Jeremiah 4:20

THE MESSAGE

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Disaster after disaster is reportedbecause the whole land is destroyed.Suddenly my tents are destroyed,my tent curtains, in a moment.

Hebrew Names Version
Destruction on destruction is cried; for the whole land is laid waste: suddenly are my tents destroyed, [and] my curtains in a moment.

King James Version
Destruction upon destruction is cried; for the whole land is spoiled: suddenly are my tents spoiled, and my curtains in a moment.

English Standard Version
Crash follows hard on crash; the whole land is laid waste. Suddenly my tents are laid waste, my curtains in a moment.

New American Standard Bible
Disaster upon disaster is proclaimed, For the whole land is devastated; Suddenly my tents are devastated, And my curtains in an instant.

New Century Version
Disaster follows disaster; the whole country has been destroyed. My tents are destroyed in only a moment. My curtains are torn down quickly.

Amplified Bible
News of one [terrible] disaster comes close after another, For the whole land is devastated; Suddenly my tents are spoiled and destroyed, My [tent] curtains [ruined] in a moment.

World English Bible
Destruction on destruction is cried; for the whole land is laid waste: suddenly are my tents destroyed, [and] my curtains in a moment.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Destruction vpon destruction is cryed, for the whole lande is wasted: suddenly are my tents destroyed, and my curtaines in a moment.

Legacy Standard Bible
Destruction upon destruction is called out,For the whole land is devastated;Suddenly my tents are devastated,My curtains in an instant.

Berean Standard Bible
Disaster after disaster is proclaimed, for the whole land is laid waste. My tents are destroyed in an instant, my curtains in a moment.

Contemporary English Version
I see the enemy defeating us time after time, leaving everything in ruins. Even my own home is destroyed in a moment.

Complete Jewish Bible
The news is disaster after disaster! All the land is ruined! My tents are suddenly destroyed, my tent curtains in an instant.

Darby Translation
Destruction upon destruction is proclaimed; for the whole land is wasted: suddenly are my tents laid waste, my curtains, in a moment.

Easy-to-Read Version
Disaster follows disaster. The whole country is destroyed. Suddenly my tents are destroyed. My curtains are torn down!

George Lamsa Translation
Destruction shall come upon destruction; for the whole land is plundered; suddenly are my tents spoiled, and my curtains are fallen down.

Good News Translation
One disaster follows another; the whole country is left in ruins. Suddenly our tents are destroyed; their curtains are torn to pieces.

Lexham English Bible
Destruction on destruction is proclaimed, for all of the land is devastated. Suddenly my tents are devastated, my tent curtains in a moment.

Literal Translation
Ruin on ruin has been called; for the whole land is laid waste. Suddenly my tents are laid waste, my curtains in a moment.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
They crie murthur vpon murthur, the whole londe shal perish. Immediathly my tentes were destroyed, and my hanginges, in the twincklinge of an eye.

American Standard Version
Destruction upon destruction is cried; for the whole land is laid waste: suddenly are my tents destroyed, and my curtains in a moment.

Bible in Basic English
News is given of destruction on destruction; all the land is made waste: suddenly my tents, straight away my curtains, are made waste.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Destruction followeth upon destruction, for the whole land is spoiled; suddenly are my tents spoiled, my curtains in a moment.

King James Version (1611)
Destruction vpon destruction is cried, for the whole land is spoiled: suddenly are my tents spoiled, and my curtaines in a moment.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
They crye murther vpon murther, the whole lande shall perishe: Immediatly my tentes were destroyed, and my hanginges in the twincklyng of an eye.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
for all the land is distressed: suddenly my tabernacle is distressed, my curtains have been rent asunder.

English Revised Version
Destruction upon destruction is cried; for the whole land is spoiled: suddenly are my tents spoiled, and my curtains in a moment.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Sorewe is clepid on sorewe, and al the lond is distried; my tabernaclis ben wastid sudeynli, my skynnes ben wastid sudeynli.

Update Bible Version
Destruction on destruction is cried; for the whole land is laid waste: suddenly my tents are destroyed, [and] my curtains in a moment.

Webster's Bible Translation
Destruction upon destruction is cried; for the whole land is laid waste; suddenly are my tents ruined, [and] my curtains in a moment.

New English Translation
I see one destruction after another taking place, so that the whole land lies in ruins. I see our tents suddenly destroyed, their curtains torn down in a mere instant.

New King James Version
Destruction upon destruction is cried, For the whole land is plundered. Suddenly my tents are plundered, And my curtains in a moment.

New Living Translation
Waves of destruction roll over the land, until it lies in complete desolation. Suddenly my tents are destroyed; in a moment my shelters are crushed.

New Life Bible
News of much trouble comes again and again, for the whole land is laid waste. All at once my tents and my curtains are destroyed.

New Revised Standard
Disaster overtakes disaster, the whole land is laid waste. Suddenly my tents are destroyed, my curtains in a moment.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Breach upon breach, they cry, For ruined, is all the land, - Suddenly, are ruined my tents, In a moment, my curtains!

Douay-Rheims Bible
Destruction upon destruction is called for, and all the earth is laid waste: my tents are destroyed on a sudden, and my pavilions in a moment.

Revised Standard Version
Disaster follows hard on disaster, the whole land is laid waste. Suddenly my tents are destroyed, my curtains in a moment.

Young's Literal Translation
Destruction on destruction is proclaimed, For spoiled hath been all the land, Suddenly spoiled have been my tents, In a moment -- my curtains.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Disaster on disaster is proclaimed, For the whole land is devastated; Suddenly my tents are devastated, My curtains in an instant.

Contextual Overview

¹⁹I'm doubled up with cramps in my belly— a poker burns in my gut. My insides are tearing me up, never a moment's peace. The ram's horn trumpet blast rings in my ears, the signal for all-out war. Disaster hard on the heels of disaster, the whole country in ruins! In one stroke my home is destroyed, the walls flattened in the blink of an eye. How long do I have to look at the warning flares, listen to the siren of danger? ²² "What fools my people are! They have no idea who I am. A company of half-wits, dopes and donkeys all! Experts at evil but klutzes at good." ²³I looked at the earth— it was back to pre-Genesis chaos and emptiness. I looked at the skies, and not a star to be seen. I looked at the mountains— they were trembling like aspen leaves, And all the hills rocking back and forth in the wind. I looked—what's this! Not a man or woman in sight, and not a bird to be seen in the skies. I looked—this can't be! Every garden and orchard shriveled up. All the towns were ghost towns. And all this because of God , because of the blazing anger of God . ²⁷Yes, this is God 's Word on the matter: "The whole country will be laid waste— still it won't be the end of the world. The earth will mourn and the skies lament Because I've given my word and won't take it back. I've decided and won't change my mind." ²⁹ Someone shouts, "Horsemen and archers!" and everybody runs for cover. They hide in ditches, they climb into caves. The cities are emptied, not a person left anywhere. ³⁰And you, what do you think you're up to? Dressing up in party clothes, Decking yourselves out in jewelry, putting on lipstick and rouge and mascara! Your primping goes for nothing. You're not going to seduce anyone. They're out to kill you! And what's that I hear? The cry of a woman in labor, the screams of a mother giving birth to her firstborn. It's the cry of Daughter Zion, gasping for breath, reaching out for help: "Help, oh help me! I'm dying! The killers are on me!"

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

upon destruction: Jeremiah 4:6, Jeremiah 17:18, Leviticus 26:18, Leviticus 26:21, Leviticus 26:24, Leviticus 26:28, Psalms 42:7, Isaiah 13:6, Lamentations 3:47, Ezekiel 7:25, Ezekiel 7:26, Ezekiel 14:21, Joel 1:15, Matthew 10:28, 2 Thessalonians 1:9

suddenly: Jeremiah 10:19, Jeremiah 10:20, Isaiah 33:20, Isaiah 54:2, Lamentations 2:6-9, Habakkuk 3:7

in: Exodus 33:5, Numbers 16:21, Numbers 16:45, Psalms 72:19, Isaiah 47:9

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 17:53 - they spoiled Isaiah 15:5 - destruction Isaiah 33:9 - earth Jeremiah 6:1 - blow Jeremiah 6:26 - for the Jeremiah 9:19 - we are Jeremiah 17:16 - neither Jeremiah 18:22 - a cry Jeremiah 20:5 - I will deliver Jeremiah 22:6 - surely Jeremiah 48:3 - voice Jeremiah 49:29 - curtains Jeremiah 51:31 - post Ezekiel 22:20 - in mine Amos 5:2 - she is Zephaniah 1:13 - their goods Zephaniah 1:16 - day Luke 21:9 - when

Cross-References

Genesis 4:2
Then she had another baby, Abel. Abel was a herdsman and Cain a farmer.

Genesis 4:9
God said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" He said, "How should I know? Am I his babysitter?"

Genesis 4:10
God said, "What have you done! The voice of your brother's blood is calling to me from the ground. From now on you'll get nothing but curses from this ground; you'll be driven from this ground that has opened its arms to receive the blood of your murdered brother. You'll farm this ground, but it will no longer give you its best. You'll be a homeless wanderer on Earth."

Genesis 25:27
The boys grew up. Esau became an expert hunter, an outdoorsman. Jacob was a quiet man preferring life indoors among the tents. Isaac loved Esau because he loved his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Destruction upon destruction is cried;.... Or, "breach upon breach" g; as soon as one affliction is over, another comes on; and upon the news of one calamity, tidings are brought of another, as in Job's case: it signifies, that distress and troubles would come thick and fast, and that there would be no end of them, until there was an utter destruction, as this phrase signifies, and the following words show. Kimchi interprets it of the destruction of the ten tribes which came first, and of the destruction of Judah that came now.

For the whole land is spoiled, or "wasted" h; that is, the land of Judea:

suddenly are my tents spoiled, and my curtains in a moment: meaning either the armies of his people, which dwelt in tents, and were destroyed at once; or the cities, towns, and habitations of his countrymen, which he compares to tents, as being easily beat down or overthrown; and so the Targum interprets it of cities; and the prophet seems to intimate that this destruction would reach to Anathoth, where his tent; cottage, and curtains were. So sudden destruction some times comes, when men are crying Peace, peace, 1 Thessalonians 5:3.

g שבר על שבר "contritio super contritionem", Pagninus, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius. h שדדה "vastata", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Destruction ... - Or, breaking upon breaking Jeremiah 4:6. The news of one breaking, one violent calamity, follows close upon another.

My curtains - The curtains of the tent, put here for the tents themselves. tents were the ordinary habitations of the Israelites.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Jeremiah 4:20. Destruction upon destruction — Cities burnt, and their inhabitants destroyed.

My tents spoiled — Even the solitary dwellings in the fields and open country do not escape.