^5:16I will shoot against them deadly,²⁸ destructive²⁹ arrows of famine,³⁰ which I will shoot to destroy you.³¹ I will prolong a famine on you and will remove the bread supply.³²^5:17I will send famine and wild beasts against you and they will take your children from you.³³ Plague and bloodshed will overwhelm you,³⁴ and I will bring a sword against you. I, the Lord, have spoken!”

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Footnotes

28 The Hebrew word carries the basic idea of “bad, displeasing, injurious,” but when used of weapons has the nuance “deadly” (see Ps 144:10).
29 Heb “which are/were to destroy.”
30 The language of this verse may have been influenced by Deut 32:23.
31 Or “which were to destroy those whom I will send to destroy you” (cf. ).
32 Heb, “break the staff of bread.” The bread supply is compared to a staff that one uses for support. See 4:16, as well as the covenant curse in Lev 26:26.
33 Heb “will bereave you.”
34 Heb “will pass through you.” This threat recalls the warning of Lev 26:22, 25 and Deut 32:24–25.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

when I send against you the deadly arrows of famine, arrows for destruction, which I will send to destroy you, and when I bring more and more famine upon you and break your supply of bread. I will send famine and wild beasts against you, and they will rob you of your children. Pestilence and blood shall pass through you, and I will bring the sword upon you. I am the Lord; I have spoken.”

NIVNew International Version (2011)

When I shoot at you with my deadly and destructive arrows of famine, I will shoot to destroy you. I will bring more and more famine upon you and cut off your supply of food. I will send famine and wild beasts against you, and they will leave you childless. Plague and bloodshed will sweep through you, and I will bring the sword against you. I the Lord have spoken.”

CSBChristian Standard Bible

When I shoot deadly arrows of famine at them, arrows for destruction that I will send to destroy you, inhabitants of Jerusalem, I will intensify the famine against you and cut off your supply of bread. I will send famine and dangerous animals against you. They will leave you childless. Plague and bloodshed will sweep through you, and I will bring a sword against you. I, the Lord, have spoken.”

NLTNew Living Translation

“I will shower you with the deadly arrows of famine to destroy you. The famine will become more and more severe until every crumb of food is gone. And along with the famine, wild animals will attack you and rob you of your children. Disease and war will stalk your land, and I will bring the sword of the enemy against you. I, the Lord, have spoken!”

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

When I send my arrows of deadly famine against them, which will be as destruction that I will send in order to destroy you, I will increase famine against you, and I will break the supply of food for you. And I will send against you famine and fierce animals, and they will make you childless; and plague and blood will pass through you, and I will bring the sword upon you. I, Yahweh, I have spoken!”

KJV 1900King James Version

When I shall send upon them the evil arrows of famine, which shall be for their destruction, and which I will send to destroy you: and I will increase the famine upon you, and will break your staff of bread: So will I send upon you famine and evil beasts, and they shall bereave thee; and pestilence and blood shall pass through thee; and I will bring the sword upon thee. I the Lord have spoken it.

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