EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Jeremiah 4:31
31I can hear people who are calling out. It sounds like a woman who is giving birth to her first baby. She is calling out with great pain. It is Jerusalem who is crying! She is calling out for help. She says, ‘Help me! I am very weak. These murderers have come to kill me!’
Jeremiah 4:31 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For 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.
- New International Version (NIV)I hear a cry as of a woman in labor, a groan as of one bearing her first child— the cry of Daughter Zion gasping for breath, stretching out her hands and saying, “Alas! I am fainting; my life is given over to murderers.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)For I heard a cry as of a woman in labor, anguish as of one giving birth to her first child, the cry of the daughter of Zion gasping for breath, stretching out her hands, "Woe is me! I am fainting before murderers."
- New King James Version (NKJV)“For I have heard a voice as of a woman in labor, The anguish as of her who brings forth her first child, The voice of the daughter of Zion bewailing herself; She spreads her hands, saying, ‘Woe is me now, for my soul is weary Because of murderers!’
Context of Jeremiah 4:31
29When the enemy attacks a town, the people will run away to escape. The enemy soldiers will ride on horses, and they will shoot arrows. When the people hear them, some of them will hide among trees. Some of them will climb up among the rocks. All the towns will become empty. Nobody will live in them. 30Yes, Jerusalem, an enemy has destroyed you! You tried to make friends, like a woman who wears a beautiful dress. You wore your gold and your jewels. You painted around your eyes. But all that has not helped you. The nations that you wanted to be your lovers have turned against you. Now they want to kill you. I can hear people who are calling out. It sounds like a woman who is giving birth to her first baby. She is calling out with great pain. It is Jerusalem who is crying! She is calling out for help. She says, ‘Help me! I am very weak. These murderers have come to kill me!’
Read all of Jeremiah 4Jeremiah 4:31 word by word
כִּי֩ ק֨וֹל כְּחוֹלָ֜ה שָׁמַ֗עְתִּי צָרָה֙ כְּמַבְכִּירָ֔ה ק֧וֹל בַּת־צִיּ֛וֹן תִּתְיַפֵּ֖חַ תְּפָרֵ֣שׂ כַּפֶּ֑יהָ אֽוֹי־נָ֣א לִ֔י כִּֽי־עָיְפָ֥ה נַפְשִׁ֖י לְהֹרְגִֽים׃ פRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- For I have heardשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
- a voiceקוֹלqôl qôl · voiceH6963
- as of a woman in travailחָלָהchâlâh · be weak: grievedH2470
- the anguishצָרָהtsârâh · distressH6869
- as of her that bringeth forth her first childבָּכַרbâkar · to be/bear firstbornH1069
- of the daughterבַּתbath · daughterH1323
- of Zionצִיּוֹןtsîyôn · ZionH6726
- bewailethיָפַחyâphach · to breatheH3306
- spreadethפָּרַשׂpâraώ · to spreadH6566
- her handsכַּףkaph · palmH3709
- Woeאוֹי'ôy · woe!H188
- me now! for my soulנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: myselfH5315
- is weariedעִיף‛âyêph · be faintH5888
- because of murderersהָרַגhârag · to killH2026
Cross-references for Jeremiah 4:31
- Jeremiah 6:24The people say, ‘We have heard news about them, and we are very frightened. We feel too weak to fight. We are afraid and in pain, like a woman who is giving birth.
- Jeremiah 13:21The Lord will choose other people to rule over you. They are people that you wanted to be your friends, but now they will have power over you. So what will you say about that? You will be afraid and in much pain, like a woman who is giving birth to a baby.
- Jeremiah 22:23You live safely in beautiful houses that are made from Lebanon's cedar wood. But when I punish you, you will cry out with pain. You will feel pain like a woman who is having a baby.’
- Jeremiah 30:6Think carefully about this. Do men ever give birth to babies? So why are these strong men weak with pain? They seem like a woman who is giving birth. All their faces have become white with fear.
- Jeremiah 48:41The enemy will take Moab's towns and its strong buildings. Moab's soldiers will be afraid, like a woman who will soon give birth.
- Jeremiah 49:22A nation will rise up high, like an eagle in the sky. It will fly down to catch its food in Bozrah! When the brave soldiers of Edom see that, they will become very afraid. They will be afraid, like a woman who will soon give birth.’
- Jeremiah 50:43The king of Babylon has heard news about them, and he is very afraid. He feels too weak to fight. He feels pain like a woman who is giving birth.
- Isaiah 13:8They will be very afraid. Their bodies will hurt with great pain, like a woman who is giving birth. They will look at each other, as their faces show fear and pain.
- Isaiah 21:3Because of that vision, I am very upset. Bad pains attack me, like the pains of a woman who is giving birth. My body hurts because of the things that I have heard. I am afraid to look!
- Hosea 13:13They will be in pain like a woman who is giving birth. Her child is foolish. He refuses to be born!
- 1 Thessalonians 5:3At that time, people will be saying, ‘We are safe and there is no trouble for us.’ But then, when they are not ready for it, great punishment will suddenly happen to them. It will be impossible for them to run away. Pain will suddenly come to them, like a woman who is giving birth to a baby.
- Jeremiah 6:2Jerusalem is a beautiful city, like a daughter that I love. She cannot protect herself, and I will destroy her.
- Matthew 21:5‘Say to the people in Jerusalem, “Look, your king is coming to you. He does not come like someone who thinks that he is important. He is riding on a donkey. Yes, he is riding on a young donkey.” ’
- Isaiah 1:15When you lift up your hands to pray to me, I have to look away. Even if you pray very many times to me, I do not listen to you, because your hands are full of blood.
- Lamentations 1:17Zion's people ask for help, but nobody is their friend. They are Jacob's children. But the Lord has said that he will cause their enemies to come from every country near them. Those other people think about Jerusalem as they would think about something dirty.
- Jeremiah 10:19‘A terrible thing has happened to us! We have received a very bad wound. We thought, “We are very ill, but one day we will get better.”
Commentaries on Jeremiah 4:31
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 31Bringeth forth her first child - In such a case the fear, danger, and pain were naturally the greatest. Spreadeth her hands - The gesture indicated by nature to signify distress, and implore help. We have met with this figure in other parts, and among the classic writers it is frequent.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 31For a cry have I heard as of one writhing in vain: Anguish as of one that bringeth forth her first-born: The cry of the daughter of Zion. She gasps for breath: she stretches out her palms: Woe is me! for my soul faints before the murderers.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 19-31Verses 19-31 The prophet had no pleasure in delivering messages of wrath. He is shown in a vision the whole land in confusion. Compared with what it was, every thing is out of order; but the ruin of the Jewish nation would not be final. Every end of our comforts is not a full end. Though the Lord may correct his people very severely, yet he will not cast them off. Ornaments and false colouring would be of no avail. No outward privileges or profession, no…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 31The people in Jerusalem felt such intense anguish that Jeremiah compared their pain to a woman giving birth to her first child. Like these women, beautiful Jerusalem was desperate (Jeremiah 13:21; 23:23; 30:6; Isaiah 1:15; 42:14; Lamentations 1:17).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3131. anguish--namely, occasioned by the attack of the enemy. daughter of Zion--There is peculiar beauty in suppressing the name of the person in trouble, until that trouble had been fully described [Henderson]. bewaileth herself--rather, "draweth her breath short" [Horsley]; "panteth." spreadeth ... hands--(La 1:17).Read the comment
Topics related to Jeremiah 4:31
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Jeremiah 4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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