Jeremiah 38:23
New International Version
“All your wives and children will be brought out to the Babylonians. You yourself will not escape from their hands but will be captured by the king of Babylon; and this city will be burned down.”

New Living Translation
All your wives and children will be led out to the Babylonians, and you will not escape. You will be seized by the king of Babylon, and this city will be burned down.”

English Standard Version
All your wives and your sons shall be led out to the Chaldeans, and you yourself shall not escape from their hand, but shall be seized by the king of Babylon, and this city shall be burned with fire.”

Berean Standard Bible
All your wives and children will be brought out to the Chaldeans. And you yourself will not escape their grasp, for you will be seized by the king of Babylon, and this city will be burned down.”

King James Bible
So they shall bring out all thy wives and thy children to the Chaldeans: and thou shalt not escape out of their hand, but shalt be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon: and thou shalt cause this city to be burned with fire.

New King James Version
‘So they shall surrender all your wives and children to the Chaldeans. You shall not escape from their hand, but shall be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon. And you shall cause this city to be burned with fire.’ ”

New American Standard Bible
They are also going to bring out all your wives and your sons to the Chaldeans, and you yourself will not escape from their hand, but will be seized by the hand of the king of Babylon, and this city will be burned with fire.’”

NASB 1995
‘They will also bring out all your wives and your sons to the Chaldeans, and you yourself will not escape from their hand, but will be seized by the hand of the king of Babylon, and this city will be burned with fire.’”

NASB 1977
‘They will also bring out all your wives and your sons to the Chaldeans, and you yourself will not escape from their hand, but will be seized by the hand of the king of Babylon, and this city will be burned with fire.’”

Legacy Standard Bible
And they will also bring out all your wives and your sons to the Chaldeans, and you yourself will not escape from their hand, but will be seized by the hand of the king of Babylon, and this city will be burned with fire.’”

Amplified Bible
Also, all your wives and your children will be brought out to the Chaldeans; and you yourself will not escape from their hand, but you will be seized by the king of Babylon, and this city [Jerusalem] will be burned down with fire.’”

Christian Standard Bible
All your wives and children will be brought out to the Chaldeans. You yourself will not escape from them, for you will be seized by the king of Babylon and this city will burn.’ ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
All your wives and sons will be brought out to the Chaldeans. You yourself will not escape from them, for you will be seized by the king of Babylon and this city will burn down.’”

American Standard Version
And they shall bring out all thy wives and thy children to the Chaldeans; and thou shalt not escape out of their hand, but shalt be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon: and thou shalt cause this city to be burned with fire.

Contemporary English Version
The Babylonian army will take your wives and children captive, you will be taken as a prisoner to the King of Babylonia, and Jerusalem will be burned down."

English Revised Version
And they shall bring out all thy wives and thy children to the Chaldeans: and thou shalt not escape out of their hand, but shalt be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon: and thou shalt cause this city to be burned with fire.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"All your wives and children will be brought to the Babylonians. You will not escape from them. You will be captured by the king of Babylon, and this city will be burned down."

Good News Translation
Then I added, "All your women and children will be taken out to the Babylonians, and you yourself will not escape from them. You will be taken prisoner by the king of Babylonia, and this city will be burned to the ground."

International Standard Version
"They'll bring all your women and children out to the Chaldeans, and you won't escape from their hand. Indeed, you will be seized by the hand of the king of Babylon, and this city will be burned with fire."

Majority Standard Bible
All your wives and children will be brought out to the Chaldeans. And you yourself will not escape their grasp, for you will be seized by the king of Babylon, and this city will be burned down.”

NET Bible
"All your wives and your children will be turned over to the Babylonians. You yourself will not escape from them but will be captured by the king of Babylon. This city will be burned down."

New Heart English Bible
They shall bring out all your wives and your children to the Chaldeans; and you shall not escape out of their hand, but shall be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon: and you shall cause this city to be burned with fire."

Webster's Bible Translation
So they shall bring out all thy wives and thy children to the Chaldeans: and thou shalt not escape out of their hand, but shalt be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon: and thou shalt cause this city to be burned with fire.

World English Bible
They will bring out all your wives and your children to the Chaldeans. You won’t escape out of their hand, but will be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon. You will cause this city to be burned with fire.’”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And all your wives and your sons are brought forth to the Chaldeans, and you do not escape from their hand, for you are caught by the hand of the king of Babylon, and this city is burned with fire.”

Young's Literal Translation
'And all thy wives, and thy sons, are brought forth unto the Chaldeans, and thou dost not escape from their hand, for by the hand of the king of Babylon thou art caught, and this city is burnt with fire.'

Smith's Literal Translation
And all thy women and all thy sons being brought forth to the Chaldeans: and thou shalt not escape from their hand, for thou shalt be seized by the hand of the king of Babel: and thou shalt burn this city with fire.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And all thy wives, and thy children shall be brought out to the Chaldeans, and thou shalt not escape their hands, but thou shalt be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon: and he shall burn this city with fire.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And all your wives and your sons will be led away to the Chaldeans, and you will not escape from their hands. Instead, you will be seized by the hand of the king of Babylon. And he will burn this city with fire.”

New American Bible
All your wives and children shall be brought out to the Chaldeans, and you shall not escape their hands; you shall be handed over to the king of Babylon, and this city shall be destroyed by fire.”

New Revised Standard Version
All your wives and your children shall be led out to the Chaldeans, and you yourself shall not escape from their hand, but shall be seized by the king of Babylon; and this city shall be burned with fire.”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
So they shall bring out all your wives and your children to the Chaldeans; and you yourself shall not escape from their hands, but shall be delivered into the hands of the king of Babylon; and this city shall be burned with fire.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And all your wives and your sons are going out to the Chaldeans, and you certainly shall not escape from their hands, but you shall be handed over into his hands of the King of Babel, and this city will burn in fire!”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And they shall bring out all thy wives and thy children to the Chaldeans; and thou shalt not escape out of their hand, but shalt be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon; and thou shalt cause this city to be burned with fire.'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And they shall bring forth thy wives and thy children to the Chaldeans: and thou shalt by no means escape, for thou shalt be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon, and this city shall be burnt.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Jeremiah Rescued
22All the women who remain in the palace of the king of Judah will be brought out to the officials of the king of Babylon, and those women will say: ‘They misled you and overcame you—those trusted friends of yours. Your feet sank into the mire, and they deserted you.’ 23 All your wives and children will be brought out to the Chaldeans. And you yourself will not escape their grasp, for you will be seized by the king of Babylon, and this city will be burned down.” 24Then Zedekiah warned Jeremiah, “Do not let anyone know about this conversation, or you will die.…

Cross References
2 Kings 25:4-7
Then the city was breached; and though the Chaldeans had surrounded the city, all the men of war fled by night by way of the gate between the two walls near the king’s garden. They headed toward the Arabah, / but the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho, and his whole army deserted him. / The Chaldeans seized the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah, where they pronounced judgment on him. ...

Jeremiah 39:4-7
When Zedekiah king of Judah and all the soldiers saw them, they fled. They left the city at night by way of the king’s garden, through the gate between the two walls, and they went out along the route to the Arabah. / But the army of the Chaldeans pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. They seized him and brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced judgment on him. / There at Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and he also killed all the nobles of Judah. ...

Jeremiah 52:7-11
Then the city was breached; and though the Chaldeans had surrounded the city, all the men of war fled the city by night by way of the gate between the two walls near the king’s garden. They headed toward the Arabah, / but the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho, and his whole army deserted him. / The Chaldeans seized the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced judgment on Zedekiah. ...

Lamentations 4:20
The LORD’s anointed, the breath of our life, was captured in their pits. We had said of him, “Under his shadow we will live among the nations.”

Ezekiel 12:12-13
And at dusk the prince among them will lift his bags to his shoulder and go out. They will dig through the wall to bring him out. He will cover his face so he cannot see the land. / But I will spread My net over him, and he will be caught in My snare. I will bring him to Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans; yet he will not see it, and there he will die.

2 Chronicles 36:17-20
So He brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans, who put their young men to the sword in the sanctuary, sparing neither young men nor young women, neither elderly nor infirm. God gave them all into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, / who carried off everything to Babylon—all the articles of the house of God, both large and small, and the treasures of the house of the LORD and of the king and his officials. / Then the Chaldeans set fire to the house of God and broke down the wall of Jerusalem. They burned down all the palaces and destroyed every article of value. ...

Isaiah 39:6-7
The time will surely come when everything in your palace and all that your fathers have stored up until this day will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left, says the LORD. / And some of your descendants, your own flesh and blood, will be taken away to be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.”

Ezekiel 17:20-21
I will spread My net over him and catch him in My snare. I will bring him to Babylon and execute judgment upon him there for the treason he committed against Me. / All his choice troops will fall by the sword, and those who survive will be scattered to every wind. Then you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken.’

Jeremiah 21:7
‘After that,’ declares the LORD, ‘I will hand over Zedekiah king of Judah, his officers, and the people in this city who survive the plague and sword and famine, to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and to their enemies who seek their lives. He will put them to the sword; he will not spare them or show pity or compassion.’

Jeremiah 32:4
Zedekiah king of Judah will not escape from the hands of the Chaldeans, but he will surely be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, and will speak with him face to face and see him eye to eye.

Jeremiah 34:3
And you yourself will not escape his grasp, but will surely be captured and delivered into his hand. You will see the king of Babylon eye to eye and speak with him face to face; and you will go to Babylon.

Matthew 24:15-16
So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by the prophet Daniel (let the reader understand), / then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

Luke 21:20-24
But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, you will know that her desolation is near. / Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country stay out of the city. / For these are the days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written. ...

Mark 13:14-19
So when you see the abomination of desolation standing where it should not be (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. / Let no one on the housetop go back inside to retrieve anything from his house. / And let no one in the field return for his cloak. ...

Revelation 18:2-3
And he cried out in a mighty voice: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a lair for demons and a haunt for every unclean spirit, every unclean bird, and every detestable beast. / All the nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her immorality. The kings of the earth were immoral with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown wealthy from the extravagance of her luxury.”


Treasury of Scripture

So they shall bring out all your wives and your children to the Chaldeans: and you shall not escape out of their hand, but shall be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon: and you shall cause this city to be burned with fire.

they shall.

Jeremiah 38:18
But if thou wilt not go forth to the king of Babylon's princes, then shall this city be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and thou shalt not escape out of their hand.

Jeremiah 39:6
Then the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah in Riblah before his eyes: also the king of Babylon slew all the nobles of Judah.

Jeremiah 41:10
Then Ishmael carried away captive all the residue of the people that were in Mizpah, even the king's daughters, and all the people that remained in Mizpah, whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had committed to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam: and Ishmael the son of Nethaniah carried them away captive, and departed to go over to the Ammonites.

shalt cause.

Jeremiah 27:12,13
I spake also to Zedekiah king of Judah according to all these words, saying, Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live…

Ezekiel 14:9
And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the LORD have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.

Ezekiel 43:3
And it was according to the appearance of the vision which I saw, even according to the vision that I saw when I came to destroy the city: and the visions were like the vision that I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell upon my face.

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Jeremiah 38
1. Jeremiah, by a false suggestion, is put into the dungeon of Malchiah.
7. Ebed-Melech, by suit, gets him some enlargement.
14. Upon secret conference, he counsels the king by yielding to save his life.
24. By the king's instructions he conceals the conference from the princes.














All your wives and children
This phrase highlights the personal and familial consequences of the decisions made by leaders. In the Hebrew context, the family unit was central to societal structure. The mention of "wives and children" underscores the totality of the impending disaster, affecting not just the individual but their entire household. Historically, the capture and exile of families were common practices in ancient warfare, serving as a means to demoralize and destabilize conquered peoples.

will be brought out to the Chaldeans
The Chaldeans, synonymous with the Babylonians, were a dominant power in the ancient Near East. The phrase "will be brought out" suggests a forced removal, indicative of exile. This reflects the historical reality of the Babylonian captivity, a pivotal event in Jewish history. Theologically, it serves as a fulfillment of prophetic warnings, emphasizing the consequences of disobedience to God’s covenant.

You yourself will not escape their grasp
This phrase speaks directly to the inevitability of judgment. The Hebrew root for "escape" conveys the idea of slipping away or being delivered. The assurance that escape is impossible underscores the certainty of divine justice. It serves as a sobering reminder of the inescapable nature of God’s decrees when His people persist in rebellion.

but will be seized by the hand of the king of Babylon
The "hand" symbolizes power and control. Being "seized by the hand" of the king of Babylon indicates total subjugation. Historically, this reflects the practice of conquering kings asserting dominance over defeated rulers. Spiritually, it illustrates the consequences of forsaking God’s protection, leaving one vulnerable to earthly powers.

and this city will be burned down
The burning of the city signifies complete destruction and desolation. In ancient times, burning was a common method of obliterating a city, symbolizing total defeat. Jerusalem’s destruction fulfilled Jeremiah’s prophecies and served as a divine judgment for the people’s unfaithfulness. It also foreshadows the hope of restoration, as God’s ultimate plan includes redemption and rebuilding, themes central to the prophetic message.

(23) So they shall bring out . . .--The picture of defeat and destruction is once more repeated from Jeremiah 38:18. Probably, the last clause should be read with a different punctuation of the Hebrew, "This city shall be burnt with fire." As the text now stands, the marginal rendering, Thou shalt burn, gives the true force of the word. The king himself would have that destruction to answer for. It would be his own act and deed.

(24?26) Let no man know . . .--The weak king vacillated to the last moment. He feared the prophet, he feared the princes yet more. To hush up all that had passed in the interview, to urge the prophet to baffle the eager suspicions of the princes by a prevaricating statement, as if it had been he who had sought the meeting, and had petitioned the king, as before (Jeremiah 37:20), to protect him from the cruelties which he had suffered in the house of Jonathan: this was the only course he could bring himself to follow. The plan so far succeeded that the prophet returned and gave the evasive answer which the king suggested. The nature of the interview was concealed, and events took their course; and Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison till the city was taken. The king's suggestion as to the house of Jonathan implies either that he believed that the princes would urge that Jeremiah should be sent there after his rescue from the dungeon of Malchiah, or else a wish to slur over that transaction altogether.

Verse 23. - So they, etc.; rather, and they, etc. The women spoken of are different from those in ver. 22. Thou shalt cause this city to be burned. The literal rendering (see margin) is, Thou shalt burn this city; but the Septuagint, Peshito, and Targum have "As for this city it shall be burned," which suits the parallelism better.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
All
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

your wives
נָשֶׁ֣יךָ (nā·še·ḵā)
Noun - feminine plural construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 802: Woman, wife, female

and
וְאֶת־ (wə·’eṯ-)
Conjunctive waw | Direct object marker
Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case

children
בָּנֶ֗יךָ (bā·ne·ḵā)
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 1121: A son

will be brought out
מֽוֹצִאִים֙ (mō·w·ṣi·’îm)
Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 3318: To go, bring, out, direct and proxim

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

the Chaldeans.
הַכַּשְׂדִּ֔ים (hak·kaś·dîm)
Article | Noun - proper - masculine plural
Strong's 3778: Chaldeans -- a region of southern Babylon and its inhab

And you
וְאַתָּ֖ה (wə·’at·tāh)
Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - second person masculine singular
Strong's 859: Thou and thee, ye and you

yourself will not
לֹא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

escape
תִמָּלֵ֣ט (ṯim·mā·lêṭ)
Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 4422: To be smooth, to escape, to release, rescue, to bring forth young, emit sparks

their grasp,
מִיָּדָ֑ם (mî·yā·ḏām)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 3027: A hand

for
כִּ֣י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

you will be seized
תִּתָּפֵ֔שׂ (tit·tā·p̄êś)
Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 8610: To manipulate, seize, chiefly to capture, wield, to overlay, to use unwarrantably

by
בְיַ֤ד (ḇə·yaḏ)
Preposition | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 3027: A hand

the king
מֶֽלֶךְ־ (me·leḵ-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4428: A king

of Babylon,
בָּבֶל֙ (bā·ḇel)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 894: Babylon -- an eastern Mediterranean empire and its capital city

and this
הַזֹּ֖את (haz·zōṯ)
Article | Pronoun - feminine singular
Strong's 2063: Hereby in it, likewise, the one other, same, she, so much, such deed, that,

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

will be burned down.’
תִּשְׂרֹ֥ף (tiś·rōp̄)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 8313: To be, on fire


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OT Prophets: Jeremiah 38:23 They shall bring out all your wives (Jer.)
Jeremiah 38:22
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