Logos Bible Study

Jeremiah 20:17–18

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20:17For he did not kill me before I came from the womb,

making my pregnant mother’s womb my grave forever.32

20:18Why did I ever come forth from my mother’s womb?

All I experience is trouble and grief,

and I spend my days in shame.33

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Footnotes

  1. 32 Heb “because he did not kill me from the womb so my mother might be to me for my grave and her womb eternally pregnant.” The sentence structure has been modified and the word “womb” moved from the last line to the next to the last line for English stylistic purposes and greater clarity.
  2. 33 Heb “Why did I come forth from the womb to see [= so that I might see] trouble and grief and that my days might be consumed in shame.”

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

because he did not kill me in the womb;

so my mother would have been my grave,

and her womb forever great.

Why did I come out from the womb

to see toil and sorrow,

and spend my days in shame?

NIVNew International Version (2011)

For he did not kill me in the womb,

with my mother as my grave,

her womb enlarged forever.

Why did I ever come out of the womb

to see trouble and sorrow

and to end my days in shame?

CSBChristian Standard Bible

because he didn’t kill me in the womb

so that my mother might have been my grave,

her womb eternally pregnant.

Why did I come out of the womb

to see only struggle and sorrow,

to end my life in shame?

NLTNew Living Translation

because he did not kill me at birth.

Oh, that I had died in my mother’s womb,

that her body had been my grave!

Why was I ever born?

My entire life has been filled

with trouble, sorrow, and shame.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Because he did not kill me in the womb,

so that my mother would have been for me my grave,

and her womb would be pregnant forever.

Why did I come out from the womb,

to see toil, and sorrow, and to end my days in shame?

KJV 1900King James Version

Because he slew me not from the womb;

Or that my mother might have been my grave,

And her womb to be always great with me.

Wherefore came I forth out of the womb

To see labour and sorrow,

That my days should be consumed with shame?