Jeremiah 2:31

Amplified Bible

"O generation [that you are], consider and regard carefully the word of the LORD. Have I been a wilderness to Israel [like a land without food], A land of thick and deep darkness [like a path without light]? Why do My people say, 'We [have broken loose and we] are free to roam [at will]; We will no longer come to You'?

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Evil generation,pay attention to the word of the Lord!Have I been a wilderness to Israelor a land of dense darkness?Why do my people claim,“We will go where we want;we will no longer come to you”?

Hebrew Names Version
Generation, see the word of the LORD. Have I been a wilderness to Yisra'el? or a land of thick darkness? why say my people, We are broken loose; we will come no more to you?

King James Version
O generation, see ye the word of the Lord . Have I been a wilderness unto Israel? a land of darkness? wherefore say my people, We are lords; we will come no more unto thee?

English Standard Version
And you, O generation, behold the word of the Lord . Have I been a wilderness to Israel, or a land of thick darkness? Why then do my people say, ‘We are free, we will come no more to you'?

New American Standard Bible
"You generation, look to the word of the LORD. Have I been a wilderness to Israel, Or a land of thick darkness? Why do My people say, 'We are free to roam; We will no longer come to You'?

New Century Version
"People of Judah, pay attention to the word of the Lord : Have I been like a desert to the people of Israel or like a dark and dangerous land? Why do my people say, ‘We are free to wander. We won't come to you anymore'?

World English Bible
Generation, see the word of Yahweh. Have I been a wilderness to Israel? or a land of thick darkness? why say my people, We are broken loose; we will come no more to you?

Geneva Bible (1587)
O generation, take heede to the worde of the Lorde: haue I bene as a wildernesse vnto Israel? or a lande of darkenesse? Wherefore sayeth my people then, We are lordes, we will come no more vnto thee?

Legacy Standard Bible
O generation, behold the word of Yahweh.Have I been a wilderness to IsraelOr a land of thick darkness?Why do My people say, ‘We are free to roam;We will no longer come to You'?

Berean Standard Bible
You people of this generation, consider the word of the LORD: Have I been a wilderness to Israel or a land of dense darkness? Why do My people say, 'We are free to roam; we will come to You no more'?

Contemporary English Version
Now listen to what I say! Did I abandon you in the desert or surround you with darkness? You are my people, yet you have told me, "We'll do what we want, and we refuse to worship you!"

Complete Jewish Bible
You of this generation, look at the word of Adonai : Have I been a desert to Isra'el? or a land of oppressive darkness? Why do my people say, ‘We're free to roam, we will no longer come to you'?

Darby Translation
O generation, mark ye the word of Jehovah. Have I been a wilderness unto Israel, or a land of thick darkness? Wherefore say my people, We have dominion; we will come no more unto thee?

Easy-to-Read Version
People of this generation, pay attention to the Lord 's message! "Have I been like a desert to the people of Israel? Have I been like a dark and dangerous land to them? My people say, ‘We are free to go our own way. We will not come back to you!' Why do they say these things?

George Lamsa Translation
As for you, O generation, hear the word of the LORD. Have I been like a wilderness to Israel? Or a waste land? Wherefore then say my people, We are humiliated; we will come no more to you?

Good News Translation
People of Israel, listen to what I am saying. Have I been like a desert to you, like a dark and dangerous land? Why, then, do you say that you will do as you please, that you will never come back to me?

Lexham English Bible
O generation, you see the word of Yahweh. Have I been a desert to Israel? Or a land of great darkness? Why do my people say, ‘We roam about freely, we will not come again to you'?

Literal Translation
O generation, see the Word of Jehovah. Have I been a wilderness to Israel, or a land of darkness? Why do My people say, We roam; we will come no more to You.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Yf ye be the people of the LORDE, then herke vnto his worde: Am I the become a wildernesse vnto the people of Israel? or a londe that hath no light? Wherfore saieth my people then: we are falle of, and we wil come no more vnto the?

American Standard Version
O generation, see ye the word of Jehovah. Have I been a wilderness unto Israel? or a land of thick darkness? wherefore say my people, We are broken loose; we will come no more unto thee?

Bible in Basic English
O generation, see the word of the Lord. Have I been a waste land to Israel? or a land of dark night? why do my people say, We have got loose, we will not come to you again?

JPS Old Testament (1917)
O generation, see ye the word of the LORD: have I been a wilderness unto Israel? or a land of thick darkness? Wherefore say My people: 'We roam at large; we will come no more unto Thee'?

King James Version (1611)
O generation, see yee the word of the Lord: haue I beene a wildernesse vnto Israel? a land of darkenesse? wherefore say my people; We are Lords, we will come no more vnto thee?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Oh generation, hearken vnto the worde of the Lorde: Am I become a wildernesse vnto the people of Israel? or a lande that hath no lyght? wherfore saith my people then, We are lordes, we wyll come no more vnto thee?

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Hear ye the word of the Lord: thus saith the Lord, Have I been a wilderness or a dry land to Israel? wherefore has my people said, We will not be ruled over, and will not come to thee any more?

English Revised Version
O generation, see ye the word of the LORD. Have I been a wilderness unto Israel? or a land of thick darkness? wherefore say my people, We are broken loose; we will come no more unto thee?

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Se ye the word of the Lord, whether Y am maad a wildirnesse to Israel, ether a lond late bryngynge forth fruyt? Whi therfor seide my puple, We han go awei, we schulen no more come to thee?

Update Bible Version
O generation, see the word of Yahweh. Have I been a wilderness to Israel? or a land of thick darkness? why do my people say, We have broken loose; we will come no more to you?

Webster's Bible Translation
O generation, see ye the word of the LORD. Have I been a wilderness to Israel? a land of darkness? why say my people, We are lords; we will come no more to thee?

New English Translation
You people of this generation, listen to what the Lord says. "Have I been like a wilderness to you, Israel? Have I been like a dark and dangerous land to you? Why then do you say, ‘We are free to wander. We will not come to you any more?'

New King James Version
"O generation, see the word of the LORD! Have I been a wilderness to Israel, Or a land of darkness? Why do My people say, "We are lords; We will come no more to You'?

New Living Translation
"O my people, listen to the words of the Lord ! Have I been like a desert to Israel? Have I been to them a land of darkness? Why then do my people say, ‘At last we are free from God! We don't need him anymore!'

New Life Bible
O people of this day, listen to the Word of the Lord. Have I been a desert to Israel, or a land of much darkness? Why do My people say, ‘We are free to go, and we will come to You no more'?

New Revised Standard
And you, O generation, behold the word of the Lord ! Have I been a wilderness to Israel, or a land of thick darkness? Why then do my people say, "We are free, we will come to you no more"?

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
O generation see, ye, the word of Yahweh, A desert, became I unto Israel? Or a land of thick darkness? Wherefore, have my people said, We have roved about, We will not come in any more unto thee?

Douay-Rheims Bible
See ye the word of the Lord: Am I become a wilderness to Israel, or a lateward springing land? why then have my people said: We are revolted, we will come to thee no more?

Revised Standard Version
And you, O generation, heed the word of the LORD. Have I been a wilderness to Israel, or a land of thick darkness? Why then do my people say, 'We are free, we will come no more to thee'?

Young's Literal Translation
O generation, see ye the word of Jehovah: A wilderness have I been to Israel? A land of thick darkness? Wherefore have My people said, `We mourned, We come not in again unto Thee.'

THE MESSAGE
"What a generation you turned out to be! Didn't I tell you? Didn't I warn you? Have I let you down, Israel? Am I nothing but a dead-end street? Why do my people say, ‘Good riddance! From now on we're on our own'? Young women don't forget their jewelry, do they? Brides don't show up without their veils, do they? But my people forget me. Day after day after day they never give me a thought.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"O generation, heed the word of the LORD. Have I been a wilderness to Israel, Or a land of thick darkness? Why do My people say, 'We are free to roam; We will no longer come to You'?

Contextual Overview

²⁹"Why do you complain and contend with Me? You have all rebelled (transgressed) against Me," says the LORD. ³⁰"In vain I have punished your people [with the consequences of their disobedience]; They received no insight from correction [and refused to change]. Your [own] sword has devoured your prophets Like a destroying lion. ³¹"O generation [that you are], consider and regard carefully the word of the LORD. Have I been a wilderness to Israel [like a land without food], A land of thick and deep darkness [like a path without light]? Why do My people say, 'We [have broken loose and we] are free to roam [at will]; We will no longer come to You'?³²"Can a virgin forget [to wear] her ornaments, Or a bride her attire [that identifies her as a married woman]? Yet My people have forgotten Me Days without number. ³³"How well you prepare your path To seek and obtain [adulterous] love! Even the most wicked of women Have learned [indecent] ways from you. ³⁴"Also on your skirts is found The lifeblood of the innocent poor; You did not find them breaking in [a house]. But in spite of all these things [your disobedience, your love of idolatry, your lack of compassion]— ³⁵Yet you keep saying, 'I am innocent; Surely His anger has turned away from me.' Behold (listen very carefully), I will bring you to judgment and will plead my case against you Because you say, 'I have not sinned.' ³⁶"Why do you go around and wander so much Changing your way? Also, you will be shamed by Egypt As you were shamed by Assyria. ³⁷"From Egypt also you will come away [as captives] With your hands on your head; For the LORD has rejected those in whom you trust (confide), And you will not be successful with them."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

see ye: Amos 1:1, Micah 6:9

Have I been: Jeremiah 2:5, Jeremiah 2:6, 2 Samuel 12:7-9, 2 Chronicles 31:10, Nehemiah 9:21-25, Hosea 2:7, Hosea 2:8, Malachi 3:9-11

We are lords: Heb. We have dominion, Deuteronomy 8:12-14, Deuteronomy 31:20, Deuteronomy 32:15, Psalms 10:4, Psalms 12:4, Proverbs 30:9, Hosea 13:6, 1 Corinthians 4:8, Revelation 3:15-17

Reciprocal: Genesis 4:6 - General Deuteronomy 6:11 - when thou Deuteronomy 8:14 - thine heart Judges 2:2 - why have 1 Kings 11:22 - But 2 Chronicles 12:1 - he forsook Nehemiah 9:16 - dealt Psalms 103:2 - forget not Isaiah 1:4 - gone away backward Isaiah 5:4 - General Isaiah 43:22 - thou hast been Isaiah 48:6 - hast heard Jeremiah 2:13 - For my Jeremiah 5:7 - I had fed Jeremiah 22:21 - I spake Ezekiel 14:5 - estranged Hosea 2:3 - as Amos 2:11 - Is it Micah 6:3 - what Malachi 1:2 - Wherein Matthew 25:24 - I knew Luke 15:13 - and took Luke 18:24 - How 1 Timothy 6:17 - that they Hebrews 11:6 - he that 2 Peter 2:10 - despise Revelation 3:17 - have need

Gill's Notes on the Bible

O generation, see ye the word of the Lord,.... Take notice of it, consider it; or, hear it, as the Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions. Jarchi and Kimchi think i the pot of manna was brought out, and shown them, to be looked at by them, for the conviction of them, and confirmation of what follows:

have I been a wilderness unto Israel? no: the Israelites were plentifully supplied by him when in the wilderness, and since they were brought into a land flowing with milk and honey; so that they stood in need of nothing; they had a constant supply of all good things:

or a land of darkness? of misery, distress, and poverty; where no light of joy, comfort, and prosperity, is; a land that never sees the light, or enjoys the benefit of the sun, and so is barren and unfruitful; "a land of thorns", as the Septuagint version; or, "a desert and uncultivated land", as the Targum, and Syriac and Arabic versions. It may be rendered, "a land of the darkness of God" k; that is, of the greatest darkness, of thick and gross darkness, alluding to that in Egypt; as the flame of God, and mountains of God, Song of Solomon 8:6, as Ben Melech and Kimchi observe:

wherefore say my people, we are lords; and can reign without thee; or we have kings and princes, and have no need of thee, so Kimchi; but the word used seems to have another meaning, and to require another sense. The Targum is, "we are removed"; and the Vulgate Latin version, "we have gone back"; to which agrees the Jewish Midrash l, mentioned by Jarchi, and confirmed with a passage out of the Misna m, "we are separated from thee"; we have departed from thee, turned our backs on thee, have forsaken thee, and left thy ways and worship; and to do so was very ungrateful, when the Lord had so richly supplied them, that they had not lacked any good thing; and this sense agrees with what follows:

we will come no more unto thee? some render it, "we have determined" n; as having the same sense with the Arabic word, which signifies to "will" or determine anything; and then the meaning is, we are determined, we are resolved to come no more to thee, to attend thy worship and service any more; and so the Targum,

"we will not return any more to thy worship.''

i So Mechilta apud Yalkut in loc. k ארץ מאפליה "terra caliginis Dei", Gataker, Gussetius; "caliginis Jah", Montanus. l Midrash R. Tanchuma, apud Jarchi in loc. Vid. Yalkut Simeoni, in Ioc. m Misn. Trumot, c. 10. sect. 3. Machshirin, c. 3. sect. 3. n רדנו "voluimus non veniemus", &c, De Dieu "decrevimus non veniemus", Cocceius.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Or, “O generation” that ye are! An exclamation Of indignation at their hardened resistance to God.

A land of darkness - This word is written in Hebrew with two accents, as being a compound, signifying not merely darkness, but the darkness of Yahweh, i. e., very great darkness.

We are lords - Others render it: We rove about, wander about at our will, go where we like.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Jeremiah 2:31. Have I been a wilderness unto Israel? — Have I ever withheld from you any of the blessings necessary for your support?

A land of darkness — Have you, since you passed through the wilderness, and came out of the darkness of Egypt, ever been brought into similar circumstances? You have had food and all the necessaries of life for your bodies; and my ordinances and word to enlighten and cheer your souls. I have neither been a wilderness nor a land of darkness to you.

We are lords — We wish to be our own masters; we will neither brook religious nor civil restraint; we will regard no laws, human or Divine. It was this disposition that caused them to fall in so fully with the whole system of idolatry.