Lectionary Calendar
Wednesday, September 24th, 2025
the Week of Proper 20 / Ordinary 25
the Week of Proper 20 / Ordinary 25
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THE MESSAGE
Jeremiah 8:17
"‘What's more, I'm dispatching poisonous snakes among you, Snakes that can't be charmed, snakes that will bite you and kill you.'" God 's Decree!
Jump to:Bible Study Tools • Parallel Bible Verse • Bible Contextual Overview • Bible Cross-References • Gill's Bible Notes • Clarke's Bible Notes • Barnes' Bible Notes
Bible Study Resources
Concordances:
- Nave'sDictionaries:
- AmericanEncyclopedias:
- InternationalParallel Translations
Christian Standard Bible®
Indeed, I am about to send snakes among you,poisonous vipers that cannot be charmed.They will bite you.
Indeed, I am about to send snakes among you,poisonous vipers that cannot be charmed.They will bite you.
Hebrew Names Version
For, behold, I will send serpents, adders, among you, which will not be charmed; and they shall bite you, says the LORD.
For, behold, I will send serpents, adders, among you, which will not be charmed; and they shall bite you, says the LORD.
King James Version
For, behold, I will send serpents, cockatrices, among you, which will not be charmed, and they shall bite you, saith the Lord .
For, behold, I will send serpents, cockatrices, among you, which will not be charmed, and they shall bite you, saith the Lord .
English Standard Version
For behold, I am sending among you serpents, adders that cannot be charmed, and they shall bite you," declares the Lord .
For behold, I am sending among you serpents, adders that cannot be charmed, and they shall bite you," declares the Lord .
New American Standard Bible
"For behold, I am sending serpents among you, Vipers for which there is no charm; And they will bite you," declares the LORD.
"For behold, I am sending serpents among you, Vipers for which there is no charm; And they will bite you," declares the LORD.
New Century Version
"Look! I am sending poisonous snakes to attack you. These snakes cannot be charmed, and they will bite you," says the Lord .
"Look! I am sending poisonous snakes to attack you. These snakes cannot be charmed, and they will bite you," says the Lord .
Amplified Bible
"For behold, I am sending serpents among you, Vipers which cannot be charmed, And they will bite you," says the LORD.
"For behold, I am sending serpents among you, Vipers which cannot be charmed, And they will bite you," says the LORD.
World English Bible
For, behold, I will send serpents, adders, among you, which will not be charmed; and they shall bite you, says Yahweh.
For, behold, I will send serpents, adders, among you, which will not be charmed; and they shall bite you, says Yahweh.
Geneva Bible (1587)
For beholde, I will sende serpents, and cockatrices among you, which will not be charmed, and they shal sting you, sayth the Lord.
For beholde, I will sende serpents, and cockatrices among you, which will not be charmed, and they shal sting you, sayth the Lord.
Legacy Standard Bible
"For behold, I am sending serpents against you,Vipers, for which there is no charm,And they will bite you," declares Yahweh.
"For behold, I am sending serpents against you,Vipers, for which there is no charm,And they will bite you," declares Yahweh.
Berean Standard Bible
"For behold, I will send snakes among you, poisonous vipers that cannot be charmed, and they will bite you," declares the LORD.
"For behold, I will send snakes among you, poisonous vipers that cannot be charmed, and they will bite you," declares the LORD.
Contemporary English Version
"Watch out!" the Lord says. "I'm sending poisonous snakes to attack you, and no one can stop them."
"Watch out!" the Lord says. "I'm sending poisonous snakes to attack you, and no one can stop them."
Complete Jewish Bible
"Yes, now I am sending snakes among you, vipers that no one can charm, and they will bite you," says Adonai .
"Yes, now I am sending snakes among you, vipers that no one can charm, and they will bite you," says Adonai .
Darby Translation
For behold, I send among you serpents, vipers against which there is no charm, and they shall bite you, saith Jehovah.
For behold, I send among you serpents, vipers against which there is no charm, and they shall bite you, saith Jehovah.
Easy-to-Read Version
"People of Judah, I am sending poisonous snakes to attack you. These snakes cannot be controlled. They will bite you." This message is from the Lord .
"People of Judah, I am sending poisonous snakes to attack you. These snakes cannot be controlled. They will bite you." This message is from the Lord .
George Lamsa Translation
For, behold, I will send ferocious serpents among you, which cannot be charmed, and they shall bite you, says the LORD.
For, behold, I will send ferocious serpents among you, which cannot be charmed, and they shall bite you, says the LORD.
Good News Translation
"Watch out!" the Lord says, "I am sending snakes among you, poisonous snakes that cannot be charmed, and they will bite you."
"Watch out!" the Lord says, "I am sending snakes among you, poisonous snakes that cannot be charmed, and they will bite you."
Lexham English Bible
For look, I am letting loose among you snakes, adders for which there is no incantation, and they will bite you," declares Yahweh.
For look, I am letting loose among you snakes, adders for which there is no incantation, and they will bite you," declares Yahweh.
Literal Translation
For behold, I will send serpents among you, vipers for which there is no charm; and they will bite you, says Jehovah.
For behold, I will send serpents among you, vipers for which there is no charm; and they will bite you, says Jehovah.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Morouer, I will sende Cockatrices & serpetes amonge you (which will not be charmed) and they shal byte you, sayeth the LORDE.
Morouer, I will sende Cockatrices & serpetes amonge you (which will not be charmed) and they shal byte you, sayeth the LORDE.
American Standard Version
For, behold, I will send serpents, adders, among you, which will not be charmed; and they shall bite you, saith Jehovah.
For, behold, I will send serpents, adders, among you, which will not be charmed; and they shall bite you, saith Jehovah.
Bible in Basic English
See, I will send snakes and poison-snakes among you, against which the wonder-worker has no power; and they will give you wounds which may not be made well, says the Lord.
See, I will send snakes and poison-snakes among you, against which the wonder-worker has no power; and they will give you wounds which may not be made well, says the Lord.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
For, behold, I will send serpents, basilisks, among you, which will not be charmed; and they shall bite you, saith the LORD.
For, behold, I will send serpents, basilisks, among you, which will not be charmed; and they shall bite you, saith the LORD.
King James Version (1611)
For behold, I wil send serpents, cockatrices among you, which will not be charmed, and they shall bite you; saith the Lord.
For behold, I wil send serpents, cockatrices among you, which will not be charmed, and they shall bite you; saith the Lord.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Moreouer, I wyll sende cockatrices and serpentes among you (whiche wyl not be charmed) and they shall bite you, saith the Lorde.
Moreouer, I wyll sende cockatrices and serpentes among you (whiche wyl not be charmed) and they shall bite you, saith the Lorde.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
For, behold, I send forth against you deadly serpents, which cannot be charmed, and they shall bite you
For, behold, I send forth against you deadly serpents, which cannot be charmed, and they shall bite you
English Revised Version
For, behold, I will send serpents, basilisks, among you, which will not be charmed; and they shall bite you, saith the LORD.
For, behold, I will send serpents, basilisks, among you, which will not be charmed; and they shall bite you, saith the LORD.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
For lo! Y schal sende to you the werste serpentis, to whiche is no charmyng; and thei schulen bite you, seith the Lord.
For lo! Y schal sende to you the werste serpentis, to whiche is no charmyng; and thei schulen bite you, seith the Lord.
Update Bible Version
For, look, I will send serpents, adders, among you, which will not be charmed; and they shall bite you, says Yahweh.
For, look, I will send serpents, adders, among you, which will not be charmed; and they shall bite you, says Yahweh.
Webster's Bible Translation
For behold, I will send serpents, cockatrices, among you, which [will] not [be] charmed, and they shall bite you, saith the LORD.
For behold, I will send serpents, cockatrices, among you, which [will] not [be] charmed, and they shall bite you, saith the LORD.
New English Translation
The Lord says, "Yes indeed, I am sending an enemy against you that will be like poisonous snakes which cannot be charmed away. And they will inflict fatal wounds on you."
The Lord says, "Yes indeed, I am sending an enemy against you that will be like poisonous snakes which cannot be charmed away. And they will inflict fatal wounds on you."
New King James Version
"For behold, I will send serpents among you, Vipers which cannot be charmed, And they shall bite you," says the LORD.
"For behold, I will send serpents among you, Vipers which cannot be charmed, And they shall bite you," says the LORD.
New Living Translation
I will send these enemy troops among you like poisonous snakes you cannot charm. They will bite you, and you will die. I, the Lord , have spoken!"
I will send these enemy troops among you like poisonous snakes you cannot charm. They will bite you, and you will die. I, the Lord , have spoken!"
New Life Bible
"For see, I am sending the worst of snakes against you, poison snakes which cannot be stopped. And they will bite you," says the Lord.
"For see, I am sending the worst of snakes against you, poison snakes which cannot be stopped. And they will bite you," says the Lord.
New Revised Standard
See, I am letting snakes loose among you, adders that cannot be charmed, and they shall bite you, says the Lord .
See, I am letting snakes loose among you, adders that cannot be charmed, and they shall bite you, says the Lord .
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
For behold me! sending among you serpents - vipers which there is no charming, - And they shall fatally bite you declareth Yahweh.
For behold me! sending among you serpents - vipers which there is no charming, - And they shall fatally bite you declareth Yahweh.
Douay-Rheims Bible
For behold I will send among you serpents, basilisks, against which there is no charm: and they shall bite you, saith the Lord.
For behold I will send among you serpents, basilisks, against which there is no charm: and they shall bite you, saith the Lord.
Revised Standard Version
For behold, I am sending among you serpents, adders which cannot be charmed, and they shall bite you," says the LORD.
For behold, I am sending among you serpents, adders which cannot be charmed, and they shall bite you," says the LORD.
Young's Literal Translation
For, lo, I am sending among you serpents, Vipers that have no charmer, And they have bitten you, an affirmation of Jehovah.
For, lo, I am sending among you serpents, Vipers that have no charmer, And they have bitten you, an affirmation of Jehovah.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"For behold, I am sending serpents against you, Adders, for which there is no charm, And they will bite you," declares the LORD.
"For behold, I am sending serpents against you, Adders, for which there is no charm, And they will bite you," declares the LORD.
Contextual Overview
13 "‘I went out to see if I could salvage anything'" — God 's Decree— "‘but found nothing: Not a grape, not a fig, just a few withered leaves. I'm taking back everything I gave them.'" 14So why are we sitting here, doing nothing? Let's get organized. Let's go to the big city and at least die fighting. We've gotten God 's ultimatum: We're damned if we do and damned if we don't— damned because of our sin against him. We hoped things would turn out for the best, but it didn't happen that way. We were waiting around for healing— and terror showed up! From Dan at the northern borders we hear the hooves of horses, Horses galloping, horses neighing. The ground shudders and quakes. They're going to swallow up the whole country. Towns and people alike—fodder for war. 17 "‘What's more, I'm dispatching poisonous snakes among you, Snakes that can't be charmed, snakes that will bite you and kill you.'" God 's Decree! 18I drown in grief. I'm heartsick. Oh, listen! Please listen! It's the cry of my dear people reverberating through the country. Is God no longer in Zion? Has the King gone away? Can you tell me why they flaunt their plaything-gods, their silly, imported no-gods before me? The crops are in, the summer is over, but for us nothing's changed. We're still waiting to be rescued. For my dear broken people, I'm heartbroken. I weep, seized by grief. Are there no healing ointments in Gilead? Isn't there a doctor in the house? So why can't something be done to heal and save my dear, dear people?
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
I will: Deuteronomy 32:24, Isaiah 14:29, Amos 5:19, Amos 9:3, Revelation 9:19
which: Psalms 58:4, Psalms 58:5, Ecclesiastes 10:11
Reciprocal: Numbers 21:6 - General Proverbs 23:32 - biteth Jeremiah 8:4 - Moreover Ezekiel 9:2 - six Habakkuk 2:7 - bite
Cross-References
Genesis 8:13
In the six-hundred-first year of Noah's life, on the first day of the first month, the flood had dried up. Noah opened the hatch of the ship and saw dry ground. By the twenty-seventh day of the second month, the Earth was completely dry.
In the six-hundred-first year of Noah's life, on the first day of the first month, the flood had dried up. Noah opened the hatch of the ship and saw dry ground. By the twenty-seventh day of the second month, the Earth was completely dry.
Genesis 8:15
God spoke to Noah: "Leave the ship, you and your wife and your sons and your sons' wives. And take all the animals with you, the whole menagerie of birds and mammals and crawling creatures, all that brimming prodigality of life, so they can reproduce and flourish on the Earth."
God spoke to Noah: "Leave the ship, you and your wife and your sons and your sons' wives. And take all the animals with you, the whole menagerie of birds and mammals and crawling creatures, all that brimming prodigality of life, so they can reproduce and flourish on the Earth."
Genesis 9:1
God blessed Noah and his sons: He said, "Prosper! Reproduce! Fill the Earth! Every living creature—birds, animals, fish—will fall under your spell and be afraid of you. You're responsible for them. All living creatures are yours for food; just as I gave you the plants, now I give you everything else. Except for meat with its lifeblood still in it—don't eat that.
God blessed Noah and his sons: He said, "Prosper! Reproduce! Fill the Earth! Every living creature—birds, animals, fish—will fall under your spell and be afraid of you. You're responsible for them. All living creatures are yours for food; just as I gave you the plants, now I give you everything else. Except for meat with its lifeblood still in it—don't eat that.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
For, behold, I will send serpents, cockatrices, among you,.... The Chaldeans, comparable to these noxious and hurtful creatures, because of the mischief they should do unto them. The Targum is,
"for, lo, I will raise up against you people that kill as the destroying serpents.''
These were raised up by the Lord, and sent by him, just as he sent fiery serpents among the Israelites in the wilderness, when they sinned against him; there literally, here metaphorically.
Which will not be charmed: Jarchi says, at the end of seventy years a serpent becomes a cockatrice, and stops its ear, that it will not hearken to the voice of the charmer, according to Psalms 58:4, the meaning is, that these Chaldeans would not be diverted from their purposes in destroying of the Jews by any arts or methods whatever; as not by force of arms, so not by good words and entreaties, or any way that could be devised.
And they shall bite you, saith the Lord; that is, kill them, as the Targum interprets it; for the bite of a serpent is deadly.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
I will send - Or, am sending. No prophet changes his metaphors so suddenly as Jeremiah. The invading army is now compared to snakes, whom no charming can soothe, and whose bite is fatal. Compare Numbers 21:5-6.
Cockatrices - “Vipers.” See Isaiah 11:8 note.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Jeremiah 8:17. I will send serpents — These were symbols of the enemies that were coming against them; a foe that would rather slay them and destroy the land than get booty and ransom.
