:14 Note: KJB: Jer.9.15

9:15 Note: KJB: Jer.9.16

9:16 Note: KJB: Jer.9.17

9:17 Note: KJB: Jer.9.18

9:18 Note: KJB: Jer.9.19

9:19 Note: KJB: Jer.9.20

9:20 Note: KJB: Jer.9.21

9:21 Note: KJB: Jer.9.22

9:22 Note: KJB: Jer.9.23

9:23 Note: KJB: Jer.9.24

9:24 Note: KJB: Jer.9.25

9:25 Note: KJB: Jer.9.26

Open English Translation JER Chapter 9

Readers’ Version

Literal Version Hide marks

Literal Version