Jeremiah 15:8-10

New Catholic Bible

⁸I have made their widows more numerous
    than the sands of the sea.
I brought a destroyer at noonday
    against the mothers of young men.
Without warning, I afflicted them
    with anguish and terror.
⁹The mother of seven sons will grow faint
    and gasp for breath.
Her sun went down while it was still day;
    she has been shamed and disgraced.
As for the rest, I will give them to the sword
    to perish at the hands of assassins, says the Lord.

Jeremiah’s Call Renewed^[a]

¹⁰“O my mother, how I wish
    that you had never given birth to me,
    a man of strife and contention for the entire land.
I have never borrowed from anyone,
    nor have I lent to anyone,
    yet everyone curses me.

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Footnotes

Jeremiah 15:10 The prophet has spent himself without reservation to maintain the covenant and be a witness of the Lord. He has gotten in return only misunderstanding, hostility, and isolation. The words he speaks in the depths of his suffering sound blasphemous. For this reason, the Lord has not given him even a single word of approval. The prophet has departed from the right way: he must return to it! Verses 12-14 were very clumsily inserted into this passage by a copyist.

Jeremiah 15:8-10

New International Version

⁸I will make their widows^(A) more numerous
    than the sand of the sea.
At midday I will bring a destroyer^(B)
    against the mothers of their young men;
suddenly I will bring down on them
    anguish and terror.^(C)
⁹The mother of seven will grow faint^(D)
    and breathe her last.^(E)
Her sun will set while it is still day;
    she will be disgraced^(F) and humiliated.
I will put the survivors to the sword^(G)
    before their enemies,”^(H)
declares the Lord.

¹⁰Alas, my mother, that you gave me birth,^(I)
a man with whom the whole land strives and contends!^(J)
I have neither lent^(K) nor borrowed,
yet everyone curses^(L) me.