Keraia
Jeremiah 9

Jeremiah 9:19

A Lament over Zion · Jeremiah 9:1–26
Read Jeremiah 9

Translations

Modern
For the sound of wailing is heard from Zion: ‘How devastated we are! How great is our shame! For we have abandoned the land because our dwellings have been torn down.’”
Traditional
For a voice of wailing is heard out of Zion, How are we spoiled! we are greatly confounded, because we have forsaken the land, because our dwellings have cast us out.
Literal
For a voice of wailing is heard from Zion: ‘How devastated we are! We are exceedingly ashamed, because we have left behind the land, because they have thrown down our dwellings!’”
Latin
Quia vox lamentationis audita est de Sion: Quomodo vastati sumus, et confusi vehementer? quia dereliquimus terram; quoniam dejecta sunt tabernacula nostra.

Original

Hebrew
English
For the sound of wailing is heard from Zion: ‘How devastated we are! How great is our shame! For we have abandoned the land because our dwellings have been torn down.’”

Notes

Jeremiah 9:18–19

The mourners began their work right away. They mourned those who had died and grieved for Jerusalem, which faced destruction. They joined the people of Jerusalem who had lost their homes and had to flee as refugees.

Jeremiah 9:17–26

This series includes four short poems and a brief prose passage. They are messages from the Lord, likely delivered to the people of Judah by Jeremiah. Three poems describe the effects of the Lord's judgment on the people. The fourth poem offers encouragement. The prose section predicts doom for Judah and its neighboring nations.

Jeremiah 8:18–9:26

The priests in the Temple memorized and repeated prayers as part of their rituals. They believed using the exact words was crucial; otherwise, the prayers lost their magical power. The character of the priests saying the prayers was not very important. This was also true for lamentations. In contrast, Jeremiah's prayers and lamentations were spontaneous and deeply personal.

Theme notes and profiles

The New Covenant

Events

Places

Jerusalem: The capital of Israel, a holy city for three religions

Glossary

Bible, Manuscripts and Text of the (Old Testament) Book of Jeremiah Funeral Customs Jeremiah (Person) Mourning Poetry, Biblical

Topics

Prophecies Concerning Israel: Prophecies Concerning of War and Other Judgments War: Evils of Zion: Applied to Jerusalem