Lectionary Calendar
Tuesday, July 8th, 2025
the Week of Proper 9 / Ordinary 14
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Read the Bible

New Life Version

Jeremiah 16:2

"Do not get married or have sons or daughters in this place."

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Jeremiah;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Idolatry;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Marriage;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Jeremiah;  

Encyclopedias:

- The Jewish Encyclopedia - Celibacy;   Jeremiah;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“Do not marry or have sons or daughters in this place.
Hebrew Names Version
You shall not take a wife, neither shall you have sons or daughters, in this place.
King James Version
Thou shalt not take thee a wife, neither shalt thou have sons or daughters in this place.
English Standard Version
"You shall not take a wife, nor shall you have sons or daughters in this place.
New American Standard Bible
"You shall not take a wife for yourself nor have sons or daughters in this place."
New Century Version
"You must not get married or have sons or daughters in this place."
Amplified Bible
"You shall not take a wife or have sons and daughters in this place (Jerusalem)."
World English Bible
You shall not take a wife, neither shall you have sons or daughters, in this place.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Thou shalt not take thee a wife, nor haue sonnes nor daughters in this place.
Legacy Standard Bible
"You shall not take a wife for yourself nor have sons or daughters in this place."
Berean Standard Bible
"You must not marry or have sons or daughters in this place."
Contemporary English Version
Jeremiah, don't get married and have children—Judah is no place to raise a family.
Complete Jewish Bible
"You are not to marry or have sons and daughters in this place.
Darby Translation
Thou shalt not take thee a wife, and thou shalt not have sons nor daughters in this place.
Easy-to-Read Version
"Jeremiah, you must not get married. You must not have sons or daughters in this place."
George Lamsa Translation
You shall not take a wife for yourself, neither shall you have sons or daughters in this place.
Good News Translation
"Do not marry or have children in a place like this.
Lexham English Bible
"You shall not take for yourself a wife, there shall not be for you sons and daughters in this place."
Literal Translation
You shall not take a wife for yourself, nor shall you have sons or daughters in this place.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Thou shalt take ye no wife, ner beget children in this place.
American Standard Version
Thou shalt not take thee a wife, neither shalt thou have sons or daughters, in this place.
Bible in Basic English
You are not to take a wife for yourself or have sons or daughters in this place.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Thou shalt not take thee a wife, neither shalt thou have sons or daughters in this place.
King James Version (1611)
Thou shalt not take thee a wife, neither shalt thou haue sonnes nor daughters in this place.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Thou shalt take thee no wife, nor beget children in this place.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
and there shall be no son born to thee, nor daughter in this place.
English Revised Version
Thou shalt not take thee a wife, neither shalt thou have sons or daughters in this place.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and seide, Thou schalt not take a wijf, and sones and douytris schulen not be to thee in this place.
Update Bible Version
You shall not take for yourself a wife, neither shall you have sons or daughters, in this place.
Webster's Bible Translation
Thou shalt not take thee a wife, neither shalt thou have sons nor daughters in this place.
New English Translation
"Do not get married and do not have children here in this land.
New King James Version
"You shall not take a wife, nor shall you have sons or daughters in this place."
New Living Translation
"Do not get married or have children in this place.
New Revised Standard
You shall not take a wife, nor shall you have sons or daughters in this place.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Thou shall not take to thee a wife, - Neither shalt thou have sons or daughters, in this place.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Thou shalt not take thee a wife, neither shalt thou have sons and daughters in this place.
Revised Standard Version
"You shall not take a wife, nor shall you have sons or daughters in this place.
Young's Literal Translation
Thou dost not take to thee a wife, Nor hast thou sons and daughters in this place.
THE MESSAGE
"Jeremiah, don't get married. Don't raise a family here. I have signed the death warrant on all the children born in this country, the mothers who bear them and the fathers who beget them—an epidemic of death. Death unlamented, the dead unburied, dead bodies decomposing and stinking like dung, all the killed and starved corpses served up as meals for carrion crows and mongrel dogs!"
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"You shall not take a wife for yourself nor have sons or daughters in this place."

Contextual Overview

1 The Word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 "Do not get married or have sons or daughters in this place." 3 For this is what the Lord says about the sons and daughters born in this land, and about their mothers who give birth to them, and their fathers who gave them life in this land: 4 "They will die of bad diseases. No one will cry for them or bury them. They will be as animal waste on the ground, destroyed by sword and hunger. Their dead bodies will become food for the birds of the sky and for the wild animals of the earth." 5 For the Lord says, "Do not go into a house where the people have lost a loved one. Do not go to cry or to comfort them. For I have taken My peace, My loving-kindness and My pity from these people," says the Lord. 6 "Both great men and small will die in this land. They will not be buried. No one will cry for them. And no one will cut himself or cut off his hair for them. 7 No one will give food to comfort those who sorrow for the dead. And no one will give them the cup of comfort to drink even for the death of their father or mother. 8 Do not go into a house where they are eating much and sit with them to eat and drink." 9 For the Lord of All, the God of Israel, says, "Before your eyes and in your time, I am going to bring an end to the voice of joy, the voice of happiness, the voice of the man to be married and the voice of the bride in this place.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Genesis 19:14, Matthew 24:19, Luke 21:23, Luke 23:29, 1 Corinthians 7:26, 1 Corinthians 7:27

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 28:32 - sons Jeremiah 29:6 - Take ye Lamentations 2:22 - those

Cross-References

Genesis 3:12
The man said, "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate."
Genesis 3:17
Then He said to Adam, "Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I told you, "Do not eat from it," the ground is cursed because of you. By hard work you will eat food from it all the days of your life.
Genesis 16:1
Now Abram's wife Sarai had not given birth to any children. She had a woman servant from Egypt whose name was Hagar.
Genesis 16:2
So Sarai said to Abram, "Now see, the Lord has kept me from having children. Go in to the woman who serves me. It may be that I will get children through her." Abram listened to what Sarai said.
Genesis 16:4
He went in to Hagar, and she was going to have a child. And when she saw that she was going to have a child, she began to hate Sarai.
Genesis 16:6
But Abram said to Sarai, "See, the woman who serves you is in your power. Do what you want with her." So Sarai made it hard for Hagar. And Hagar ran away from her.
Genesis 16:9
Then the angel of the Lord said to her, "Return to your boss. Put yourself under her power."
Genesis 16:10
The angel of the Lord said to her, "I will give you so many people in your family through the years that they will be too many to number."
Genesis 17:16
And I will bring good to her. I will give you a son by her. I will bring good to her. And she will be the mother of nations. Kings of many people will come from her."
Genesis 18:10
The Lord said, "I will be sure to return to you at this time next year. And your wife Sarah will have a son." Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Thou shall not take thee a wife,.... Not because it was unlawful; for it was lawful for prophets to marry, and they did; but because it was not advisable, on account of the calamities and distresses which were coming upon the nation; which would be more bearable by him alone, than if he had a wife, which would increase his care, concern, and sorrow.

Neither shall thou have sons nor daughters in this place; in Anathoth, says Kimchi; but it is most likely that Jerusalem in particular is meant, though the whole land of Judea in general may be designed; and though nothing is more desirable than to have children to build up the family, and bear and continue a man's name for futurity, yet in times of public calamity these do but add to the affliction.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

As marriage was obligatory upon the Jews, the prohibition of it to Jeremiah was a sign that the impending calamity was so great as to override all ordinary duties. Jeremiah was unmarried, but the force of the sign lay in its being an exception to the ordinary practice of the prophets.

In this place - The whole of Judaea.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Jeremiah 16:2. Those shalt not take thee a wife — As it would be very inconvenient to have a family when the threatened desolations should come on the place. The reason is given in the following verses.


 
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