Jeremiah 16:4
New International Version
“They will die of deadly diseases. They will not be mourned or buried but will be like dung lying on the ground. They will perish by sword and famine, and their dead bodies will become food for the birds and the wild animals.”

New Living Translation
They will die from terrible diseases. No one will mourn for them or bury them, and they will lie scattered on the ground like manure. They will die from war and famine, and their bodies will be food for the vultures and wild animals.”

English Standard Version
They shall die of deadly diseases. They shall not be lamented, nor shall they be buried. They shall be as dung on the surface of the ground. They shall perish by the sword and by famine, and their dead bodies shall be food for the birds of the air and for the beasts of the earth.

Berean Standard Bible
“They will die from deadly diseases. They will not be mourned or buried, but will lie like dung on the ground. They will be finished off by sword and famine, and their corpses will become food for the birds of the air and beasts of the earth.”

King James Bible
They shall die of grievous deaths; they shall not be lamented; neither shall they be buried; but they shall be as dung upon the face of the earth: and they shall be consumed by the sword, and by famine; and their carcases shall be meat for the fowls of heaven, and for the beasts of the earth.

New King James Version
“They shall die gruesome deaths; they shall not be lamented nor shall they be buried, but they shall be like refuse on the face of the earth. They shall be consumed by the sword and by famine, and their corpses shall be meat for the birds of heaven and for the beasts of the earth.”

New American Standard Bible
“They will die of deadly diseases, they will not be mourned or buried; they will be like dung on the surface of the ground. And they will perish by sword and famine, and their dead bodies will become food for the birds of the sky and for the animals of the earth.”

NASB 1995
“They will die of deadly diseases, they will not be lamented or buried; they will be as dung on the surface of the ground and come to an end by sword and famine, and their carcasses will become food for the birds of the sky and for the beasts of the earth.”

NASB 1977
“They will die of deadly diseases, they will not be lamented or buried; they will be as dung on the surface of the ground and come to an end by sword and famine, and their carcasses will become food for the birds of the sky and for the beasts of the earth.”

Legacy Standard Bible
“They will die of deadly diseases; they will not be lamented or buried; they will be as dung on the surface of the ground and come to an end by sword and famine, and their carcasses will become food for the birds of the sky and for the beasts of the earth.”

Amplified Bible
“They will die of deadly diseases. They will not be mourned or buried; they will be like dung on the surface of the ground and come to an end by sword and famine, and their dead bodies will be food for the birds of the air and for the beasts of the earth.”

Christian Standard Bible
They will die from deadly diseases. They will not be mourned or buried but will be like manure on the soil’s surface. They will be finished off by sword and famine. Their corpses will become food for the birds of the sky and for the wild animals of the land.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
They will die from deadly diseases. They will not be mourned or buried but will be like manure on the face of the earth. They will be finished off by sword and famine. Their corpses will become food for the birds of the sky and for the wild animals of the land.

American Standard Version
They shall die grievous deaths: they shall not be lamented, neither shall they be buried; they shall be as dung upon the face of the ground; and they shall be consumed by the sword, and by famine; and their dead bodies shall be food for the birds of the heavens, and for the beasts of the earth.

Contemporary English Version
They will die of horrible diseases and of war and starvation. No one will give them a funeral or bury them, and their bodies will be food for the birds and wild animals. And what's left will lie on the ground like manure.

English Revised Version
They shall die of grievous deaths; they shalt not be lamented, neither shall they be buried; they shall be as dung upon the face of the ground: and they shall be consumed by the sword, and by famine; and their carcases shall be meat for the fowls of heaven, and for the beasts of the earth.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
They will die horrible deaths. No one will mourn for them or bury them. They will be like manure on the ground. Wars and famines will bring them to an end. Their bodies will be food for birds and animals.

Good News Translation
They will die of terrible diseases, and no one will mourn for them or bury them. Their bodies will lie like piles of manure on the ground. They will be killed in war or die of starvation, and their bodies will be food for the birds and the wild animals.

International Standard Version
"They'll die of deadly diseases. People won't mourn for them, nor will they be buried. They'll be dung on the surface of the ground, and they'll come to an end with the sword and with famine. Their dead bodies will be food for the birds of the sky and the animals of the land."

Majority Standard Bible
“They will die from deadly diseases. They will not be mourned or buried, but will lie like dung on the ground. They will be finished off by sword and famine, and their corpses will become food for the birds of the air and beasts of the earth.”

NET Bible
They will die of deadly diseases. No one will mourn for them. They will not be buried. Their dead bodies will lie like manure spread on the ground. They will be killed in war or die of starvation. Their corpses will be food for the birds and wild animals.

New Heart English Bible
They shall die grievous deaths: they shall not be lamented, neither shall they be buried; they shall be as dung on the surface of the ground; and they shall be consumed by the sword, and by famine; and their dead bodies shall be food for the birds of the sky, and for the animals of the earth.

Webster's Bible Translation
They shall die by grievous deaths; they shall not be lamented; neither shall they be buried; but they shall be as dung upon the face of the earth: and they shall be consumed by the sword, and by famine; and their carcasses shall be food for the fowls of heaven, and for the beasts of the earth.

World English Bible
“They will die grievous deaths. They will not be lamented, neither will they be buried. They will be as dung on the surface of the ground. They will be consumed by the sword and by famine. Their dead bodies will be food for the birds of the sky and for the animals of the earth.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
“They die painful deaths, "" They are not lamented, nor are they buried, "" For they are dung on the face of the ground, "" And are consumed by sword and by famine, "" And their carcass has been for food "" To the bird of the heavens, "" And to the beast of the earth.”

Young's Literal Translation
Of painful deaths they die, They are not lamented, nor are they buried, For dung on the face of the ground they are, And by sword and by famine are consumed, And their carcase hath been for food To the fowl of the heavens, And to the beast of the earth.

Smith's Literal Translation
Deaths of diseases shall they die; they shall not be lamented, and they shall not be buried; they shall be for dung upon the face of the earth, and by sword and by famine shall they be consumed, and their carcass was for food to the birds of the heavens and to the beasts of the earth.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
They shall die by the death of grievous illnesses: they shall not be lamented, and they shall not be buried, they shall be as dung upon the face of the earth: and they shall be consumed with the sword, and with famine: and their carcasses shall be meat for the fowls of the air, and for the beasts of the earth.

Catholic Public Domain Version
They will die from grievous mortal illnesses. They will not be mourned, and they will not be buried. They will be like manure on the face of the earth. And they will be consumed by sword and by famine. And their dead bodies will be food for the birds of the air and the beasts of the land.”

New American Bible
Of deadly disease they shall die. Unlamented and unburied they will lie like dung on the ground. Sword and famine will make an end of them, and their corpses will become food for the birds of the sky and the beasts of the earth.

New Revised Standard Version
They shall die of deadly diseases. They shall not be lamented, nor shall they be buried; they shall become like dung on the surface of the ground. They shall perish by the sword and by famine, and their dead bodies shall become food for the birds of the air and for the wild animals of the earth.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
They shall die the death of those who are ravaged by famine; they shall not be lamented, neither shall they be buried; but they shall be as refuse upon the face of the earth; and they shall be consumed by the sword and by famine, and their corpses shall be food for the fowls of the air and for the beasts of the earth.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
“They will die the death of those hit with starvation. They shall not mourn for them and they shall not be buried, but they shall be as a dung heap on the face of the land, and with sword and with starvation they shall be consumed, and their corpses shall be food for birds of the sky and for the beasts of the Earth
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
They shall die of grievous deaths; They shall not be lamented, Neither shall they be buried, They shall be as dung upon the face of the ground; And they shall be consumed by the sword, and by famine; And their carcasses shall be meat for the fowls of heaven, And for the beasts of the earth.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
They shall die of grievous death; they shall not be lamented, nor buried; they shall be for an example on the face of the earth; and they shall be for the wild beasts of the land, and for the birds of the sky: they shall fall by the sword, and shall be consumed with famine.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Disaster Predicted
3For this is what the LORD says concerning the sons and daughters born in this place, and the mothers who bore them, and the fathers who fathered them in this land: 4“They will die from deadly diseases. They will not be mourned or buried, but will lie like dung on the ground. They will be finished off by sword and famine, and their corpses will become food for the birds of the air and beasts of the earth.” 5Indeed, this is what the LORD says: “Do not enter a house where there is a funeral meal. Do not go to mourn or show sympathy, for I have removed from this people My peace, My loving devotion, and My compassion,” declares the LORD.…

Cross References
Deuteronomy 28:26
Your corpses will be food for all the birds of the air and beasts of the earth, with no one to scare them away.

Ezekiel 24:16-18
“Son of man, behold, I am about to take away the desire of your eyes with a fatal blow. But you must not mourn or weep or let your tears flow. / Groan quietly; do not mourn for the dead. Put on your turban and strap your sandals on your feet; do not cover your lips or eat the bread of mourners.” / So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. And the next morning I did as I had been commanded.

Isaiah 5:25
Therefore the anger of the LORD burns against His people; His hand is raised against them to strike them down. The mountains quake, and the corpses lie like refuse in the streets. Despite all this, His anger is not turned away; His hand is still upraised.

Lamentations 2:21
Both young and old lie together in the dust of the streets. My young men and maidens have fallen by the sword. You have slain them in the day of Your anger; You have slaughtered them without compassion.

Amos 6:9-10
And if there are ten men left in one house, they too will die. / And when the relative who is to burn the bodies picks them up to remove them from the house, he will call to one inside, “Is anyone else with you?” “None,” that person will answer. “Silence,” the relative will retort, “for the name of the LORD must not be invoked.”

1 Samuel 17:44
“Come here,” he called to David, “and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!”

2 Kings 9:37
And Jezebel’s body will lie like dung in the field on the plot of ground at Jezreel, so that no one can say: This is Jezebel.’”

Psalm 79:2-3
They have given the corpses of Your servants as food to the birds of the air, the flesh of Your saints to the beasts of the earth. / They have poured out their blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there is no one to bury the dead.

Ezekiel 6:5
I will lay the corpses of the Israelites before their idols and scatter your bones around your altars.

Revelation 19:17-18
Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out in a loud voice to all the birds flying overhead, “Come, gather together for the great supper of God, / so that you may eat the flesh of kings and commanders and mighty men, of horses and riders, of everyone slave and free, small and great.”

Matthew 24:28
Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.

Luke 17:37
“Where, Lord?” they asked. Jesus answered, “Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.”

Revelation 11:9
For three and a half days all peoples and tribes and tongues and nations will view their bodies and will not permit them to be laid in a tomb.

Isaiah 34:3
Their slain will be left unburied, and the stench of their corpses will rise; the mountains will flow with their blood.

Jeremiah 7:33
The corpses of this people will become food for the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and there will be no one to scare them away.


Treasury of Scripture

They shall die of grievous deaths; they shall not be lamented; neither shall they be buried; but they shall be as dung on the face of the earth: and they shall be consumed by the sword, and by famine; and their carcasses shall be meat for the fowls of heaven, and for the beasts of the earth.

die.

Jeremiah 14:16
And the people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and the sword; and they shall have none to bury them, them, their wives, nor their sons, nor their daughters: for I will pour their wickedness upon them.

Jeremiah 15:2,3
And it shall come to pass, if they say unto thee, Whither shall we go forth? then thou shalt tell them, Thus saith the LORD; Such as are for death, to death; and such as are for the sword, to the sword; and such as are for the famine, to the famine; and such as are for the captivity, to the captivity…

Psalm 78:64
Their priests fell by the sword; and their widows made no lamentation.

not.

Jeremiah 16:5-7
For thus saith the LORD, Enter not into the house of mourning, neither go to lament nor bemoan them: for I have taken away my peace from this people, saith the LORD, even lovingkindness and mercies…

Jeremiah 22:18
Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah; They shall not lament for him, saying, Ah my brother! or, Ah sister! they shall not lament for him, saying, Ah lord! or, Ah his glory!

Jeremiah 25:33
And the slain of the LORD shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground.

neither.

Jeremiah 7:33
And the carcases of this people shall be meat for the fowls of the heaven, and for the beasts of the earth; and none shall fray them away.

Jeremiah 22:19
He shall be buried with the burial of an ass, drawn and cast forth beyond the gates of Jerusalem.

Jeremiah 36:30
Therefore thus saith the LORD of Jehoiakim king of Judah; He shall have none to sit upon the throne of David: and his dead body shall be cast out in the day to the heat, and in the night to the frost.

as dung.

Jeremiah 8:1-3
At that time, saith the LORD, they shall bring out the bones of the kings of Judah, and the bones of his princes, and the bones of the priests, and the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, out of their graves: …

Jeremiah 9:22
Speak, Thus saith the LORD, Even the carcases of men shall fall as dung upon the open field, and as the handful after the harvestman, and none shall gather them.

Jeremiah 25:33
And the slain of the LORD shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground.

consumed.

Jeremiah 14:15
Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the prophets that prophesy in my name, and I sent them not, yet they say, Sword and famine shall not be in this land; By sword and famine shall those prophets be consumed.

Jeremiah 34:17
Therefore thus saith the LORD; Ye have not hearkened unto me, in proclaiming liberty, every one to his brother, and every man to his neighbour: behold, I proclaim a liberty for you, saith the LORD, to the sword, to the pestilence, and to the famine; and I will make you to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth.

Jeremiah 44:12,27
And I will take the remnant of Judah, that have set their faces to go into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, and they shall all be consumed, and fall in the land of Egypt; they shall even be consumed by the sword and by the famine: they shall die, from the least even unto the greatest, by the sword and by the famine: and they shall be an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach…

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Jeremiah 16
1. The prophet, under the types of abstaining from marriage,
8. from houses of mourning and feasting, foreshows the utter ruin of the Jews;
10. because they were worse than their fathers.
14. Their return from captivity shall be stranger than their deliverance out of Egypt.
16. God will doubly recompense their idolatry.














They will die of deadly diseases
The phrase "deadly diseases" in Hebrew is "מָוֶת תַּחֲלוּאִים" (mavet tachalu'im), which can be translated as "deaths of sicknesses." This indicates a divine judgment where God allows pestilence to sweep through the land. Historically, diseases were often seen as a direct punishment from God for the people's disobedience. In the context of Jeremiah, this reflects the severity of God's judgment on Judah for their idolatry and rebellion. The use of "deadly" underscores the inevitability and seriousness of the consequences of turning away from God.

They will not be mourned or buried
In ancient Near Eastern culture, proper burial and mourning were essential practices that honored the deceased and provided closure for the living. The absence of mourning or burial signifies a complete societal breakdown and a profound disgrace. This phrase highlights the depth of the calamity that will befall the people, as the normal customs of respect and remembrance are abandoned. It serves as a stark warning of the desolation that sin brings, emphasizing the importance of repentance and obedience to God.

they will be like dung lying on the ground
The comparison to "dung" (Hebrew: "גֵּלָל" - gelal) is a vivid image of worthlessness and defilement. In the agrarian society of ancient Israel, dung was a common sight but was considered unclean and something to be avoided. This metaphor illustrates the utter contempt and disregard that will be shown to the people as a result of their sin. It serves as a powerful reminder of the consequences of forsaking God, where once-valued lives become as refuse.

They will be finished off by the sword and famine
The "sword" and "famine" are frequent instruments of divine judgment in the Old Testament. The sword represents war and violence, while famine signifies scarcity and suffering. Together, they depict a comprehensive destruction that leaves no escape. Historically, these were real threats faced by nations, often seen as God's tools to bring about repentance. This phrase underscores the totality of the judgment and the urgency for the people to return to God.

and their corpses will become food for the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth
This imagery of unburied bodies being consumed by scavengers is a common biblical motif symbolizing utter defeat and humiliation. In Deuteronomy 28:26, this is listed as a curse for disobedience. The lack of burial rites and the exposure of bodies to animals reflect a complete reversal of the natural order and divine blessing. It serves as a sobering reminder of the consequences of sin and the importance of living in accordance with God's will. This phrase calls believers to reflect on the sanctity of life and the need for a righteous relationship with God.

(4) Of grievous deaths.--Literally, deaths from diseases, including, perhaps, famine (as in Jeremiah 14:18), as contrasted with the more immediate work of the sword.

They shall not be lamented.--Among a people who attached such importance to the due observance of funeral obsequies as the Jews did, the neglect of those obsequies was, of course, here, as in Jeremiah 22:18, a symptom of extremest misery. Like features have presented themselves in the pestilences or sieges of other cities and other times, as in the description in Lucretius (vi. 1278) :--

"Nec mos ille sepulturae remanebat in urbe,

Quo pius hic populus semper consuerat humari."

"No more the customed rites of sepulture

Were practised in the city, such as wont

Of old to tend the dead with reverent care."

Compare the account of the plague at Athens in Thucydides (ii. 52). . . .

Verse 4. - Grievous deaths; literally, deaths of sicknesses; i.e. all kinds of painful deaths, including (as Jeremiah 14:18 shows) death by starvation. They shall not be lamented. The absence of sepulture has already been pointed to several times as a feature of the horror of the times (Jeremiah 8:2; Jeremiah 14:16; comp. Jeremiah 7:33), but this is a new and affecting touch. Dr. Payne Smith aptly refers to the plagues of Athens and London, in which the gentler elements of human nature were for the time almost extinguished.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
“They will die
יָמֻ֗תוּ (yā·mu·ṯū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 4191: To die, to kill

from deadly
מְמוֹתֵ֨י (mə·mō·w·ṯê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 4463: A mortal disease, a corpse

diseases.
תַחֲלֻאִ֜ים (ṯa·ḥă·lu·’îm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 8463: A malady

They will not
לֹ֤א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

be mourned
יִסָּֽפְדוּ֙ (yis·sā·p̄ə·ḏū)
Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 5594: To tear the hair and beat the breasts, to lament, to wail

or buried,
יִקָּבֵ֔רוּ (yiq·qā·ḇê·rū)
Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 6912: To inter

but will lie
יִֽהְי֑וּ (yih·yū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

like dung
לְדֹ֛מֶן (lə·ḏō·men)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1828: Manure

on
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

the ground.
הָאֲדָמָ֖ה (hā·’ă·ḏā·māh)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 127: Ground, land

They will be finished off
יִכְל֔וּ (yiḵ·lū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 3615: To be complete, at an end, finished, accomplished, or spent

by sword
וּבַחֶ֤רֶב (ū·ḇa·ḥe·reḇ)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 2719: Drought, a cutting instrument, as a, knife, sword

and famine,
וּבָֽרָעָב֙ (ū·ḇā·rā·‘āḇ)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7458: Famine, hunger

and their corpses
נִבְלָתָם֙ (niḇ·lā·ṯām)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 5038: A flabby thing, a carcase, carrion, an idol

will become
וְהָיְתָ֤ה (wə·hā·yə·ṯāh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

food
לְמַאֲכָ֔ל (lə·ma·’ă·ḵāl)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3978: An eatable

for the birds
לְע֥וֹף (lə·‘ō·wp̄)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 5775: Flying creatures

of the sky
הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם (haš·šā·ma·yim)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 8064: Heaven, sky

and the beasts
וּלְבֶהֱמַ֥ת (ū·lə·ḇe·hĕ·maṯ)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 929: A dumb beast, any large quadruped, animal

of the earth.”
הָאָֽרֶץ׃ (hā·’ā·reṣ)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 776: Earth, land


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OT Prophets: Jeremiah 16:4 They shall die grievous deaths: they shall (Jer.)
Jeremiah 16:3
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