King James Version

Jeremiah 15:18

Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, which refuseth to be healed? wilt thou be altogether unto me as a liar, and as waters that fail?

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Hebrew

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לָ֣מָּהlamahto howמָהpreposition, particle, interrogative — “to how”H4100properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and even relatively, that which); often used with prefixes in various adverbial or conjunctive senseshow (long, oft, (-soever)), (no-) thing, what (end, good, purpose, thing), whereby(-fore, -in, -to, -with), (for) why.הָיָ֤הhayahbeהָיָהverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “be”, a completed actionH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.כְאֵבִי֙kheevigriefכְּאֵבnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “grief”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3511suffering (physical or mental), adversitygrief, pain, sorrow.נֶ֔צַחnetsachalwayנֶצַחnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “alway”, the ordinary formH5331properly, a goal, i.e. the bright object at adistance travelled towards; hence (figuratively), splendor, or (subjectively) truthfulness, or (objectively) confidence; but usually (adverbially), continually (i.e. to the most distant point of view)alway(-s), constantly, end, ([phrase] n-) ever(more), perpetual, strength, victory.וּמַכָּתִ֖יumakatiand woundמַכָּהconjunction, noun, common, feminine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “and wound”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH4347a wound; figuratively, carnage, also pestilencebeaten, blow, plague, slaughter, smote, [idiom] sore, stripe, stroke, wound(-ed).אֲנוּשָׁ֑ה֙anushahdesperateאָנַשׁadjective, adjective, feminine, singular, absolute — “desperate”, the ordinary formH605to be frail, feeble, or (figuratively) melancholydesperate(-ly wicked), incurable, sick, woeful.מֵֽאֲנָה֙meanahrefuseמָאֵןverb, piel, perfect, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “refuse”, a completed actionH3985to refuserefuse, [idiom] utterly.הֵֽרָפֵ֔אherafecureרָפָאverb, niphal, infinitive construct — “cure”, the to-form of the verbH7495properly, to mend (by stitching), i.e. (figuratively) to curecure, (cause to) heal, physician, repair, [idiom] thoroughly, make whole. See H7503 (רָפָה).הָי֨וֹhayvobeהָיָהverb, qal, infinitive absolute — “be”, the verb used for emphasisH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.תִֽהְיֶ֥הtihyehbeהָיָהverb, qal, imperfect, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “be”, an unfinished actionH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.לִי֙litoלִי֙preposition, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “to”toכְּמ֣וֹkemvothusכְּמוֹpreposition — “thus”H3644a form of the prefix 'k-', but used separately as, thus, soaccording to, (such) as (it were, well as), in comparison of, like (as, to, unto), thus, when, worth.אַכְזָ֔בakhzavliarאַכְזָבadjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “liar”, the ordinary formH391falsehood; by implication treacheryliar, lie.מַ֖יִםmayimwaterמַיִםnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “water”, the ordinary formH4325water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen[phrase] piss, wasting, water(-ing, (-course, -flood, -spring)).לֹ֥אlono , -r,לֹאparticle, negative — “no , -r,”H3808not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles[idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as trul…נֶאֱמָֽנוּneemanvbelieveאָמַןverb, niphal, perfect, 3rd person, common, plural — “believe”, a completed actionH539properly, to build up or support; to foster as a parent or nurse; figuratively to render (or be) firm or faithful, to trust or believe, to be permanent or quiet; morally to be true or certain;hence, assurance, believe, bring up, establish, [phrase] fail, be faithful (of long continuance, stedfast, sure, surely, trusty, verified), nurse, (-ing father), (put), trust, turn to the right.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, so that it refuseth to be healed? Wilt Thou indeed be unto me as a deceitful brook, as waters that fail?

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, which refuseth to be healed? wilt thou indeed be unto me as a deceitful brook , as waters that fail?

Young’s Literal Translation

Why hath my pain been perpetual? And my wound incurable? It hath refused to be healed, Thou art surely to me as a failing stream, Waters not stedfast.

World English Bible

Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, which refuses to be healed? Will you indeed be to me as a deceitful brook, like waters that fail?

Darby Translation

Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable? It refuseth to be healed. Wilt thou be altogether unto me as a treacherous [spring], [as] waters that fail?

Douay-Rheims

Why is my sorrow become perpetual, and my wound desperate so as to refuse to be healed? it is become to me as the falsehood of deceitful waters that cannot be trusted.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, so that it refuseth to be healed? Wilt Thou indeed be unto me as a deceitful brook, as waters that fail?

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

Why do they that grieve me prevail against me? my wound is severe; whence shall I be healed? it is indeed become to me as deceitful water, that has no faithfulness.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Ἱνατί οἱ λυποῦντές με κατισχύουσί μου; ἡ πληγή μου στερεὰ, πόθεν ἰαθήσομαι; γινομένη ἐγενήθη μοι ὡς ὕδωρ ψευδὲς, οὐκ ἔχον πίστιν.