Jeremiah 15:18
New International Version
Why is my pain unending and my wound grievous and incurable? You are to me like a deceptive brook, like a spring that fails.

New Living Translation
Why then does my suffering continue? Why is my wound so incurable? Your help seems as uncertain as a seasonal brook, like a spring that has gone dry.”

English Standard Version
Why is my pain unceasing, my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Will you be to me like a deceitful brook, like waters that fail?

Berean Standard Bible
Why is my pain unending, and my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? You have indeed become like a mirage to me—water that is not there.

King James Bible
Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, which refuseth to be healed? wilt thou be altogether unto me as a liar, and as waters that fail?

New King James Version
Why is my pain perpetual And my wound incurable, Which refuses to be healed? Will You surely be to me like an unreliable stream, As waters that fail?

New American Standard Bible
Why has my pain been endless And my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Will You indeed be to me like a deceptive stream With water that is unreliable?

NASB 1995
Why has my pain been perpetual And my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Will You indeed be to me like a deceptive stream With water that is unreliable?

NASB 1977
Why has my pain been perpetual And my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Wilt Thou indeed be to me like a deceptive stream With water that is unreliable?

Legacy Standard Bible
Why has my pain been perpetual And my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Will You indeed be to me like a deceptive stream With water that is unreliable?

Amplified Bible
Why has my pain been perpetual And my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Will you indeed be to me like a deceptive brook With water that is unreliable?

Christian Standard Bible
Why has my pain become unending, my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? You truly have become like a mirage to me — water that is not reliable.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Why has my pain become unending, my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? You truly have become like a mirage to me— water that is not reliable.

American Standard Version
Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, which refuseth to be healed? wilt thou indeed be unto me as a deceitful brook, as waters that fail?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Why has my sorrow been strong and my wound serious and is unwilling to be healed, and you have been to me as false waters that are untrustworthy?

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Why do they that grieve me prevail against me? my wound is severe; whence shall I be healed? it is indeed become to me as deceitful water, that has no faithfulness.

Contemporary English Version
I am badly injured and in constant pain. Are you going to disappoint me, like a stream that goes dry in the heat of summer?

Douay-Rheims Bible
Why is my sorrow become perpetual, and my wound desperate so as to refuse to be healed? it is become to me as the falsehood of deceitful waters that cannot be trusted.

English Revised Version
Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, which refuseth to be healed? wilt thou indeed be unto me as a deceitful brook, as waters that fail?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Why is my pain unending and my wound incurable, refusing to heal? Will you disappoint me like a stream that dries up in summertime?

Good News Translation
Why do I keep on suffering? Why are my wounds incurable? Why won't they heal? Do you intend to disappoint me like a stream that goes dry in the summer?"

International Standard Version
Why is my pain unending and my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? You are like a deceptive brook, whose waters cannot be depended on.

JPS Tanakh 1917
Why is my pain perpetual, And my wound incurable, so that it refuseth to be healed? Wilt Thou indeed be unto me as a deceitful brook, As waters that fail?

Literal Standard Version
Why has my pain been continuous? And my wound incurable? It has refused to be healed, | You are surely as a failing stream to me, | Waters [that are] not steadfast.

Majority Standard Bible
Why is my pain unending, and my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? You have indeed become like a mirage to me—water that is not there.

New American Bible
Why is my pain continuous, my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? To me you are like a deceptive brook, waters that cannot be relied on!

NET Bible
Why must I continually suffer such painful anguish? Why must I endure the sting of their insults like an incurable wound? Will you let me down when I need you like a brook one goes to for water, but that cannot be relied on?"

New Revised Standard Version
Why is my pain unceasing, my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Truly, you are to me like a deceitful brook, like waters that fail.

New Heart English Bible
Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, which refuses to be healed? Will you indeed be to me as a deceitful brook, as waters that fail?"

Webster's Bible Translation
Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, which refuseth to be healed? wilt thou be altogether to me as a liar, and as waters that fail?

World English Bible
Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, which refuses to be healed? Will you indeed be to me as a deceitful brook, like waters that fail?

Young's Literal Translation
Why hath my pain been perpetual? And my wound incurable? It hath refused to be healed, Thou art surely to me as a failing stream, Waters not stedfast.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Jeremiah's Woe
17I never sat with the band of revelers, nor did I celebrate with them. Because Your hand was on me, I sat alone, for You have filled me with indignation. 18Why is my pain unending, and my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? You have indeed become like a mirage to me— water that is not there.

Cross References
Job 6:15
But my brothers are as faithless as wadis, as seasonal streams that overflow,

Job 6:20
They are confounded because they had hoped; their arrival brings disappointment.

Job 34:6
Would I lie about my case? My wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.'

Jeremiah 14:3
The nobles send their servants for water; they go to the cisterns, but find no water; their jars return empty. They are ashamed and humiliated; they cover their heads.

Jeremiah 30:12
For this is what the LORD says: "Your injury is incurable; your wound is grievous.

Jeremiah 30:15
Why do you cry out over your wound? Your pain has no cure! Because of your great iniquity and your numerous sins I have done these things to you.

Micah 1:9
For her wound is incurable; it has reached even Judah; it has approached the gate of my people, as far as Jerusalem itself.


Treasury of Scripture

Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, which refuses to be healed? will you be altogether to me as a liar, and as waters that fail?

my pain.

Jeremiah 14:19
Hast thou utterly rejected Judah? hath thy soul lothed Zion? why hast thou smitten us, and there is no healing for us? we looked for peace, and there is no good; and for the time of healing, and behold trouble!

Psalm 6:3
My soul is also sore vexed: but thou, O LORD, how long?

Psalm 13:1-3
To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me? …

my wound.

Jeremiah 30:12,15
For thus saith the LORD, Thy bruise is incurable, and thy wound is grievous…

Job 34:6
Should I lie against my right? my wound is incurable without transgression.

Micah 1:9
For her wound is incurable; for it is come unto Judah; he is come unto the gate of my people, even to Jerusalem.

as a.

Jeremiah 1:18,19
For, behold, I have made thee this day a defenced city, and an iron pillar, and brasen walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land…

Jeremiah 20:7
O LORD, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived: thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed: I am in derision daily, every one mocketh me.

and as.

Jeremiah 14:3
And their nobles have sent their little ones to the waters: they came to the pits, and found no water; they returned with their vessels empty; they were ashamed and confounded, and covered their heads.

Job 6:15-20
My brethren have dealt deceitfully as a brook, and as the stream of brooks they pass away; …

fail.

Jump to Previous
Altogether Brook Deceitful Deceptive Fail Fails Grievous Healed Hope Incurable Indeed Liar Offering Pain Perpetual Refuses Refuseth Refusing Sorrow Spring Stream Unceasing Unending Unreliable Water Waters Wilt Wound
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Altogether Brook Deceitful Deceptive Fail Fails Grievous Healed Hope Incurable Indeed Liar Offering Pain Perpetual Refuses Refuseth Refusing Sorrow Spring Stream Unceasing Unending Unreliable Water Waters Wilt Wound
Jeremiah 15
1. The utter rejection and manifold judgments of the people.
10. Jeremiah, complaining of their spite, receives a promise for himself;
12. and a threatening for them.
15. He prays;
19. and receives a gracious promise.














(18) Wilt thou be altogether unto me as a liar . . .?--The words express a bitter sense of failure and disappointment. God had not prospered the mission of His servant as He had promised. The Hebrew, however, is not so startlingly bold as the English, and is satisfied by the rendering, wilt thou be unto me as a winter torrent, i.e., as in Job 6:15, like one which flows only in that season, and is dried up and parched in summer. See the play upon the word achzib (= a lie) in Micah 1:14.

Verse 18. - Why is my pain perpetual? One who could honestly speak of himself in terms such as those of Vers. 16, 17, seemed to have a special claim on the Divine protection. But Jeremiah's hopes have been disappointed. His vexation is perpetual, and his wounded spirit finds no comfort. As a liar; rather, as a deceitful stream. The word "stream" has to be understood as in Micah 1:14. Many of the water courses of Palestine are filled with a rushing torrent in the winter, but dry in summer. Hence the pathetic complaint of Job (Job 6:15). The opposite phrase to that used by Jeremiah is "a perennial stream" (Amos 5:24). The force of the passage is increased if we read it in the light of Dr. Gratz's hypothesis.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Why
לָ֣מָּה (lām·māh)
Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

is
הָיָ֤ה (hā·yāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

my pain
כְאֵבִי֙ (ḵə·’ê·ḇî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 3511: Suffering, adversity

unending,
נֶ֔צַח (ne·ṣaḥ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5331: Eminence, enduring, everlastingness, perpetuity

and my wound
וּמַכָּתִ֖י (ū·mak·kā·ṯî)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 4347: A wound, carnage, pestilence

incurable,
אֲנוּשָׁ֑ה֙ (’ă·nū·šāh)
Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 605: To be frail, feeble, melancholy

refusing
מֵֽאֲנָה֙ (mê·’ă·nāh)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 3985: To refuse

to be healed?
הֵֽרָפֵ֔א (hê·rā·p̄ê)
Verb - Nifal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 7495: To mend, to cure

You have indeed become
הָי֨וֹ (hā·yōw)
Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

like
כְּמ֣וֹ (kə·mōw)
Preposition
Strong's 3644: Like, as, when

a mirage to me—
אַכְזָ֔ב (’aḵ·zāḇ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 391: Deceptive, disappointing

water
מַ֖יִם (ma·yim)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 4325: Water, juice, urine, semen

that is not
לֹ֥א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

there.
נֶאֱמָֽנוּ׃ (ne·’ĕ·mā·nū)
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 539: To confirm, support


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OT Prophets: Jeremiah 15:18 Why is my pain perpetual and my (Jer.)
Jeremiah 15:17
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