Jeremiah 2:30

Easy-to-Read Version

"I punished you people of Judah, but it did not help. You did not come back when you were punished. With your swords you killed the prophets who came to you. Like a dangerous lion, you killed the prophets."

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
I have struck down your children in vain;they would not accept discipline.Your own sword has devoured your prophetslike a ravaging lion.

Hebrew Names Version
In vain have I struck your children; they received no correction: your own sword has devoured your prophets, like a destroying lion.

King James Version
In vain have I smitten your children; they received no correction: your own sword hath devoured your prophets, like a destroying lion.

English Standard Version
In vain have I struck your children; they took no correction; your own sword devoured your prophets like a ravening lion.

New American Standard Bible
"In vain I have struck your sons; They did not accept discipline. Your sword has devoured your prophets Like a destroying lion.

New Century Version
"I punished your people, but it did not help. They didn't come back when they were punished. With your swords you killed your prophets like a hungry lion.

Amplified Bible
"In vain I have punished your people [with the consequences of their disobedience]; They received no insight from correction [and refused to change]. Your [own] sword has devoured your prophets Like a destroying lion.

World English Bible
In vain have I struck your children; they received no correction: your own sword has devoured your prophets, like a destroying lion.

Geneva Bible (1587)
I haue smitten your children in vaine, they receiued no correction: your owne sworde hath deuoured your Prophets like a destroying lyon.

Legacy Standard Bible
"In vain I have struck your sons;They received no discipline.Your sword has devoured your prophetsLike a destroying lion.

Berean Standard Bible
"I have struck your sons in vain; they accepted no discipline. Your own sword has devoured your prophets like a voracious lion.

Contemporary English Version
I tried punishing you, but you refused to come back to me, and like fierce lions you killed my prophets.

Complete Jewish Bible
"In vain have I struck down your people. They would not receive correction. Your own sword has devoured your prophets like a marauding lion.

Darby Translation
In vain have I smitten your children: they received no correction. Your own sword hath devoured your prophets, like a destroying lion.

George Lamsa Translation
In vain have I smitten your children; they have received no discipline; the sword has devoured your prophets like a destroying lion.

Good News Translation
I punished you, but it did no good; you would not let me correct you. Like a raging lion, you have murdered your prophets.

Lexham English Bible
"For in vain I have struck your children. They accepted no discipline. Your sword devoured your prophets, like a ravening lion.

Literal Translation
In vain I have stricken your sons; they received no correction. Your own sword has devoured your prophets, like a destroying lion.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
It is but lost laboure, that I smyte youre children, for they receaue not my correction. Youre owne swearde destroyeth youre prophetes, like a deuouringe lyon.

American Standard Version
In vain have I smitten your children; they received no correction: your own sword hath devoured your prophets, like a destroying lion.

Bible in Basic English
I gave your children blows to no purpose; they got no good from training: your sword has been the destruction of your prophets, like a death-giving lion.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
In vain have I smitten your children--they received no correction; your sword hath devoured your prophets, like a destroying lion.

King James Version (1611)
In vaine haue I smitten your children, they receiued no correction: your owne sword hath deuoured your prophets, like a destroying lyon.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
It is but lost labour that I smite your children, for they receaue not my correction: your owne sworde destroyeth your prophetes, lyke a deuouryng lion.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
In vain have I smitten your children; ye have not received correction: a sword has devoured your prophets as a destroying lion; yet ye feared not.

English Revised Version
In vain have I smitten your children; they received no correction: your own sword hath devoured your prophets, like a destroying lion.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
In veyn Y smoot youre sones, thei resseyueden not chastisyng; youre swerd deuouride youre prophetis, youre generacioun is distried as a lioun.

Update Bible Version
In vain I have smitten your sons; they received no correction: your own sword has devoured your prophets, like a destroying lion.

Webster's Bible Translation
In vain have I smitten your children; they have received no correction: your own sword hath devoured your prophets, like a destroying lion.

New English Translation
"It did no good for me to punish your people. They did not respond to such correction. You slaughtered your prophets like a voracious lion."

New King James Version
"In vain I have chastened your children; They received no correction. Your sword has devoured your prophets Like a destroying lion.

New Living Translation
"I have punished your children, but they did not respond to my discipline. You yourselves have killed your prophets as a lion kills its prey.

New Life Bible
"I have punished your children for nothing, for they would not learn from it. Your sword has destroyed your men of God like a destroying lion.

New Revised Standard
In vain I have struck down your children; they accepted no correction. Your own sword devoured your prophets like a ravening lion.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
In vain, have I smitten your children, Correction, have they not accepted, - Your sword hath devoured your prophets, as a lion that destroyeth.

Douay-Rheims Bible
In vain have I struck your children, they have not received correction: your sword hath devoured your prophets, your generation is like a ravaging lion.

Revised Standard Version
In vain have I smitten your children, they took no correction; your own sword devoured your prophets like a ravening lion.

Young's Literal Translation
In vain I have smitten your sons, Instruction they have not accepted, Devoured hath your sword your prophets, As a destroying lion.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"In vain I have struck your sons; They accepted no chastening. Your sword has devoured your prophets Like a destroying lion.

Contextual Overview

²⁹ "Why do you argue with me? You have all turned against me." This message was from the Lord . ³⁰ "I punished you people of Judah, but it did not help. You did not come back when you were punished. With your swords you killed the prophets who came to you. Like a dangerous lion, you killed the prophets." ³¹ People of this generation, pay attention to the Lord 's message! "Have I been like a desert to the people of Israel? Have I been like a dark and dangerous land to them? My people say, ‘We are free to go our own way. We will not come back to you!' Why do they say these things? ³² A young woman does not forget her jewelry. A bride does not forget to wear her wedding dress. But my people have forgotten me too many times to count. ³³ "Judah, you have become so good at finding lovers. Even the worst women could learn some evil ways from you. ³⁴ You have blood on your hands! It is the blood of poor, innocent people. You did not catch them breaking into your house. You killed them for no reason! ³⁵ But still, you say, ‘I am innocent. God is not angry with me.' So I will also judge you guilty of lying, because you say, ‘I have done nothing wrong.' ³⁶ You go from one place to another looking for help, always changing your mind. But Egypt will also disappoint you, just as Assyria did. ³⁷ So you will eventually leave Egypt too, and you will hide your face in shame. You trusted these countries, but the Lord rejected them, so they cannot help you win.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

In vain: Jeremiah 5:3, Jeremiah 6:29, Jeremiah 6:30, Jeremiah 7:28, Jeremiah 31:18, 2 Chronicles 28:22, Isaiah 1:5, Isaiah 9:13, Ezekiel 24:13, Zephaniah 3:2, Revelation 9:20, Revelation 9:21, Revelation 16:9

your own sword: Jeremiah 26:20-24, 1 Kings 19:10, 1 Kings 19:14, 2 Chronicles 24:21, 2 Chronicles 36:16, Nehemiah 9:26, Matthew 21:35, Matthew 21:36, Matthew 23:29, Matthew 23:34-37, Mark 12:2-8, Luke 11:47-51, Luke 13:33, Luke 13:34, Acts 7:52, 1 Thessalonians 2:15

Reciprocal: Leviticus 26:23 - General 2 Samuel 2:26 - sword Isaiah 5:4 - General Isaiah 57:17 - and he Isaiah 59:3 - your hands Jeremiah 7:6 - and shed Jeremiah 13:23 - Ethiopian Jeremiah 19:4 - filled Jeremiah 26:8 - the priests Jeremiah 26:15 - ye shall Jeremiah 26:23 - who Jeremiah 32:3 - Zedekiah Jeremiah 36:26 - to take Jeremiah 46:14 - the sword Ezekiel 11:6 - General Ezekiel 22:2 - bloody city Ezekiel 22:24 - General Ezekiel 22:25 - they have devoured Ezekiel 34:3 - ye kill Daniel 9:13 - made we not our prayer before Zechariah 11:3 - a voice Matthew 5:12 - for so Matthew 14:10 - and beheaded Matthew 23:30 - the blood Matthew 23:35 - upon Matthew 23:37 - thou Mark 12:3 - they Luke 3:20 - General Luke 6:23 - for in Luke 20:10 - beat Romans 11:3 - Lord 2 Timothy 4:17 - and I Hebrews 11:37 - were slain James 5:10 - for Revelation 3:19 - many Revelation 16:6 - they have

Gill's Notes on the Bible

In vain have I smitten your children,.... Or, "for vanity" g; for vain speaking, for making vain oaths and vows; so it is explained in the Talmud h; but the sense is, that the rod of chastisement was used in vain; the afflictions that came upon them had no effect on them to amend and reform them; they were never the better for them:

they received no correction; or instruction by them; see Jeremiah 5:3,

your own sword hath devoured your prophets; as Isaiah, Zechariah, and Uriah, who were sent to them to reprove and correct them, but they were so far from receiving their correction, that they put them to death; though Kimchi mentions it as the sense of his father, and which he approves of, that this is to be understood, not of the true prophets of the Lord, but of false prophets; wherefore it is said, "your prophets"; and they had no prophets but false prophets, whose prophecy was the cause of the destruction of souls, and this brought ruin upon the prophets themselves; and this sense of the words Jerom gives into; it follows:

like a destroying lion; that is, the sword of the Lord, according to the latter sense; the judgments of God, by which the people fall, and their false prophets with them, were like a lion that destroys and devours all that come near it. The Septuagint and Arabic versions add,

and ye were not afraid; which confirms what was before said, that chastisement and correction were in vain.

g לשוא "propter vanitatem, [sive] vaniloquentiam", Vatablus. h T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. 32. 2. & Cetubot, fol. 72. 1.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Your own sword hath detoured your prophets - An allusion probably to Manasseh 2 Kings 21:16. Death was the usual fate of the true prophet Nehemiah 9:26; Matthew 23:37.