Jeremiah 13:22
New International Version
And if you ask yourself, “Why has this happened to me?"— it is because of your many sins that your skirts have been torn off and your body mistreated.

New Living Translation
You may ask yourself, “Why is all this happening to me?” It is because of your many sins! That is why you have been stripped and raped by invading armies.

English Standard Version
And if you say in your heart, ‘Why have these things come upon me?’ it is for the greatness of your iniquity that your skirts are lifted up and you suffer violence.

Berean Standard Bible
And if you ask yourself, “Why has this happened to me?” It is because of the magnitude of your iniquity that your skirts have been stripped off and your body has been exposed.

King James Bible
And if thou say in thine heart, Wherefore come these things upon me? For the greatness of thine iniquity are thy skirts discovered, and thy heels made bare.

New King James Version
And if you say in your heart, “Why have these things come upon me?” For the greatness of your iniquity Your skirts have been uncovered, Your heels made bare.

New American Standard Bible
“If you say in your heart, ‘Why have these things happened to me?’ Because of the magnitude of your wrongdoing Your skirts have been removed And your heels have suffered violence.

NASB 1995
“If you say in your heart, ‘Why have these things happened to me?’ Because of the magnitude of your iniquity Your skirts have been removed And your heels have been exposed.

NASB 1977
“And if you say in your heart, ‘Why have these things happened to me?’ Because of the magnitude of your iniquity Your skirts have been removed, And your heels have been exposed.

Legacy Standard Bible
If you say in your heart, ‘Why have these things happened to me?’ Because of the magnitude of your iniquity Your skirts have been uncovered And your heels have suffered violence.

Amplified Bible
“And if you [wonder and] say in your heart, ‘Why have these things happened to me?’ It is because of the greatness and nature of your sin That your skirts have been pulled away [subjecting you to public disgrace] And [like a barefoot slave] your heels have been wounded.

Christian Standard Bible
And when you ask yourself, “Why have these things happened to me? ” it is because of your great guilt that your skirts have been stripped off, your body exposed.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
And when you ask yourself, “Why have these things happened to me?” It is because of your great guilt that your skirts have been stripped off, your body exposed.

American Standard Version
And if thou say in thy heart, Wherefore are these things come upon me? for the greatness of thine iniquity are thy skirts uncovered, and thy heels suffer violence.

Contemporary English Version
Do you know why your clothes were torn off and you were abused? It was because of your terrible sins.

English Revised Version
And if thou say in thine heart, Wherefore are these things come upon me? for the greatness of thine iniquity are thy skirts discovered, and thy heels suffer violence.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
If you ask yourself, "Why do these things happen to me?" it's because you have so many sins. Your clothes have been torn off and your limbs are bare.

Good News Translation
If you ask why all this has happened to you--why your clothes have been torn off and you have been raped--it is because your sin is so terrible.

International Standard Version
When you say to yourselves, 'Why have all these things happened to me?' It's because of the extent of your iniquity that your skirt has been lifted up, and your heels have suffered violence.

Majority Standard Bible
And if you ask yourself, “Why has this happened to me?” It is because of the magnitude of your iniquity that your skirts have been stripped off and your body has been exposed.

NET Bible
You will probably ask yourself, 'Why have these things happened to me? Why have I been treated like a disgraced adulteress whose skirt has been torn off and her limbs exposed?' It is because you have sinned so much.

New Heart English Bible
If you say in your heart, 'Why are these things come on me?' for the greatness of your iniquity are your skirts uncovered, and your heels suffer violence.

Webster's Bible Translation
And if thou shalt say in thy heart, Why come these things upon me? For the greatness of thy iniquity are thy skirts uncovered, and thy heels made bare.

World English Bible
If you say in your heart, “Why have these things come on me?” Your skirts are uncovered because of the greatness of your iniquity, and your heels suffer violence.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And when you say in your heart, “Why have these met me?” For the abundance of your iniquity "" Have your skirts been uncovered, "" Have your heels suffered violence.

Young's Literal Translation
And when thou dost say in thy heart, 'Wherefore have these met me?' For the abundance of thine iniquity Have thy skirts been uncovered, Have thy heels suffered violence.

Smith's Literal Translation
And if thou shalt say in thy heart, Wherefore did these things The hard copy spelling records the following as: befalbefall me? for the multitude of thine iniquities thy skirts were uncovered, thy heel treated with violence.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And if thou shalt say in thy heart: Why are these things come upon me? For the greatness of thy iniquity, thy nakedness is discovered, the soles of thy feet are defiled.

Catholic Public Domain Version
But if you say in your heart, ‘Why have these things happened to me?’ it is because of the greatness of your iniquity that your shame has been uncovered and the soles of your feet have been defiled.

New American Bible
If you say to yourself: “Why have these things happened to me?” For your great guilt your skirts are stripped away and you are violated.

New Revised Standard Version
And if you say in your heart, “Why have these things come upon me?” it is for the greatness of your iniquity that your skirts are lifted up, and you are violated.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And if you say in your heart, Why have these things come upon me? For the greatness of your iniquity are your skirts uncovered and your heels made bare.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And if you say in your heart, ‘Why have these things happened to me?’, in the multitude of your sins your skirts are rolled up and your heels are uncovered
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And if thou say in thy heart: 'Wherefore are these things befallen me?'-- For the greatness of thine iniquity are thy skirts uncovered, And thy heels suffer violence.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And if thou shouldest say in thine heart, Wherefore have these things happened to me? Because of the abundance of thine iniquity have thy skirts been discovered, that thine heels might be exposed.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Captivity Threatened
21What will you say when He sets over you close allies whom you yourself trained? Will not pangs of anguish grip you, as they do a woman in labor? 22And if you ask yourself, “Why has this happened to me?” It is because of the magnitude of your iniquity that your skirts have been stripped off and your body has been exposed. 23Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? Neither are you able to do good—you who are accustomed to doing evil.…

Cross References
Deuteronomy 28:47-48
Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joy and gladness of heart in all your abundance, / you will serve your enemies the LORD will send against you in famine, thirst, nakedness, and destitution. He will place an iron yoke on your neck until He has destroyed you.

Isaiah 3:16-17
The LORD also says: “Because the daughters of Zion are haughty—walking with heads held high and wanton eyes, prancing and skipping as they go, jingling the bracelets on their ankles— / the Lord will bring sores on the heads of the daughters of Zion, and the LORD will make their foreheads bare.”

Lamentations 1:8-9
Jerusalem has sinned greatly; therefore she has become an object of scorn. All who honored her now despise her, for they have seen her nakedness; she herself groans and turns away. / Her uncleanness stains her skirts; she did not consider her end. Her downfall was astounding; there was no one to comfort her. Look, O LORD, on my affliction, for the enemy has triumphed!

Ezekiel 16:36-37
This is what the Lord GOD says: Because you poured out your wealth and exposed your nakedness in your promiscuity with your lovers and with all your detestable idols, and because of the blood of your children which you gave to them, / therefore I will surely gather all the lovers with whom you found pleasure, all those you loved and all those you hated. I will gather them against you from all around and expose you before them, and they will see you completely naked.

Hosea 2:10
And then I will expose her lewdness in the sight of her lovers, and no one will deliver her out of My hands.

Nahum 3:5
“Behold, I am against you,” declares the LORD of Hosts. “I will lift your skirts over your face. I will show your nakedness to the nations and your shame to the kingdoms.

Isaiah 47:2-3
Take millstones and grind flour; remove your veil; strip off your skirt, bare your thigh, and wade through the streams. / Your nakedness will be uncovered and your shame will be exposed. I will take vengeance; I will spare no one.”

Ezekiel 23:29
They will treat you with hatred, take all for which you have worked, and leave you naked and bare, so that the shame of your prostitution will be exposed. Your indecency and promiscuity

Micah 1:8-9
Because of this I will lament and wail; I will walk barefoot and naked. I will howl like a jackal and mourn like an ostrich. / For her wound is incurable; it has reached even Judah; it has approached the gate of my people, as far as Jerusalem itself.

Isaiah 20:4
so the king of Assyria will lead away the captives of Egypt and the exiles of Cush, young and old alike, naked and barefoot, with bared buttocks—to Egypt’s shame.

2 Kings 17:7-8
All this happened because the people of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They had worshiped other gods / and walked in the customs of the nations that the LORD had driven out before the Israelites, as well as in the practices introduced by the kings of Israel.

Isaiah 42:24-25
Who gave Jacob up for spoil, and Israel to the plunderers? Was it not the LORD, against whom we have sinned? They were unwilling to walk in His ways, and they would not obey His law. / So He poured out on them His furious anger and the fierceness of battle. It enveloped them in flames, but they did not understand; it consumed them, but they did not take it to heart.

Romans 1:24-25
Therefore God gave them over in the desires of their hearts to impurity for the dishonoring of their bodies with one another. / They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is forever worthy of praise! Amen.

Revelation 3:17-18
You say, ‘I am rich; I have grown wealthy and need nothing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. / I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, white garments so that you may be clothed and your shameful nakedness not exposed, and salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.

1 Corinthians 4:5
Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.


Treasury of Scripture

And if you say in your heart, Why come these things on me? For the greatness of your iniquity are your skirts discovered, and your heels made bore.

if.

Deuteronomy 7:17
If thou shalt say in thine heart, These nations are more than I; how can I dispossess them?

Deuteronomy 8:17
And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth.

Deuteronomy 18:21
And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken?

wherefore.

Jeremiah 5:19
And it shall come to pass, when ye shall say, Wherefore doeth the LORD our God all these things unto us? then shalt thou answer them, Like as ye have forsaken me, and served strange gods in your land, so shall ye serve strangers in a land that is not yours.

Jeremiah 16:10,11
And it shall come to pass, when thou shalt shew this people all these words, and they shall say unto thee, Wherefore hath the LORD pronounced all this great evil against us? or what is our iniquity? or what is our sin that we have committed against the LORD our God? …

the greatness.

Jeremiah 1:17-19
Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them…

Jeremiah 9:2-9
Oh that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of wayfaring men; that I might leave my people, and go from them! for they be all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men…

Hosea 12:8
And Ephraim said, Yet I am become rich, I have found me out substance: in all my labours they shall find none iniquity in me that were sin.

skirts.

Jeremiah 13:26
Therefore will I discover thy skirts upon thy face, that thy shame may appear.

Isaiah 3:17
Therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the LORD will discover their secret parts.

Isaiah 20:4
So shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptians prisoners, and the Ethiopians captives, young and old, naked and barefoot, even with their buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt.

made bare.

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Abundance Bare Befallen Body Discovered Greatness Heart Heels Iniquity Lifted Met Mistreated Overtakes Punishment Removed Sins Skirts Suffer Suffered Torn Uncovered Violence Violent Wherefore
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Abundance Bare Befallen Body Discovered Greatness Heart Heels Iniquity Lifted Met Mistreated Overtakes Punishment Removed Sins Skirts Suffer Suffered Torn Uncovered Violence Violent Wherefore
Jeremiah 13
1. By the type of a linen belt, hidden at Euphrates,
9. God prefigures the destruction of his people.
12. By the parable of bottles filled with wine he foretells their drunkenness in misery.
15. He exhorts to prevent their future judgments.
22. He shows their abominations are the cause thereof.














And if you ask yourself
This phrase introduces a moment of introspection and self-examination. In the Hebrew context, the act of questioning oneself is significant, as it implies a moment of realization or confrontation with one's own actions. The Hebrew word for "ask" (שָׁאַל, sha'al) often denotes seeking understanding or wisdom. This reflects a deeper spiritual inquiry, urging the people to reflect on their relationship with God and the consequences of their actions.

‘Why has this happened to me?’
This rhetorical question is a common human response to suffering and calamity. In the historical context of Jeremiah, the people of Judah were facing the consequences of their disobedience to God. The question reflects a sense of bewilderment and a search for meaning in the midst of judgment. It is a call to recognize the link between their actions and the resulting divine discipline.

it is because of the magnitude of your iniquity
Here, the "magnitude of your iniquity" underscores the severity and extent of Judah's sins. The Hebrew word for "iniquity" (עָוֹן, avon) conveys a sense of moral perversity and guilt. This phrase serves as a direct answer to the previous question, emphasizing that the people's suffering is a direct result of their own sinful behavior. It is a reminder of the biblical principle that sin has consequences, and God's justice is a response to human rebellion.

Your skirts have been stripped off
This vivid imagery of "skirts being stripped off" symbolizes shame and humiliation. In ancient Near Eastern culture, clothing was a sign of dignity and status. To have one's garments removed was to be publicly disgraced. This metaphor highlights the depth of Judah's disgrace due to their unfaithfulness to God. It serves as a powerful illustration of the loss of honor and protection that comes from turning away from God's covenant.

your body exposed
The exposure of the body further emphasizes the theme of shame and vulnerability. In the biblical context, nakedness often symbolizes a state of defenselessness and dishonor. This phrase conveys the complete exposure of Judah's sin and the resulting judgment. It is a call to repentance, urging the people to recognize their spiritual nakedness and return to God for covering and restoration.

(22) Are thy skirts discovered.--The "skirts," or flowing train, worn by women of rank, the removal of which was the sign of extremest degradation (Isaiah 20:4; Isaiah 47:2; Ezekiel 23:29; Hosea 2:3; Nahum 3:5).

Thy heels made bare.--Better, outraged, or disgraced, made to walk barefoot, like menial slaves; possibly, like the outcast harlot. Compare Isaiah's walking "naked and barefoot" as the symbol of the coming degradation of his people (Isaiah 20:2-4). . . .

Verse 22. - Thy heels made bare; rather, treated with violence. The fate held out to the daughter of Zion (trained to walk about with "tinkling ornaments," Isaiah 3:18) is to plod wearily along with bare feet (comp. Isaiah 47:1).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
And if
וְכִ֤י (wə·ḵî)
Conjunctive waw | Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

you ask
תֹאמְרִי֙ (ṯō·mə·rî)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person feminine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

yourself,
בִּלְבָבֵ֔ךְ (bil·ḇā·ḇêḵ)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person feminine singular
Strong's 3824: Inner man, mind, will, heart

“Why
מַדּ֖וּעַ (mad·dū·a‘)
Interrogative
Strong's 4069: Why? for what reason?

has this
אֵ֑לֶּה (’êl·leh)
Pronoun - common plural
Strong's 428: These, those

happened to me?”
קְרָאֻ֣נִי (qə·rā·’u·nî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural | first person common singular
Strong's 7122: To encounter, befall

it is because of the magnitude
בְּרֹ֧ב (bə·rōḇ)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 7230: Multitude, abundance, greatness

of your iniquity.
עֲוֺנֵ֛ךְ (‘ă·wō·nêḵ)
Noun - common singular construct | second person feminine singular
Strong's 5771: Iniquity, guilt, punishment for iniquity

Your skirts
שׁוּלַ֖יִךְ (šū·la·yiḵ)
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person feminine singular
Strong's 7757: A skirt, a bottom edge

have been stripped off,
נִגְל֥וּ (niḡ·lū)
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 1540: To denude, to exile, to reveal

your body
עֲקֵבָֽיִךְ׃ (‘ă·qê·ḇā·yiḵ)
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person feminine singular
Strong's 6119: Heel, footprint, hind part

exposed.
נֶחְמְס֥וּ (neḥ·mə·sū)
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 2554: To treat violently or wrong


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OT Prophets: Jeremiah 13:22 If you say in your heart Why (Jer.)
Jeremiah 13:21
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