The Sign of Solitude

Jeremiah 16

The Lord forbids Jeremiah to marry or to join in mourning or feasting, making his solitary life a sign that joy and family will disappear from the land because the people have forsaken the Lord for other gods. Yet the Lord also promises that he will one day gather his scattered people back from the land of the north and bring even the Gentiles to acknowledge that the idols their fathers made gave them no help.

About these editions

The Septuagint (LXX) in Greek, with Charles Thomson’s 1808 and Sir Lancelot Brenton’s 1851 English translations, set beside the King James Version and the Jewish Masoretic text (JPS 1917) where they align, so you can compare the Greek and the Hebrew. All public domain; choose which to show with the controls above.

Thomson 1808Septuagint

Brenton 1851Septuagint

Greek · BrentonSeptuagint

KJV 1769Masoretic

JPS 1917Masoretic

ThomsonBUT thou must not take a wife, saith the Lord God of Israel;

BrentonAnd thou shalt not take a wife, saith the Lord God of Israel:

GreekΚαὶ σὺ μὴ λάβῃς γυναῖκα, λέγει Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς Ἰσραὴλ,

KJV—

JPS—

Thomsonnor shall a son or a daughter be born to thee in this place.

Brentonand there shall be no son born to thee, nor daughter in this place.

Greekκαὶ οὐ γεννηθήσεταί σοι υἱὸς, οὐδὲ θυγάτηρ ἐν τῷ τόπῳ τούτῳ.

KJV—

JPS—

ThomsonFor thus saith the Lord concerning the sons and concerning the daughters born in this place, and concerning the mothers who bore them, and concerning their fathers who begot them in this land;

BrentonFor thus saith the Lord concerning the sons and concerning the daughters that are born in this place, and concerning their mothers that have born them, and concerning their fathers that have begotten them in this land;

GreekὍτι τάδε λέγει Κύριος περὶ τῶν υἱῶν καὶ περὶ τῶν θυγατέρων τῶν γεννωμένων ἐν τῷ τόπῳ τούτῳ, καὶ περὶ τῶν μητέρων αὐτῶν τῶν τετοκυιῶν αὐτοὺς, καὶ περὶ τῶν πατέρων αὐτῶν τῶν γεγεννηκότων αὐτοὺς ἐν τῇ γῇ ταύτῃ,

KJVFor thus saith the LORD concerning the sons and concerning the daughters that are born in this place, and concerning their mothers that bare them, and concerning their fathers that begat them in this land;

JPSFor thus saith the LORD concerning the sons and concerning the daughters that are born in this place, and concerning their mothers that bore them, and concerning their fathers that begot them in this land:

Thomsonby a direful death they shall die; they shall not be lamented, nor shall they be buried; they shall be for a spectacle on the face of the earth; they shall be for the wild beasts of the earth, and the birds of the air. By the sword they shall fall, and by famine they shall be consumed.

BrentonThey shall die of grievous death; they shall not be lamented, nor buried; they shall be for an example on the face of the earth; and they shall be for the wild beasts of the land, and for the birds of the sky: they shall fall by the sword, and shall be consumed with famine.

Greekἐν θανάτῳ νοσερῷ ἀποθανοῦνται, οὐ κοπήσονται, καὶ οὐ ταφήσονται· εἰς παράδειγμα ἐπὶ προσώπου τῆς γῆς ἔσονται· καὶ τοῖς θηρίοις τῆς γῆς ἔσονται καὶ τοῖς πετεινοῖς τοῦ οὐρανοῦ· ἐν μαχαίρᾳ πεσοῦνται, καὶ ἐν λιμῷ συντελεσθήσονται.

KJVThey shall die of grievous deaths; they shall not be lamented; neither shall they be buried; but they shall be as dung upon the face of the earth: and they shall be consumed by the sword, and by famine; and their carcases shall be meat for the fowls of heaven, and for the beasts of the earth.

JPSThey shall die of grievous deaths; they shall not be lamented, neither shall they be buried, they shall be as dung upon the face of the ground; and they shall be consumed by the sword, and by famine; and their carcasses shall be meat for the fowls of heaven, and for the beasts of the earth.

ThomsonThus saith the Lord: Join not in their funeral entertainments; go not to make lamentation nor bewail them.

BrentonThus saith the Lord, Enter not into their mourning feast, and go not to lament, and mourn not for them: for I have removed my peace from this people.

GreekΤάδε λέγει Κύριος, μὴ εἰσέλθῃς εἰς θίασον αὐτῶν, καὶ μὴ πορευθῇς τοῦ κόψασθαι, καὶ μὴ πενθήσῃς αὐτοὺς, ὅτι ἀφέστακα τὴν εἰρήνην μου ἀπὸ τοῦ λαοῦ τούτου·

KJVFor thus saith the LORD, Enter not into the house of mourning, neither go to lament nor bemoan them: for I have taken away my peace from this people, saith the LORD, even lovingkindness and mercies.

JPSFor thus saith the LORD: Enter not into the house of mourning, neither go to lament, neither bemoan them; for I have taken away My peace from this people, saith the LORD, even mercy and compassion.

ThomsonSince I have taken away My peace from this people, no lamentation shall be made for them; nor shall any cut themselves nor be shaved.

BrentonThey shall not bewail them, nor make cuttings for them, and they shall not shave themselves for them:

GreekΟὐ μὴ κόψονται αὐτοὺς, οὐδὲ ἐντομίδας οὐ μὴ ποιήσουσι, καὶ οὐ ξυρηθήσονται,

KJVBoth the great and the small shall die in this land: they shall not be buried, neither shall men lament for them, nor cut themselves, nor make themselves bald for them:

JPSBoth the great and the small shall die in this land; they shall not be buried; neither shall men lament for them, nor cut themselves, nor make themselves bald for them;

ThomsonThere shall neither be bread broken in their mourning, to comfort them for the dead; nor shall a cup of consolation be given to any one for his father or mother.

Brentonand there shall be no bread broken in mourning for them for consolation over the dead: they shall not give one to drink a cup for consolation over his father or his mother.

Greekκαὶ οὐ μὴ κλασθῇ ἄρτος ἐν πένθει αὐτῶν εἰς παράκλησιν ἐπὶ τεθνηκότι· οὐ ποτιοῦσιν αὐτὸν ποτήριον εἰς παράκλησιν ἐπὶ πατρὶ καὶ μητρὶ αὐτοῦ.

KJVNeither shall men tear themselves for them in mourning, to comfort them for the dead; neither shall men give them the cup of consolation to drink for their father or for their mother.

JPSneither shall men break bread for them in mourning, to comfort them for the dead; neither shall men give them the cup of consolation to drink for their father or for their mother.

ThomsonInto a house of feasting thou shalt not enter, to sit with them to eat and to drink:

BrentonThou shalt not enter into the banquet-house, to sit with them to eat and to drink.

GreekΕἰς οἰκίαν πότου οὐκ εἰσελεύσῃ σὺ, συγκαθίσαι μετʼ αὐτῶν τοῦ φαγεῖν καὶ πιεῖν.

KJVThou shalt not also go into the house of feasting, to sit with them to eat and to drink.

JPSAnd thou shalt not go into the house of feasting to sit with them, to eat and to drink.

Thomsonfor thus saith the Lord the God of Israel: Behold I am about to remove out of this place, before your eyes and in these your days, the sound of joy and the sound of mirth, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride.

BrentonFor thus saith the Lord God of Israel; Behold, I will make to cease out of this place before your eyes, and in your days, the voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride.

GreekΔιότι τάδε λέγει Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς Ἰσραὴλ, ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ καταλύω ἐκ τοῦ τόπου τούτου ἐνώπιον τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν ὑμῶν, καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ὑμῶν, φωνὴν χαρᾶς, καὶ φωνὴν εὐφροσύνης, φωνὴν νυμφίου, καὶ φωνὴν νύμφης.

KJVFor thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will cause to cease out of this place in your eyes, and in your days, the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride.

JPSFor thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will cause to cease out of this place, Before your eyes and in your days, The voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, The voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride.

ThomsonNow when thou hast proclaimed to this people all these words and they say to thee, Why hath the Lord denounced against us all these evils? What is our iniquity? And what is our sin which we have committed against the Lord our God?

BrentonAnd it shall come to pass, when thou shalt report to this people all these words, and they shall say to thee, Wherefore has the Lord pronounced against us all these evils? what is our unrighteousness? and what is our sin which we have sinned before the Lord our God?

GreekΚαὶ ἔσται ὅταν ἀναγγείλῃς τῷ λαῷ τούτῳ ἅπαντα τὰ ῥήματα ταῦτα, καὶ εἴπωσι πρὸς σὲ, διατί ἐλάλησε Κύριος ἐφʼ ἡμᾶς πάντα τὰ κακὰ ταῦτα; τίς ἡ ἀδικία ἡμῶν; καὶ τίς ἡ ἁμαρτία ἡμῶν, ἣν ἡμάρτομεν ἔναντι Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῶν;

KJVAnd it shall come to pass, when thou shalt shew this people all these words, and they shall say unto thee, Wherefore hath the LORD pronounced all this great evil against us? or what is our iniquity? or what is our sin that we have committed against the LORD our God?

JPSAnd it shall come to pass, when thou shalt tell this people all these words, and they shall say unto thee: ‘Wherefore hath the LORD pronounced all this great evil against us? or what is our iniquity? or what is our sin that we have committed against the LORD our God?’

ThomsonThen thou shalt say to them, Because your fathers have forsaken Me, saith the Lord, and have run after strange gods and served them and worshipped them, and have forsaken Me and have not kept My law;

BrentonThen thou shalt say to them, Because your fathers forsook me, saith the Lord, and went after strange gods and served them, and worshipped them, and forsook me, and kept not my law;

GreekΚαὶ ἐρεῖς πρὸς αὐτοὺς, ἀνθʼ ὧν ἐγκατέλιπόν με οἱ πατέρες ὑμῶν, λέγει Κύριος, καὶ ᾤχοντο ὀπισω θεῶν ἀλλοτρίων, καὶ ἐδούλευσαν αὐτοῖς, καὶ προσεκύνησαν αὐτοῖς, καὶ ἐμὲ ἐγκατέλιπον, καὶ τὸν νόμον μου οὐκ ἐφυλάξαντο·

KJVThen shalt thou say unto them, Because your fathers have forsaken me, saith the LORD, and have walked after other gods, and have served them, and have worshipped them, and have forsaken me, and have not kept my law;

JPSthen shalt thou say unto them: ‘Because your fathers have forsaken Me, saith the LORD, and have walked after other gods, and have served them, and have worshipped them, and have forsaken Me, and have not kept My law;

Thomsonand you have done evil worse than your fathers; and lo! you walk every one after the desires of your wicked heart, that you may not hearken to Me:

Brenton(and ye sinned worse than your fathers; for, behold, ye walk every one after the lusts of your own evil heart, so as not to hearken to me);

GreekΚαὶ ὑμεῖς ἐπονηρεύσασθε ὑπὲρ τοὺς πατέρας ὑμῶν· καὶ ἰδοὺ ὑμεῖς πορεύεσθε ἕκαστος ὀπίσω τῶν ἀρεστῶν τῆς καρδίας ὑμῶν τῆς πονηρᾶς, τοῦ μὴ ὑπακούειν μου.

KJVAnd ye have done worse than your fathers; for, behold, ye walk every one after the imagination of his evil heart, that they may not hearken unto me:

JPSand ye have done worse than your fathers; for, behold, ye walk every one after the stubbornness of his evil heart, so that ye hearken not unto Me;

Thomsontherefore I will hurl you out of this land, into a land which neither your nor your fathers knew; and you shall there serve strange gods which will shew you no mercy.

Brentontherefore I will cast you off from this good land into a land which neither ye nor your fathers have known; and ye shall serve there other gods, who shall have no mercy upon you.

GreekΚαὶ ἀποῤῥίψω ὑμᾶς ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς ταύτης εἰς τὴν γῆν, ἣν οὐκ ᾔδειτε ὑμεῖς καὶ οἱ πατέρες ὑμῶν, καὶ δουλεύσετε ἐκεῖ θεοῖς ἑτέροις, οἳ οὐ δώσουσιν ὑμῖν ἔλεος.

KJVTherefore will I cast you out of this land into a land that ye know not, neither ye nor your fathers; and there shall ye serve other gods day and night; where I will not shew you favour.

JPStherefore will I cast you out of this land into a land that ye have not known, neither ye nor your fathers; and there shall ye serve other gods day and night; forasmuch as I will show you no favour.’

ThomsonTherefore behold the days are coming, saith the Lord, when they shall no more say, ’As the Lord liveth Who brought up the Israelites out of the land of Egypt’:

BrentonTherefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when they shall no more say, The Lord lives, that brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt;

GreekΔιατοῦτο ἰδοὺ ἡμέραι ἔρχονται, λέγει Κύριος, καὶ οὐκ ἐροῦσιν ἔτι, ζῇ Κύριος ὁ ἀναγαγὼν τοὺς υἱοὺς Ἰσραὴλ ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου,

KJVTherefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that it shall no more be said, The LORD liveth, that brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt;

JPSTherefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that it shall no more be said: 'As the LORD liveth, that brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt,'

Thomsonbut, ’as the Lord liveth, Who brought up the house of Israel from the north, and from all the countries to which they were driven’; for I will bring them again to their land which I gave to their fathers.

Brentonbut, The Lord lives, who brought up the house of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the countries whither they were thrust out: and I will restore them to their own land, which I gave to their fathers.

Greekἀλλὰ, ζῇ Κύριος, ὃς ἀνήγαγε τὸν οἶκον Ἰσραὴλ ἀπὸ γῆς Βοῤῥᾶ, καὶ ἀπὸ πασῶν τῶν χωρῶν οὗ ἐξώσθησαν ἐκεῖ· καὶ ἀποκαταστήσω αὐτοὺς εἰς τὴν γῆν αὐτῶν, ἣν ἔδωκα τοῖς πατράσιν αὐτῶν.

KJVBut, The LORD liveth, that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the lands whither he had driven them: and I will bring them again into their land that I gave unto their fathers.

JPSbut: ‘As the LORD liveth, that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the countries whither He had driven them’; and I will bring them back into their land that I gave unto their fathers.

ThomsonBehold I will send many fishers, saith the Lord, and they shall fish them: and after that I will send many hunters and they shall hunt them, on every mountain and every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks.

BrentonBehold, I will send many fishers, saith the Lord, and they shall fish them; and afterward I will send many hunters, and they shall hunt them upon every mountain, and upon every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks.

GreekἸδοὺ ἐγὼ ἀποστέλλω τοὺς ἁλιεῖς τοὺς πολλοὺς, λέγει Κύριος, καὶ ἁλιευσουσιν αὐτούς· καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα ἀποστέλλω τοὺς πολλοὺς θηρευτὰς, καὶ θηρεύσουσιν αὐτοὺς ἐπάνω παντὸς ὄρους, καὶ ἐπάνω παντὸς βουνοῦ, καὶ ἐκ τῶν τρυμαλιῶν τῶν πετρῶν.

KJVBehold, I will send for many fishers, saith the LORD, and they shall fish them; and after will I send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks.

JPSBehold, I will send for many fishers, saith the LORD, and they shall fish them; and afterward I will send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the clefts of the rocks.

ThomsonBecause Mine eyes are on all their ways, and their iniquities are not hid from Mine eyes,

BrentonFor mine eyes are upon all their ways; and their iniquities have not been hidden from mine eyes.

GreekὍτι οἱ ὀφθαλμοί μου ἐπὶ πάσας τὰς ὁδοὺς αὐτῶν, καὶ οὐκ ἐκρύβη τὰ ἀδικήματα αὐτῶν ἀπέναντι τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν μου.

KJVFor mine eyes are upon all their ways: they are not hid from my face, neither is their iniquity hid from mine eyes.

JPSFor Mine eyes are upon all their ways, They are not hid from My face; Neither is their iniquity concealed from Mine eyes.

Thomsontherefore I will doubly requite them for their wickedness and their sins—for their having defiled My land with the carcasses of their abominations, and for their acts of iniquity with which they have caused My heritage to transgress.

BrentonAnd I will recompense their mischiefs doubly, and their sins, whereby they have profaned my land with the carcases of their abominations, and with their iniquities, whereby they have trespassed against mine inheritance.

GreekΚαὶ ἀνταποδώσω διπλὰς τὰς κακίας αὐτῶν, καὶ τὰς ἁμαρτίας αὐτῶν, ἐφʼ αἷς ἐβεβήλωσαν τὴν γῆν μου ἐν τοῖς θνησιμαίοις τῶν βδελυγμάτων αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἀνομίαις αὐτῶν, ἐν αἷς ἐπλημμέλησαν τὴν κληρονομίαν μου.

KJVAnd first I will recompense their iniquity and their sin double; because they have defiled my land, they have filled mine inheritance with the carcases of their detestable and abominable things.

JPSAnd first I will recompense their iniquity and their sin double; Because they have profaned My land; They have filled Mine inheritance With the carcasses of their detestable things and their abominations.

Thomson(p) O Lord, Thou art my strength and my help, and my refuge in days of affliction. To Thee nations will come from the extremity of the earth and say, What lying idols did our fathers possess! there is no advantage in them.

BrentonO Lord, thou art my strength, and mine help, and my refuge in days of evil: to thee the Gentiles shall come from the end of the earth, and shall say, How vain were the idols which our fathers procured to themselves, and there is no help in them.

GreekΚύριε σὺ ἰσχύς μου, καὶ βοήθειά μου, καὶ καταφυγή μου ἐν ἡμέραις κακῶν· πρὸς σὲ ἔθνη ἥξουσιν ἀπʼ ἐσχάτου τῆς γῆς, καὶ ἐροῦσιν, ὡς ψευδῆ ἐκτήσαντο οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν εἴδωλα, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν αὐτοῖς ὠφέλημα;

KJVO LORD, my strength, and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles shall come unto thee from the ends of the earth, and shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit.

JPSO LORD, my strength, and my stronghold, And my refuge, in the day of affliction, Unto Thee shall the nations come From the ends of the earth, and shall say: ‘Our fathers have inherited nought but lies, Vanity and things wherein there is no profit.’

ThomsonIf a man make gods for himself, they are indeed no gods.

BrentonWill a man make gods for himself, whereas these are no gods?

GreekΕἰ ποιήσει ἑαυτῷ ἄνθρωπος θεοὺς, καὶ οὗτοι οὐκ εἰσὶ θεοί.

KJVShall a man make gods unto himself, and they are no gods?

JPSShall a man make unto himself gods, And they are no gods?

Thomson(J) For this purpose, behold! I will at that time manifest My hand to them and make known to them My power, and they shall know that My name is The Lord.

BrentonTherefore, behold, I will at this time manifest my hand to them, and will make known to them my power; and they shall know that my name is the Lord.

GreekΔιατοῦτο ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ δηλώσω αὐτοῖς ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τούτῳ τὴν χεῖρά μου, καὶ γνωριῶ αὐτοῖς τὴν δύναμίν μου, καὶ γνώσονται, ὅτι ὄνομά μοι Κύριος.

KJVTherefore, behold, I will this once cause them to know, I will cause them to know mine hand and my might; and they shall know that my name is The LORD.

JPSTherefore, behold, I will cause them to know, This once will I cause them to know My hand and My might; And they shall know that My name is the LORD.