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Saturday, July 19th, 2025
the Week of Proper 10 / Ordinary 15
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Read the Bible

THE MESSAGE

Lamentations 1:14

"He wove my sins into a rope and harnessed me to captivity's yoke. I'm goaded by cruel taskmasters.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Sin;   Yoke;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Yoke;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Lamentations, Book of;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Fail;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Armenia;   Hapax Legomena;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
My transgressions have been formed into a yoke,fastened together by his hand;they have been placed on my neck,and the Lord has broken my strength.He has handed me overto those I cannot withstand.
Hebrew Names Version
The yoke of my transgressions is bound by his hand; They are knit together, they are come up on my neck; he has made my strength to fail: The Lord has delivered me into their hands, against whom I am not able to stand.
King James Version
The yoke of my transgressions is bound by his hand: they are wreathed, and come up upon my neck: he hath made my strength to fall, the Lord hath delivered me into their hands, from whom I am not able to rise up.
English Standard Version
"My transgressions were bound into a yoke; by his hand they were fastened together; they were set upon my neck; he caused my strength to fail; the Lord gave me into the hands of those whom I cannot withstand.
New American Standard Bible
"The yoke of my wrongdoings is bound; By His hand they are woven together. They have come upon my neck; He has made my strength fail. The Lord has handed me over To those against whom I am not able to stand.
New Century Version
"He has noticed my sins; they are tied together by his hands; they hang around my neck. He has turned my strength into weakness. The Lord has handed me over to those who are stronger than I.
Amplified Bible
"The yoke of my transgressions is bound; By His hand they are knit and woven together. They have come upon my neck. He has made my strength fail; The Lord has put me into the hand Of those against whom I cannot stand.
World English Bible
The yoke of my transgressions is bound by his hand; They are knit together, they are come up on my neck; he has made my strength to fail: The Lord has delivered me into their hands, against whom I am not able to stand.
Geneva Bible (1587)
The yoke of my transgressions is bounde vpon his hand: they are wrapped, and come vp vpon my necke: hee hath made my strength to fall: the Lord hath deliuered me into their hands, neither am I able to rise vp.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"The yoke of my transgressions is bound; By His hand they are knit together. They have come upon my neck; He has made my strength fail. The Lord has given me into the hands Of those against whom I am not able to stand.
Legacy Standard Bible
The yoke of my transgressions is bound;By His hand they are knit together.They have come upon my neck;He has made my strength stumble.The Lord has given me into the handsOf those against whom I am not able to stand.
Berean Standard Bible
My transgressions are bound into a yoke, knit together by His hand; they have come upon my neck, and the Lord has broken my strength. He has handed me over to those I cannot withstand.
Contemporary English Version
You have tied my sins around my neck, and they weigh so heavily that my strength is gone. You have put me in the power of enemies too strong for me.
Complete Jewish Bible
"My sins have been bound into a yoke, knit together by his hand. It weighs down on my neck, and it saps my strength. Adonai has put me into the power of those I cannot withstand.
Darby Translation
The yoke of my transgressions is bound by his hand: they are wreathed, they are come up upon my neck; he hath made my strength to fail; the Lord hath delivered me into hands out of which I am not able to rise up.
Easy-to-Read Version
"My sins were tied up like a yoke. My sins were tied up in the Lord's hands. His yoke is on my neck. He has made me weak. He has given me to those who I cannot stand up against.
George Lamsa Translation
My sins have wrought vengeance upon me; his yokes are bound by his hands upon my neck; my strength has failed; the LORD has delivered me into the hands of those before whom I cannot stand.
Good News Translation
"He took note of all my sins and tied them all together; He hung them around my neck, and I grew weak beneath the weight. The Lord gave me to my foes, and I was helpless against them.
Lexham English Bible
My rebellion was bound as a yoke, with his hand it was fastened together; it was put on my neck and caused my strength to fail. The Lord gave me into the hands of those whom I cannot withstand.
Literal Translation
The yoke of my transgressions is bound by His hand, they intertwine, they rise on my neck. He caused my strength to falter. The Lord gave me into their hands. I am not able to rise up.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The yocke of my transgression is come at the last, with his honde hath he taken it vp, and put it aboute my neck. My strength is gone: the LORDE hath delyuered me in to those hondes, wherout I can not quyte myself.
American Standard Version
The yoke of my transgressions is bound by his hand; They are knit together, they are come up upon my neck; he hath made my strength to fail: The Lord hath delivered me into their hands, against whom I am not able to stand.
Bible in Basic English
A watch is kept on my sins; they are joined together by his hand, they have come on to my neck; he has made my strength give way: the Lord has given me up into the hands of those against whom I have no power.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
The yoke of my transgressions is impressed by His hand; they are knit together, they are come up upon my neck; He hath made my strength to fail; the Lord hath delivered me into their hands, against whom I am not able to stand.
King James Version (1611)
The yoke of my transgressions is bound by his hand: they are wreathed, and come vp vpon my necke: he hath made my strength to fall, the Lord hath deliuered me into their hands, from whom I am not able to rise vp.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
The yoke of my transgressions is bounde fast to his hande, they are wrapped [or writhen] and come vp about my necke: he hath caused my strength to fayle, the Lorde hath deliuered me into those handes wherout I can not quyte my selfe.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
NUN. He has watched over my sins, they are twined about my hands, they have come up on my neck: my strength has failed; for the Lord has laid pains on my hands, I shall not be able to stand.
English Revised Version
The yoke of my transgressions is bound by his hand; they are knit together, they are come up upon my neck; he hath made my strength to fail: the Lord hath delivered me into their hands, against whom I am not able to stand.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Nun. The yok of my wickidnessis wakide in the hond of hym, tho ben foldid togidere, and put on my necke; my vertu is maad feble; the Lord yaf me in the hond, fro which Y schal not mowe rise.
Update Bible Version
The yoke of my transgressions is tied by his hand; They are knit together, they have come up on my neck; he has made my strength to fail: The Lord has delivered me into their hands, against whom I am not able to stand.
Webster's Bible Translation
The yoke of my transgressions is bound by his hand: they are wreathed, [and] come up upon my neck: he hath made my strength to fall, the Lord hath delivered me into [their] hands, [from whom] I am not able to rise.
New English Translation

נ (Nun)

My sins are bound around my neck like a yoke; they are fastened together by his hand. He has placed his yoke on my neck; he has sapped my strength. The Lord has handed me over to those whom I cannot resist.
New King James Version
"The yoke of my transgressions was bound; [fn] They were woven together by His hands,And thrust upon my neck.He made my strength fail;The Lord delivered me into the hands of those whom I am not able to withstand.
New Living Translation
"He wove my sins into ropes to hitch me to a yoke of captivity. The Lord sapped my strength and turned me over to my enemies; I am helpless in their hands.
New Life Bible
The weight of my sins is put upon me. He tied them together and put them upon my neck. He has taken away my strength. The Lord has given me over to those I cannot stand against.
New Revised Standard
My transgressions were bound into a yoke; by his hand they were fastened together; they weigh on my neck, sapping my strength; the Lord handed me over to those whom I cannot withstand.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
The yoke of my transgressions, hath been bound, by his hand - They have intertwined themselves, have come up on my neck, it hath paralysed my strength, - My Lord, hath delivered me, into the hands of those against whom I cannot rise up.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Nun. The yoke of my iniquities hath watched: they are folded together in his hand, and put upon my neck: my strength is weakened: the Lord hath delivered me into a hand, out of which I am not able to rise.
Revised Standard Version
"My transgressions were bound into a yoke; by his hand they were fastened together; they were set upon my neck; he caused my strength to fail; the Lord gave me into the hands of those whom I cannot withstand.
Young's Literal Translation
Bound hath been the yoke of my transgressions by His hand, They are wrapped together, They have gone up on my neck, He hath caused my power to stumble, The Lord hath given me into hands, I am not able to rise.

Contextual Overview

12 "And you passersby, look at me! Have you ever seen anything like this? Ever seen pain like my pain, seen what he did to me, what God did to me in his rage? 13 "He struck me with lightning, skewered me from head to foot, then he set traps all around so I could hardly move. He left me with nothing—left me sick, and sick of living. 14 "He wove my sins into a rope and harnessed me to captivity's yoke. I'm goaded by cruel taskmasters. 15 "The Master piled up my best soldiers in a heap, then called in thugs to break their fine young necks. The Master crushed the life out of fair virgin Judah. 16 "For all this I weep, weep buckets of tears, and not a soul within miles around cares for my soul. My children are wasted, my enemy got his way." 17 Zion reached out for help, but no one helped. God ordered Jacob's enemies to surround him, and now no one wants anything to do with Jerusalem. 18 " God has right on his side. I'm the one who did wrong. Listen everybody! Look at what I'm going through! My fair young women, my fine young men, all herded into exile! 19 "I called to my friends; they betrayed me. My priests and my leaders only looked after themselves, trying but failing to save their own skins. 20 "O God , look at the trouble I'm in! My stomach in knots, my heart wrecked by a life of rebellion. Massacres in the streets, starvation in the houses. 21 "Oh, listen to my groans. No one listens, no one cares. When my enemies heard of the trouble you gave me, they cheered. Bring on Judgment Day! Let them get what I got!

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

yoke: Deuteronomy 28:48, Proverbs 5:22, Isaiah 14:25, Isaiah 47:6, Jeremiah 27:8, Jeremiah 27:12, Jeremiah 28:14

delivered: Jeremiah 25:9, Jeremiah 34:20, Jeremiah 34:21, Jeremiah 37:17, Jeremiah 39:1-9, Ezekiel 11:9, Ezekiel 21:31, Ezekiel 23:28, Ezekiel 25:4, Ezekiel 25:7, Hosea 5:14

Reciprocal: Numbers 19:2 - upon which Psalms 38:4 - as an Isaiah 24:20 - the transgression Isaiah 28:22 - lest Isaiah 42:24 - General Jeremiah 51:34 - the king Lamentations 3:7 - made Lamentations 5:5 - Our necks are under persecution Micah 2:3 - necks Zephaniah 1:17 - because Zechariah 5:8 - the weight

Cross-References

Genesis 1:1
First this: God created the Heavens and Earth—all you see, all you don't see. Earth was a soup of nothingness, a bottomless emptiness, an inky blackness. God's Spirit brooded like a bird above the watery abyss.
Genesis 1:3
God spoke: "Light!" And light appeared. God saw that light was good and separated light from dark. God named the light Day, he named the dark Night. It was evening, it was morning— Day One.
Genesis 1:6
God spoke: "Sky! In the middle of the waters; separate water from water!" God made sky. He separated the water under sky from the water above sky. And there it was: he named sky the Heavens; It was evening, it was morning— Day Two.
Genesis 1:9
God spoke: "Separate! Water-beneath-Heaven, gather into one place; Land, appear!" And there it was. God named the land Earth. He named the pooled water Ocean. God saw that it was good.
Genesis 1:14
God spoke: "Lights! Come out! Shine in Heaven's sky! Separate Day from Night. Mark seasons and days and years, Lights in Heaven's sky to give light to Earth." And there it was.
Genesis 1:16
God made two big lights, the larger to take charge of Day, The smaller to be in charge of Night; and he made the stars. God placed them in the heavenly sky to light up Earth And oversee Day and Night, to separate light and dark. God saw that it was good. It was evening, it was morning— Day Four.
Genesis 1:20
God spoke: "Swarm, Ocean, with fish and all sea life! Birds, fly through the sky over Earth!" God created the huge whales, all the swarm of life in the waters, And every kind and species of flying birds. God saw that it was good. God blessed them: "Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Ocean! Birds, reproduce on Earth!" It was evening, it was morning— Day Five.
Genesis 1:26
God spoke: "Let us make human beings in our image, make them reflecting our nature So they can be responsible for the fish in the sea, the birds in the air, the cattle, And, yes, Earth itself, and every animal that moves on the face of Earth." God created human beings; he created them godlike, Reflecting God's nature. He created them male and female. God blessed them: "Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Earth! Take charge! Be responsible for fish in the sea and birds in the air, for every living thing that moves on the face of Earth."
Genesis 1:31
God looked over everything he had made; it was so good, so very good! It was evening, it was morning— Day Six.
Genesis 8:22
For as long as Earth lasts, planting and harvest, cold and heat, Summer and winter, day and night will never stop."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

The yoke of my transgressions is bound by his hand,.... That is, the punishment of her sins was laid upon her by the Lord himself; his hand was in it; it came from him; the Chaldeans were only instruments; and a heavy yoke this was. So the Targum renders it,

"the yoke of my rebellions is made heavy by his hand:''

they are wreathed, [and] come upon my neck; or, "twisted together" b; as lines to make a cord; or as several cords to make a rope; or as branches of trees or withes are implicated and entwined; and so the Targum,

"they are twisted together as the branches of a vine.''

It denotes the complication of judgments upon the Jewish nation for their sins, with which they were holden as with cords; and which were like ropes about their necks, very heavy and distressing to them, and from which they could not deliver themselves. Mr. Broughton thinks the apostle has reference to this passage; and explains it by the sin that easily besets, or cunningly wraps about, Hebrews 12:1;

he hath made my strength to fall; by the weight of punishment laid upon her, which she could not stand up under, but sunk and fell: this may be understood of her strong and mighty men; her men of valour and courage, who yet stumbled and fell:

the Lord hath delivered me into [their] hands, [from whom] I am not able to rise up; meaning the Chaldeans; nor were the Jews at last delivered from them by their own strength, but by the means of Cyrus the Persian conquering Babylon.

b ישתרגו "involutae", Vatablus; "perplexae", Pagninus, Montanus, Calvin; "contortae", Piscator, Grotius, Michaelis.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The lamentation of the city, personified as a woman in grief over her fate.

Lamentations 1:13

It prevaileth - Or, hath subdued.

He hath turned me back - Judaea, like a hunted animal, endeavors to escape, but finds every outlet blocked by nets, and recoils from them with terror and a sense of utter hopelessness.

Lamentations 1:14

Bound by his hand - As the plowman binds the yoke upon the neck of oxen, so God compels Judah to bear the punishment of her sins.

They are wreathed, and ... - Or, they are knotted together, “they come up” etc. Judah’s sins are like the cords by which the pieces of the yoke are fastened together Jeremiah 27:2; they are knotted and twined like a bunch upon the neck, and bind the yoke around it so securely that it is impossible for her to shake it off.

He hath made ... - Or, it hath made “my strength” to stumble. The yoke of punishment thus imposed and securely fastened, bows down her strength by its weight, and makes her totter beneath it.

The Lord - The third distich of the verse begins here, and with it a new turn of the lamentation. The title Adonai (properly, my Lord) is in the Lamentations used by itself in fourteen places, while the name Yahweh is less prominent; as if in their punishment the people felt the lordship of the Deity more, and His covenant-love to them less.

Lamentations 1:15

The Lord hath trodden under foot - Or, אדני 'ădonāy has made contemptible (i. e. put into the balance, made to go up as the lighter weight, and so made despicable) “my war-horses” (put metaphorically for heroes).

In the midst of me - They had not fallen gloriously in the battlefield, but remained ignominiously in the city.

Assembly - Or, “a solemn feast;” the word especially used of the great festivals Leviticus 23:2. אדני 'ădonāy has proclaimed a festival, not for me, but against me.

The Lord hath trodden ... - Or, “אדני 'ădonāy hath trodden the winepress for the virgin daughter of Judah.” See Jeremiah 51:14 note. By slaying Judah’s young men in battle, God is trampling for her the winepress of His indignation.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 14. The yoke of my transgressions — I am now tied and bound by the chain of my sins; and it is so wreathed, so doubled and twisted round me, that I cannot free myself. A fine representation of the miseries of a penitent soul, which feels that nothing but the pitifulness of God's mercy can loose it.


 
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