King James Version

Jeremiah 20:18

Wherefore came I forth out of the womb to see labour and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame?

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Hebrew

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לָ֤מָּהlamahto 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.זֶּה֙zehthe one...the otherזֶהpronoun, demonstrative, masculine, singular — “the one...the other”H2088the masculine demonstrative pronoun, this or thathe, [idiom] hence, [idiom] here, it(-self), [idiom] now, [idiom] of him, the one...the other, [idiom] than the other, ([idiom] out of) the (self) same, such (a one) that, these, this (hath, man), on this side...on that side, [idiom] thus,…מֵרֶ֣חֶםmerechemfrom wombרֶחֶםpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “from womb”, the ordinary formH7358the wombmatrix, womb.יָצָ֔אתִיyatsatibring forthיָצָאverb, qal, perfect, 1st person, common, singular — “bring forth”, a completed actionH3318to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proxim.[idiom] after, appear, [idiom] assuredly, bear out, [idiom] begotten, break out, bring forth (out, up), carry out, come (abroad, out, thereat, without), [phrase] be condemned, depart(-ing, -ure), draw forth, in the end, escape, exact, fail…לִרְא֥וֹתlirotto seeרָאָהpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct — “to see”, the to-form of the verbH7200to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative)advise self, appear, approve, behold, [idiom] certainly, consider, discern, (make to) enjoy, have experience, gaze, take heed, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] joyfully, lo, look (on, one another, one on another, one upon another, out, up, upon), m…עָמָ֖לamaltoilעָמָלnoun, common, both genders, singular, absolute — “toil”, the ordinary formH5999toil, i.e. wearing effort; hence, worry, wheth. of body or mindgrievance(-vousness), iniquity, labour, mischief, miserable(-sery), pain(-ful), perverseness, sorrow, toil, travail, trouble, wearisome, wickedness.וְיָג֑וֹןveyagonand griefיָגוֹןconjunction, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “and grief”, the ordinary formH3015afflictiongrief, sorrow.וַיִּכְל֥וּvayikhlvand ceaseכָּלָהconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “and cease”, the next action in the storyH3615to end, whether intransitive (to cease, be finished, perish) or transitived (to complete, prepare, consume)accomplish, cease, consume (away), determine, destroy (utterly), be (when... were) done, (be an) end (of), expire, (cause to) fail, faint, finish, fulfil, [idiom] fully, [idiom] have, leave (off), long, bring to pass, wholly reap, make cle…בְּבֹ֖שֶׁתbevoshetin shameבֹּשֶׁתpreposition, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “in shame”, the ordinary formH1322shame (the feeling and the condition, as well as its cause); by implication (specifically) an idolashamed, confusion, [phrase] greatly, (put to) shame(-ful thing).יָמָֽיyamayas long asיוֹםnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “as long as”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3117a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb)age, [phrase] always, [phrase] chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to) day, (now a, two) days (agone), [phrase] elder, [idiom] end, [phrase] evening, [phrase] (for) ever(-lasting, -more), [idiom] full, life, as (so) lon…

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

Wherefore came I forth out of the womb to see labour and sorrow, that my days should be consumed in shame?

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

Wherefore came I forth out of the womb to see labor and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame?

Young’s Literal Translation

Why [is] this? from the womb I have come out, To see labour and sorrow, Yea, consumed in shame are my days!

World English Bible

Why did I come out of the womb to see labor and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame?

Darby Translation

Wherefore came I forth from the womb to see labour and sorrow, that my days should be consumed in shame?

Douay-Rheims

Why came I out of the womb, to see labour and sorrow, and that my days should be spent in confusion?

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Wherefore came I forth out of the womb to see labour and sorrow, that my days should be consumed in shame?

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

Why is it that I came forth of the womb to see troubles and distresses, and my days are spent in shame?

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Ἱνατί τοῦτο ἐξῆλθον ἐκ μήτρας, τοῦ βλέπειν κόπους καὶ πόνους, καὶ διετέλεσαν ἐν αἰσχύνῃ αἱ ἡμέραι μου;