Lamentations 2:13

King James Version

What thing shall I take to witness for thee? what thing shall I liken to thee, O daughter of Jerusalem? what shall I equal to thee, that I may comfort thee, O virgin daughter of Zion? for thy breach is great like the sea: who can heal thee?

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
What can I say on your behalf?What can I compare you to, Daughter Jerusalem?What can I liken you to,so that I may console you, Virgin Daughter Zion?For your ruin is as vast as the sea.Who can heal you?

Hebrew Names Version
What shall I testify to you? what shall I liken to you, daughter of Yerushalayim? What shall I compare to you, that I may comfort you, virgin daughter of Tziyon? For your breach is great like the sea: who can heal you?

English Standard Version
What can I say for you, to what compare you, O daughter of Jerusalem? What can I liken to you, that I may comfort you, O virgin daughter of Zion? For your ruin is vast as the sea; who can heal you?

New American Standard Bible
How shall I admonish you? What shall I compare to you, Daughter of Jerusalem? What shall I liken to you as I comfort you, Virgin daughter of Zion? For your collapse is as vast as the sea; Who can heal you?

New Century Version
What can I say about you, Jerusalem? What can I compare you to? What can I say you are like? How can I comfort you, Jerusalem? Your ruin is as deep as the sea. No one can heal you.

Amplified Bible
How shall I console you? To what shall I compare you, O Daughter of Jerusalem? With what shall I compare you, so that I may comfort you, O Virgin Daughter of Zion? For your ruin is as vast as the sea; Who can heal you?

World English Bible
What shall I testify to you? what shall I liken to you, daughter of Jerusalem? What shall I compare to you, that I may comfort you, virgin daughter of Zion? For your breach is great like the sea: who can heal you?

Geneva Bible (1587)
What thing shall I take to witnesse for thee? what thing shall I compare to thee, O daughter Ierusalem? what shal I liken to thee, that I may comfort thee, O virgine daughter Zion? for thy breach is great like ye sea: who can heale thee?

New American Standard Bible (1995)
How shall I admonish you? To what shall I compare you, O daughter of Jerusalem? To what shall I liken you as I comfort you, O virgin daughter of Zion? For your ruin is as vast as the sea; Who can heal you?

Legacy Standard Bible
What shall I testify about you?To what shall I equate you,O daughter of Jerusalem?To what shall I liken you as I comfort you,O virgin daughter of Zion?For your destruction is as vast as the sea;Who can heal you?

Berean Standard Bible
What can I say for you? To what can I compare you, O daughter of Jerusalem? To what can I liken you, that I may console you, O virgin Daughter of Zion? For your wound is as deep as the sea. Who can ever heal you?

Contemporary English Version
Zion, how can I comfort you? How great is your pain? Lovely city of Jerusalem, how can I heal your wounds, gaping as wide as the sea?

Complete Jewish Bible
What can be said to you, what can be compared with you, daughter of Yerushalayim? What example can I give to comfort you, virgin daughter of Tziyon? For your downfall is as vast as the sea; who can heal you?

Darby Translation
What shall I take to witness for thee? what shall I liken unto thee, daughter of Jerusalem? What shall I equal to thee, that I may comfort thee, virgin daughter of Zion? For thy ruin is great as the sea: who will heal thee?

Easy-to-Read Version
My dear Jerusalem, what can I say about you? What can I compare you to? What can I say you are like? How can I comfort you, city of Zion? You have been hurt much too badly for anyone to heal.

George Lamsa Translation
What thing shall I testify for you, and to whom shall I liken you, O daughter of Jerusalem? Whom can I liken to you, that I may comfort you, O virgin daughter of Zion? For your breach is great like the sea; who can stop it?

Good News Translation
O Jerusalem, beloved Jerusalem, what can I say? How can I comfort you? No one has ever suffered like this. Your disaster is boundless as the ocean; there is no possible hope.

Lexham English Bible
What can I say for you? What can I compare to you, O daughter of Jerusalem? To what can I liken you so that I can comfort you, O virgin daughter of Zion? For your destruction is as vast as the sea; who can heal you?

Literal Translation
What can I testify for you? To what will I compare you, O daughter of Jerusalem? To what shall I liken you that I may comfort you, O virgin daughter of Zion? For your crushing is great like the sea! Who can heal you?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
What shal I saye of the (O thou doughter Ierusalem) to whom shall I licke the? To whom shal I copare the (o thou doughter Sion) to comforte the withall? Thy hurte is like a mayne see, who maye heale the?

American Standard Version
What shall I testify unto thee? what shall I liken to thee, O daughter of Jerusalem? What shall I compare to thee, that I may comfort thee, O virgin daughter of Zion? For thy breach is great like the sea: who can heal thee?

Bible in Basic English
What example am I to give you? what comparison am I to make for you, O daughter of Jerusalem? what am I to make equal to you, so that I may give you comfort, O virgin daughter of Zion? for your destruction is great like the sea: who is able to make you well?

JPS Old Testament (1917)
What shall I take to witness for thee? What shall I liken to thee, O daughter of Jerusalem? What shall I equal to thee, that I may comfort thee, O virgin daughter of Zion? For thy breach is great like the sea; who can heal thee?

King James Version (1611)
What thing shall I take to witnesse for thee? what thing shall I liken to thee, O daughter of Ierusalem? what shall I equal to thee, that I may comfort thee, O Uirgin daughter of Zion? for thy breach is great like the sea: who can heale thee?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
What shall I say vnto thee, O thou daughter Hierusalem? to whom shal I liken thee? To whom shall I compare thee O thou daughter Sion, to comfort thee withall? thy heart is lyke a mayne sea, who may heale thee?

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
MEM. What shall I testify to thee, or what shall I compare to thee, O daughter of Jerusalem? who shall save and comfort thee, O virgin daughter of Sion? for the cup of thy destruction is enlarged: who shall heal thee?

English Revised Version
What shall I testify unto thee? what shall I liken to thee, O daughter of Jerusalem? what shall I equal to thee, that I may comfort thee, O virgin daughter of Zion? for thy breach is great like the sea: who can heal thee?

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Men. To whom schal Y comparisoun thee? ether to whom schal Y licne thee, thou douyter of Jerusalem? to whom schal Y make thee euene, and schal Y coumforte thee, thou virgyn, the douyter of Sion? for whi thi sorewe is greet as the see; who schal do medicyn to thee?

Update Bible Version
What shall I testify to you? what shall I liken to you, O daughter of Jerusalem? What shall I compare to you, that I may comfort you, O virgin daughter of Zion? For your breach is great like the sea: who can heal you?

Webster's Bible Translation
What thing shall I take to witness for thee? what thing shall I liken to thee, O daughter of Jerusalem? What shall I equal to thee, that I may comfort thee, O virgin daughter of Zion? for thy breach [is] great like the sea: who can heal thee?

New English Translation

מ (Mem)

With what can I equate you? To what can I compare you, O Daughter Jerusalem? To what can I liken you so that I might comfort you, O Virgin Daughter Zion? Your wound is as deep as the sea. Who can heal you?

New King James Version
How shall I console you? To what shall I liken you, O daughter of Jerusalem? What shall I compare with you, that I may comfort you, O virgin daughter of Zion? For your ruin is spread wide as the sea; Who can heal you?

New Living Translation
What can I say about you? Who has ever seen such sorrow? O daughter of Jerusalem, to what can I compare your anguish? O virgin daughter of Zion, how can I comfort you? For your wound is as deep as the sea. Who can heal you?

New Life Bible
What can I say for you? What can I compare you with, O people of Jerusalem? What can I compare you with, that I may comfort you, O pure daughter of Zion? For you have been destroyed as much as the sea is large. And who can heal you?

New Revised Standard
What can I say for you, to what compare you, O daughter Jerusalem? To what can I liken you, that I may comfort you, O virgin daughter Zion? For vast as the sea is your ruin; who can heal you?

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
How shall I solemnly admonish thee? What shall I liken to thee, thou daughter of Jerusalem? What shall I compare with thee, that I may comfort thee, thou virgin, daughter of Zion? for, great as the sea, is thy grievous injury, Who can heal thee?

Douay-Rheims Bible
Mem. To what shall I compare thee? or to what shall I liken thee, O daughter of Jerusalem? to what shall I equal thee, that I may comfort thee, O virgin daughter of Sion? for great as the sea is thy destruction: who shall heal thee?

Revised Standard Version
What can I say for you, to what compare you, O daughter of Jerusalem? What can I liken to you, that I may comfort you, O virgin daughter of Zion? For vast as the sea is your ruin; who can restore you?

Young's Literal Translation
What do I testify [to] thee, what do I liken to thee, O daughter of Jerusalem? What do I equal to thee, and I comfort thee, O virgin daughter of Zion? For great as a sea [is] thy breach, Who doth give healing to thee?

THE MESSAGE
How can I understand your plight, dear Jerusalem? What can I say to give you comfort, dear Zion? Who can put you together again? This bust-up is past understanding.

Contextual Overview

¹⁰ The elders of the daughter of Zion sit upon the ground, and keep silence: they have cast up dust upon their heads; they have girded themselves with sackcloth: the virgins of Jerusalem hang down their heads to the ground. ¹¹ Mine eyes do fail with tears, my bowels are troubled, my liver is poured upon the earth, for the destruction of the daughter of my people; because the children and the sucklings swoon in the streets of the city. ¹² They say to their mothers, Where is corn and wine? when they swooned as the wounded in the streets of the city, when their soul was poured out into their mothers' bosom. ¹³ What thing shall I take to witness for thee? what thing shall I liken to thee, O daughter of Jerusalem? what shall I equal to thee, that I may comfort thee, O virgin daughter of Zion? for thy breach is great like the sea: who can heal thee? ¹⁴ Thy prophets have seen vain and foolish things for thee: and they have not discovered thine iniquity, to turn away thy captivity; but have seen for thee false burdens and causes of banishment. ¹⁵ All that pass by clap their hands at thee; they hiss and wag their head at the daughter of Jerusalem, saying, Is this the city that men call The perfection of beauty, The joy of the whole earth? ¹⁶ All thine enemies have opened their mouth against thee: they hiss and gnash the teeth: they say, We have swallowed her up: certainly this is the day that we looked for; we have found, we have seen it. ¹⁷ The Lord hath done that which he had devised; he hath fulfilled his word that he had commanded in the days of old: he hath thrown down, and hath not pitied: and he hath caused thine enemy to rejoice over thee, he hath set up the horn of thine adversaries. ¹⁸ Their heart cried unto the Lord , O wall of the daughter of Zion, let tears run down like a river day and night: give thyself no rest; let not the apple of thine eye cease. ¹⁹ Arise, cry out in the night: in the beginning of the watches pour out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord : lift up thy hands toward him for the life of thy young children, that faint for hunger in the top of every street.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

shall I take: Lamentations 1:12, Daniel 9:12

for: 2 Samuel 5:20, Psalms 60:2, Jeremiah 14:17, Ezekiel 26:3, Ezekiel 26:4

who can: Jeremiah 8:22, Jeremiah 30:12-15, Jeremiah 51:8, Jeremiah 51:9

Reciprocal: 2 Kings 19:21 - The virgin Isaiah 3:7 - healer Isaiah 30:26 - bindeth Isaiah 37:22 - The virgin Jeremiah 6:2 - daughter Jeremiah 14:19 - no healing Jeremiah 30:7 - so Jeremiah 31:4 - O Lamentations 1:9 - she had Ezekiel 13:5 - gaps Ezekiel 27:32 - What city Ezekiel 32:31 - shall be Amos 5:2 - virgin Nahum 3:7 - who Matthew 11:16 - whereunto Mark 4:30 - General Mark 13:19 - in those Luke 7:31 - Whereunto Luke 13:18 - Unto John 11:19 - to comfort

Cross-References

Genesis 10:6
And the sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan.

Isaiah 11:11
And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

What thing shall I take to witness for thee?.... What argument can be made use of? what proof or evidence can be given? what witnesses can be called to convince thee, and make it a clear case to time, that ever any people or nation was in such distress and calamity, what with sword, famine, pestilence, and captivity, as thou art?

what thing shall I liken thee to, O daughter of Jerusalem? what kingdom or nation ever suffered the like? no example can be given, no instance that comes up to it; not the Egyptians, when the ten plagues were inflicted on them; not the Canaanites, when conquered and drove out by Joshua; not the Philistines, Moabites, Edomites, and Syrians, when subdued by David; or any other people:

what shall I equal to thee, that I may comfort thee, O virgin daughter of Zion? for this is one way that friends comfort the afflicted, by telling them that such an one's case was as bad, and worse, than theirs; and therefore bid them be of good heart; bear their affliction patiently; before long it will be over; but nothing of this kind could be said here; no, nor any hope given it would be otherwise; they could not say their case was like others, or that it was not desperate:

for thy breach [is] great like the sea; as large and as wide as that: Zion's troubles were a sea of trouble; her afflictions as numerous and as boisterous as the waves of the sea; and as salt, as disagreeable, and as intolerable, as the waters of it: or her breach was great, like the breach of the sea; when it overflows its banks, or breaks through its bounds, there is no stopping it, but it grows wider and wider:

who can heal thee? it was not in the power of man, in her own power, or of her allies, to recover her out of the hands of the enemy; to restore her civil or church state; her wound was incurable; none but God could be her physician. The Targum is,

"for thy breach is great as the greatness of the breach of the waves of the sea in the time of its tempest; and who is the physician that can heal thee of thy infirmity?''

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Equal - i. e. “compare.” Zion’s breach, i. e. her destruction, is measureless, like the ocean.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 13. What thing shall I take — Or, rather, as Dr. Blayney, "What shall I urge to thee?" How shall I comfort thee?

Thy breach is great like the sea — Thou hast a flood of afflictions, a sea of troubles, an ocean of miseries.