King James Version

Jeremiah 18:20

Shall evil be recompensed for good? for they have digged a pit for my soul. Remember that I stood before thee to speak good for them, and to turn away thy wrath from them.

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Hebrew

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הַיְשֻׁלַּ֤םhayshulamthe make amendsשָׁלַםparticle, interrogative, verb, pual, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “the make amends”, an unfinished actionH7999to be safe (in mind, body or estate); figuratively, to be (causatively, make) completed; by implication, to be friendly; by extension, to reciprocate (in various applications)make amends, (make an) end, finish, full, give again, make good, (re-) pay (again), (make) (to) (be at) peace(-able), that is perfect, perform, (make) prosper(-ous), recompense, render, requite, make restitution, restore, reward, [idiom] s…תַּֽחַתtachatwithתַּחַתpreposition — “with”H8478the bottom (as depressed); only adverbially, below (often with prepositional prefix underneath), in lieu of, etc.as, beneath, [idiom] flat, in(-stead), (same) place (where...is), room, for...sake, stead of, under, [idiom] unto, [idiom] when...was mine, whereas, (where-) fore, with.טוֹבָה֙tovahgoodטוֹבadjective, adjective, feminine, singular, absolute — “good”, the ordinary formH2896good (as an adjective) in the widest sense; used likewise as a noun, both in the masculine and the feminine, the singular and the plural (good, a good or good thing, a good man or woman; the good, goods or good things, good men or women), also as an adverb (well)beautiful, best, better, bountiful, cheerful, at ease, [idiom] fair (word), (be in) favour, fine, glad, good (deed, -lier, -liest, -ly, -ness, -s), graciously, joyful, kindly, kindness, liketh (best), loving, merry, [idiom] most, pleasant,…רָעָ֔הraahbadרַעnoun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “bad”, the ordinary formH7451bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral)adversity, affliction, bad, calamity, [phrase] displease(-ure), distress, evil((-favouredness), man, thing), [phrase] exceedingly, [idiom] great, grief(-vous), harm, heavy, hurt(-ful), ill (favoured), [phrase] mark, mischief(-vous), misery…כִּֽיkiassuredכִּיconjunction — “assured”H3588(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexedand, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + til…כָר֥וּkharvdigכָּרָהverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, common, plural — “dig”, a completed actionH3738properly, to dig; figuratively, to plot; generally, to bore or opendig, [idiom] make (a banquet), open.שׁוּחָ֖הshuchahditchשׁוּחָהnoun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “ditch”, the ordinary formH7745a chasmditch, pit.לְנַפְשִׁ֑יlenafshito creatureנֶפֶשׁpreposition, noun, common, both genders, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “to creature”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5315properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental)any, appetite, beast, body, breath, creature, [idiom] dead(-ly), desire, [idiom] (dis-) contented, [idiom] fish, ghost, [phrase] greedy, he, heart(-y), (hath, [idiom] jeopardy of) life ([idiom] in jeopardy), lust, man, me, mind, mortally,…זְכֹ֣רzekhorbe maleזָכַרverb, qal, imperative, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “be male”, a commandH2142properly, to mark (so as to be recognized), i.e. to remember; by implication, to mention; to be male[idiom] burn (incense), [idiom] earnestly, be male, (make) mention (of), be mindful, recount, record(-er), remember, make to be remembered, bring (call, come, keep, put) to (in) remembrance, [idiom] still, think on, [idiom] well.עָמְדִ֣יamedistandעָמַדverb, qal, infinitive construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “stand”, the to-form of the verbH5975to stand, in various relations (literal and figurative, intransitive and transitive)abide (behind), appoint, arise, cease, confirm, continue, dwell, be employed, endure, establish, leave, make, ordain, be (over), place, (be) present (self), raise up, remain, repair, [phrase] serve, set (forth, over, -tle, up), (make to, m…לְפָנֶ֗יךָlefaneykhato a- foreפָּנִיםpreposition, noun, common, both genders, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “to a- fore”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6440the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.)[phrase] accept, a-(be-) fore(-time), against, anger, [idiom] as (long as), at, [phrase] battle, [phrase] because (of), [phrase] beseech, countenance, edge, [phrase] employ, endure, [phrase] enquire, face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-…לְדַבֵּ֤רledaberto speakדָבַרpreposition, verb, piel, infinitive construct — “to speak”, the to-form of the verbH1696perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdueanswer, appoint, bid, command, commune, declare, destroy, give, name, promise, pronounce, rehearse, say, speak, be spokesman, subdue, talk, teach, tell, think, use (entreaties), utter, [idiom] well, [idiom] work.עֲלֵיהֶם֙aleyhemaboveעַלpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “above”H5921above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applicationsabove, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of,…טוֹבָ֔הtovahgoodטוֹבadjective, adjective, feminine, singular, absolute — “good”, the ordinary formH2896good (as an adjective) in the widest sense; used likewise as a noun, both in the masculine and the feminine, the singular and the plural (good, a good or good thing, a good man or woman; the good, goods or good things, good men or women), also as an adverb (well)beautiful, best, better, bountiful, cheerful, at ease, [idiom] fair (word), (be in) favour, fine, glad, good (deed, -lier, -liest, -ly, -ness, -s), graciously, joyful, kindly, kindness, liketh (best), loving, merry, [idiom] most, pleasant,…לְהָשִׁ֥יבlehashivto againשׁוּבpreposition, verb, hiphil, infinitive construct — “to again”, the to-form of the verbH7725to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to retreat; often adverbial, again((break, build, circumcise, dig, do anything, do evil, feed, lay down, lie down, lodge, make, rejoice, send, take, weep)) [idiom] again, (cause to) answer ([phrase] again), [idiom] in any case (wise), [idiom] at all, averse, bring (again,…אֶתetobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).חֲמָתְךָ֖chamatekhaangerחֵמָהnoun, common, feminine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “anger”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH2534heat; figuratively, anger, poison (from its fever)anger, bottles, hot displeasure, furious(-ly, -ry), heat, indignation, poison, rage, wrath(-ful). See H2529 (חֶמְאָה).מֵהֶֽםmehemfromמֵהֶֽםpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “from”from

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

Shall evil be recompensed for good? For they have digged a pit for my soul. Remember how I stood before Thee to speak good for them, to turn away Thy wrath from them.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

Shall evil be recompensed for good? for they have digged a pit for my soul. Remember how I stood before thee to speak good for them, to turn away thy wrath from them.

Young’s Literal Translation

Is evil recompensed instead of good, That they have dug a pit for my soul? Remember my standing before Thee to speak good of them, To turn back Thy wrath from them.

World English Bible

Should evil be recompensed for good? For they have dug a pit for my soul. Remember how I stood before you to speak good for them, to turn away your wrath from them.

Darby Translation

Shall evil be recompensed for good? For they have digged a pit for my soul. Remember how I stood before thee to speak good for them, to turn away thy wrath from them.

Douay-Rheims

Shall evil be rendered for good, because they have digged a pit for my soul? Remember that I have stood in thy sight, so speak good for them, and turn away thy indignation from them.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Shall evil be recompensed for good? For they have digged a pit for my soul. Remember how I stood before Thee to speak good for them, to turn away Thy wrath from them.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

Forasmuch as evil is rewarded for good; for they have spoken words against my soul, and they have hidden the punishment they meant for me; remember that I stood before thy face, to speak good for them, to turn away thy wrath from them.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Εἰ ἀνταποδίδοται ἀντὶ ἀγαθῶν κακὰ, ὅτι συνελάλησαν ῥήματα κατὰ τῆς ψυχῆς μου, καὶ τὴν κόλασιν αὐτῶν ἔκρυψάν μοι· μνήσθητι ἑστηκότος μου κατὰ πρόσωπόν σου, τοῦ λαλῆσαι ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ἀγαθὰ, τοῦ ἀποστρέψαι τὸν θυμόν σου ἀπʼ αὐτῶν.