Lectionary Calendar
Friday, August 29th, 2025
the Week of Proper 16 / Ordinary 21
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Read the Bible

Contemporary English Version

Lamentations 2:21

My people, both young and old, lie dead in the streets. Because you were angry, my young men and women were brutally slaughtered.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Famine;   Nation;   Women;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Anger of God, the;   Day;   Woman;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - War;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Anger;   Day of the Lord, God, Christ, the;   Life;   Mercy;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Lamentations;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Lamentations, Book of;   Obadiah, Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Acrostic;  

Encyclopedias:

- The Jewish Encyclopedia - Anger;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Both young and oldare lying on the ground in the streets.My young women and young menhave fallen by the sword.You have killed them in the day of your anger,slaughtering without compassion.
Hebrew Names Version
The youth and the old man lie on the ground in the streets; My virgins and my young men are fallen by the sword: You have killed them in the day of your anger; you have slaughtered, [and] not pitied.
King James Version
The young and the old lie on the ground in the streets: my virgins and my young men are fallen by the sword; thou hast slain them in the day of thine anger; thou hast killed, and not pitied.
English Standard Version
In the dust of the streets lie the young and the old; my young women and my young men have fallen by the sword; you have killed them in the day of your anger, slaughtering without pity.
New American Standard Bible
"On the ground in the streets Lie young and old; My virgins and my young men Have fallen by the sword. You have put them to death on the day of Your anger, You have slaughtered, without sparing.
New Century Version
"People young and old lie outside on the ground. My young women and young men have been killed by the sword. You killed them on the day of your anger; you killed them without mercy.
Amplified Bible
The young and the old Lie on the ground in the streets; My virgins and my young men Have fallen by the sword. You have killed them in the day of Your anger, You have slaughtered, not sparing.
World English Bible
The youth and the old man lie on the ground in the streets; My virgins and my young men are fallen by the sword: You have killed them in the day of your anger; you have slaughtered, [and] not pitied.
Geneva Bible (1587)
The yong and the olde lie on the ground in the streetes: my virgins and my yong men are fallen by the sworde: thou hast slaine them in the day of thy wrath: thou hast killed and not spared.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
On the ground in the streets Lie young and old; My virgins and my young men Have fallen by the sword. You have slain them in the day of Your anger, You have slaughtered, not sparing.
Legacy Standard Bible
On the ground in the streetsLie young and old;My virgins and my young menHave fallen by the sword.You have killed them in the day of Your anger;You have slaughtered, not sparing.
Berean Standard Bible
Both young and old lie together in the dust of the streets. My young men and maidens have fallen by the sword. You have slain them in the day of Your anger; You have slaughtered them without compassion.
Complete Jewish Bible
Youths and old men are lying on the ground in the streets, my unmarried women and young men have fallen by the sword. You killed them on the day of your anger, you slaughtered them without pity.
Darby Translation
The child and the old man lie on the ground in the streets; my virgins and my young men are fallen by the sword: thou hast slain [them] in the day of thine anger; thou hast killed, thou hast not spared.
Easy-to-Read Version
Young men and old men lie on the ground in the streets of the city. My young women and young men have been killed by the sword. You killed them on the day of your anger. You killed them without mercy!
George Lamsa Translation
The young and the old lie on the ground in the streets; my virgins and my young men have fallen by the sword; thou hast slain them in the day of thine anger; thou hast slaughtered without pity.
Good News Translation
Young and old alike lie dead in the streets, Young men and women, killed by enemy swords. You slaughtered them without mercy on the day of your anger.
Lexham English Bible
They lie in the soil of the streets, young and old; my young women and young men, they have fallen by the sword; you have slain on the day of your anger, you have slaughtered and not shown mercy.
Literal Translation
Young and old lie on the ground of the plazas. My virgins and my young men have fallen by the sword. You have killed in the day of Your anger. You have killed, You have not pitied.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Yonge & olde lye behinde the stretes vpon the grounde, my maydens & yonge men are slayne with the swearde: whom thou in the daye of thy wrothfull indignacion hast put to death: Yee euen thou hast put them to death, & not spared them.
American Standard Version
The youth and the old man lie on the ground in the streets; My virgins and my young men are fallen by the sword: Thou hast slain them in the day of thine anger; thou hast slaughtered, and not pitied.
Bible in Basic English
The young men and the old are stretched on the earth in the streets; my virgins and my young men have been put to the sword: you have sent death on them in the day of your wrath, causing death without pity.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
The youth and the old man lie on the ground in the streets; my virgins and my young men are fallen by the sword; Thou hast slain them in the day of Thine anger; Thou hast slaughtered unsparingly.
King James Version (1611)
The yong and the old lye on the ground in the streets: my virgins and my yong men are fallen by the sword: thou hast slaine them in the day of thy anger: thou hast killed, and not pitied.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Young and olde lye thorowe the streetes vpon the grounde, my maydens and young men are slayne with the sworde, whom thou in the day of thy wrathfull indignation hast put to death, yea euen thou hast put them to death, and not spared them.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
CHSEN. The child and old man have lain down in the street: my virgins and my young men are gone into captivity: thou hast slain them with the sword and with famine; in the day of thy wrath thou hast mangled them, thou has not spared.
English Revised Version
The youth and the old man lie on the ground in the streets; my virgins and my young men are fallen by the sword: thou hast slain them in the day of thine anger; thou hast slaughtered, and not pitied.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Syn. A child and an elde man laien on the erthe withoutforth; my virgyns and my yonge men fellen doun bi swerd; thou hast slayn hem in the dai of thi strong veniaunce, thou smotist `and didist no merci.
Update Bible Version
The youth and the old man lie on the ground in the streets; My virgins and my young men have fallen by the sword: You have slain them in the day of your anger; you have slaughtered, [and] not pitied.
Webster's Bible Translation
The young and the old lie on the ground in the streets: my virgins and my young men have fallen by the sword; thou hast slain [them] in the day of thy anger; thou hast killed, [and] not pitied.
New English Translation

ש (Sin/Shin)

The young boys and old men lie dead on the ground in the streets. My young women and my young men have fallen by the sword. You killed them when you were angry; you slaughtered them without mercy.
New King James Version
"Young and old lie On the ground in the streets; My virgins and my young men Have fallen by the sword; You have slain them in the day of Your anger, You have slaughtered and not pitied.
New Living Translation
"See them lying in the streets— young and old, boys and girls, killed by the swords of the enemy. You have killed them in your anger, slaughtering them without mercy.
New Life Bible
The young and the old lie in the dust of the streets. My pure young women and young men have been killed by the sword. You have killed them in the day of Your anger. You have killed without pity.
New Revised Standard
The young and the old are lying on the ground in the streets; my young women and my young men have fallen by the sword; in the day of your anger you have killed them, slaughtering without mercy.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Youth and elder, have lain down on the ground in the streets, My virgins and my young men, have fallen by the sword, - Thou hast slain, in the day of thine anger, Thou hast slaughtered, hast not spared!
Douay-Rheims Bible
Sin. The child and the old man lie without on the ground: my virgins and my young men are fallen by the sword: thou hast slain them in the day of thy wrath: thou hast killed, and shewn them no pity.
Revised Standard Version
In the dust of the streets lie the young and the old; my maidens and my young men have fallen by the sword; in the day of thy anger thou hast slain them, slaughtering without mercy.
Young's Literal Translation
Lain on the earth [in] out-places have young and old, My virgins and my young men have fallen by the sword, Thou hast slain in a day of Thine anger, Thou hast slaughtered -- Thou hast not pitied.
THE MESSAGE
"Boys and old men lie in the gutters of the streets, my young men and women killed in their prime. Angry, you killed them in cold blood, cut them down without mercy.

Contextual Overview

10 Zion's leaders are silent. They just sit on the ground, tossing dirt on their heads and wearing sackcloth. Her young women can do nothing but stare at the ground. 11 My eyes are red from crying, my stomach is in knots, and I feel sick all over. My people are being wiped out, and children lie helpless in the streets of the city. 12 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. 13 Zion, how can I comfort you? How great is your pain? Lovely city of Jerusalem, how can I heal your wounds, gaping as wide as the sea? 14 Your prophets deceived you with false visions and lying messages— they should have warned you to leave your sins and be saved from disaster. 15 Those who pass by shake their heads and sneer as they make fun and shout, "What a lovely city you were, the happiest on earth, but look at you now!" 16 Zion, your enemies curse you and snarl like wild animals, while shouting, "This is the day we've waited for! At last, we've got you!" 17 The Lord has done everything that he had planned and threatened long ago. He destroyed you without mercy and let your enemies boast about their powerful forces. 18 Zion, deep in your heart you cried out to the Lord. Now let your tears overflow your walls day and night. Don't ever lose hope or let your tears stop. 19 Get up and pray for help all through the night. Pour out your feelings to the Lord, as you would pour water out of a jug. Beg him to save your people, who are starving to death at every street crossing.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

young: Deuteronomy 28:50, Joshua 6:21, 1 Samuel 15:3, 2 Chronicles 36:17, Esther 3:13, Jeremiah 51:22, Ezekiel 9:6

my virgins: Lamentations 1:15, Lamentations 1:18, Psalms 78:63, Jeremiah 9:21, Jeremiah 11:22, Jeremiah 18:21, Amos 4:10

thou hast killed: Lamentations 2:2, Lamentations 2:17, Lamentations 3:43, Isaiah 27:11, Jeremiah 13:14, Jeremiah 21:7, Ezekiel 5:11, Ezekiel 7:4, Ezekiel 7:9, Ezekiel 8:18, Ezekiel 9:5, Ezekiel 9:10, Zechariah 11:6

Reciprocal: Leviticus 26:25 - will bring Isaiah 3:25 - Thy men Isaiah 47:1 - down Jeremiah 4:10 - the sword Jeremiah 4:31 - because Jeremiah 32:24 - because Jeremiah 49:26 - General Lamentations 3:51 - the daughters Lamentations 4:2 - how Ezekiel 6:7 - slain Ezekiel 25:3 - thou saidst Amos 8:13 - General Zephaniah 1:17 - and their blood Zechariah 8:4 - There

Cross-References

Genesis 15:12
As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and everything became dark and frightening.
1 Samuel 26:12
David took the spear and the water jar, then left the camp. None of Saul's soldiers knew what had happened or even woke up—the Lord had made all of them fall sound asleep.
Job 4:13
I was overcome by sleep, but disturbed by dreams;
Job 33:15
Sometimes in the night, he uses terrifying dreams
Proverbs 19:15
If you are lazy and sleep your time away, you will starve.
Daniel 8:18
While he was speaking, I fell facedown in a deep sleep. But he lifted me to my feet

Gill's Notes on the Bible

The young and the old lie on the ground in the streets,.... Young men and old men, virgins and aged women; these promiscuously lay on the ground in the public streets, fainting and dying for want of food; or lay killed there by the sword of the enemy; the Chaldeans sparing neither age nor sex. The Targum interprets it of their sleeping on the ground,

"young men slept on the ground in the villages, and old men who used to lie on pillows of fine wool, and on beds of ivory;''

but the former sense is confirmed by what follows:

my virgins and my young men are fallen by the sword; by the sword of the Chaldeans, when they entered the city:

thou hast slain [them] in the day of thine anger: thou hast killed,

[and] not pitied; the Chaldeans were only instruments; it was the Lord's doing; it was according to his will; it was what he had purposed and decreed; what he had solemnly declared and threatened; and now in his providence brought about, for the sins of the Jews, by which he was provoked to anger; and so gave them up into the hands of their enemies, to slay them without mercy; and which is here owned; the church takes notice of the hand of God in all this.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Omit “them” and “and,” which weaken the intensity of the passage.


 
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