Jeremiah 14:18
New International Version
If I go into the country, I see those slain by the sword; if I go into the city, I see the ravages of famine. Both prophet and priest have gone to a land they know not.’”

New Living Translation
If I go out into the fields, I see the bodies of people slaughtered by the enemy. If I walk the city streets, I see people who have died of starvation. The prophets and priests continue with their work, but they don’t know what they’re doing.”

English Standard Version
If I go out into the field, behold, those pierced by the sword! And if I enter the city, behold, the diseases of famine! For both prophet and priest ply their trade through the land and have no knowledge.’”

Berean Standard Bible
If I go out to the country, I see those slain by the sword; if I enter the city, I see those ravaged by famine! For both prophet and priest travel to a land they do not know.’ ”

King James Bible
If I go forth into the field, then behold the slain with the sword! and if I enter into the city, then behold them that are sick with famine! yea, both the prophet and the priest go about into a land that they know not.

New King James Version
If I go out to the field, Then behold, those slain with the sword! And if I enter the city, Then behold, those sick from famine! Yes, both prophet and priest go about in a land they do not know.’ ”

New American Standard Bible
‘If I go out to the country, There are those killed by the sword! Or if I enter the city, There are diseases from famine! For both prophet and priest Have wandered around in the land that they do not know.’”

NASB 1995
‘If I go out to the country, Behold, those slain with the sword! Or if I enter the city, Behold, diseases of famine! For both prophet and priest Have gone roving about in the land that they do not know.’”

NASB 1977
‘If I go out to the country, Behold, those slain with the sword! Or if I enter the city, Behold, diseases of famine! For both prophet and priest Have gone roving about in the land that they do not know.’”

Legacy Standard Bible
If I go out to the field, Behold, those slain with the sword! Or if I enter the city, Behold, diseases of famine! For both prophet and priest Have gone around as merchants in the land that they do not know.’”

Amplified Bible
‘If I go out into the field, Then I gaze on those slaughtered with the sword! And if I enter the city, Then I gaze on [those tormented with] the diseases of famine! For both prophet and priest [who should have guided the people] Go about [bewildered and exiled] in a land (Babylon) that they do not know or understand.’”

Christian Standard Bible
If I go out to the field, look—those slain by the sword! If I enter the city, look—those ill from famine! For both prophet and priest travel to a land they do not know.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
If I go out to the field, look—those slain by the sword! If I enter the city, look—those ill from famine! For both prophet and priest travel to a land they do not know.

American Standard Version
If I go forth into the field, then, behold, the slain with the sword! and if I enter into the city, then, behold, they that are sick with famine! for both the prophet and the priest go about in the land, and have no knowledge.

Contemporary English Version
In the fields I see the bodies of those killed in battle. And in the towns I see crowds dying of hunger. But the prophets and priests go about their business, without understanding what has happened."

English Revised Version
If I go forth into the field, then behold the slain with the sword! and if I enter into the city, then behold them that are sick with famine! for both the prophet and the priest go about in the land and have no knowledge.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
If I go to the field, I see those killed because of war. If I go to the city, I see those sick because of famine. Prophets and priests wander through a land they haven't heard of.

Good News Translation
When I go out in the fields, I see the bodies of men killed in war; when I go into the towns, I see people starving to death. Prophets and priests carry on their work, but they don't know what they are doing."

International Standard Version
If I go out into the field, I see those slain by the sword! If I go into the city, I see the ravages of the famine! Indeed, both prophet and priest ply their trade in the land, but they don't know anything.'"

Majority Standard Bible
If I go out to the country, I see those slain by the sword; if I enter the city, I see those ravaged by famine! For both prophet and priest travel to a land they do not know.’”

NET Bible
If I go out into the countryside, I see those who have been killed in battle. If I go into the city, I see those who are sick because of starvation. For both prophet and priest go about their own business in the land without having any real understanding.'"

New Heart English Bible
If I go forth into the field, then, look, the slain with the sword. And if I enter into the city, then, look, those who are sick with famine. For both the prophet and the priest go about in the land, and have no knowledge.'"

Webster's Bible Translation
If I go forth into the field, then behold the slain with the sword! and if I enter into the city, then behold them that are sick with famine! yes, both the prophet and the priest go about into a land that they know not.

World English Bible
If I go out into the field, then behold, the slain with the sword! If I enter into the city, then behold, those who are sick with famine! For both the prophet and the priest go about in the land, and have no knowledge.’”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
If I have gone forth to the field, "" Then, behold, the pierced of the sword! And if I have entered the city, "" Then, behold, the diseased of famine! For both prophet and priest have gone up and down "" To a land that they did not know.”

Young's Literal Translation
If I have gone forth to the field, Then, lo, the pierced of the sword! And if I have entered the city, Then, lo, the diseased of famine! For both prophet and priest have gone up and down Unto a land that they knew not.

Smith's Literal Translation
If I shall go forth into the field, and behold, the wounded of the sword and if I came into the city, and behold, they shall be sick with famine for also the prophet, also the priest went about to a land they knew not.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
If I go forth into the fields, behold the slain with the sword: and if I enter into the city, behold them that are consumed with famine. The prophet also and the priest are gone into a land which they knew not.

Catholic Public Domain Version
“If I go out into the fields: behold, those slain by the sword. And if I enter into the city: behold, those weakened by famine. Likewise, the prophet, too, and the priest, have gone into a land that they did not know.

New American Bible
If I walk out into the field, look! those slain by the sword; If I enter the city, look! victims of famine. Both prophet and priest ply their trade in a land they do not know.

New Revised Standard Version
If I go out into the field, look—those killed by the sword! And if I enter the city, look—those sick with famine! For both prophet and priest ply their trade throughout the land, and have no knowledge.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
If I go forth into the desert, then behold, the slain with the sword! And if I enter into the city, then behold, those who are suffering with famine! For also both the prophets and the priests are begging in the land unrecognized.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
If I proceed to the country, behold, the slain of the sword, and if I entered to the city, behold the stricken of the famine! Because also the Prophets and the Priests walked around in the land, and they have not known!
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
If I go forth into the field, Then behold the slain with the sword! And if I enter into the city, Then behold them that are sick with famine! For both the prophet and the priest are gone about to a land, and knew it not.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
If I go forth into the plain, then behold the slain by the sword! and if I enter into the city, then behold the distress of famine! for priest and prophet have gone to a land which they knew not.
Audio Bible



Context
Drought, Famine, Sword, Pestilence
17You are to speak this word to them: ‘My eyes overflow with tears; day and night they do not cease, for the virgin daughter of my people has been shattered by a crushing blow, a severely grievous wound. 18If I go out to the country, I see those slain by the sword; if I enter the city, I see those ravaged by famine! For both prophet and priest travel to a land they do not know.’”

Cross References
Lamentations 2:11
My eyes fail from weeping; I am churning within. My heart is poured out in grief over the destruction of the daughter of my people, because children and infants faint in the streets of the city.

Ezekiel 7:15
The sword is outside; plague and famine are within. Those in the country will die by the sword, and those in the city will be devoured by famine and plague.

Isaiah 3:26
And the gates of Zion will lament and mourn; destitute, she will sit on the ground.

Hosea 4:5
You will stumble by day, and the prophet will stumble with you by night; so I will destroy your mother—

Amos 5:16-17
Therefore this is what the LORD, the God of Hosts, the Lord, says: “There will be wailing in all the public squares and cries of ‘Alas! Alas!’ in all the streets. The farmer will be summoned to mourn, and the mourners to wail. / There will be wailing in all the vineyards, for I will pass through your midst,” says the LORD.

Micah 3:6-7
Therefore night will come over you without visions, and darkness without divination. The sun will set on these prophets, and the daylight will turn black over them. / Then the seers will be ashamed and the diviners will be disgraced. They will all cover their mouths because there is no answer from God.”

2 Chronicles 36:15-16
Again and again the LORD, the God of their fathers, sent word to His people through His messengers because He had compassion on them and on His dwelling place. / But they mocked the messengers of God, despising His words and scoffing at His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD against His people was stirred up beyond remedy.

Isaiah 9:14-16
So the LORD will cut off Israel’s head and tail, both palm branch and reed in a single day. / The head is the elder and honorable man, and the tail is the prophet who teaches lies. / For those who guide this people mislead them, and those they mislead are swallowed up.

Ezekiel 13:10-16
Because they have led My people astray, saying, ‘Peace,’ when there is no peace, and whitewashing any flimsy wall that is built, / tell those whitewashing the wall that it will fall. Rain will come in torrents, I will send hailstones plunging down, and a windstorm will burst forth. / Surely when the wall has fallen, you will not be asked, ‘Where is the whitewash with which you covered it?’ ...

Zechariah 11:5
whose buyers slaughter them without remorse. Those who sell them say, ‘Blessed be the LORD, for I am rich!’ Even their own shepherds have no compassion on them.

Matthew 23:37
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling!

Luke 19:41-44
As Jesus approached Jerusalem and saw the city, He wept over it / and said, “If only you had known on this day what would bring you peace! But now it is hidden from your eyes. / For the days will come upon you when your enemies will barricade you and surround you and hem you in on every side. ...

Matthew 9:36
When He saw the crowds, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

Mark 6:34
When Jesus stepped ashore and saw a large crowd, He had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And He began to teach them many things.

Luke 13:34
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling!


Treasury of Scripture

If I go forth into the field, then behold the slain with the sword! and if I enter into the city, then behold them that are sick with famine! yes, both the prophet and the priest go about into a land that they know not.

go forth.

Jeremiah 52:6,7
And in the fourth month, in the ninth day of the month, the famine was sore in the city, so that there was no bread for the people of the land…

Lamentations 1:20
Behold, O LORD; for I am in distress: my bowels are troubled; mine heart is turned within me; for I have grievously rebelled: abroad the sword bereaveth, at home there is as death.

Lamentations 4:9
They that be slain with the sword are better than they that be slain with hunger: for these pine away, stricken through for want of the fruits of the field.

yea.

Jeremiah 6:13
For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.

Jeremiah 8:10
Therefore will I give their wives unto others, and their fields to them that shall inherit them: for every one from the least even unto the greatest is given to covetousness, from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.

Jeremiah 23:21
I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied.

go about.

Jeremiah 2:8
The priests said not, Where is the LORD? and they that handle the law knew me not: the pastors also transgressed against me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal, and walked after things that do not profit.

Jeremiah 5:31
The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?

Micah 3:11
The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the LORD, and say, Is not the LORD among us? none evil can come upon us.

Jump to Previous
City Country Death Diseased Diseases Enter Entered Famine Field Food Forth Need Open Pierced Pine Ply Priest Prophet Roving Sick Slain Sword Trade
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City Country Death Diseased Diseases Enter Entered Famine Field Food Forth Need Open Pierced Pine Ply Priest Prophet Roving Sick Slain Sword Trade
Jeremiah 14
1. The grievous famine,
7. causes Jeremiah to pray.
10. The Lord will not be entreated for the people.
13. false prophets are no excuse for them.
17. Jeremiah is moved to complain for them.














If I go out to the field
The Hebrew word for "field" is "שָׂדֶה" (sadeh), which often denotes open country or agricultural land. In the context of ancient Israel, fields were places of labor and sustenance, but here they are transformed into scenes of death. This imagery underscores the totality of the devastation, as even the places meant for life and growth are now marked by destruction. Historically, fields were often the sites of battles, and Jeremiah's vision reflects the grim reality of war-torn landscapes.

I see those slain by the sword
The "sword" (חֶרֶב, chereb) is a frequent biblical symbol of warfare and divine judgment. In Jeremiah's time, the sword represented the Babylonian threat, a tool of God's judgment against Judah's unfaithfulness. The sight of the slain in the fields serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of turning away from God, emphasizing the seriousness of sin and the reality of divine retribution.

if I enter the city
Cities in ancient Israel, often fortified and bustling with life, were centers of commerce, governance, and community. The Hebrew word for "city" is "עִיר" (ir). Jeremiah's mention of entering the city suggests seeking refuge or normalcy, yet even these places are not spared from suffering. This highlights the pervasive nature of the calamity, affecting both rural and urban areas alike.

I see the ravages of famine
Famine (רָעָב, ra'av) is a severe shortage of food, often seen in the Bible as a consequence of disobedience to God. In the ancient Near East, famine was a devastating event, leading to social and economic collapse. The "ravages" indicate not just the physical effects of hunger but also the moral and spiritual degradation that accompanies such desperation. This phrase underscores the comprehensive judgment upon the land, affecting every aspect of life.

For both prophet and priest
Prophets (נָבִיא, navi) and priests (כֹּהֵן, kohen) were spiritual leaders in Israel, responsible for guiding the people in God's ways. Their mention here signifies the failure of spiritual leadership, as they too are caught in the judgment. This reflects a broader theme in Jeremiah: the corruption and inadequacy of those who were supposed to lead the nation in righteousness.

travel to a land they do not know
The phrase "a land they do not know" evokes the theme of exile, a central element in Jeremiah's prophecies. The Hebrew word for "land" is "אֶרֶץ" (eretz), often used to denote the Promised Land. The leaders' journey to an unknown land symbolizes the loss of identity and divine favor. Historically, this foreshadows the Babylonian exile, where the people of Judah were taken from their homeland as a result of their persistent disobedience.

(18) Them that are sick with famine.--Literally, with even a more awful force, as summing all individual sufferings in one collective unity, the sickness of famine--the pestilence that follows on starvation.

Go about into a land that they know not.--Literally, go about (as in Genesis 34:10, where the Authorised version has "trade") in a land and know not, i.e., whither they go--are in a land of exile, and know not where to find a home, or where they may be dragged next, or, perhaps, with some commentators. learn no wisdom from their bitter experience. There is no adequate ground for the rendering in the margin, which, besides, gives no satisfactory meaning.

Verse 18. - A picture of the state of things after the capture of Jerusalem: the slain without, the famine-stricken within. The latter are described allusively as "sicknesses of famine" (so literally). As a peculiarly striking evidence of the downfall of greatness, it is added that even prophet and priest have to go about into a land that they know not. The verb used here can obviously not have its ordinary sense of going about for purposes of traffic. Aramaic usage suggests, however, a suitable meaning; what the prophet sketches before us is a company of these ex-grandees "begging their way" into an unknown land.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
If
אִם־ (’im-)
Conjunction
Strong's 518: Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not

I go out
יָצָ֣אתִי (yā·ṣā·ṯî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 3318: To go, bring, out, direct and proxim

to the country,
הַשָּׂדֶ֗ה (haś·śā·ḏeh)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7704: Field, land

I see
וְהִנֵּה֙ (wə·hin·nêh)
Conjunctive waw | Interjection
Strong's 2009: Lo! behold!

those slain
חַלְלֵי־ (ḥal·lê-)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 2491: Pierced, polluted

by the sword;
חֶ֔רֶב (ḥe·reḇ)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 2719: Drought, a cutting instrument, as a, knife, sword

if
וְאִם֙ (wə·’im)
Conjunctive waw | Conjunction
Strong's 518: Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not

I enter
בָּ֣אתִי (bā·ṯî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

the city,
הָעִ֔יר (hā·‘îr)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5892: Excitement

I see
וְהִנֵּ֖ה (wə·hin·nêh)
Conjunctive waw | Interjection
Strong's 2009: Lo! behold!

those ravaged
תַּחֲלוּאֵ֣י (ta·ḥă·lū·’ê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 8463: A malady

by famine!
רָעָ֑ב (rā·‘āḇ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7458: Famine, hunger

For
כִּֽי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

both
גַם־ (ḡam-)
Conjunction
Strong's 1571: Assemblage, also, even, yea, though, both, and

prophet
נָבִ֧יא (nā·ḇî)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5030: A spokesman, speaker, prophet

and
גַם־ (ḡam-)
Conjunction
Strong's 1571: Assemblage, also, even, yea, though, both, and

priest
כֹּהֵ֛ן (kō·hên)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3548: Priest

travel
סָחֲר֥וּ (sā·ḥă·rū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 5503: To go around or about, travel about

to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

a land
אֶ֖רֶץ (’e·reṣ)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 776: Earth, land

they do not
וְלֹ֥א (wə·lō)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

know.”
יָדָֽעוּ׃ (yā·ḏā·‘ū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 3045: To know


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OT Prophets: Jeremiah 14:18 If I go forth into the field (Jer.)
Jeremiah 14:17
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