Lectionary Calendar
Sunday, July 20th, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Read the Bible
Christian Standard Bible ®
Lamentations 4:15
“Stay away! Unclean!” people shouted at them.“Away, away! Don’t touch us!” So they wandered aimlessly.It was said among the nations,“They can stay here no longer.”
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Bible Study Resources
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Hebrew Names Version
Depart you, they cried to them, Unclean! depart, depart, don't touch! When they fled away and wandered, men said among the nations, They shall no more sojourn [here].
Depart you, they cried to them, Unclean! depart, depart, don't touch! When they fled away and wandered, men said among the nations, They shall no more sojourn [here].
King James Version
They cried unto them, Depart ye; it is unclean; depart, depart, touch not: when they fled away and wandered, they said among the heathen, They shall no more sojourn there.
They cried unto them, Depart ye; it is unclean; depart, depart, touch not: when they fled away and wandered, they said among the heathen, They shall no more sojourn there.
English Standard Version
"Away! Unclean!" people cried at them. "Away! Away! Do not touch!" So they became fugitives and wanderers; people said among the nations, "They shall stay with us no longer."
"Away! Unclean!" people cried at them. "Away! Away! Do not touch!" So they became fugitives and wanderers; people said among the nations, "They shall stay with us no longer."
New American Standard Bible
"Keep away! Unclean!" they cried out of themselves. "Keep away, keep away, do not touch!" For they distanced themselves as well as wandered; People among the nations said, "They shall not continue to reside with us."
"Keep away! Unclean!" they cried out of themselves. "Keep away, keep away, do not touch!" For they distanced themselves as well as wandered; People among the nations said, "They shall not continue to reside with us."
New Century Version
"Go away! You are unclean," people shouted at them. "Get away! Get away! Don't touch us!" So they ran away and wandered. Even the other nations said, "Don't stay here."
"Go away! You are unclean," people shouted at them. "Get away! Get away! Don't touch us!" So they ran away and wandered. Even the other nations said, "Don't stay here."
Amplified Bible
People cried to them, "Go away! Unclean! Depart! Depart! Do not touch!" So they fled, then they wandered [as fugitives]; People among the nations said, "They shall not stay here any longer with us."
People cried to them, "Go away! Unclean! Depart! Depart! Do not touch!" So they fled, then they wandered [as fugitives]; People among the nations said, "They shall not stay here any longer with us."
World English Bible
Depart you, they cried to them, Unclean! depart, depart, don't touch! When they fled away and wandered, men said among the nations, They shall no more sojourn [here].
Depart you, they cried to them, Unclean! depart, depart, don't touch! When they fled away and wandered, men said among the nations, They shall no more sojourn [here].
Geneva Bible (1587)
But they cried vnto them, Depart, ye polluted, depart, depart, touch not: therefore they fled away, and wandered: they haue sayd among the heathen, They shal no more dwell there.
But they cried vnto them, Depart, ye polluted, depart, depart, touch not: therefore they fled away, and wandered: they haue sayd among the heathen, They shal no more dwell there.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Depart! Unclean!" they cried of themselves. "Depart, depart, do not touch!" So they fled and wandered; Men among the nations said, "They shall not continue to dwell with us."
"Depart! Unclean!" they cried of themselves. "Depart, depart, do not touch!" So they fled and wandered; Men among the nations said, "They shall not continue to dwell with us."
Legacy Standard Bible
"Depart! Unclean!" they cried of themselves."Depart, depart, do not touch!"So they fled and wandered;Men among the nations said,"They shall not continue to sojourn with us."
"Depart! Unclean!" they cried of themselves."Depart, depart, do not touch!"So they fled and wandered;Men among the nations said,"They shall not continue to sojourn with us."
Berean Standard Bible
"Go away! Unclean!" men shouted at them. "Away, away! Do not touch us!" So they fled and wandered. Among the nations it was said, "They can stay here no longer."
"Go away! Unclean!" men shouted at them. "Away, away! Do not touch us!" So they fled and wandered. Among the nations it was said, "They can stay here no longer."
Contemporary English Version
Instead, everyone shouted, "Go away! Don't touch us! You're filthy and unfit to belong to God's people!" So they had to leave and become refugees. But foreign nations told them, "You can't stay here!"
Instead, everyone shouted, "Go away! Don't touch us! You're filthy and unfit to belong to God's people!" So they had to leave and become refugees. But foreign nations told them, "You can't stay here!"
Complete Jewish Bible
"Keep away! Unclean!" people shout at them, "Keep away! Away! Don't touch us!" They flee, to wander here and there; but no nation allows them to stay.
"Keep away! Unclean!" people shout at them, "Keep away! Away! Don't touch us!" They flee, to wander here and there; but no nation allows them to stay.
Darby Translation
They cried unto them, Depart! Unclean! Depart! depart, touch not! When they fled away, and wandered about, it was said among the nations, They shall no more sojourn [there].
They cried unto them, Depart! Unclean! Depart! depart, touch not! When they fled away, and wandered about, it was said among the nations, They shall no more sojourn [there].
Easy-to-Read Version
People shouted, "Go away! Go away! Don't touch us." They wandered around and had no home. People in other nations said, "We don't want them to live with us."
People shouted, "Go away! Go away! Don't touch us." They wandered around and had no home. People in other nations said, "We don't want them to live with us."
George Lamsa Translation
Separate yourselves from them, call them unclean; depart, depart, do not touch them; for they have caused provocations and are troubled; among the Gentiles the people said, They shall no more sojourn there.
Separate yourselves from them, call them unclean; depart, depart, do not touch them; for they have caused provocations and are troubled; among the Gentiles the people said, They shall no more sojourn there.
Good News Translation
"Get away!" people shouted. "You're defiled! Don't touch me!" So they wandered from nation to nation, welcomed by no one.
"Get away!" people shouted. "You're defiled! Don't touch me!" So they wandered from nation to nation, welcomed by no one.
Lexham English Bible
"Go away! Defiled!" they shout to them. "Go away! Go away! Do not touch!" so they left, they left; it was said among the nations, "They will no longer dwell with us."
"Go away! Defiled!" they shout to them. "Go away! Go away! Do not touch!" so they left, they left; it was said among the nations, "They will no longer dwell with us."
Literal Translation
They cried out to them, Depart! Unclean! Depart, depart! Touch not! Indeed they fled and reeled. They said among the nations, They will not continue to live there.
They cried out to them, Depart! Unclean! Depart, depart! Touch not! Indeed they fled and reeled. They said among the nations, They will not continue to live there.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But they cried vnto euery ma: fle the staynynge, awaye, get you hece, touch it not. Yee (sayde they) ye must be brent, ye must dwell amonge the Gentiles, & byde no longer here.
But they cried vnto euery ma: fle the staynynge, awaye, get you hece, touch it not. Yee (sayde they) ye must be brent, ye must dwell amonge the Gentiles, & byde no longer here.
American Standard Version
Depart ye, they cried unto them, Unclean! depart, depart, touch not! When they fled away and wandered, men said among the nations, They shall no more sojourn here.
Depart ye, they cried unto them, Unclean! depart, depart, touch not! When they fled away and wandered, men said among the nations, They shall no more sojourn here.
Bible in Basic English
Away! unclean! they were crying out to them, Away! away! let there be no touching: when they went away in flight and wandering, men said among the nations, There is no further resting-place for them.
Away! unclean! they were crying out to them, Away! away! let there be no touching: when they went away in flight and wandering, men said among the nations, There is no further resting-place for them.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
'Depart ye! unclean!' men cried unto them, 'Depart, depart, touch not'; yea, they fled away and wandered; men said among the nations: 'They shall no more sojourn here.'
'Depart ye! unclean!' men cried unto them, 'Depart, depart, touch not'; yea, they fled away and wandered; men said among the nations: 'They shall no more sojourn here.'
King James Version (1611)
They cryed vnto them; Depart yee, it is vncleane, depart, depart, touch not, when they fled away and wandred: they said among the heathen, They shall no more soiourne there.
They cryed vnto them; Depart yee, it is vncleane, depart, depart, touch not, when they fled away and wandred: they said among the heathen, They shall no more soiourne there.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
But they cryed vnto them, flee ye polluted, away, get you hence, touche not: for they are vncleane and be remoued, yea they haue said among the heathen, they shall no more dwell in this citie.
But they cryed vnto them, flee ye polluted, away, get you hence, touche not: for they are vncleane and be remoued, yea they haue said among the heathen, they shall no more dwell in this citie.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
SAMECH. Depart ye from the unclean ones: call ye them: depart, depart, touch them not: for they are on fire, yea, they stagger: say ye among the nations, They shall no more sojourn there.
SAMECH. Depart ye from the unclean ones: call ye them: depart, depart, touch them not: for they are on fire, yea, they stagger: say ye among the nations, They shall no more sojourn there.
English Revised Version
Depart ye, they cried unto them, Unclean! depart, depart, touch not: when they fled away and wandered, men said among the nations, They shall no more sojourn here.
Depart ye, they cried unto them, Unclean! depart, depart, touch not: when they fled away and wandered, men said among the nations, They shall no more sojourn here.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Samet. Thei crieden to hem, Departe awei, ye defoulide men, departe ye, go ye awei, nyle ye touche; forsothe thei chidden, and weren stirid; thei seiden among hethene men, God schal no more leie to, that he dwelle among hem.
Samet. Thei crieden to hem, Departe awei, ye defoulide men, departe ye, go ye awei, nyle ye touche; forsothe thei chidden, and weren stirid; thei seiden among hethene men, God schal no more leie to, that he dwelle among hem.
Update Bible Version
Depart, they cried to them, Unclean! depart, depart, don't touch! When they fled away and wandered, men said among the nations, They shall no more sojourn [here].
Depart, they cried to them, Unclean! depart, depart, don't touch! When they fled away and wandered, men said among the nations, They shall no more sojourn [here].
Webster's Bible Translation
They cried to them, Depart ye; [it is] unclean; depart, depart, touch not: when they fled away and wandered, they said among the heathen, They shall no more sojourn [there].
They cried to them, Depart ye; [it is] unclean; depart, depart, touch not: when they fled away and wandered, they said among the heathen, They shall no more sojourn [there].
New English Translation
ס (Samek)
People cry to them, "Turn away! You are unclean! Turn away! Turn away! Don't touch us!" So they have fled and wander about; but the nations say, "They may not stay here any longer."New King James Version
They cried out to them, "Go away, unclean! Go away, go away, Do not touch us!" When they fled and wandered, Those among the nations said, "They shall no longer dwell here."
They cried out to them, "Go away, unclean! Go away, go away, Do not touch us!" When they fled and wandered, Those among the nations said, "They shall no longer dwell here."
New Living Translation
"Get away!" the people shouted at them. "You're defiled! Don't touch us!" So they fled to distant lands and wandered among foreign nations, but none would let them stay.
"Get away!" the people shouted at them. "You're defiled! Don't touch us!" So they fled to distant lands and wandered among foreign nations, but none would let them stay.
New Life Bible
People cried to them, "Go away! You are unclean! Leave! Go away! Do not touch!" So they ran away and traveled from place to place. Men among the nations said, "They must not stay with us any longer."
People cried to them, "Go away! You are unclean! Leave! Go away! Do not touch!" So they ran away and traveled from place to place. Men among the nations said, "They must not stay with us any longer."
New Revised Standard
"Away! Unclean!" people shouted at them; "Away! Away! Do not touch!" So they became fugitives and wanderers; it was said among the nations, "They shall stay here no longer."
"Away! Unclean!" people shouted at them; "Away! Away! Do not touch!" So they became fugitives and wanderers; it was said among the nations, "They shall stay here no longer."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Turn aside! Unclean! have they cried to them, Turn aside! Turn aside! Do not touch! because they have fled, yea, wandered, Men said among the nations, They will not again tarry;
Turn aside! Unclean! have they cried to them, Turn aside! Turn aside! Do not touch! because they have fled, yea, wandered, Men said among the nations, They will not again tarry;
Douay-Rheims Bible
Samech. Depart you that are defiled, they cried out to them: Depart, get ye hence, touch not: for they quarrelled, and being removed, they said among the Gentiles: He will no more dwell among them.
Samech. Depart you that are defiled, they cried out to them: Depart, get ye hence, touch not: for they quarrelled, and being removed, they said among the Gentiles: He will no more dwell among them.
Revised Standard Version
"Away! Unclean!" men cried at them; "Away! Away! Touch not!" So they became fugitives and wanderers; men said among the nations, "They shall stay with us no longer."
"Away! Unclean!" men cried at them; "Away! Away! Touch not!" So they became fugitives and wanderers; men said among the nations, "They shall stay with us no longer."
Young's Literal Translation
`Turn aside -- unclean,' they called to them, `Turn aside, turn aside, touch not,' For they fled -- yea, they have wandered, They have said among nations: `They do not add to sojourn.'
`Turn aside -- unclean,' they called to them, `Turn aside, turn aside, touch not,' For they fled -- yea, they have wandered, They have said among nations: `They do not add to sojourn.'
THE MESSAGE
People yell at them, "Get out of here, dirty old men! Get lost, don't touch us, don't infect us!" They have to leave town. They wander off. Nobody wants them to stay here. Everyone knows, wherever they wander, that they've been kicked out of their own hometown.
People yell at them, "Get out of here, dirty old men! Get lost, don't touch us, don't infect us!" They have to leave town. They wander off. Nobody wants them to stay here. Everyone knows, wherever they wander, that they've been kicked out of their own hometown.
Contextual Overview
13Yet it happened because of the sins of her prophetsand the iniquities of her priests,who shed the blood of the righteous within her. 14Blind, they stumbled in the streets,defiled by this blood,so that no one daredto touch their garments. 15“Stay away! Unclean!” people shouted at them.“Away, away! Don’t touch us!” So they wandered aimlessly.It was said among the nations,“They can stay here no longer.”16The Lord himself has scattered them;he no longer watches over them.The priests are not respected;the elders find no favor. 17All the while our eyes were failingas we looked in vain for help;we watched from our towersfor a nation that would not save us. 18Our steps were closely followedso that we could not walk in our streets.Our end approached; our time ran out.Our end had come! 19Those who chased us were swifterthan eagles in the sky;they relentlessly pursued us over the mountainsand ambushed us in the wilderness. 20The Lord’s anointed, the breath of our life,was captured in their traps.We had said about him,“We will live under his protection among the nations.”
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
Reciprocal: Leviticus 13:45 - Unclean Leviticus 26:33 - General Isaiah 23:12 - there also Jeremiah 9:19 - our Jeremiah 33:24 - thus Lamentations 1:8 - all Lamentations 1:17 - Jerusalem Lamentations 2:9 - her king Lamentations 3:45 - as Zechariah 8:13 - a curse
Cross-References
Genesis 4:24
If Cain is to be avenged seven times over,then for Lamech it will be seventy-seven times!
If Cain is to be avenged seven times over,then for Lamech it will be seventy-seven times!
Leviticus 26:18
“But if after these things you will not obey me, I will proceed to discipline you seven times for your sins.
“But if after these things you will not obey me, I will proceed to discipline you seven times for your sins.
Leviticus 26:21
“If you act with hostility toward me and are unwilling to obey me, I will multiply your plagues seven times for your sins.
“If you act with hostility toward me and are unwilling to obey me, I will multiply your plagues seven times for your sins.
Leviticus 26:24
then I will act with hostility toward you; I also will strike you seven times for your sins.
then I will act with hostility toward you; I also will strike you seven times for your sins.
Leviticus 26:28
I will act with furious hostility toward you; I will also discipline you seven times for your sins.
I will act with furious hostility toward you; I will also discipline you seven times for your sins.
1 Kings 16:7
But through the prophet Jehu son of Hanani the word of the Lord also had come against Baasha and against his house because of all the evil he had done in the Lord’s sight. His actions angered the Lord, and Baasha’s house became like the house of Jeroboam, because he had struck it down.
But through the prophet Jehu son of Hanani the word of the Lord also had come against Baasha and against his house because of all the evil he had done in the Lord’s sight. His actions angered the Lord, and Baasha’s house became like the house of Jeroboam, because he had struck it down.
Psalms 59:11
Do not kill them; otherwise, my people will forget.By your power, make them homeless wanderersand bring them down,Lord, our shield.
Do not kill them; otherwise, my people will forget.By your power, make them homeless wanderersand bring them down,Lord, our shield.
Psalms 79:12
Pay back sevenfold to our neighborsthe reproach they have hurled at you, Lord.
Pay back sevenfold to our neighborsthe reproach they have hurled at you, Lord.
Proverbs 6:31
Still, if caught, he must pay seven times as much;he must give up all the wealth in his house.
Still, if caught, he must pay seven times as much;he must give up all the wealth in his house.
Ezekiel 9:4
“Pass throughout the city of Jerusalem,” the Lord said to him, “and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the detestable practices committed in it.”
“Pass throughout the city of Jerusalem,” the Lord said to him, “and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the detestable practices committed in it.”
Gill's Notes on the Bible
They cried unto them, depart ye, [it is] unclean,.... Or, O ye "unclean" e; that is, the people said so to the priests, being polluted with blood; they abhorred them, did not care they should come nigh them, but bid them keep at distance; they that cleansed others of leprosy were treated as leprous persons themselves, and proclaimed unclean, and shunned as such: and, to show their vehement abhorrence of them, repeated the words,
depart, depart, touch not: that is, touch us not; they who had used to say; to others, stand by yourselves, we are more holy than you, being the Lord's priests and prophets, are treated after the same manner themselves:
when they fled away, and wandered; fled from the city, and wandered among the nations; or when they were swiftly carried away captives, and became vagabonds in other countries:
they said among the Heathens, they shall no more sojourn [there]; being among the Heathens, they took notice of them as very wicked men, and said concerning them, now they are carried out of their own land, they shall never return there any more, and dwell in Jerusalem, and officiate in the temple, as they had formerly done.
e ××× "immunde", Montanus; "immundi", Strigelius. "gens polluta", Vatablus; "discedite polluti", Gataker.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Men cried to these priests, âAway! Unclean! Away! Away! Touch not.â âUncleanâ was the cry of the leper whenever he appeared in public: here it is the warning shout of those who meet the murderers.
When they fled away and wandered - These priests fled away from the city, but with uncertain steps, not knowing where to find refuge. They find themselves abhorred abroad as well as at home.
It is quite possible that this verse records a real occurrence, if not during the siege, at all events during the last years of Zedekiahâs reign.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse 15. When they fled away — These priests and prophets were so bad, that the very heathen did not like to permit them to sojourn among them. The prophet now resumes the history of the siege.
