Jeremiah 4:19

The NET Bible®

I said, "Oh, the feeling in the pit of my stomach! I writhe in anguish. Oh, the pain in my heart! My heart pounds within me. I cannot keep silent. For I hear the sound of the trumpet; the sound of the battle cry pierces my soul!

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
My anguish, my anguish! I writhe in agony!Oh, the pain in my heart!My heart pounds;I cannot be silent.For you, my soul,have heard the sound of the ram’s horn—the shout of battle.

Hebrew Names Version
My anguish, my anguish! I am pained at my very heart; my heart is disquieted in me; I can't hold my shalom; because you have heard, O my soul, the sound of the shofar, the alarm of war.

King James Version
My bowels, my bowels! I am pained at my very heart; my heart maketh a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, because thou hast heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.

English Standard Version
My anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain! Oh the walls of my heart! My heart is beating wildly; I cannot keep silent, for I hear the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.

New American Standard Bible
My soul, my soul! I am in anguish! Oh, my heart! My heart is pounding in me; I cannot keep silent, Because, my soul, you have heard The sound of the trumpet, The alarm of war.

New Century Version
Oh, how I hurt! How I hurt! I am bent over in pain. Oh, the torture in my heart! My heart is pounding inside me. I cannot keep quiet, because I have heard the sound of the trumpet. I have heard the shouts of war.

Amplified Bible
My soul, my soul! I writhe in anguish and pain! Oh, the walls of my heart! My heart is pounding and throbbing within me; I cannot be silent, For you have heard, O my soul, The sound of the trumpet, The alarm of war.

World English Bible
My anguish, my anguish! I am pained at my very heart; my heart is disquieted in me; I can't hold my peace; because you have heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.

Geneva Bible (1587)
My bely, my bely, I am pained, euen at the very heart: mine heart is troubled within me: I cannot be still: for my soule hath heard the sounde of the trumpet, and the alarme of the battell.

Legacy Standard Bible
My soul, my soul! I am in anguish! Oh, my heart!My heart is pounding in me;I cannot be silentBecause you have heard, O my soul,The sound of the trumpet,The shout of war.

Berean Standard Bible
My anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain! Oh, the pain in my chest! My heart pounds within me; I cannot be silent. For I have heard the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of battle.

Contemporary English Version
I can't stand the pain! My heart pounds, as I twist and turn in agony. I hear the signal trumpet and the battle cry of the enemy, and I cannot be silent.

Complete Jewish Bible
My guts! My guts! I'm writhing in pain! My heart! It beats wildly — I can't stay still! — because I have heard the shofar sound; it's the call to war.

Darby Translation
My bowels! my bowels! I am in travail! [Oh,] the walls of my heart! My heart maketh a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace: for thou hearest, my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the clamour of war.

Easy-to-Read Version
My sadness and worry is making my stomach hurt. I am bent over in pain. I am so afraid. My heart is pounding inside me. I cannot keep quiet, because I have heard the trumpet blow. The trumpet is calling the army to war.

George Lamsa Translation
I am in pain! I am in pain! I suffer in my heart; my heart throbs within me, and does not cease, because my soul has heard the sound of the trumpet and the shouting of war.

Good News Translation
The pain! I can't bear the pain! My heart! My heart is beating wildly! I can't keep quiet; I hear the trumpets and the shouts of battle.

Lexham English Bible
My bowels, my bowels! I writhe! The walls of my heart! My heart is restless within me, I cannot keep silent, for I hear in my inner self the sound of a horn, the alarm of war.

Literal Translation
My bowels! My bowels! I convulse in pain. O walls of my heart! My heart is restless within me. I cannot be silent, for I have heard, O my soul, the sound of the ram's horn, the alarm of war!

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Ah my bely, ah my bely, (shalt thou crie) how is my hert so sore? my hert paunteth within me, I can not be still, for I haue herde the crienge of the trompettes, and peales of warre.

American Standard Version
My anguish, my anguish! I am pained at my very heart; my heart is disquieted in me; I cannot hold my peace; because thou hast heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.

Bible in Basic English
My soul, my soul! I am pained to my inmost heart; my heart is troubled in me; I am not able to be quiet, because the sound of the horn, the note of war, has come to my ears.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
My bowels, my bowels! I writhe in pain! The chambers of my heart! My heart moaneth within me! I cannot hold my peace! because thou hast heard, O my soul, the sound of the horn, the alarm of war.

King James Version (1611)
My bowels, my bowels, I am pained at my very heart, my heart maketh a noise in mee, I cannot hold my peace, because thou hast heard, O my soule, the sound of the Trumpet, the alarme of warre.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Ah my belly, ah my belly shalt thou crie, howe is my heart so sore? my heart panteth within me, I can not be styll, for I haue hearde the crying of the trumpettes, and peales of warre.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
I am pained in my bowels, my bowels, and the sensitive powers of my heart; my soul is in great commotion, my heart is torn: I will not be silent, for my soul has heard the sound of a trumpet, the cry of war, and of distress: it calls on destruction;

English Revised Version
My bowels, my bowels! I am pained at my very heart; my heart is disquieted in me; I cannot hold my peace; because thou hast heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Mi wombe akith, my wombe akith; the wittis of myn herte ben disturblid in me. Y schal not be stille, for my soule herde the vois of a trumpe, the cry of batel.

Update Bible Version
Inside me, inside me! I am pained at my very heart; my heart is disquieted in me; I can't hold my peace; because you have heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.

Webster's Bible Translation
My bowels, my bowels! I am pained at my very heart; my heart maketh a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, because thou hast heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.

New King James Version
O my soul, my soul! I am pained in my very heart! My heart makes a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, Because you have heard, O my soul, The sound of the trumpet, The alarm of war.

New Living Translation
My heart, my heart—I writhe in pain! My heart pounds within me! I cannot be still. For I have heard the blast of enemy trumpets and the roar of their battle cries.

New Life Bible
My soul, my soul! I am in pain! O, my heart! My heart is beating so hard! It cannot be quiet, for I hear the sound of the horn, telling of the coming war.

New Revised Standard
My anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain! Oh, the walls of my heart! My heart is beating wildly; I cannot keep silent; for I hear the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
My bowels! My bowels! I am pained in the walls of my heart My heart beateth aloud to me I cannot be still! For the sound of a horn, hast thou heard O my soul, The loud shout of war!

Douay-Rheims Bible
My bowels, my bowels are in part, the senses of my heart are troubled within me, I will not hold my peace, for my soul hath heard the sound of the trumpet, the cry of battle.

Revised Standard Version
My anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain! Oh, the walls of my heart! My heart is beating wildly; I cannot keep silent; for I hear the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.

Young's Literal Translation
My bowels, my bowels! I am pained [at] the walls of my heart, Make a noise for me doth My heart, I am not silent, For the voice of a trumpet I have heard, O my soul -- a shout of battle!

THE MESSAGE
I'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?

New American Standard Bible (1995)
My soul, my soul! I am in anguish! Oh, my heart! My heart is pounding in me; I cannot be silent, Because you have heard, O my soul, The sound of the trumpet, The alarm of war.

Contextual Overview

¹⁹ I said, "Oh, the feeling in the pit of my stomach! I writhe in anguish. Oh, the pain in my heart! My heart pounds within me. I cannot keep silent. For I hear the sound of the trumpet; the sound of the battle cry pierces my soul! ²⁰ 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. ²¹ "How long must I see the enemy's battle flags and hear the military signals of their bugles?" ²² The Lord answered, "This will happen because my people are foolish. They do not know me. They are like children who have no sense. They have no understanding. They are skilled at doing evil. They do not know how to do good." ²³ "I looked at the land and saw that it was an empty wasteland. I looked up at the sky, and its light had vanished. ²⁴ I looked at the mountains and saw that they were shaking. All the hills were swaying back and forth! ²⁵ I looked and saw that there were no more people, and that all the birds in the sky had flown away. ²⁶ I looked and saw that the fruitful land had become a desert and that all of the cities had been laid in ruins. The Lord had brought this all about because of his blazing anger. ²⁷ All this will happen because the Lord said, "The whole land will be desolate; however, I will not completely destroy it. ²⁸ Because of this the land will mourn and the sky above will grow black. For I have made my purpose known and I will not relent or turn back from carrying it out."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

My bowels: Jeremiah 9:1, Jeremiah 9:10, Jeremiah 13:17, Jeremiah 14:17, Jeremiah 14:18, Jeremiah 23:9, Jeremiah 48:31, Jeremiah 48:32, Psalms 119:53, Psalms 119:136, Isaiah 15:5, Isaiah 16:11, Isaiah 21:3, Isaiah 22:4, Lamentations 1:16, Lamentations 2:11, Lamentations 3:48-51, Daniel 7:15, Daniel 7:28, Daniel 8:27, Habakkuk 3:16, Luke 19:41, Luke 19:42, Romans 9:2, Romans 9:3, Romans 10:1, Galatians 4:19

my very: Heb. the walls of my

O my: Genesis 49:6, Judges 5:21, Psalms 16:2, Psalms 42:5, Psalms 42:6, Psalms 103:1, Psalms 116:7, Psalms 146:1

sound: Jeremiah 4:5, Jeremiah 4:21, Amos 3:6, Zephaniah 1:15, Zephaniah 1:16

Reciprocal: Numbers 10:9 - then ye shall 2 Kings 4:19 - My head 2 Kings 8:11 - wept Esther 8:6 - For how Job 30:27 - General Jeremiah 6:1 - blow Jeremiah 6:24 - We have Jeremiah 8:21 - the hurt Jeremiah 10:19 - Woe Jeremiah 17:16 - neither Jeremiah 18:22 - a cry Jeremiah 20:8 - I cried Jeremiah 20:16 - let him Jeremiah 42:14 - nor hear Jeremiah 48:36 - mine heart Jeremiah 49:2 - that I will Jeremiah 50:22 - General Lamentations 1:13 - desolate Lamentations 1:20 - my bowels Lamentations 3:51 - eye Ezekiel 21:6 - Sigh Daniel 4:19 - was astonied Micah 1:8 - I will wail Zephaniah 1:10 - the noise Matthew 24:6 - ye shall hear Mark 13:7 - when Luke 21:9 - when Acts 4:20 - we cannot

Cross-References

Genesis 2:18
The Lord God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a companion for him who corresponds to him."

Genesis 2:24
That is why a man leaves his father and mother and unites with his wife, and they become a new family.

Genesis 4:4
But Abel brought some of the firstborn of his flock—even the fattest of them. And the Lord was pleased with Abel and his offering,

Genesis 4:6
Then the Lord said to Cain, "Why are you angry, and why is your expression downcast?

Matthew 19:8
Jesus said to them, "Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because of your hard hearts, but from the beginning it was not this way.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

My bowels, my bowels,.... These are either the words of the people, unto whose heart the calamity reached, as in the preceding verse; or rather of the prophet, who either, from a sympathizing heart, expresses himself in this manner; or puts on an appearance of mourning and distress, in order to awaken his people to a sense of their condition. The repetition of the word is after the manner of persons in pain and uneasiness, as, "my head, my head", 2 Kings 4:19:

I am pained at my very heart; as a woman in labour. In the Hebrew text it is, "as the walls of my heart" e; meaning either his bowels, as before; or the "praecordia", the parts about the heart, which are as walls unto it; his grief had reached these walls, and was penetrating through them to his heart, and there was danger of breaking that:

my heart makes a noise in me; palpitates, beats and throbs, being filled with fears and dread, with sorrow and concern, at what was coming on; it represents an aching heart, all in disorder and confusion:

I cannot hold my peace; or be silent; must speak, and vent grief:

because thou hast heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war; Kimchi observes, he does not say "my ears", but "my soul"; for as yet he had not heard with his ears the sound of the trumpet; for the enemy was not yet come, but his soul heard by prophecy: here is a Keri and a Cetib, a reading and a writing; it is written שמעתי, "I have heard"; it is read שמעת, "thou hast heard", which is followed by the Targum: the sense is the same, it is the hearing of the soul. The prophet, by these expressions, represents the destruction as very near, very certain, and very distressing. The trumpet was sounded on different accounts, as Isidore f observes; sometimes to begin a battle; sometimes to pursue those that fled; and sometimes for a retreat.

e קירות לבי "parietes cordis mei", Pagninus, Montanus, Cocceius. f Orignum l. 18. c. 4.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The verse is best translated as a series of ejaculations, in which the people express their grief at the ravages committed by the enemy:

“My bowels! My bowels!” I writhe in pain!

The walls of my heart! “My heart” moans for me!

I cannot keep silence!

For “thou hast heard, O my soul,” the trumpet’s voice!

“The alarm of war!”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Jeremiah 4:19. My bowels — From this to the twenty-ninth verse the prophet describes the ruin of Jerusalem and the desolation of Judea by the Chaldeans in language and imagery scarcely paralleled in the whole Bible. At the sight of misery the bowels are first affected; pain is next felt by a sort of stricture in the pericardium; and then, the heart becoming strongly affected by irregular palpitations, a gush of tears, accompanied with wailings, is the issue. - "My bowels, my bowels! I am pained at my very heart, (the walls of my heart;) my heart maketh a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace." Here is nature, and fact also.