Lectionary Calendar
Thursday, November 13th, 2025
the Week of Proper 27 / Ordinary 32
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Read the Bible

THE MESSAGE

Jeremiah 50:17

"Israel is a scattered flock, hunted down by lions. The king of Assyria started the carnage. The king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, Has completed the job, gnawing the bones clean."

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Assyria;   Lion;   Sheep;   Thompson Chain Reference - Assyria;   Lost;   Sheep, Lost;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Babylon;   Sheep;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Babylon;   Chaldeans;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Exile;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Merathaim, the Land of;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Jeremiah;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Greek Versions of Ot;   Lance, Lancet;   Persia, Persians;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Jeremiah, Book of;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Bone;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Kingdom of Judah;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Joel (2);  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Israel is a stray lamb, chased by lions.The first who devoured him was the king of Assyria;the last who crushed his boneswas King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.
Hebrew Names Version
Yisra'el is a hunted sheep; the lions have driven him away: first, the king of Ashshur devoured him; and now at last Nevukhadretztzar king of Bavel has broken his bones.
King James Version
Israel is a scattered sheep; the lions have driven him away: first the king of Assyria hath devoured him; and last this Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon hath broken his bones.
English Standard Version
"Israel is a hunted sheep driven away by lions. First the king of Assyria devoured him, and now at last Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has gnawed his bones.
New American Standard Bible
"Israel is a scattered flock, the lions have driven them away. The first one who devoured him was the king of Assyria, and this last one who has gnawed his bones is Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.
New Century Version
"The people of Israel are like a flock of sheep that are scattered from being chased by lions. The first lion to eat them up was the king of Assyria. The last lion to crush their bones was Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon."
Amplified Bible
"Israel is a hunted and scattered flock [driven here and there as prey]; the lions have chased them away. First the king of Assyria devoured him, and now at last Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has broken (gnawed) his bones.
World English Bible
Israel is a hunted sheep; the lions have driven him away: first, the king of Assyria devoured him; and now at last Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon has broken his bones.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Israel is like scattered sheepe: the lions haue dispersed them: first the King of Asshur hath deuoured him, and last this Nebuchad-nezzar King, of Babel hath broken his bones.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Israel is a scattered flock, the lions have driven them away. The first one who devoured him was the king of Assyria, and this last one who has broken his bones is Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.
Legacy Standard Bible
"Israel is a scattered flock; the lions have banished them away. The first one who devoured him was the king of Assyria, and this last one who has broken his bones is Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.
Berean Standard Bible
Israel is a scattered flock, chased away by lions. The first to devour him was the king of Assyria; the last to crush his bones was Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon."
Contemporary English Version
Israel is a flock of sheep scattered by hungry lions. The king of Assyria first gobbled Israel down. Then Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylonia, crunched on Israel's bones.
Complete Jewish Bible
"Isra'el is a stray lamb, driven away by lions. First to devour him was Ashur's king; and the last to break his bones is this N'vukhadretzar king of Bavel."
Darby Translation
Israel is a hunted sheep; the lions have driven him away: first the king of Assyria devoured him, and last this Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon hath broken his bones.
Easy-to-Read Version
"Israel is like a flock of sheep that was scattered all over the country. Israel is like sheep that were chased away by lions. The first lion to attack was the king of Assyria. The last lion to crush Israel's bones was King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.
George Lamsa Translation
Israel is a lost ewe; the lions have caused him to go astray; first the king of Assyria has devoured him; and at last this Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has inflicted a more grievous wound than the other.
Good News Translation
The Lord says, "The people of Israel are like sheep, chased and scattered by lions. First, they were attacked by the emperor of Assyria, and then King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia gnawed on their bones.
Lexham English Bible
Israel is a sheep scattered, lions drove them away. The first who devoured it was the king of Assyria, and now at the end Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, gnawed its bones."
Literal Translation
Israel is a scattered sheep, driven away by lions. First, the king of Assyria devoured him. And last, this King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon crunched him .
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Israel is a scatred flocke, the Lyons haue dispersed them. First the kinge of the Assirians deuoured them, last of all this Nabuchodonosor kynge of Babilon hath brussed all their bones.
American Standard Version
Israel is a hunted sheep; the lions have driven him away: first, the king of Assyria devoured him; and now at last Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon hath broken his bones.
Bible in Basic English
Israel is a wandering sheep; the lions have been driving him away: first he was attacked by the king of Assyria, and now his bones have been broken by Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Israel is a scattered sheep, the lions have driven him away; first the king of Assyria hath devoured him, and last this Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon hath broken his bones.
King James Version (1611)
Israel is a scattered sheepe, the lyons haue driuen him away: first the king of Assyria hath deuoured him, and last this Nebuchad-rezzar king of Babylon hath broken his bones.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Israel is a scattered flocke, the lions haue dispearsed them: First the kyng of the Assyrians deuoured them, last of all this Nabuchodonozor king of Babylon hath brused all their bones.
English Revised Version
Israel is a scattered sheep; the lions have driven him away: first the king of Assyria hath devoured him; and last this Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon hath broken his bones.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Israel is a scaterid flok, liouns castiden out it; first kyng Assur eete it, this laste Nabugodonosor, kyng of Babiloyne, dide awei the bonys therof.
Update Bible Version
Israel is a hunted sheep; the lions have driven him away: first, the king of Assyria devoured him; and now at last Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon has broken his bones.
Webster's Bible Translation
Israel [is] a scattered sheep; the lions have driven [him] away: first the king of Assyria hath devoured him; and last this Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon hath broken his bones.
New English Translation
"The people of Israel are like scattered sheep which lions have chased away. First the king of Assyria devoured them. Now last of all King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon has gnawed their bones.
New King James Version
"Israel is like scattered sheep; The lions have driven him away. First the king of Assyria devoured him; Now at last this Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has broken his bones."
New Living Translation
"The Israelites are like sheep that have been scattered by lions. First the king of Assyria ate them up. Then King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon cracked their bones."
New Life Bible
"Israel is like sheep sent everywhere, driven away by lions. The first one who destroyed Israel was the king of Assyria. And the last one who has broken his bones is Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.
New Revised Standard
Israel is a hunted sheep driven away by lions. First the king of Assyria devoured it, and now at the end King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon has gnawed its bones.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
A sheep all alone, is Israel Lions, have driven him away, - At the first, the king of Assyria devoured him, And here, at the last, I Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon hath broken his bones!
Douay-Rheims Bible
Israel is a scattered flock, the lions have driven him away: first the king of Assyria devoured him: and last this Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon hath broken his bones.
Revised Standard Version
"Israel is a hunted sheep driven away by lions. First the king of Assyria devoured him, and now at last Nebuchadrez'zar king of Babylon has gnawed his bones.
Young's Literal Translation
A scattered sheep is Israel, lions have driven away, At first, devour him did the king of Asshur, And now, at last, broken his bone Hath Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon.

Contextual Overview

11"You Babylonians had a good time while it lasted, didn't you? You lived it up, exploiting and using my people, Frisky calves romping in lush pastures, wild stallions out having a good time! Well, your mother would hardly be proud of you. The woman who bore you wouldn't be pleased. Look at what's come of you! A nothing nation! Rubble and garbage and weeds! Emptied of life by my holy anger, a desert of death and emptiness. Travelers who pass by Babylon will gasp, appalled, shaking their heads at such a comedown. Gang up on Babylon! Pin her down! Throw everything you have against her. Hold nothing back. Knock her flat. She's sinned—oh, how she's sinned, against me! Shout battle cries from every direction. All the fight has gone out of her. Her defenses have been flattened, her walls smashed. ‘Operation God 's Vengeance.' Pile on the vengeance! Do to her as she has done. Give her a good dose of her own medicine! Destroy her farms and farmers, ravage her fields, empty her barns. And you captives, while the destruction rages, get out while the getting's good, get out fast and run for home. 17 "Israel is a scattered flock, hunted down by lions. The king of Assyria started the carnage. The king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, Has completed the job, gnawing the bones clean." 18And now this is what God -of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel, has to say: "Just watch! I'm bringing doom on the king of Babylon and his land, the same doom I brought on the king of Assyria. But Israel I'll bring home to good pastures. He'll graze on the hills of Carmel and Bashan, On the slopes of Ephraim and Gilead. He will eat to his heart's content. In those days and at that time"— God 's Decree— "they'll look high and low for a sign of Israel's guilt—nothing; Search nook and cranny for a trace of Judah's sin—nothing. These people that I've saved will start out with a clean slate.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

a scattered: Jeremiah 50:6, Jeremiah 23:1, Jeremiah 23:2, Ezekiel 34:5, Ezekiel 34:6, Ezekiel 34:12, Joel 3:2, Matthew 9:36-38, Luke 15:4-6, John 10:10-12, 1 Peter 2:25

the lions: Jeremiah 2:15, Jeremiah 5:6, Jeremiah 49:19, Jeremiah 51:38

first: 2 Kings 15:29, 2 Kings 17:6-23, 2 Kings 18:9-13, 2 Chronicles 28:20, 2 Chronicles 32:1-23, 2 Chronicles 33:11, Isaiah 7:17-20, Isaiah 8:7, Isaiah 8:8, Isaiah 10:5-7, Isaiah 36:1 - Isaiah 37:38

this: Jeremiah 39:1-8, Jeremiah 51:34, Jeremiah 51:35, Jeremiah 52:1, 2 Kings 24:1 - 2 Kings 25:30, 2 Chronicles 36:1-23, Isaiah 47:6, Daniel 6:24

Reciprocal: Numbers 24:8 - break Deuteronomy 28:64 - scatter 1 Kings 22:17 - as sheep Esther 3:8 - scattered abroad Psalms 89:41 - All Isaiah 5:29 - roaring Isaiah 14:1 - the Lord Isaiah 24:1 - scattereth Isaiah 42:22 - a people Isaiah 43:14 - For Isaiah 45:4 - Jacob Isaiah 49:25 - Even Isaiah 52:4 - the Assyrian Isaiah 52:5 - make Jeremiah 4:7 - lion Jeremiah 10:21 - their Jeremiah 10:25 - eaten Jeremiah 30:16 - General Jeremiah 31:10 - He Jeremiah 50:7 - have devoured Jeremiah 50:11 - ye destroyers Jeremiah 50:33 - and all Jeremiah 51:24 - General Jeremiah 51:49 - As Babylon Lamentations 2:16 - We have swallowed Lamentations 3:4 - he hath Lamentations 3:34 - crush Ezekiel 5:10 - the whole Ezekiel 36:24 - General Ezekiel 38:13 - with Hosea 8:8 - swallowed Micah 7:9 - until Nahum 2:11 - the dwelling Habakkuk 2:8 - the violence Zechariah 1:19 - scattered Zechariah 2:8 - the nations Zechariah 10:2 - therefore Matthew 10:6 - lost

Cross-References

Genesis 50:4
When the period of mourning was completed, Joseph petitioned Pharaoh's court: "If you have reason to think kindly of me, present Pharaoh with my request: My father made me swear, saying, ‘I am ready to die. Bury me in the grave plot that I prepared for myself in the land of Canaan.' Please give me leave to go up and bury my father. Then I'll come back."
Genesis 50:12
Jacob's sons continued to carry out his instructions to the letter. They took him on into Canaan and buried him in the cave in the field of Machpelah facing Mamre, the field that Abraham had bought as a burial plot from Ephron the Hittite.
Genesis 50:14
After burying his father, Joseph went back to Egypt. All his brothers who had come with him to bury his father returned with him. After the funeral, Joseph's brothers talked among themselves: "What if Joseph is carrying a grudge and decides to pay us back for all the wrong we did him?"
Genesis 50:24
At the end, Joseph said to his brothers, "I am ready to die. God will most certainly pay you a visit and take you out of this land and back to the land he so solemnly promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob."
Proverbs 28:13
You can't whitewash your sins and get by with it; you find mercy by admitting and leaving them.
Mark 10:41
When the other ten heard of this conversation, they lost their tempers with James and John. Jesus got them together to settle things down. "You've observed how godless rulers throw their weight around," he said, "and when people get a little power how quickly it goes to their heads. It's not going to be that way with you. Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. That is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not to be served—and then to give away his life in exchange for many who are held hostage."
James 5:16
Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed. The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with. Elijah, for instance, human just like us, prayed hard that it wouldn't rain, and it didn't—not a drop for three and a half years. Then he prayed that it would rain, and it did. The showers came and everything started growing again.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Israel [is] a scattered sheep,.... Or like a sheep that is frightened and drove from the fold, and is dispersed, and wanders about here and there; Israel includes all the twelve tribes:

the lions have driven [him] away; from his own land, and carried him captive, and scattered him among the nations; these lions are afterwards interpreted of the kings of Assyria and Babylon: so the Targum,

"kings have removed them;''

comparable to lions for their strength, fierceness, and voraciousness:

first the king of Assyria hath devoured him; eaten up his flesh; meaning Shalmaneser king of Assyria, who carried captive the ten tribes, that never returned, and therefore said to be devoured:

and last this Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon hath broken his bones; or, "boned him" t; took out his bones, all his strength and substance; or took the flesh off of them, stripped him of all his wealth and riches, reduced him to his bones, made a mere skeleton of him: we, with Kimchi and Ben Melech, and others, read "broke his bones"; to get the very marrow out, that nothing may be left of him: he took Jerusalem, burnt the temple, and carried captive the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin, the strength of Israel; so, between the one and the other, all Israel were like a scattered sheep, dispersed among the nations. Nebuchadrezzar was the then reigning king in Babylon when this prophecy was delivered, and therefore called "this Nebuchadrezzar".

t עצמו "exossavit eum", Munster, Montanus, Cocceius.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Israel is a scattered sheep - i. e., is like a flock which has been scared and driven in all directions, for lions have chased him.

First the king ... - Rather, the first lion “ate him, even the king of Assyria; and this one, the last, heath picked his bones, even Nebuchadrezzar etc.” The constant wasting of the land by the Assyrians had so lessened the number of Israel, that Nebuchadnezzar had but the bones to pick.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Jeremiah 50:17. Israel — All the descendants of Jacob have been harassed and spoiled, first by the Assyrians, and afterwards by the Chaldeans. They acted towards them as a lion to a sheep which he has caught; first he devours all the flesh, next he breaks all the bones to extract the marrow.


 
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