Jeremiah 6:4

King James Version

Prepare ye war against her; arise, and let us go up at noon. Woe unto us! for the day goeth away, for the shadows of the evening are stretched out.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Set them apart for war against her;rise up, let’s attack at noon.Woe to us, for the day is passing;the evening shadows grow long.

Hebrew Names Version
Prepare you war against her; arise, and let us go up at noon. Woe to us! for the day declines, for the shadows of the evening are stretched out.

English Standard Version
"Prepare war against her; arise, and let us attack at noon! Woe to us, for the day declines, for the shadows of evening lengthen!

New American Standard Bible
'Prepare for war against her; Arise, and let's attack at noon. Woe to us, for the day declines, For the shadows of the evening lengthen!

New Century Version
They say, "Get ready to fight against Jerusalem! Get up! We will attack at noon! But it is already getting late; the evening shadows are growing long.

Amplified Bible
"[They shout], 'Prepare for war against her; Arise, let us [take her by surprise and] attack her at noon. But alas, the daylight pales, The evening shadows grow long.

World English Bible
Prepare you war against her; arise, and let us go up at noon. Woe to us! for the day declines, for the shadows of the evening are stretched out.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Prepare warre against her: arise, and let vs goe vp toward the South: wo vnto vs: for the day declineth, and the shadowes of the euening are stretched out.

Legacy Standard Bible
Set yourselves apart for war against her;Arise, and let us go up at noon.Woe to us, for the day declines,For the shadows of the evening stretch out!

Berean Standard Bible
"Prepare for battle against her; rise up, let us attack at noon. Woe to us, for the daylight is fading; the evening shadows grow long.

Contemporary English Version
Kings will tell their troops, "If we reach Jerusalem in the morning, we'll attack at noon. But if we arrive later,

Complete Jewish Bible
"Prepare for war against her! Get up! Let's attack at noon!" "Woe to us! for the day is waning, evening shadows are lengthening."

Darby Translation
Prepare war against her. Arise, and let us go up at noon. Woe unto us! for the day hath declined, for the shadows of the evening are lengthening.

Easy-to-Read Version
"Get ready to fight against Jerusalem. Get up! We will attack the city at noon. But it is already getting late. The evening shadows are growing long.

George Lamsa Translation
Prepare war against her; and say, Arise, let us go up at noon. Woe to us! for the day is spent, and the shadows of the evening are lengthened.

Good News Translation
They will say, "Prepare to attack Jerusalem! Get ready! We'll attack at noon!" But then they will say, "It's too late, the day is almost over, and the evening shadows are growing long.

Lexham English Bible
Sanctify war against her. Arise, and let us attack at noon. Woe to us, for the day turns, for the shadows of evening are lengthened.

Literal Translation
Consecrate war against her. Rise up and let us go up at noon. Woe to us, for the day wanes! For the shadows of the evening are stretched out.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Make batell agaynst her (shal they saye:) Arise, let vs go vp, while it is yet daye. Alas, the daye goeth awaye, & the night shadowes fall downe:

American Standard Version
Prepare ye war against her; arise, and let us go up at noon. Woe unto us! for the day declineth, for the shadows of the evening are stretched out.

Bible in Basic English
Make war ready against her; up! let us go up when the sun is high. Sorrow is ours! for the day is turned and the shades of evening are stretched out.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
'Prepare ye war against her; arise, and let us go up at noon!' 'Woe unto us! for the day declineth, for the shadows of the evening are stretched out!'

King James Version (1611)
Prepare yee warre against her: arise, and let vs goe vp at noone: woe vnto vs, for the day goeth away, for the shadowes of the euening are stretched out.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Make battayle against her [shall they say] aryse, let vs go vp whyle it is yet day: Alas the day goeth away, and the night shadowes fall downe.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Prepare yourselves for war against her; rise up, and let us go up against her at noon. Woe to us! for the day has gone down, for the shadows of the day fail.

English Revised Version
Prepare ye war against her; arise, and let us go up at noon. Woe unto us! for the day declineth, for the shadows of the evening are stretched out.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Halewe ye batel on it. Rise ye togidire, and stie we in myddai. Wo to vs, for the dai is bowid doun, for shadewis ben maad lengere in the euentid.

Update Bible Version
Prepare war against her; arise, and let us go up at noon. Woe to us! for the day declines, for the shadows of the evening are stretched out.

Webster's Bible Translation
Prepare ye war against her; arise, and let us go up at noon. Woe to us! for the day departeth, for the shadows of the evening are lengthened.

New English Translation
They will say, ‘Prepare to do battle against it! Come on! Let's attack it at noon!' But later they will say, ‘Oh, oh! Too bad! The day is almost over and the shadows of evening are getting long.

New King James Version
"Prepare war against her; Arise, and let us go up at noon. Woe to us, for the day goes away, For the shadows of the evening are lengthening.

New Living Translation
They shout, ‘Prepare for battle! Attack at noon!' ‘No, it's too late; the day is fading, and the evening shadows are falling.'

New Life Bible
Make war against her. Rise up, let us go and fight her at noon. It is bad for us, for the day is passing! The shadows of the evening are longer!

New Revised Standard
"Prepare war against her; up, and let us attack at noon!" "Woe to us, for the day declines, the shadows of evening lengthen!"

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Hallow ye against her a war, Arise! and let us go up in broad noon. Woe to us, for the day, hath turned, for the shadows of evening, stretch along.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Prepare ye war against her: arise, and let us go up at midday: woe unto us, for the day is declined, for the shadows of the evening are grown longer.

Revised Standard Version
"Prepare war against her; up, and let us attack at noon!" "Woe to us, for the day declines, for the shadows of evening lengthen!"

Young's Literal Translation
Sanctify ye against her the battle, Rise, and we go up at noon. Wo to us, for turned hath the day, For stretched out are the shades of evening,

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Prepare war against her; Arise, and let us attack at noon. Woe to us, for the day declines, For the shadows of the evening lengthen!

Contextual Overview

¹ O ye children of Benjamin, gather yourselves to flee out of the midst of Jerusalem, and blow the trumpet in Tekoa, and set up a sign of fire in Bethhaccerem: for evil appeareth out of the north, and great destruction. ² I have likened the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate woman. ³ The shepherds with their flocks shall come unto her; they shall pitch their tents against her round about; they shall feed every one in his place. ⁴ Prepare ye war against her; arise, and let us go up at noon. Woe unto us! for the day goeth away, for the shadows of the evening are stretched out. ⁵ Arise, and let us go by night, and let us destroy her palaces. ⁶ For thus hath the Lord of hosts said, Hew ye down trees, and cast a mount against Jerusalem: this is the city to be visited; she is wholly oppression in the midst of her. ⁷ As a fountain casteth out her waters, so she casteth out her wickedness: violence and spoil is heard in her; before me continually is grief and wounds. ⁸ Be thou instructed, O Jerusalem, lest my soul depart from thee; lest I make thee desolate, a land not inhabited.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Prepare: Jeremiah 5:10, Jeremiah 51:27, Jeremiah 51:28, Isaiah 5:26-30, Isaiah 13:2-5, Joel 3:9

at noon: Jeremiah 15:8, Zephaniah 2:4

for the: Jeremiah 8:20

shadows: Song of Solomon 2:17

Reciprocal: Judges 19:9 - the day groweth to an end Job 7:2 - the shadow Hosea 4:5 - and the prophet Obadiah 1:1 - Arise

Cross-References

Genesis 6:15
And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits.

Genesis 6:20
Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive.

Genesis 6:21
And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and thou shalt gather it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them.

Genesis 6:22
Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.

Genesis 11:4
And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.

Numbers 13:33
And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

Numbers 16:2
And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown:

Deuteronomy 3:11
For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of giants; behold his bedstead was a bedstead of iron; is it not in Rabbath of the children of Ammon? nine cubits was the length thereof, and four cubits the breadth of it, after the cubit of a man.

1 Samuel 17:4
And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Prepare ye war against her,.... Not only proclaim it, but prepare themselves for it; get everything ready for the siege, and begin it. These are either the words of the Lord, calling upon the Chaldeans in his providence to act such a part against Jerusalem; or of the Chaldeans themselves, stirring up one another to it; which latter seems to be the sense; since it follows:

arise, and let us go up at noon; scale the walls, and take the city; which, though in the heat of the day, and not so proper a time, yet such was the eagerness of the army, and their confidence of carrying the place at once; and concluding there was no need of waiting till the evening, or of taking any secret measures for the siege; they propose to go up at noon, in the heat of the day, and in the sight of their enemies, and storm the city:

woe unto us, for the day goes away, for the shadows of the evening are stretched out; which some take to be the words of the besiegers, lamenting they had lost time, had not proceeded according to their first purpose, had neglected going up at noontime, and now the evening was coming upon them; or as being angry, and out of humour, that the city was not taken by them so soon as they expected: though, according to Kimchi, they are the words of the prophet; and he may represent the besieged, mourning over their unhappy case and circumstances; the day of prosperity declining, and nothing but darkness and distress coming upon them.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Prepare ye war - Rather, Sanctify ye war against her. War in ancient times was never undertaken without religions solemnities (see Deuteronomy 20:2 note). For some of these compare Ezekiel 21:21-23.

At noon - The mid-day heat is so great in the East as to be usually passed under shelter 2 Samuel 4:5; Song of Solomon 1:7. The morning-march of an army was made fasting, and was usually over by eight or nine. But so great is the impatience of the Chaldeans for the assault that they cry, “we will make the assault at noon!”

Woe unto us! - Or,

Alas for us! “for the day” has turned

For the evening shadows are lengthening!

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Jeremiah 6:4. Prepare ye war against her — The words of the invaders exciting each other to the assault, and impatient lest any time should be lost; lest the besieged should have time to strengthen themselves, or get in supplies.