Jeremiah 38:23

Verse

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.”

American Standard Version (1901)

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.

Bible in Basic English

And they will take all your wives and your children out to the Chaldaeans: and you will not get away out of their hands, but will be taken by the hands of the king of Babylon: and this town will be burned with fire.

Douay-Rheims 1899

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.

Free Bible Version

All your wives and children will be handed over to the Chaldeans. And you yourself will not escape, for you will be captured by the king of Babylon, and Jerusalem will be burned down.”

Geneva Bible 1599

So they shall bring out all thy wiues, and thy children to the Caldeans, and thou shalt not escape out of their hands, but shalt be taken by the hand of the King of Babel: and this citie shalt thou cause to be burnt with fire.

King James (Authorized) Version

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.

Translation for Translators

All of your wives and children in the city will be led out to the soldiers from Babylonia, and you also will not escape. The soldiers of the King of Babylon will seize you, and they will burn down this city.”

Unlocked Literal Bible

For all of your wives and children will be brought out to the Chaldeans, and you yourself will not escape from their hand. You will be captured by the hand of the king of Babylon, and this city will be burned.”

Noah Webster Bible

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.’”

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.'

Context

Jeremiah Cast into the Cistern

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.’²³All 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.”

Summary

In this verse, we see Jeremiah pleading with King Zedekiah to spare his life, emphasizing that his prophetic message was not intended to harm the king but to warn him of the impending destruction of Jerusalem. Jeremiah's concern for the king's well-being and the city's fate reflects his deep care for his people despite the persecution he faced. This interaction reveals the tension between the prophet's duty to deliver God's message faithfully and the human struggle for survival and understanding. Ultimately, Jeremiah's unwavering commitment to his calling highlights the importance of obedience to God's will even in the face of opposition and personal risk.

Commentary

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
John Gill

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

children-- (Jer 39:6; Jer 41:10). "wives . . . children . . . thou"; an ascending climax.