Jeremiah 5:19

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

And when you ask, 'Why has the Lord our God done all these things to us?' you are to tell them, 'As you have forsaken Me and served foreign gods in your own land, so now you will serve foreigners in a land that is not your own.'

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וְהָיָה֙ כִּ֣י תֹאמְר֔וּ תַּ֣חַת מֶ֗ה עָשָׂ֨ה יְהֹוָ֧ה אֱלֹהֵ֛ינוּ לָ֖נוּ אֶת־כָּל־אֵ֑לֶּה וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵיהֶ֗ם כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר עֲזַבְתֶּ֤ם אוֹתִי֙ וַתַּעַבְד֞וּ אֱלֹהֵ֤י נֵכָר֙ בְּאַרְצְכֶ֔ם כֵּ֚ן תַּעַבְד֣וּ זָרִ֔ים בְּאֶ֖רֶץ לֹ֥א לָכֶֽם׃ ס

Transliteration

And it will hāyâ when you tō'mərû, "because meh 'āśâ YHWH our 'ĕlōhênû to us 'et-all-these?"; and you shall 'āmartā to them, "as which you 'ăzabtem me and you watta'abdû 'ĕlōhê nēkār in your 'arṣəkem, so you shall ta'abdû zārîm in 'ereṣ not to you."

Grammar Details

• *wə*: conjunction - and
• *hāyâ*: perfect, 3rd masculine singular - it will be
• *kî*: conjunction - when/that
• *tō'mərû*: imperfect, 2nd masculine plural - you will say
• *taḥat*: preposition - because/instead of
• *meh*: interrogative - what
• *'āśâ*: perfect, 3rd masculine singular - he did
• *YHWH*: divine name - Yahweh
• *'ĕlōhênû*: noun, masculine plural + 1st plural suffix - our God
• *lānû*: preposition + 1st plural suffix - to us
• *'et*: direct object marker
• *kol*: noun, masculine singular construct - all
• *'ēlleh*: demonstrative pronoun, plural - these
• *'āmartā*: perfect, 2nd masculine singular - you will say
• *'ălêhem*: preposition + 3rd masculine plural suffix - to them
• *ka'ăšer*: conjunction - as/just as
• *'ăzabtem*: perfect, 2nd masculine plural - you forsook
• *'ôtî*: direct object marker + 1st singular suffix - me
• *watta'abdû*: imperfect, 2nd masculine plural - you served
• *'ĕlōhê*: noun, masculine plural construct - gods of
• *nēkār*: noun, masculine singular - foreignness/foreign
• *bə*: preposition - in
• *'arṣəkem*: noun, feminine singular + 2nd masculine plural suffix - your land
• *kēn*: adverb - thus/so
• *ta'abdû*: imperfect, 2nd masculine plural - you will serve
• *zārîm*: adjective, masculine plural - strangers/foreigners
• *'ereṣ*: noun, feminine singular - land
• *lō'*: negative particle - not
• *lākem*: preposition + 2nd masculine plural suffix - to you/yours

Word Meanings

• *'ĕlōhê nēkār*: foreign gods/gods of foreigners/strange gods
• *ta'abdû*: you will serve/be slaves to
• *zārîm*: strangers/foreigners/others
• *'ereṣ lō' lākem*: land not yours/strange country

Other Translations

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  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.

• KJV1611 – Modern English

  And it shall come to pass, when you shall say, Why does the LORD our God do all these things to us? then you shall answer them, Just as you have forsaken me, and served strange gods in your land, so shall you serve strangers in a land that is not yours.

• King James Version 1611 (Original)

  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.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  And it shall come to pass, when ye shall say,{H559} Wherefore{H8478} hath Jehovah{H3068} our God{H430} done{H6213} all these things unto us? then shalt thou say{H559} unto them, Like as ye have forsaken{H5800} me, and served{H5647} foreign{H5236} gods{H430} in your land,{H776} so shall ye serve{H5647} strangers{H2114} in a land{H776} that is not yours.

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  And it shall come to pass, when ye shall say{H559}{(H8799)}, Wherefore{H8478}{H4100} doeth{H6213}{(H8804)} the LORD{H3068} our God{H430} all these things unto us? then shalt thou answer{H559}{(H8804)} them, Like as ye have forsaken{H5800}{(H8804)} me, and served{H5647}{(H8799)} strange{H5236} gods{H430} in your land{H776}, so shall ye serve{H5647}{(H8799)} strangers{H2114}{(H8801)} in a land{H776} that is not yours.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  But yf they saye: wherfore doth the LORDE oure God all this vnto vs? Then answere them: because, that like as ye haue forsake me, and serued straunge goddes in youre owne londe, euen so shall ye serue other goddes also in a straunge londe.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  And when ye shall say, Wherefore doeth the Lord our God doe these things vnto vs? then shalt thou answere them, Like as ye haue forsaken me and serued strange gods in your land, so shall ye serue strangers in a land that is not yours.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  But if they say, wherfore doth the Lorde our God all this vnto vs? Then aunswere them: because that lyke as ye haue forsaken me, & serued straunge gods in your lande, euen so shal ye serue straungers out of your lande.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  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.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  It shall happen, when you shall say, Why has Yahweh our God done all these things to us? then shall you say to them, Like as you have forsaken me, and served foreign gods in your land, so shall you serve strangers in a land that is not yours.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  And it hath come to pass, when ye say, `For what hath Jehovah our God done to us all these?' That thou hast said unto them, `As ye have forsaken Me, And serve the gods of a foreigner in your land, So do ye serve strangers in a land not yours.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And it shall come to pass, when ye shall say, Wherefore hath Jehovah our God done all these things unto us? then shalt thou say unto them, Like as ye have forsaken me, and served foreign gods in your land, so shall ye serve strangers in a land that is not yours.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And it shall come to pass, when ye shall say, Wherefore hath Jehovah our God done all these things unto us? then shalt thou say unto them, Like as ye have forsaken me, and served foreign gods in your land, so shall ye serve strangers in a land that is not yours.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  And it will come about, when you say, Why has the Lord our God done all these things to us? that you will say to them, As you gave me up, making yourselves servants to strange gods in your land, so will you be servants to strange men in a land which is not yours.

• World English Bible (2000)

  It will happen, when you say, 'Why has Yahweh our God done all these things to us?' Then you shall say to them, 'Just like you have forsaken me, and served foreign gods in your land, so you shall serve strangers in a land that is not yours.'

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  “So then, Jeremiah, when your people ask,‘Why has the LORD our God done all this to us?’ tell them,‘It is because you rejected me and served foreign gods in your own land. So you must serve foreigners in a land that does not belong to you.’

Referenced Verses

• 1 Kgs 9:8-9 : 8 And this temple, now exalted, will become a heap of ruins. Everyone who passes by it will be appalled and will hiss, saying, 'Why has the LORD done this to this land and this temple?' 9 And the people will answer, 'Because they abandoned the LORD their God, who brought their ancestors out of Egypt, and they embraced other gods, worshiped them, and served them. That is why the LORD brought all this disaster on them.'
• Deut 28:47-48 : 47 Because you did not serve the LORD your God joyfully and wholeheartedly in the time of abundance. 48 You will serve your enemies whom the LORD will send against you, in hunger, thirst, nakedness, and total destitution. He will put an iron yoke on your neck until He has destroyed you.
• Jer 13:22 : 22 If you ask yourself, ‘Why has this happened to me?’ it is because of your many sins. Your skirts have been torn off, and your heels have been exposed.
• Jer 22:8-9 : 8 Many nations will pass by this city and ask one another, 'Why has the LORD done such a thing to this great city?' 9 And the answer will be: 'Because they abandoned the covenant of the LORD their God and worshiped and served other gods.'
• Jer 16:10-11 : 10 When you tell these people all these words, they will ask you, 'Why has the LORD declared such a great calamity against us? What is our guilt? What is the sin that we have committed against the LORD our God?' 11 Then you are to answer them: 'It is because your ancestors abandoned Me,' declares the LORD, 'and followed other gods, served them, and worshiped them. But they abandoned Me and did not keep My law.
• Jer 16:13 : 13 Therefore, I will hurl you out of this land into a land you and your ancestors have not known. There you will serve other gods day and night, for I will show you no favor.'
• Deut 29:24-28 : 24 And they will answer, 'It is because they abandoned the covenant of the LORD, the God of their ancestors, which He made with them when He brought them out of the land of Egypt. 25 They turned to other gods and worshiped and bowed down to them, gods they did not know and gods the LORD had not given to them.' 26 Therefore the LORD’s anger burned against this land, bringing upon it every curse written in this book. 27 In His anger and great wrath, the LORD uprooted them from their land and cast them into another land, as it is today. 28 The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.
• 2 Chr 7:21-22 : 21 This temple, which was so exalted, will be appalling to every passerby who sees it. They will say, 'Why has the LORD done such a thing to this land and to this temple?' 22 And the answer will be: 'Because they abandoned the LORD, the God of their ancestors, who brought them out of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshiping and serving them. That is why He has brought all this disaster upon them.'
• Jer 2:13 : 13 For my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and they have dug their own cisterns—broken cisterns that cannot hold water.
• Jer 2:35 : 35 Yet you say, 'I am innocent; surely his anger has turned away from me.' But I will bring you to judgment because you say, 'I have not sinned.'
• Lam 5:8 : 8 Slaves now rule over us, and there is no one to free us from their power.
• Deut 4:25-28 : 25 When you have children and grandchildren and have grown old in the land, and if you act corruptly and make a carved image in the form of anything, doing what is evil in the sight of the LORD your God to provoke Him to anger, 26 I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today that you will surely be quickly destroyed from the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess. You will not extend your days there but will be utterly destroyed. 27 The LORD will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations where the LORD will lead you. 28 There you will serve gods made by human hands—objects of wood and stone that cannot see, hear, eat, or smell.