^31:40The whole valley where dead bodies and sacrificial ashes are thrown⁹⁶ and all the terraced fields⁹⁷ out to the Kidron Valley⁹⁸ on the east as far north⁹⁹ as the Horse Gate¹⁰⁰ will be included within this city that is sacred to the Lord.¹⁰¹ The city will never again be torn down or destroyed.”

Read in Logos

Footnotes

96 It is generally agreed that this refers to the Hinnom Valley which was on the southwestern and southern side of the city. It was here where the people of Jerusalem had burned their children as sacrifices and where the Lord had said that there would be so many dead bodies when he punished them that they would be unable to bury all of them (cf. Jer 7:31–32). Reference here may be to those dead bodies and to the ashes of the cremated victims. This defiled place would be included within the holy city.
97 The translation here follows the Qere and a number of Hebrew in reading שְׁדֵמוֹת (shédemot) for the otherwise unknown word שְׁרֵמוֹת (shéremot) exhibiting the common confusion of ר (resh) and ד (dalet). The fields of Kidron are mentioned also in 2 Kgs 23:4 as the place where Josiah burned the cult objects of Baal.
98 The Kidron Valley is the valley that joins the Hinnom Valley in the southeastern corner of the city and runs northward on the east side of the city.
99 The words “on the east” and “north” are not in the text but are supplied in the translation to give orientation.
100 The Horse Gate is mentioned in Neh 3:28 and is generally considered to have been located midway along the eastern wall just south of the temple area.
101 The words “will be included within this city that is” are not in the text. The text merely says that “The whole valley … will be sacred to the Lord.” These words have been supplied in the translation because they are really implicit in the description of the whole area as being included within the new city plan, not just the Hinnom and terraced fields as far as the Kidron Valley. The area that is here delimited is larger than any of the known boundaries of Jerusalem during the OT period. Again, this refers to the increase in population of the restored community (cf. 31:27).

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

The whole valley of the dead bodies and the ashes, and all the fields as far as the brook Kidron, to the corner of the Horse Gate toward the east, shall be sacred to the Lord. It shall not be plucked up or overthrown anymore forever.”

NIVNew International Version (2011)

The whole valley where dead bodies and ashes are thrown, and all the terraces out to the Kidron Valley on the east as far as the corner of the Horse Gate, will be holy to the Lord. The city will never again be uprooted or demolished.”

CSBChristian Standard Bible

The whole valley—the corpses, the ashes, and all the fields as far as the Kidron Valley to the corner of the Horse Gate to the east—will be holy to the Lord. It will never be uprooted or demolished again.”

NLTNew Living Translation

And the entire area—including the graveyard and ash dump in the valley, and all the fields out to the Kidron Valley on the east as far as the Horse Gate—will be holy to the Lord. The city will never again be captured or destroyed.”

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

And the whole of the valley of the corpses, and the ashes, and all the cultivated fields up to the wadi of Kidron, up to the corner of the Gate of the Horses toward the east will be holy to Yahweh. It will not be uprooted, and it will not be overthrown again forever.”

KJV 1900King James Version

And the whole valley of the dead bodies, and of the ashes,

And all the fields unto the brook of Kidron,

Unto the corner of the horse gate toward the east,

Shall be holy unto the Lord;

It shall not be plucked up, nor thrown down any more for ever.

Public Domain