Jeremiah 6:6
4 ‘Prepare for battle against her; rise up, let us attack at noon. Woe to us, for the daylight is fading; the evening shadows grow long.
5 Rise up, let us attack by night and destroy her fortresses!’”
For this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Cut down the trees and raise a siege ramp against Jerusalem. This city must be punished; there is nothing but oppression in her midst.
7 As a well gushes its water, so she pours out her evil. Violence and destruction resound in her; sickness and wounds are ever before Me.
8 Be forewarned, O Jerusalem, or I will turn away from you; I will make you a desolation, a land without inhabitant.”
This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- For this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Cut down the trees and raise a siege ramp against Jerusalem. This city must be punished; there is nothing but oppression in her midst.
- KJV
- For thus hath the LORD of hosts said, Hew ye down trees, and cast a mount against Jerusalem: this is the city to be visited; she is wholly oppression in the midst of her.
- WEB
- For the LORD of Armies said, “Cut down trees, and cast up a mound against Jerusalem. This is the city to be visited. She is filled with oppression within herself.
- ASV
- For thus hath Jehovah of hosts said, Hew ye down trees, and cast up a mound against Jerusalem: this is the city to be visited; she is wholly oppression in the midst of her.
- DARBY
- For thus hath Jehovah of hosts said: Hew ye down trees, and cast a mound against Jerusalem. She is the city to be visited; she is wholly oppression in the midst of her.
- BLB
- For thus says YHWH of Hosts: “Cut down trees, and pour out against Jerusalem a siege mound! She [is] the city to be punished, in her midst all of her of oppression.
- ÅB
- For så sier Herren, hærskarenes Gud: Fell trær og kast opp en voll mot Jerusalem! Det er byen som skal hjemsøkes; den er aldeles full av undertrykkelse i sitt indre.
- OTB
- For dette sier Herren, hærskarenes Gud: ‘Hogg ned trærne og bygg beleiringsramper mot Jerusalem. Denne byen må straffes; den er fylt med undertrykkelse.
- B1930
- For så sier Herren, hærskarenes Gud: Fell trær og kast op en voll mot Jerusalem! Det er byen som skal hjemsøkes; den er aldeles full av undertrykkelse i sitt indre.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Jeremiah 32:24
See how the siege ramps are mounted against the city to capture it. And by sword and famine and plague, the city has been given into the hands of the Chaldeans who are fighting against it. What You have spoken has happened, as You now see!
Read in contextDeuteronomy 20:19–20
When you lay siege to a city for an extended time while fighting against it to capture it, you must not destroy its trees by putting an axe to them, because you can eat their fruit. You must not cut them down. Are the trees of the field human, that you should besiege them?
Read in context