Lectionary Calendar
Wednesday, August 27th, 2025
the Week of Proper 16 / Ordinary 21
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Read the Bible

New Living Translation

Jeremiah 14:2

"Judah wilts; commerce at the city gates grinds to a halt. All the people sit on the ground in mourning, and a great cry rises from Jerusalem.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Drought;   Famine;   Gates;   Impenitence;   Mourning;   Thompson Chain Reference - Gates;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Famine;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Gate;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Colour;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Black;   Economic Life;   Famine and Drought;   Jeremiah;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Gate (2);   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Black;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Color;   Complaining;   Gate;   Zechariah, Book of;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Black;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Color;   Joel, Book of;   Small and Large Letters;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Judah mourns;her city gates languish.Her people are on the ground in mourning;Jerusalem’s cry rises up.
Hebrew Names Version
Yehudah mourns, and the gates of it languish, they sit in black on the ground; and the cry of Yerushalayim is gone up.
King James Version
Judah mourneth, and the gates thereof languish; they are black unto the ground; and the cry of Jerusalem is gone up.
English Standard Version
"Judah mourns, and her gates languish; her people lament on the ground, and the cry of Jerusalem goes up.
New American Standard Bible
"Judah mourns And her gates languish; Her people sit on the ground in mourning garments, And the cry of Jerusalem has ascended.
New Century Version
"The nation of Judah cries as if someone has died, and her cities are very sad. They are distressed over the land. A cry goes up to God from Jerusalem.
Amplified Bible
"Judah mourns And her gates languish; Her people sit on the ground in mourning clothes And the cry of Jerusalem has gone up.
World English Bible
Judah mourns, and the gates of it languish, they sit in black on the ground; and the cry of Jerusalem is gone up.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Iudah hath mourned, and the gates thereof are desolate, they haue bene brought to heauinesse vnto the grounde, and the cry of Ierusalem goeth vp.
Legacy Standard Bible
"Judah mourns,And her gates languish;They sit on the ground in mourning,And the outcry of Jerusalem has gone up.
Berean Standard Bible
"Judah mourns and her gates languish. Her people wail for the land, and a cry goes up from Jerusalem.
Contemporary English Version
Judah and Jerusalem weep as the land dries up.
Complete Jewish Bible
"Y'hudah is mourning, her gates are languishing; they sit on the ground in gloom; Yerushalayim sends up a cry of anguish.
Darby Translation
Judah mourneth, and the gates thereof languish, they are black unto the ground; and the cry of Jerusalem goeth up.
Easy-to-Read Version
"The nation of Judah cries for people who have died. The people in the cities of Judah grow weaker and weaker. They lie on the ground. People in Jerusalem, cry to God for help.
George Lamsa Translation
Judah mourns and her gates are desolate; they are fallen on the ground, and the painful cry of Jerusalem is gone up.
Good News Translation
"Judah is in mourning; its cities are dying, its people lie on the ground in sorrow, and Jerusalem cries out for help.
Lexham English Bible
"Judah mourns, and her gates languish, they are in mourning on the ground, and the cry of lament of Jerusalem goes up.
Literal Translation
Judah mourns, and her gates droop. They put on mourning for the land, and the cry of Jerusalem has gone up.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Iuda shal mourne, men shall not go moch more thorow his gates: the londe shal be nomore had in reputacion, & the crie of Ierusale shal breake out.
American Standard Version
Judah mourneth, and the gates thereof languish, they sit in black upon the ground; and the cry of Jerusalem is gone up.
Bible in Basic English
Judah is weeping and its doors are dark with sorrow, and people are seated on the earth clothed in black; and the cry of Jerusalem has gone up.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Judah mourneth, and the gates thereof languish, they bow down in black unto the ground; and the cry of Jerusalem is gone up.
King James Version (1611)
Iudah mourneth, and the gates thereof languish, they are blacke vnto the ground, and the crie of Ierusalem is gone vp.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Iuda hath mourned, his gates are desolate, they are brought to heauinesse, euen vnto the grounde, and the crye of Hierusalem goeth vp.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Judea has mourned, and her gates are emptied, and are darkened upon the earth; and the cry of Jerusalem is gone up.
English Revised Version
Judah mourneth, and the gates thereof languish, they sit in black upon the ground; and the cry of Jerusalem is gone up.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Jude weilide, and the yatis therof fellen doun, and ben maad derk in erthe, and the cry of Jerusalem stiede.
Update Bible Version
Judah mourns, and the gates thereof languish, they sit in black on the ground; and the cry of Jerusalem has gone up.
Webster's Bible Translation
Judah mourneth, and her gates languish; they are black to the ground; and the cry of Jerusalem is gone up.
New English Translation
"The people of Judah are in mourning. The people in her cities are pining away. They lie on the ground expressing their sorrow. Cries of distress come up to me from Jerusalem.
New King James Version
"Judah mourns, And her gates languish; They mourn for the land, And the cry of Jerusalem has gone up.
New Life Bible
"Judah is full of sorrow and her gates are weak. Her people sit on the ground in sorrow, and a cry goes up from Jerusalem.
New Revised Standard
Judah mourns and her gates languish; they lie in gloom on the ground, and the cry of Jerusalem goes up.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Judah mourneth, And the gates thereof, pine They lie in gloom on the ground, - And the outcry Jerusalem, hath ascended;
Douay-Rheims Bible
Judea hath mourned, and the gates thereof are fallen, and are become obscure on the ground, and the cry of Jerusalem is gone up.
Revised Standard Version
"Judah mourns and her gates languish; her people lament on the ground, and the cry of Jerusalem goes up.
Young's Literal Translation
Mourned hath Judah, and her gates have languished, They have mourned to the earth, And the cry of Jerusalem hath gone up.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Judah mourns And her gates languish; They sit on the ground in mourning, And the cry of Jerusalem has ascended.

Contextual Overview

1 This message came to Jeremiah from the Lord , explaining why he was holding back the rain: 2 "Judah wilts; commerce at the city gates grinds to a halt. All the people sit on the ground in mourning, and a great cry rises from Jerusalem. 3 The nobles send servants to get water, but all the wells are dry. The servants return with empty pitchers, confused and desperate, covering their heads in grief. 4 The ground is parched and cracked for lack of rain. The farmers are deeply troubled; they, too, cover their heads. 5 Even the doe abandons her newborn fawn because there is no grass in the field. 6 The wild donkeys stand on the bare hills panting like thirsty jackals. They strain their eyes looking for grass, but there is none to be found." 7 The people say, "Our wickedness has caught up with us, Lord , but help us for the sake of your own reputation. We have turned away from you and sinned against you again and again. 8 O Hope of Israel, our Savior in times of trouble, why are you like a stranger to us? Why are you like a traveler passing through the land, stopping only for the night? 9 Are you also confused? Is our champion helpless to save us? You are right here among us, Lord . We are known as your people. Please don't abandon us now!"

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

mourneth: Jeremiah 4:28, Jeremiah 12:4, Isaiah 3:26, Hosea 4:3, Joel 1:10

the gates: Isaiah 24:4, Isaiah 24:7, Isaiah 33:9

they: Jeremiah 8:21, Lamentations 2:9, Lamentations 4:8, Lamentations 4:9, Lamentations 5:10, Joel 2:6

the cry: Jeremiah 11:11, Jeremiah 18:22, Exodus 2:24, 1 Samuel 5:12, 1 Samuel 9:16, Job 34:28, Isaiah 5:7, Isaiah 15:5, Zechariah 7:13

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 28:16 - in the field 1 Kings 18:2 - a sore Jeremiah 4:26 - the fruitful Jeremiah 12:11 - it mourneth Jeremiah 23:10 - the land Jeremiah 46:12 - thy cry Lamentations 1:4 - ways Lamentations 2:8 - he made Amos 1:2 - the habitations Habakkuk 3:17 - the fig tree

Cross-References

Genesis 10:19
and the territory of Canaan extended from Sidon in the north to Gerar and Gaza in the south, and east as far as Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, near Lasha.
Genesis 13:10
Lot took a long look at the fertile plains of the Jordan Valley in the direction of Zoar. The whole area was well watered everywhere, like the garden of the Lord or the beautiful land of Egypt. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.)
Genesis 14:9
They fought against King Kedorlaomer of Elam, King Tidal of Goiim, King Amraphel of Babylonia, and King Arioch of Ellasar—four kings against five.
Genesis 14:10
As it happened, the valley of the Dead Sea was filled with tar pits. And as the army of the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some fell into the tar pits, while the rest escaped into the mountains.
Genesis 14:20
And blessed be God Most High, who has defeated your enemies for you." Then Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of all the goods he had recovered.
Deuteronomy 29:23
They will exclaim, ‘The whole land is devastated by sulfur and salt. It is a wasteland with nothing planted and nothing growing, not even a blade of grass. It is like the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which the Lord destroyed in his intense anger.'
Deuteronomy 34:3
the Negev; the Jordan Valley with Jericho—the city of palms—as far as Zoar.
1 Samuel 13:18
another went west to Beth-horon, and the third moved toward the border above the valley of Zeboim near the wilderness.
Nehemiah 11:34
Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat,
Isaiah 15:5
My heart weeps for Moab. Its people flee to Zoar and Eglath-shelishiyah. Weeping, they climb the road to Luhith. Their cries of distress can be heard all along the road to Horonaim.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Judah mourneth,.... That is, the inhabitants of Judah; those of the house of Judah, as the Targum; these mourned because of the drought and famine that were upon the land:

and the gates thereof languish; the cities of Judah, as the Targum; the inhabitants of them, which used to be supplied from the field, and out of the country; gates may be mentioned, because through the gates the provisions were brought into the city; but now none; and therefore are said to languish; or else those that sat in the gates are meant, the elders of the people, the senators, the judges, and civil magistrates; these shared in the common calamity:

they are black unto the ground; that is, the inhabitants of the cities, and those that sit in the gates, their faces are black through famine; see Lamentations 4:8, so the Targum,

"their faces are covered with blackness, they are black as a pot;''

and which they turned to the ground, and looked downwards, not being able to lift them up through the sorrow and distress they were in, and through faintness of spirit for want of food:

and the cry of Jerusalem is gone up: meaning the cry and lamentation of the inhabitants of Jerusalem because of the famine, for that city was not exempted from it, it having its supply from the country; or the prayer of them, and of the people from all parts got together there, which went up to heaven for rain: it being usual, in times of common distress, for the people in the country to come up to Jerusalem to the temple to pray to God, and particularly for rain, when there was a want of it.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

They are black unto the ground - The people assembled at the gates, the usual places of concourse, are in deep mourning and sit humbly on the ground.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Jeremiah 14:2. The gates thereof languish — The gates being the places of public resort, they are put here for the people.

They are black unto the ground — Covered from head to foot with a black garment, the emblem of sorrow and calamity.


 
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