Jeremiah Chapter 9
1 Oh that my head were waters, and my eyes a spring of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!
2 Oh that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of wayfaring men; that I might leave my people, and go from them! For they are all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men.
3 "They bend their tongue, as their bow, for falsehood. They have grown strong in the land, but not for truth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they don't know me," says the LORD.
4 "Everyone beware of his neighbour, and don't trust in any brother; for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbour will go around like a slanderer.
5 Friends deceive each other, and will not speak the truth. They have taught their tongue to speak lies. They weary themselves commiting iniquity.
6 Your habitation is in the middle of deceit. Through deceit, they refuse to know me," says the LORD.
7 Therefore the LORD of Armies says, "Behold, I will melt them and test them; for how should I deal with the daughter of my people?
8 Their tongue is a deadly arrow. It speaks deceit. One speaks peaceably to his neighbour with his mouth, but in his heart, he waits to ambush him.
9 Shouldn't I punish them for these things?" says the LORD. "Shouldn't my soul be avenged on a nation such as this?
10 I will weep and wail for the mountains, and lament for the pastures of the wilderness, because they are burnt up, so that no one passes through; Men can't hear the voice of the livestock. Both the birds of the sky and the animals have fled. They are gone.
11 "I will make Jerusalem heaps, a dwelling place of jackals. I will make the cities of Judah a desolation, without inhabitant."
12 Who is wise enough to understand this? Who is he to whom the mouth of the LORD has spoken, that he may declare it? Why has the land perished and burnt up like a wilderness, so that no one passes through?
13 The LORD says, "Because they have forsaken my law which I set before them, and have not obeyed my voice or walked in my ways,
14 but have walked after the stubbornness of their own heart and after the Baals, which their fathers taught them."
15 Therefore the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says, "Behold, I will feed them, even this people, with wormwood and give them poisoned water to drink.
16 I will scatter them also amongst the nations, whom neither they nor their fathers have known. I will send the sword after them, until I have consumed them."
17 The LORD of Armies says, "Consider, and call for the mourning women, that they may come. Send for the skilful women, that they may come.
18 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.
19 For a voice of wailing is heard out of Zion, 'How we are ruined! We are greatly confounded because we have forsaken the land, because they have cast down our dwellings.' "
20 Yet hear the LORD's word, you women. Let your ear receive the word of his mouth. Teach your daughters wailing. Everyone teach her neighbour a lamentation.
21 For death has come up into our windows. It has entered into our palaces to cut off the children from outside, and the young men from the streets.
22 Speak, "The LORD says, " 'The dead bodies of men will fall as dung on the open field, and as the handful after the harvester. No one will gather them.' "
23 The LORD says, "Don't let the wise man glory in his wisdom. Don't let the mighty man glory in his might. Don't let the rich man glory in his riches.
24 But let him who glories glory in this, that he has understanding, and knows me, that I am the LORD who exercises loving kindness, justice, and righteousness in the earth, for I delight in these things," says the LORD.
25 "Behold, the days come," says the LORD, "that I will punish all those who are circumcised only in their flesh:
26 Egypt, Judah, Edom, the children of Ammon, Moab, and all who have the corners of their hair cut off, who dwell in the wilderness, for all the nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in heart."
Footnotes
Version: World English Bible
- About World English Bible (WEB)
- WEB Glossary
- WEB Web Site (source documents)
- Bible on one web page
- Download WEB (for MS Word)
Audio
To Listen to this Chapter
The mp3 Audio File should start to play in a new Tab. Then return to this Tab to follow the text whilst listening.
Jeremiah Chapter 9 Guide
In answer to his own question, Jeremiah sighed for some adequate means of expressing the anguish of his heart, and then for escape to some lonely place in the wilderness. All this was in the nature of complaint against God, for he revealed most carefully how conscious he was of the sin of his people, describing it in terrible detail.
To this cry of His servant Jehovah replied in a fivefold declaration. First, that He had no choice but to afflict because of their sin; He next affirmed His own sorrow also, but by a question reminded the prophet that there was a reason for the perishing of the land and the destruction of the city.
In the next place, He plainly stated what the reason was. Their persistent rebellion had made necessary His wrath. He then called the people to lament, but insisted that it should be for right causes. Finally, He proclaimed the true ground of glorifying for man, not in his own wisdom or riches, but in his understanding and knowledge of Jehovah.
From "An Exposition of the Whole Bible" by G. Campbell Morgan.
Jeremiah Chapter 9 Commentary
Chapter Outline
- The people are corrected, Jerusalem is destroyed. -- (1-11)
- The captives suffer in a foreign land. -- (12-22)
- God's loving-kindness, He threatens the enemies of his people. -- (23-26)
Verses 1-11
Jeremiah wept much, yet wished he could weep more, that he might rouse the people to a due sense of the hand of God. But even the desert, without communion with God, through Christ Jesus, and the influences of the Holy Spirit, must be a place for temptation and evil; while, with these blessings, we may live in holiness in crowded cities. The people accustomed their tongues to lies. So false were they, that a brother could not be trusted. In trading and bargaining they said any thing for their own advantage, though they knew it to be false. But God marked their sin. Where no knowledge of God is, what good can be expected? He has many ways of turning a fruitful land into barrenness for the wickedness of those that dwell therein.
Verses 12-22
In Zion the voice of joy and praise used to be heard, while the people kept close to God; but sin has altered the sound, it is now the voice of lamentation. Unhumbled hearts lament their calamity, but not their sin, which is the cause of it. Let the doors be shut ever so fast, death steals upon us. It enters the palaces of princes and great men, though stately, strongly built, and guarded. Nor are those more safe that are abroad; death cuts off even the children from without, and the young men from the streets. Hearken to the word of the Lord, and mourn with godly sorrow. This alone can bring true comfort; and it can turn the heaviest afflictions into precious mercies.
Verses 23-26
In this world of sin and sorrow, ending soon in death and judgement, how foolish for men to glory in their knowledge, health, strength, riches, or in any thing which leaves them under the dominion of sin and the wrath of God! and of which an account must hereafter be rendered; it will but increase their misery. Those are the true Israel who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. Let us prize the distinction which comes from God, and will last for ever. Let us seek it diligently.
From the "Concise Commentary on the Bible" by Matthew Henry.