Jeremiah 4:10

The NET Bible®

In response to all this I said, "Ah, Lord God , you have surely allowed the people of Judah and Jerusalem to be deceived by those who say, ‘You will be safe!' But in fact a sword is already at our throats."

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
I said, “Oh no, Lord God, you have certainly deceived this people and Jerusalem, by announcing, ‘You will have peace,’ while a sword is at our throats.”

Hebrew Names Version
Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! surely you have greatly deceived this people and Yerushalayim, saying, You shall have shalom; whereas the sword reaches to the life.

King James Version
Then said I, Ah, Lord God ! surely thou hast greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall have peace; whereas the sword reacheth unto the soul.

English Standard Version
Then I said, "Ah, Lord God , surely you have utterly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, ‘It shall be well with you,' whereas the sword has reached their very life."

New American Standard Bible
Then I said, "Oh, Lord GOD! Surely You have utterly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, 'You will have peace'; yet a sword touches the throat."

New Century Version
Then I said, "Lord God , you have tricked the people of Judah and Jerusalem. You said, ‘You will have peace,' but now the sword is pointing at our throats!"

Amplified Bible
Then I said, "Alas, Lord GOD! Surely You have completely deceived and misled this people and Jerusalem, [for the prophets represented You as] saying [to Your people], 'You will have peace,' but [in fact] a sword reaches to their throat."

World English Bible
Then said I, Ah, Lord Yahweh! surely you have greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, You shall have peace; whereas the sword reaches to the life.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Then saide I, Ah, Lord God, surely thou hast deceiued this people and Ierusalem, saying, Ye shall haue peace, and the sworde perceth vnto the heart.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then I said, "Ah, Lord Yahweh! Surely You have utterly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, ‘You will have peace'; whereas a sword touches the throat."

Berean Standard Bible
Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD, how completely You have deceived this people and Jerusalem by saying, 'You will have peace,' when a sword is at our throats."

Contemporary English Version
I said, "You are the Lord God. So why have you fooled everyone, especially the people of Jerusalem? Why did you promise peace, when a knife is at our throats?"

Complete Jewish Bible
Then I said, "Oh, Adonai Elohim ! Surely you have sadly deceived this people and Yerushalayim by saying, ‘You will have peace,' when the sword is at our very throats!"

Darby Translation
And I said, Alas, Lord Jehovah! surely thou hast greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall have peace; whereas the sword reacheth unto the soul.

Easy-to-Read Version
Then I, Jeremiah, said, "Lord God , you have tricked the people of Judah and Jerusalem. You said to them, ‘You will have peace.' But now the sword is pointing at their throats!"

George Lamsa Translation
Then I said, I beseech thee, O LORD God, surely I have greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem; for I have said, You shall have peace; and behold, the sword reaches into the soul.

Good News Translation
Then I said, "Sovereign Lord , you have completely deceived the people of Jerusalem! You have said there would be peace, but a sword is at their throats."

Lexham English Bible
Then I said, "Ah, Lord Yahweh, surely you have utterly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, ‘It will be peace for you,' while the sword reaches up to the throat."

Literal Translation
Then I said, Ah, Lord Jehovah! Surely You have greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, You shall have peace, but the sword reaches to the soul.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then sayde I: O LORDE God, hast thou then disceaued this people and Ierusalem, sayenge: ye shall haue peace, and now the swearde goeth thorow their lyues?

American Standard Version
Then said I, Ah, Lord Jehovah! surely thou hast greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall have peace; whereas the sword reacheth unto the life.

Bible in Basic English
Then said I, Ah, Lord God! your words were not true when you said to this people and to Jerusalem, You will have peace; when the sword has come even to the soul.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Then said I: 'Ah, Lord GOD! surely Thou hast greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying: Ye shall have peace; whereas the sword reacheth unto the soul.'

King James Version (1611)
Then said I, Ah Lord God, surely thou hast greatly deceiued this people, and Ierusalem, saying, Ye shall haue peace, whereas the sword reacheth vnto the soule.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Then sayde I: Oh Lorde God, hast thou then deceaued this people and Hierusalem, saying, Ye shall haue peace: and nowe the sworde goeth through their lyues?

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And I said, O sovereign Lord, verily thou hast deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, There shall be peace; whereas behold, the sword has reached even to their soul.

English Revised Version
Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! surely thou hast greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall have peace; whereas the sword reacheth unto the soul.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Y seide, Alas! alas! alas! Lord God; therfor whether thou hast disseyued this puple and Jerusalem, seiynge, Pees schal be to you, and lo! a swerd is comun `til to the soule?

Update Bible Version
Then I said, Ah, Lord Yahweh! surely you have greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, You shall have peace; whereas the sword reaches to the life.

Webster's Bible Translation
Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! surely thou hast greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall have peace; whereas the sword reacheth to the soul.

New King James Version
Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! Surely You have greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, Saying, "You shall have peace,' Whereas the sword reaches to the heart."

New Living Translation
Then I said, "O Sovereign Lord , the people have been deceived by what you said, for you promised peace for Jerusalem. But the sword is held at their throats!"

New Life Bible
Then I said, "O Lord God, for sure You have fooled these people and Jerusalem, saying, ‘You will have peace,' when in truth a sword brings danger to their lives."

New Revised Standard
Then I said, "Ah, Lord God , how utterly you have deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, ‘It shall be well with you,' even while the sword is at the throat!"

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then said I, - Ah! My Lord Yahweh! Surely, thou hast suffered this people and Jerusalem to be beguiled, saying, Peace, shall ye have, - whereas the sword shall reach unto the soul.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And I said: Alas, alas, alas, O Lord God, hast thou then deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying: You shall have peace: and behold the sword reacheth even to the soul?

Revised Standard Version
Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD, surely thou hast utterly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, 'It shall be well with you'; whereas the sword has reached their very life."

Young's Literal Translation
And I say, `Ah, Lord Jehovah, Surely thou hast entirely forgotten this people and Jerusalem, saying, Peace is for you, And struck hath a sword unto the soul!'

THE MESSAGE
Then I said, "Alas, Master God ! You've fed lies to this people, this Jerusalem. You assured them, ‘All is well, don't worry,' at the very moment when the sword was at their throats."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! Surely You have utterly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, 'You will have peace'; whereas a sword touches the throat."

Contextual Overview

⁵ The Lord said, "Announce this in Judah and proclaim it in Jerusalem: ‘Sound the trumpet throughout the land!' Shout out loudly, ‘Gather together! Let us flee into the fortified cities!' ⁶ Raise a signal flag that tells people to go to Zion. Run for safety! Do not delay! For I am about to bring disaster out of the north. It will bring great destruction. ⁷ Like a lion that has come up from its lair the one who destroys nations has set out from his home base. He is coming out to lay your land waste. Your cities will become ruins and lie uninhabited. ⁸ So put on sackcloth! Mourn and wail, saying, ‘The fierce anger of the Lord has not turned away from us!'" ⁹ "When this happens," says the Lord , "the king and his officials will lose their courage. The priests will be struck with horror, and the prophets will be speechless in astonishment." ¹⁰ In response to all this I said, "Ah, Lord God , you have surely allowed the people of Judah and Jerusalem to be deceived by those who say, ‘You will be safe!' But in fact a sword is already at our throats." ¹¹ "At that time the people of Judah and Jerusalem will be told, ‘A scorching wind will sweep down from the hilltops in the desert on my dear people. It will not be a gentle breeze for winnowing the grain and blowing away the chaff. ¹² No, a wind too strong for that will come at my bidding. Yes, even now I, myself, am calling down judgment on them.' ¹³ Look! The enemy is approaching like gathering clouds. The roar of his chariots is like that of a whirlwind. His horses move more swiftly than eagles." I cry out, "We are doomed, for we will be destroyed!" ¹⁴ "Oh people of Jerusalem, purify your hearts from evil so that you may yet be delivered. How long will you continue to harbor up wicked schemes within you?

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Ah: Jeremiah 1:6, Jeremiah 14:13, Jeremiah 32:17, Ezekiel 11:13

surely: Jeremiah 14:13, Jeremiah 14:14, 1 Kings 22:20-23, Isaiah 63:17, Ezekiel 14:9, Ezekiel 14:10, Romans 1:24, Romans 1:26, Romans 1:28, 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12

Ye shall have: Jeremiah 5:12, Jeremiah 6:14, Jeremiah 8:11, Jeremiah 23:17, Isaiah 30:10, Isaiah 37:35

the sword: Jeremiah 4:18, Exodus 9:14, Lamentations 2:21

Reciprocal: Jeremiah 6:18 - hear Jeremiah 6:25 - the sword Jeremiah 7:8 - ye trust Jeremiah 8:15 - General Jeremiah 28:9 - which Ezekiel 9:8 - Ah Ezekiel 13:10 - Peace Ezekiel 13:18 - that sew Ezekiel 13:22 - with lies

Cross-References

Genesis 3:13
So the Lord God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" And the woman replied, "The serpent tricked me, and I ate."

Genesis 4:9
Then the Lord said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" And he replied, "I don't know! Am I my brother's guardian?"

Genesis 4:10
But the Lord said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying out to me from the ground!

Genesis 9:5
For your lifeblood I will surely exact punishment, from every living creature I will exact punishment. From each person I will exact punishment for the life of the individual since the man was his relative.

Genesis 18:20
So the Lord said, "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so blatant

Exodus 3:7
The Lord said, "I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt. I have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows.

Numbers 35:33
"You must not pollute the land where you live, for blood defiles the land, and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed there, except by the blood of the person who shed it.

Joshua 7:19
So Joshua said to Achan, "My son, honor the Lord God of Israel and give him praise! Tell me what you did; don't hide anything from me!"

2 Kings 9:26
‘"Know for sure that I saw the shed blood of Naboth and his sons yesterday," says the Lord , "and that I will give you what you deserve right here in this plot of land," says the Lord .' So now pick him up and throw him into this plot of land, just as the Lord said."

Job 16:18
"O earth, do not cover my blood, nor let there be a secret place for my cry.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then said I, ah, Lord God!.... Expressing great sorrow and concern: this "ah" is by way of lamentation. The Targum interprets it as a petition,

"and I said, receive my prayer, O Lord God:''

surely thou hast greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem: what the false prophets did, that God is said to do, because he suffered them to deceive the people; see 1 Kings 22:20. The Targum ascribes the deception to the false prophets, and not to God,

"surely behold the false prophets deceive this people, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem;''

or this may be ironically said, because the false prophets pretended to speak in the name of the Lord; wherefore Jeremiah says, "surely thou hast greatly deceived", c. "saying, ye shall have peace" as the false prophets did, Jeremiah 6:14:

whereas the sword reacheth unto the soul; takes away the life, many are slain by it; so the Targum,

"and now behold the sword killeth among the people;''

great slaughter is made by it. L'Empereur w observes that the word here used signifies, in the Arabic language, to educate or bring up; and then the sense is,

"ah, Lord, thou hast brought up this people with great tenderness, and promised them all manner of happiness; but now thou thunderest out threatenings of calamities of all sorts, and death itself; and assigned a place for the sword to enter into their very souls;''

so the Arabic word used in the version of Acts 22:2.

w Not. ad Mosis Kimchi, οδοιπορια, p. 186.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Ah, Lord God! - Alas! my Lord Yahweh: an expression of disapproval on Jeremiah’s part. Jeremiah had constantly to struggle against the misgivings of his own melancholy nature, but he never let them prevent him from doing his duty. See the introduction of Jeremiah.

Ye shall have peace - These words are generally referred to the false prophets; they rather refer to real prophecies of future blessedness promised to the Jews. Jeremiah could not reconcile the doom he was now commanded to pronounce, either with his previous prophecy, or with what he read in the writings of his predecessors. Time only could solve the difficulty. Upon the struggles of the prophets to understand their own predictions see 1 Peter 1:10-11.

Unto the soul - The sword has reached the life. i. e., has inflicted a mortal wound.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Jeremiah 4:10. Ah, Lord God! surely thou hast greatly deceived this people — The Targum paraphrases this verse thus: "And I said, Receive my supplication, O Lord God; for, behold, the false prophets deceive this people and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall have peace." The prophet could not reconcile this devastation of the country with the promises already made; and he appears to ask the question, Hast thou not then deceived this people in saying there shall be peace, i.e., prosperity?

Whereas the sword reacheth unto the soul. — That is, the life; the people being generally destroyed.