Focused Passage

Jeremiah 4:29-31

Return with Circumcised Hearts Before Disaster Comes from the North

The chapter moves from conditional return and heart circumcision, to urgent alarm over invasion from the north, to Jeremiah's anguished response, to a creation-reversal vision of devastation, and finally to Jerusalem's helpless self-presentation before unavoidable judgment.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

29 Every city flees at the sound of the horseman and archer. They enter the thickets and climb among the rocks. Every city is abandoned; no inhabitant is left.

30 And you, O devastated one, what will you do, though you dress yourself in scarlet, though you adorn yourself with gold jewelry, though you enlarge your eyes with paint? You adorn yourself in vain; your lovers despise you; they want to take your life.

31 For I hear a cry like a woman in labor, a cry of anguish like one bearing her first child—the cry of the Daughter of Zion gasping for breath, stretching out her hands to say, “Woe is me, for my soul faints before the murderers!”

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 29

Original words

Every כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct city הָעִ֔יר H5892 Article | Noun - feminine singular flees בֹּרַ֙חַת֙ H1272 Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singular construct at the sound מִקּ֨וֹל H6963 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct of the horseman פָּרָ֜שׁ H6571 Noun - masculine singular and archer וְרֹ֣מֵה H7411 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct . . . קֶ֗שֶׁת H7198 Noun - feminine singular They enter בָּ֚אוּ H935 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural the thickets בֶּעָבִ֔ים H5645 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - common plural and climb עָל֑וּ H5927 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural among the rocks וּבַכֵּפִ֖ים H3710 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural Every כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct city הָעִ֣יר H5892 Article | Noun - feminine singular is abandoned עֲזוּבָ֔ה H5800 Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - feminine singular no וְאֵין־ H369 Conjunctive waw | Adverb inhabitant is left יוֹשֵׁ֥ב H3427 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular . . . בָּהֵ֖ן Preposition-b | Pronoun - third person feminine plural . . . אִֽישׁ׃ H376 Noun - masculine singular
Verse 30

Original words

And you וְאַתִּי H859 Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - second person feminine singular O devastated שָׁד֜וּד H7703 Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular one מַֽה־ H4100 Interrogative what will you do תַּעֲשִׂ֗י H6213 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person feminine singular though כִּֽי־ H3588 Conjunction you dress תִלְבְּשִׁ֨י H3847 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person feminine singular yourself in scarlet שָׁנִ֜י H8144 Noun - masculine singular though כִּי־ H3588 Conjunction you adorn תַעְדִּ֣י H5710 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person feminine singular yourself with gold זָהָ֗ב H2091 Noun - masculine singular jewelry עֲדִי־ H5716 Noun - masculine singular construct though כִּֽי־ H3588 Conjunction you enlarge תִקְרְעִ֤י H7167 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person feminine singular your eyes עֵינַ֔יִךְ H5869 Noun - cdc | second person feminine singular with paint בַפּוּךְ֙ H6320 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular You adorn yourself תִּתְיַפִּ֑י H3302 Verb - Hitpael - Imperfect - second person feminine singular in vain לַשָּׁ֖וְא H7723 Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular your lovers עֹגְבִ֖ים H5689 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural despise מָאֲסוּ־ H3988 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural you בָ֥ךְ Preposition | second person feminine singular they want to take יְבַקֵּֽשׁוּ׃ H1245 Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine plural your life נַפְשֵׁ֥ךְ H5315 Noun - feminine singular construct | second person feminine singular
Verse 31

Original words

For כִּי֩ H3588 Conjunction I hear שָׁמַ֗עְתִּי H8085 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular a cry ק֨וֹל H6963 Noun - masculine singular like a woman in labor כְּחוֹלָ֜ה H2470 Preposition-k | Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singular a cry of anguish צָרָה֙ H6869 Noun - feminine singular like one bearing her first child כְּמַבְכִּירָ֔ה H1069 Preposition-k | Verb - Hifil - Participle - feminine singular the cry ק֧וֹל H6963 Noun - masculine singular construct of the Daughter בַּת־ H1323 Noun - feminine singular construct of Zion צִיּ֛וֹן H6726 Noun - proper - feminine singular gasping for breath תִּתְיַפֵּ֖חַ H3306 Verb - Hitpael - Imperfect - third person feminine singular stretching out תְּפָרֵ֣שׂ H6566 Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person feminine singular her hands [to say] כַּפֶּ֑יהָ H3709 Noun - feminine dual construct | third person feminine singular Woe is me אֽוֹי־ H188 Interjection . . . נָ֣א H4994 Interjection for כִּֽי־ H3588 Conjunction my soul נַפְשִׁ֖י H5315 Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular faints עָיְפָ֥ה H5888 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular before the murderers לְהֹרְגִֽים׃פ H2026 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.