^9:13The Lord answered, “This has happened because these people have rejected my laws which I gave them. They have not obeyed me or followed those laws.³⁴^9:14Instead they have followed the stubborn inclinations of their own hearts. They have paid allegiance to³⁵ the gods called Baal,³⁶ as their fathers³⁷ taught them to do. ^9:15So then, listen to what I, the Lord God of Israel who rules over all,³⁸ say.³⁹ ‘I will make these people eat the bitter food of suffering and drink the poison water of judgment.⁴⁰^9:16I will scatter them among nations that neither they nor their ancestors⁴¹ have known anything about. I will send people chasing after them with swords⁴² until I have destroyed them.’ ”⁴³

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Footnotes

31 The words, “I said” are not in the text. It is not clear that a shift in speaker has taken place. However, the words of the verse are very unlikely to be a continuation of the Lord’s threat. It is generally assumed that these are the words of Jeremiah and that a dialogue is going on between him and the Lord in vv. 9–14. That assumption is accepted here.
32 Heb “Who is the wise man that he may understand this?”
33 Heb “And [who is the man] to whom the mouth of the Lord has spoken that he may explain it?”
34 Heb “and they have not walked in it (with “it” referring to “my law”).
35 Heb “they have gone/followed after.” See the translator’s note at for the idiom.
36 Heb “the Baals,” referring either to the pagan gods called “Baals” or the images of Baal (so ).
37 Or “forefathers,” or “ancestors.” Here the referent could be the immediate parents or, by their example, more distant ancestors.
38 Heb “Yahweh of armies, the God of Israel.” See the study notes on and .
39 Heb “Therefore, thus says the Lord …” The person is shifted from third to first to better conform with English style.
40 Heb “I will feed this people wormwood and make them drink poison water.” “Wormwood” and “poison water” are not to be understood literally here but are symbolic of judgment and suffering. See, e.g., 542 לַעֲנָה.
41 Heb “fathers.”
42 Heb “I will send the sword after them.” The sword here is probably not completely literal but refers to death by violent means, including death by the sword.
43 He will destroy them but not completely. See Jer 5:18; 30:11; 46:28.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

Who is the man so wise that he can understand this? To whom has the mouth of the Lord spoken, that he may declare it? Why is the land ruined and laid waste like a wilderness, so that no one passes through? And the Lord says: “Because they have forsaken my law that I set before them, and have not obeyed my voice or walked in accord with it, but have stubbornly followed their own hearts and have gone after the Baals, as their fathers taught them. Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will feed this people with bitter food, and give them poisonous water to drink. I will scatter them among the nations whom neither they nor their fathers have known, and I will send the sword after them, until I have consumed them.”

NIVNew International Version (2011)

Who is wise enough to understand this? Who has been instructed by the Lord and can explain it? Why has the land been ruined and laid waste like a desert that no one can cross?

The Lord said, “It is because they have forsaken my law, which I set before them; they have not obeyed me or followed my law. Instead, they have followed the stubbornness of their hearts; they have followed the Baals, as their ancestors taught them.” Therefore this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “See, I will make this people eat bitter food and drink poisoned water. I will scatter them among nations that neither they nor their ancestors have known, and I will pursue them with the sword until I have made an end of them.”

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Who is the person wise enough to understand this? Who has the Lord spoken to, that he may explain it? Why is the land destroyed and scorched like a wilderness, so no one can pass through?

The Lord said, “It is because they abandoned my instruction, which I set before them, and did not obey my voice or walk according to it. Instead, they followed the stubbornness of their hearts and followed the Baals as their ancestors taught them.” Therefore, this is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: “I am about to feed this people wormwood and give them poisonous water to drink. I will scatter them among the nations that they and their ancestors have not known. I will send a sword after them until I have finished them off.”

NLTNew Living Translation

Who is wise enough to understand all this? Who has been instructed by the Lord and can explain it to others? Why has the land been so ruined that no one dares to travel through it?

The Lord replies, “This has happened because my people have abandoned my instructions; they have refused to obey what I said. Instead, they have stubbornly followed their own desires and worshiped the images of Baal, as their ancestors taught them. So now, this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: Look! I will feed them with bitterness and give them poison to drink. I will scatter them around the world, in places they and their ancestors never heard of, and even there I will chase them with the sword until I have destroyed them completely.”

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Who is the wise man that can understand this?

And to whom has the mouth of Yahweh spoken, so that he may declare it?

Why is the land destroyed?

It is laid waste like the desert so that no one passes through.”

And Yahweh said, “Because of their forsaking my law that I set before them, and they have not obeyed my voice, and have not walked in it, but they went after the stubbornness of their heart, and after the Baals, which their ancestors taught them.” Therefore thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, “Look, I am feeding this people wormwood, and providing drink for them, water of poison, and I will scatter them among the nations that they have not known, they and their ancestors, and I will send the sword after them until I bring them to an end.”

KJV 1900King James Version

Who is the wise man, that may understand this?

And who is he to whom the mouth of the Lord hath spoken, that he may declare it,

For what the land perisheth

And is burned up like a wilderness, that none passeth through?

And the Lord saith, Because they have forsaken my law which I set before them,

And have not obeyed my voice, neither walked therein;

But have walked after the imagination of their own heart,

And after Baalim, which their fathers taught them:

Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel;

Behold, I will feed them, even this people, with wormwood,

And give them water of gall to drink.

I will scatter them also among the heathen, whom neither they nor their fathers have known:

And I will send a sword after them, till I have consumed them.

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