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Read the Bible

Douay-Rheims Bible

Jeremiah 16:2

Thou shalt not take thee a wife, neither shalt thou have sons and 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 Life Bible
"Do not get married or have sons or daughters 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.
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 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 2 Thou shalt not take thee a wife, neither shalt thou have sons and daughters in this place. 3 For thus saith the Lord concerning the sons and daughters, that are born in this place, and concerning their mothers that bore them: and concerning their fathers, of whom they were born in this land: 4 They shall die by the death of grievous illnesses: they shall not be lamented, and they shall not be buried, they shall be as dung upon the face of the earth: and they shall be consumed with the sword, and with famine: and their carcasses shall be meat for the fowls of the air, and for the beasts of the earth. 5 For thus saith the Lord: Enter not into the house of feasting, neither go thou to mourn, nor to comfort them: because I have taken away my peace from this people, saith the Lord, my mercy and commiserations. 6 Both the great and the little shall die in this land: they shall not be buried nor lamented, and men shall not cut themselves, nor make themselves bald for them. 7 And they shall not break bread among them to him that mourneth, to comfort him for the dead: neither shall they give them for their father and mother. 8 And do not thou go into the house of feasting, to sit with them, and to eat and drink: 9 For thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold I will take away out of this place in your sight, and in your days the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride.

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
And Adam said: The woman, whom thou gavest me to be my companion, gave me of the tree, and I did eat.
Genesis 3:17
And to Adam he said: Because thou hast hearkened to the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee, that thou shouldst not eat, cursed is the earth in thy work: with labour and toil shalt thou eat thereof all the days of thy life.
Genesis 16:1
Now Sarai, the wife of Abram, had brought forth no children: but having a handmaid, an Egyptian, named Agar,
Genesis 16:2
She said to her husband: Behold, the Lord hath restrained me from bearing: go in unto my handmaid, it may be I may have children of her at least. And when he agreed to her request,
Genesis 16:4
And he went in to her. But she perceiving that she was with child, despised her mistress.
Genesis 16:6
And Abram made answer, and said to her: Behold thy handmaid is in thy own hand, use her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai afflicted her, she ran away.
Genesis 16:9
And the angel of the Lord said to her: Return to thy mistress, and humble thyself under her hand.
Genesis 16:10
And again he said: I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, and it shall not be numbered for multitude.
Genesis 17:16
And I will bless her, and of her I will give thee a son, whom I will bless, and he shall become nations, and kings of people shall spring from him.
Genesis 18:10
And he said to him: I will return and come to thee at this time, life accompanying, and Sara, thy wife, shall have a son. Which when Sara heard, she laughed behind the door of the tent.

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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