Jeremiah 16

1 Then the word [message from God, divine utterance] of the LORD [Yehovah] came [was given, appeared] to me, saying [to speak, to declare], word study 2 “You must not [under any circumstances] marry [take a wife, enter into a covenant of marriage] or have sons [children, descendants] or daughters [female children, heirs] in this [specific, designated] place [location, region].” word study 3 For this is what the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] says concerning the sons [male descendants, children] and daughters [female children, girls] born in this place [location, region], and the mothers [female parents, caregivers] who bore [gave birth to, nurtured] them, and the fathers [male parents, patriarchs] who fathered [begat, generated] them in this land [country, territory]: word study 4 “They will die [from grievous diseases, fatal illnesses] from deadly diseases [death or a fatal disease]. They will not be mourned [lamented, expressed deep sadness] or buried [given a proper funeral, laid to rest], but will lie like dung [worthless, insignificant] on the ground [the earth, the land]. They will be finished off [consumed, destroyed] by sword [a cutting instrument, war] and famine [hunger, lack of food], and their corpses [dead bodies, carcasses] will become food [sustenance, nourishment] for the birds [creatures of the air] of the air and beasts [animals, living creatures] of the earth [the land, the ground].” word study 5 Indeed, this is what the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] says: “Do not enter [go into, approach] a house [dwelling place, family home] where there is a funeral meal [a mourning feast, a time of sorrow]. Do not go [walk, move] to mourn [lament, express deep sadness] or show sympathy [comfort, pity], for I have removed [taken away, gathered] from this people [nation, community] My peace [shalom, completeness and wellness], My loving devotion [kindness and mercy], and My compassion [tender love],” declares the LORD. word study 6 “Both [important and unimportant] great and small will die [perish, meet their end] in this [specific, particular] land [country, territory]. They will not be buried [laid to rest, interred] or mourned [lamented, grieved], nor will anyone cut [gash, wound] himself or shave [make bald, strip] his head for them. word study 7 No food [or bread, to break and share] will be offered to comfort [to show pity or sympathy, to console] those who mourn [grieve, lament] the dead; not even a cup [a drink to cheer] of consolation [comfort, solace, to alleviate sorrow] will be given for the loss [death, passing away] of a father [parent, ancestor, one who begets] or mother [one who gives birth, nurtures]. word study 8 You must not [under any circumstances] enter a house [place of dwelling, family home] where there is feasting [a banquet, celebration] and sit down [to dwell, remain] with them to eat [consume, devour] and drink [partake, indulge]. word study 9 For this is what the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] of Hosts [armies, a large group of people], the God [Elohim, the supreme God] of Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, referring to his descendants], says: I am going to remove [cause to cease, put an end to] from this place [location, region], before your very eyes [in your sight, visibly] and in your days [a literal 24-hour period or a figurative space of time], the sounds [voices, noise] of joy [gladness, happiness] and gladness [rejoicing, celebration], the voices [sounds, utterances] of the bride [daughter-in-law, a woman recently married] and bridegroom [son-in-law, a man recently married]. word study 10 When you tell [declare, make known] these people [the nation, Israel] all these things, they will ask [inquire, seek to know] you, ‘Why [for what reason, on account of what] has the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] pronounced [spoken, declared] all this great [extensive, severe] disaster [evil, calamity] against us? What [in what way, to what extent] is our guilt [iniquity, moral evil]? What [in what way, to what extent] is the sin [transgression, rebellion] that we have committed [missed the mark, gone wrong] against the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] our God [Elohim, the supreme Ruler]?’ word study 11 Then you are to answer them: ‘It is because your fathers [ancestors, forefathers] have forsaken [abandoned, turned away from] Me, declares the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God], and followed [walked after, pursued] other [different, foreign] gods, and served [worshiped, obeyed] and worshiped [bowed down to, revered] them. They abandoned [forsaken, rejected] Me and did not keep [obey, observe] My instruction [law, teachings, Torah]. word study 12 And you [as individuals, each one of you] have done more evil [worse, increased wickedness] than your fathers [ancestors, forefathers]. See how each of you follows [walks after, pursues] the stubbornness [hard-heartedness, obstinacy] of his evil [bad, wicked] heart [mind, inner being] instead of obeying [listening to, heeding] Me. word study 13 So I will cast [throw away, expel] you out of this land [territory, region] into a land [country, foreign soil] that neither you nor your fathers [ancestors, forefathers] have known [experienced, understood]. There [in that place, at that time] you will serve [worship, obey] other [different, foreign] gods [deities, idols] day [by day, daily] and night [in the darkness, continually], for I will show [give, grant] you no [absolutely none] favor [mercy, kindness, compassion].’ word study 14 Yet behold [look, see], the days [a period of time, an era] are coming [approaching, drawing near], declares [says, utters] the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], when they will no longer say [speak, utter], ‘As surely as [just as, in the same way] the LORD [the living God] lives [is alive, has life], who brought [led, guided] the Israelites [the descendants of Jacob] up out of the land [the earth, the territory] of Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa].’ word study 15 Instead they will say, ‘As surely as the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] lives, who brought the Israelites [the descendants of Jacob] up out of the land [the earth, the ground] of the north [Zaphon, the northern direction] and all the other lands [countries, territories] to which He had banished [driven away, expelled] them.’ For I will return [to bring back, to restore] them to their land [the promised inheritance] that I gave [bestowed, granted] to their forefathers [ancestors, fathers]. word study 16 But for now I will send [dispatch, summon] for many [a large multitude of] fishermen [those who catch fish], declares the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God], and they will catch [gather, collect] them. After that I will send [dispatch, commission] for many [a large number of] hunters [those who pursue and capture], and they will hunt [pursue, track] them down on every [all, each] mountain [a high elevation, a place of spiritual encounter] and hill [a small mountain, a place of refuge], even from the clefts [holes, crevices] of the rocks [crags, cliffs]. word study 17 For My eyes [upon all their actions, watching carefully] are on all their ways [paths, journeys, and decisions]. They are not hidden [concealed, or kept secret] from My face [presence, sight], and their guilt [iniquity, moral evil] is not concealed [hidden, or treasured away] from My eyes [source of insight, discernment]. word study 18 And I will first [at the beginning, initially] repay them double [twice, in full measure] their iniquity [moral evil, sin] and their sin [guilt, punishment], because they have defiled [polluted, made unclean] My land [country, territory] with the carcasses [dead bodies] of their detestable [abominable, disgusting] idols, and they have filled [completed, made full] My inheritance [possession, heritage] with their abominations [disgusting things, filthy idols].” word study 19 O LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], my strength [power, might] and my fortress [stronghold, refuge], my refuge [safe place, sanctuary] in the day [period of time, era] of distress [affliction, trouble], the nations [Gentiles, non-Hebrew peoples] will come to You from the ends [farthest points, extremities] of the earth [land, world], and they will say, “Our fathers [ancestors, forefathers] inherited [received, possessed] nothing but lies [deception, falsehood], worthless [empty, vain] idols [false gods, useless objects] of no benefit [profit, value] at all. word study 20 Can man [a human being, Adam] make [create, fashion] gods [idols, false deities] for himself? Such [these, the ones he makes] are not [certainly not, by no means] gods [the one true God, Elohim]!” word study 21 “Therefore behold [look, take notice], I will inform them, and this time [on this occasion, once] I will make them know [cause them to understand, give them knowledge of] My power [strength, might] and My might [ability, authority]; then they will know [recognize, be aware] that My name [identity, character] is the LORD [Yehovah, the one true God]. word study