King James Version

Jeremiah 4:31

For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail, and the anguish as of her that bringeth forth her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion, that bewaileth herself, that spreadeth her hands, saying, Woe is me now! for my soul is wearied because of murderers.

Study

Hebrew

Tap a word to see its meaning. Words run left to right in English reading order.

כִּי֩kiassuredכִּיconjunction — “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…ק֨וֹלqolsoundקוֹלnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “sound”, the ordinary formH6963a voice or sound[phrase] aloud, bleating, crackling, cry ([phrase] out), fame, lightness, lowing, noise, [phrase] hold peace, (pro-) claim, proclamation, [phrase] sing, sound, [phrase] spark, thunder(-ing), voice, [phrase] yell.כְּחוֹלָ֜הkecholahas be grievedחָלָהpreposition, verb, qal, participle, absolute — “as be grieved”, a verb used as a describing wordH2470properly, to be rubbed or worn; hence (figuratively) to be weak, sick, afflicted; or (causatively) to grieve, make sick; also to stroke (in flattering), entreatbeseech, (be) diseased, (put to) grief, be grieved, (be) grievous, infirmity, intreat, lay to, put to pain, [idiom] pray, make prayer, be (fall, make) sick, sore, be sorry, make suit ([idiom] supplication), woman in travail, be (become) we…שָׁמַ֗עְתִּיshamatihearשָׁמַעverb, qal, perfect, 1st person, common, singular — “hear”, a completed actionH8085to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)[idiom] attentively, call (gather) together, [idiom] carefully, [idiom] certainly, consent, consider, be content, declare, [idiom] diligently, discern, give ear, (cause to, let, make to) hear(-ken, tell), [idiom] indeed, listen, make (a) n…צָרָה֙tsarahtroubleצָרָהnoun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “trouble”, the ordinary formH6869tightness (i.e. figuratively, trouble); transitively, a female rival:adversary, adversity, affliction, anguish, distress, tribulation, trouble.כְּמַבְכִּירָ֔הkemavkirahas make firstbornבָּכַרpreposition, verb, hiphil, participle, absolute — “as make firstborn”, a verb used as a describing wordH1069to give the birthrightmake firstborn, be firstling, bring forth first child (new fruit).ק֧וֹלqolsoundקוֹלnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “sound”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6963a voice or sound[phrase] aloud, bleating, crackling, cry ([phrase] out), fame, lightness, lowing, noise, [phrase] hold peace, (pro-) claim, proclamation, [phrase] sing, sound, [phrase] spark, thunder(-ing), voice, [phrase] yell.בַּתbatdaughterבַּתnoun, common, feminine, singular, construct — “daughter”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1323a daughter (used in the same wide sense as other terms of relationship, literally and figuratively)apple (of the eye), branch, company, daughter, [idiom] first, [idiom] old, [phrase] owl, town, village.צִיּ֛וֹןtsionZionצִיּוֹןnoun, proper name — “Zion”H6726Tsijon (as a permanent capital), a mountain of JerusalemZion.תִּתְיַפֵּ֖חַtityapechabewail selfיָפַחverb, hithpael, imperfect, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “bewail self”, an unfinished actionH3306properly, to breathe hard, i.e. (by implication) to sighbewail self.תְּפָרֵ֣שׂtefaresbreakפָּרַשׂverb, piel, imperfect, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “break”, an unfinished actionH6566to break apart, disperse, etc.break, chop in pieces, lay open, scatter, spread (abroad, forth, selves, out), stretch (forth, out).כַּפֶּ֑יהָkapeyhahand , -dle,כַּףnoun, common, feminine, dual, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “hand , -dle,”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3709the hollow hand or palm (so of the paw of an animal, of the sole, and even of the bowl of a dish or sling, the handle of a bolt, the leaves of a palm-tree); figuratively, powerbranch, [phrase] foot, hand((-ful), -dle, (-led)), hollow, middle, palm, paw, power, sole, spoon.אֽוֹיoyalasאוֹיparticle, interjection — “alas”H188lamentation; also interjectionally Oh!alas, woe.נָ֣אnaI beseech theeנָאparticle, exhortation — “I beseech thee”H4994'I pray', 'now', or 'then'; added mostly to verbs (in the Imperative or Future), or to interjections, occasionally to an adverb or conjunctionI beseech (pray) thee (you), go to, now, oh.לִ֔יlitoלִ֔יpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “to”toכִּֽיkiassuredכִּיconjunction — “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…עָיְפָ֥הayefahbe weariedעָיֵףverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “be wearied”, a completed actionH5888to languishbe wearied.נַפְשִׁ֖יnafshicreatureנֶפֶשׁnoun, common, both genders, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “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,…לְהֹרְגִֽיםlehoregimto destroyהָרַגpreposition, verb, qal, participle, absolute — “to destroy”, a verb used as a describing wordH2026to smite with deadly intentdestroy, out of hand, kill, murder(-er), put to (death), make (slaughter), slay(-er), [idiom] surely.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail, the anguish as of her that bringeth forth her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion, that gaspeth for breath, that spreadeth her hands: 'Woe is me, now! for my soul fainteth before the murderers.'

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail, the anguish as of her that bringeth forth her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion, that gaspeth for breath, that spreadeth her hands, saying , Woe is me now! for my soul fainteth before the murderers.

Young’s Literal Translation

For a voice as of a sick woman I have heard, Distress, as of one bringing forth a first-born, The voice of the daughter of Zion, She bewaileth herself, she spreadeth out her hands, 'Woe to me now, for weary is my soul of slayers!'

World English Bible

For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail, the anguish as of her who gives birth to her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion, who gasps for breath, who spreads her hands, saying, “Woe is me now! For my soul faints before the murderers.”

Darby Translation

For I hear a voice, as of a woman in travail, anguish as of her that bringeth forth her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion: she moaneth, she spreadeth forth her hands, [saying], Woe unto me! for my soul faileth because of murderers.

Douay-Rheims

For I have heard the voice as of a woman in travail, anguishes as of a woman in labor of a child. The voice of the daughter of Sion, dying away, spreading her hands: Woe is me, for my soul hath fainted because of them that are slain.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

For I have heard thy groaning as the voice of a woman in travail, as of her that brings forth her first child; the voice of the daughter of Zion shall fail through weakness, and she shall lose the strength of her hands, saying , Woe is me! for my soul faints because of the slain.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Ὅτι φωνὴν ὡς ὠδινούσης ἤκουσα τοῦ στεναγμοῦ σου, ὡς πρωτοτοκούσης· φωνὴ θυγατρὸς Σιὼν ἐκλυθήσεται, καὶ παρήσει τὰς χεῖρας αὐτῆς· οἴμοι ἐγὼ, ὅτι ἐκλείπει ἡ ψυχή μου ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀνῃρημένοις.