Jeremiah 20:18
New International Version
Why did I ever come out of the womb to see trouble and sorrow and to end my days in shame?

New Living Translation
Why was I ever born? My entire life has been filled with trouble, sorrow, and shame.

English Standard Version
Why did I come out from the womb to see toil and sorrow, and spend my days in shame?

Berean Standard Bible
Why did I come out of the womb to see only trouble and sorrow, and to end my days in shame?

King James Bible
Wherefore came I forth out of the womb to see labour and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame?

New King James Version
Why did I come forth from the womb to see labor and sorrow, That my days should be consumed with shame?

New American Standard Bible
Why did I ever come out of the womb To look at trouble and sorrow, So that my days have been spent in shame?

NASB 1995
Why did I ever come forth from the womb To look on trouble and sorrow, So that my days have been spent in shame?

NASB 1977
Why did I ever come forth from the womb To look on trouble and sorrow, So that my days have been spent in shame?

Legacy Standard Bible
Why did I ever come forth from the womb To look on trouble and sorrow, So that my days have been spent in shame?

Amplified Bible
Why did I come out of the womb To see trouble and sorrow, So that my days have been filled with shame?

Christian Standard Bible
Why did I come out of the womb to see only struggle and sorrow, to end my life in shame?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Why did I come out of the womb to see only struggle and sorrow, to end my life in shame?

American Standard Version
Wherefore came I forth out of the womb to see labor and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame?

Contemporary English Version
Why did I have to be born? Was it just to suffer and die in shame?

English Revised Version
Wherefore came I forth out of the womb to see labour and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Why did I come out of the womb? All I've seen is trouble and grief. I will finish my days in shame.

Good News Translation
Why was I born? Was it only to have trouble and sorrow, to end my life in disgrace?

International Standard Version
Why did I ever come out of the womb to see trouble and sorrow, and to finish my life living in shame?

Majority Standard Bible
Why did I come out of the womb to see only trouble and sorrow, and to end my days in shame?

NET Bible
Why did I ever come forth from my mother's womb? All I experience is trouble and grief, and I spend my days in shame.

New Heart English Bible
Why came I forth out of the womb to see labor and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame?

Webster's Bible Translation
Why was I brought into the world to see labor and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame?

World English Bible
Why did I come out of the womb to see labor and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame?
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Why [is] this? I have come out from the womb "" To see labor and sorrow, "" Indeed, my days are consumed in shame!

Young's Literal Translation
Why is this? from the womb I have come out, To see labour and sorrow, Yea, consumed in shame are my days!

Smith's Literal Translation
Wherefore this came I forth from the womb to see labor and sorrow, and my days shall be finished with shame?
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Why came I out of the womb, to see labour and sorrow, and that my days should be spent in confusion?

Catholic Public Domain Version
Why did I depart from the womb, so that I would see hardship and sorrow, and so that my days would be consumed by trouble?”

New American Bible
Why did I come forth from the womb, to see sorrow and pain, to end my days in shame?

New Revised Standard Version
Why did I come forth from the womb to see toil and sorrow, and spend my days in shame?
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Why did I come forth out of the womb to see toil and sorrow? My days are spent in shame.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Why have I proceeded from the womb to see labor and misery, and my days are finished in shame?”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Wherefore came I forth out of the womb To see labour and sorrow, That my days should be consumed in shame?

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Why is it that I came forth of the womb to see troubles and distresses, and my days are spent in shame?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Jeremiah's Complaint
17because he did not kill me in the womb so that my mother might have been my grave, and her womb forever enlarged. 18Why did I come out of the womb to see only trouble and sorrow, and to end my days in shame?

Cross References
Job 3:11-16
Why did I not perish at birth; why did I not die as I came from the womb? / Why were there knees to receive me, and breasts that I should be nursed? / For now I would be lying down in peace; I would be asleep and at rest ...

Job 10:18-19
Why then did You bring me from the womb? Oh, that I had died, and no eye had seen me! / If only I had never come to be, but had been carried from the womb to the grave.

Ecclesiastes 4:2-3
So I admired the dead, who had already died, above the living, who are still alive. / But better than both is he who has not yet existed, who has not seen the evil that is done under the sun.

Job 3:1-3
After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth. / And this is what he said: / “May the day of my birth perish, and the night it was said, ‘A boy is conceived.’

Job 14:1
“Man, who is born of woman, is short of days and full of trouble.

Job 3:20-23
Why is light given to the miserable, and life to the bitter of soul, / who long for death that does not come, and search for it like hidden treasure, / who rejoice and greatly exult when they reach the grave? ...

Job 7:16
I loathe my life! I would not live forever. Leave me alone, for my days are but a breath.

Job 17:13-16
If I look for Sheol as my home, if I spread out my bed in darkness, / and say to corruption, ‘You are my father,’ and to the worm, ‘My mother,’ or ‘My sister,’ / where then is my hope? Who can see any hope for me? ...

Job 21:7-15
Why do the wicked live on, growing old and increasing in power? / Their descendants are established around them, and their offspring before their eyes. / Their homes are safe from fear; no rod of punishment from God is upon them. ...

Psalm 88:3-6
For my soul is full of troubles, and my life draws near to Sheol. / I am counted among those descending to the Pit. I am like a man without strength. / I am forsaken among the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave, whom You remember no more, who are cut off from Your care. ...

Psalm 39:4-5
“Show me, O LORD, my end and the measure of my days. Let me know how fleeting my life is. / You, indeed, have made my days as handbreadths, and my lifetime as nothing before You. Truly each man at his best exists as but a breath. Selah

Psalm 73:3-14
For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. / They have no struggle in their death; their bodies are well-fed. / They are free of the burdens others carry; they are not afflicted like other men. ...

Psalm 90:10
The length of our days is seventy years—or eighty if we are strong—yet their pride is but labor and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.

Lamentations 3:1-18
I am the man who has seen affliction under the rod of God’s wrath. / He has driven me away and made me walk in darkness instead of light. / Indeed, He keeps turning His hand against me all day long. ...

Isaiah 38:10-14
I said, “In the prime of my life I must go through the gates of Sheol and be deprived of the remainder of my years.” / I said, “I will never again see the LORD, even the LORD, in the land of the living; I will no longer look on mankind with those who dwell in this world. / My dwelling has been picked up and removed from me like a shepherd’s tent. I have rolled up my life like a weaver; He cuts me off from the loom; from day until night You make an end of me. ...


Treasury of Scripture

Why came I forth out of the womb to see labor and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame?

came.

Job 3:20
Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery, and life unto the bitter in soul;

Job 14:1,13
Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble…

Lamentations 3:1
I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.

to see.

Jeremiah 8:18
When I would comfort myself against sorrow, my heart is faint in me.

Genesis 3:16-19
Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee…

Psalm 90:10
The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.

with.

Psalm 69:19
Thou hast known my reproach, and my shame, and my dishonour: mine adversaries are all before thee.

Isaiah 1:6
From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.

Isaiah 61:7
For your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be unto them.

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Jeremiah 20
1. Pashur, smiting Jeremiah, receives a new name, and a fearful doom.
7. Jeremiah complains of contempt;
10. of treachery;
14. and of his birth.














Why did I come out of the womb
This phrase reflects a deep existential questioning that Jeremiah experiences. The Hebrew root for "womb" is "בֶּטֶן" (beten), which signifies the innermost part of a person, often used metaphorically for the source of life. Jeremiah's lament here is not just personal but echoes the broader human struggle with purpose and suffering. In the context of his prophetic ministry, Jeremiah feels the weight of his calling, which has brought him more anguish than joy. This question is reminiscent of Job's lament in Job 3:11, where he questions the purpose of his birth amidst suffering. It highlights the universal human experience of questioning one's existence in the face of adversity.

to see only trouble and sorrow
The Hebrew words for "trouble" (עָמָל, amal) and "sorrow" (יָגוֹן, yagon) convey a sense of laborious toil and deep emotional pain. Jeremiah's life as a prophet was marked by constant opposition, rejection, and persecution. Historically, Jeremiah prophesied during a tumultuous period in Judah's history, facing the impending Babylonian exile. His message was often one of impending judgment, which was not well-received by his contemporaries. This phrase captures the essence of his prophetic burden, as he was called to witness and proclaim difficult truths to a rebellious nation. It serves as a reminder of the cost of faithfulness to God's calling, often involving personal sacrifice and suffering.

and to end my days in shame?
The concept of "shame" (בֹּשֶׁת, boshet) in Hebrew culture is deeply tied to one's honor and reputation. For Jeremiah, ending his days in shame would mean a life perceived as unfulfilled or dishonored, especially in the eyes of his community. This reflects the prophet's internal struggle with the apparent lack of visible success or vindication in his ministry. Despite his faithfulness, Jeremiah faced ridicule and scorn, leading him to question the outcome of his life's work. From a scriptural perspective, this highlights the tension between earthly perceptions of success and divine approval. It encourages believers to remain steadfast, trusting that God's purposes transcend immediate circumstances and that ultimate vindication comes from Him alone.

(18) Wherefore came I forth . . .?--Like the preceding verse, this is in its tone, almost in its words, an echo of Job 3:11-12; Job 3:20.



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Why
לָ֤מָּה (lām·māh)
Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

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

of the womb
מֵרֶ֣חֶם (mê·re·ḥem)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7358: The womb

to see
לִרְא֥וֹת (lir·’ō·wṯ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 7200: To see

only trouble
עָמָ֖ל (‘ā·māl)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5999: Toil, wearing effort, worry, wheth, of body, mind

and sorrow,
וְיָג֑וֹן (wə·yā·ḡō·wn)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3015: Grief, sorrow

and to end
וַיִּכְל֥וּ (way·yiḵ·lū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 3615: To be complete, at an end, finished, accomplished, or spent

my days
יָמָֽי׃ (yā·māy)
Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 3117: A day

in shame?
בְּבֹ֖שֶׁת (bə·ḇō·šeṯ)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 1322: Shame, shameful thing


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OT Prophets: Jeremiah 20:18 Why came I forth out (Jer.)
Jeremiah 20:17
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