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Sunday, July 20th, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Read the Bible

THE MESSAGE

Lamentations 2:12

Calling to their mothers, "I'm hungry! I'm thirsty!" then fainting like dying soldiers in the streets, breathing their last in their mothers' laps.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Fainting;   Famine;   Thompson Chain Reference - Abundance-Want;   Famine;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - War;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Bread, Bread of Presence;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Corn;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Lamentations;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Lamentations, Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Acrostic;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Bosom;   Wine;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Mother;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
They cry out to their mothers,“Where is the grain and wine?” as they faint like the woundedin the streets of the city,as their life pours outin the arms of their mothers.
Hebrew Names Version
They tell their mothers, Where is grain and wine? When they swoon as the wounded in the streets of the city, When their soul is poured out into their mothers' bosom.
King James Version
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.
English Standard Version
They cry to their mothers, "Where is bread and wine?" as they faint like a wounded man in the streets of the city, as their life is poured out on their mothers' bosom.
New American Standard Bible
They say to their mothers, "Where is grain and wine?" As they faint like a wounded person In the streets of the city, As their lives are poured out In their mothers' arms.
New Century Version
They ask their mothers, "Where is the grain and wine?" They faint like wounded soldiers in the streets of the city and die in their mothers' arms.
Amplified Bible
They cry to their mothers, "Where is grain and wine?" As they faint like a wounded man In the streets of the city, As their life [slips away and] is poured out In their mothers' arms.
World English Bible
They tell their mothers, Where is grain and wine? When they swoon as the wounded in the streets of the city, When their soul is poured out into their mothers' bosom.
Geneva Bible (1587)
They haue sayd to their mothers, Where is bread and drinke? when they swooned as the wounded in the streetes of the citie, and whe they gaue vp the ghost in their mothers bosome.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
They say to their mothers, "Where is grain and wine?" As they faint like a wounded man In the streets of the city, As their life is poured out On their mothers' bosom.
Legacy Standard Bible
They say to their mothers,"Where is grain and wine?"As they faint like a wounded manIn the open squares of the city,As their life is poured outOn their mothers' bosom.
Berean Standard Bible
They cry out to their mothers: "Where is the grain and wine?" as they faint like the wounded in the streets of the city, as their lives fade away in the arms of their mothers.
Contemporary English Version
A child begs its mother for food and drink, then blacks out like a wounded soldier lying in the street. The child slowly dies in its mother's arms.
Complete Jewish Bible
They keep asking their mothers, "Where is something to eat or drink?" as they faint away in the streets of the city, gasping out their last breath in their mother's bosom.
Darby Translation
They say to their mothers, Where is corn and wine? when they swoon as the wounded in the streets of the city; when they pour out their soul into their mothers' bosom.
Easy-to-Read Version
They ask their mothers, "Where is the bread and wine?" as they pour out their life in their mother's laps.
George Lamsa Translation
They say to their mothers, Where is wheat and wine and butter? when they faint like the slain in the streets of the city, when their soul is poured out into their mothers bosom.
Good News Translation
Hungry and thirsty, they cry to their mothers; They fall in the streets as though they were wounded, And slowly die in their mothers' arms.
Lexham English Bible
To their mothers they say, "Where is the bread and wine?" as they faint like the wounded in the public squares of a city, as their life is being poured out onto the bosom of their mothers.
Literal Translation
They say to their mothers, Where are grain and wine? In their fainting, they are like the wounded in the plazas of the city, in their pouring out their lives to their mothers' bosom.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Euen when they spake to their mothers: where is meate and drynke? for whyle they so sayde, they fell downe in the stretes of the cite, like as they had bene wounded, and some dyed in their mothers bosome.
American Standard Version
They say to their mothers, Where is grain and wine? When they swoon as the wounded in the streets of the city, When their soul is poured out into their mothers' bosom.
Bible in Basic English
They say to their mothers, Where is grain and wine? when they are falling like the wounded in the open squares of the town, when their life is drained out on their mother's breast.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
They say to their mothers: 'Where is corn and wine?' when they swoon as the wounded in the broad places of the city, when their soul is poured out into their mothers' bosom.
King James Version (1611)
They say to their mothers, Where is corne and wine? when they swooned as the wounded in the streets of the citie, when their soule was powred out into their mothers bosome.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Euen when they spake to their mothers, Where is meate and drinke? for whyle they so sayde, they fell downe in the streetes of the citie, like as they had ben wounded, and some dyed in their mothers bosome.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
LAMED. They said to their mothers, Where is corn and wine? while they fainted like wounded men in the streets of the city, while their souls were poured out into their mother’s bosom.
English Revised Version
They say to their mothers, Where is corn and wine? when they swoon as the wounded in the streets of the city, when their soul is poured out into their mothers' bosom.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Lameth. Thei seiden to her modris, Where is wheete, and wyn? whanne thei failiden as woundid men in the stretis of the citee; whanne thei senten out her soulis in the bosum of her modris.
Update Bible Version
They say to their mothers, Where is grain and wine? When they swoon as the wounded in the streets of the city, When their soul is poured out into their mothers' bosom.
Webster's Bible Translation
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.
New English Translation

ל (Lamed)

Children say to their mothers, "Where are food and drink?" They faint like a wounded warrior in the city squares. They die slowly in their mothers' arms.
New King James Version
They say to their mothers, "Where is grain and wine?" As they swoon like the wounded In the streets of the city, As their life is poured out In their mothers' bosom.
New Living Translation
They cry out to their mothers, "We need food and drink!" Their lives ebb away in the streets like the life of a warrior wounded in battle. They gasp for life as they collapse in their mothers' arms.
New Life Bible
They cry to their mothers, "Where is bread and wine?" as they fall down weak in the city streets like a man hurt in battle, and as they die in their mothers' arms.
New Revised Standard
They cry to their mothers, "Where is bread and wine?" as they faint like the wounded in the streets of the city, as their life is poured out on their mothers' bosom.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
To their mothers, they keep saying, Where are corn and wine? Swooning off, like one thrust through, in the broadways of the city, pouring out their life into the bosom of their mothers.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Lamed. They said to their mothers: Where is corn and wine? when they fainted away as the wounded in the streets of the city: when they breathed out their souls in the bosoms of their mothers.
Revised Standard Version
They cry to their mothers, "Where is bread and wine?" as they faint like wounded men in the streets of the city, as their life is poured out on their mothers' bosom.
Young's Literal Translation
To their mothers they say, `Where [are] corn and wine?' In their becoming feeble as a pierced one In the broad places of the city, In their soul pouring itself out into the bosom of their mothers.

Contextual Overview

10 The elders of Daughter Zion sit silent on the ground. They throw dust on their heads, dress in rough penitential burlap— the young virgins of Jerusalem, their faces creased with the dirt. 11 My eyes are blind with tears, my stomach in a knot. My insides have turned to jelly over my people's fate. Babies and children are fainting all over the place, 12 Calling to their mothers, "I'm hungry! I'm thirsty!" then fainting like dying soldiers in the streets, breathing their last in their mothers' laps. 13 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. 14 Your prophets courted you with sweet talk. They didn't face you with your sin so that you could repent. Their sermons were all wishful thinking, deceptive illusions. 15 Astonished, passersby can't believe what they see. They rub their eyes, they shake their heads over Jerusalem. Is this the city voted "Most Beautiful" and "Best Place to Live"? 16 But now your enemies gape, slack-jawed. Then they rub their hands in glee: "We've got them! We've been waiting for this! Here it is!" 17 God did carry out, item by item, exactly what he said he'd do. He always said he'd do this. Now he's done it—torn the place down. He's let your enemies walk all over you, declared them world champions! 18 Give out heart-cries to the Master, dear repentant Zion. Let the tears roll like a river, day and night, and keep at it—no time-outs. Keep those tears flowing! 19 As each night watch begins, get up and cry out in prayer. Pour your heart out face-to-face with the Master. Lift high your hands. Beg for the lives of your children who are starving to death out on the streets.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

as the: Ezekiel 30:24

soul: Isaiah 53:12

Reciprocal: Genesis 35:18 - her soul Deuteronomy 28:18 - the fruit of thy body Isaiah 51:20 - sons Jeremiah 37:21 - until Lamentations 1:11 - seek Lamentations 2:19 - that faint Lamentations 4:4 - the young Luke 10:30 - wounded John 1:18 - in the

Cross-References

Exodus 39:13
Fourth row: beryl, onyx, jasper. The stones were mounted in a gold filigree. The twelve stones corresponded to the names of the sons of Israel, twelve names engraved as on a seal, one for each of the twelve tribes.
Numbers 11:7
Manna was a seedlike substance with a shiny appearance like resin. The people went around collecting it and ground it between stones or pounded it fine in a mortar. Then they boiled it in a pot and shaped it into cakes. It tasted like a delicacy cooked in olive oil. When the dew fell on the camp at night, the manna was right there with it.
Ezekiel 28:13
The Money Has Gone to Your Head God's Message came to me, "Son of man, tell the prince of Tyre, ‘This is what God , the Master, says: "‘Your heart is proud, going around saying, "I'm a god. I sit on God's divine throne, ruling the sea"— You, a mere mortal, not even close to being a god, A mere mortal trying to be a god. Look, you think you're smarter than Daniel. No enigmas can stump you. Your sharp intelligence made you world-wealthy. You piled up gold and silver in your banks. You used your head well, worked good deals, made a lot of money. But the money has gone to your head, swelled your head—what a big head! "‘Therefore, God , the Master, says: "‘Because you're acting like a god, pretending to be a god, I'm giving fair warning: I'm bringing strangers down on you, the most vicious of all nations. They'll pull their swords and make hash of your reputation for knowing it all. They'll puncture the balloon of your god-pretensions. They'll bring you down from your self-made pedestal and bury you in the deep blue sea. Will you protest to your assassins, "You can't do that! I'm a god"? To them you're a mere mortal. They're killing a man, not a god. You'll die like a stray dog, killed by strangers— Because I said so. Decree of God , the Master.'" God 's Message came to me: "Son of man, raise a funeral song over the king of Tyre. Tell him, A Message from God , the Master: "You had everything going for you. You were in Eden, God's garden. You were dressed in splendor, your robe studded with jewels: Carnelian, peridot, and moonstone, beryl, onyx, and jasper, Sapphire, turquoise, and emerald, all in settings of engraved gold. A robe was prepared for you the same day you were created. You were the anointed cherub. I placed you on the mountain of God. You strolled in magnificence among the stones of fire. From the day of your creation you were sheer perfection... and then imperfection—evil!—was detected in you. In much buying and selling you turned violent, you sinned! I threw you, disgraced, off the mountain of God. I threw you out—you, the anointed angel-cherub. No more strolling among the gems of fire for you! Your beauty went to your head. You corrupted wisdom by using it to get worldly fame. I threw you to the ground, sent you sprawling before an audience of kings and let them gloat over your demise. By sin after sin after sin, by your corrupt ways of doing business, you defiled your holy places of worship. So I set a fire around and within you. It burned you up. I reduced you to ashes. All anyone sees now when they look for you is ashes, a pitiful mound of ashes. All who once knew you now throw up their hands: ‘This can't have happened! This has happened!'" God 's Message came to me: "Son of man, confront Sidon. Preach against it. Say, ‘Message from God , the Master: "‘Look! I'm against you, Sidon. I intend to be known for who I truly am among you.' They'll know that I am God when I set things right and reveal my holy presence. I'll order an epidemic of disease there, along with murder and mayhem in the streets. People will drop dead right and left, as war presses in from every side. Then they'll realize that I mean business, that I am God . "No longer will Israel have to put up with their thistle-and-thorn neighbors Who have treated them so contemptuously. And they also will realize that I am God ." God , the Master, says, "When I gather Israel from the peoples among whom they've been scattered and put my holiness on display among them with all the nations looking on, then they'll live in their own land that I gave to my servant Jacob. They'll live there in safety. They'll build houses. They'll plant vineyards, living in safety. Meanwhile, I'll bring judgment on all the neighbors who have treated them with such contempt. And they'll realize that I am God ."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

They say to their mothers, where [is] corn and wine?.... Not the sucklings who could not speak, nor were used to corn and wine, but the children more grown; both are before spoken of, but these are meant, even the young men of Israel, as the Targum; and such as had been brought up in the best manner, had been used to wine, and not water, and therefore ask for that as well as corn; both take in all the necessaries of life; and which they ask of their mothers, who had been used to feed them, and were most tender of them; but now not seeing and having their usual provisions, and not knowing what was the reason of it, inquire after them, being pressed with hunger:

when they swooned as the wounded in the streets of the city; having no food given them, though they asked for it time after time, they fainted away, and died a lingering death; as wounded persons do who are not killed at once, which is the more distressing:

when their soul was poured out into their mothers' bosom; meaning not the desires of their souls for food, expressed in moving and melting language as they sat in their mothers' laps, and lay in their bosoms; which must be piercing unto them, if no more was designed; but their souls or lives themselves, which they gave up through famine, as the Targum; expiring in their mothers' arms.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

They say - Or, “They keep saying:” it was an oft-repeated cry, even while expiring upon their mother’s bosom.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 12. When their soul was poured out into their mothers' bosom. — When, in endeavouring to draw nourishment from the breasts of their exhausted mothers, they breathed their last in their bosoms! How dreadfully afflicting was this!


 
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