Jeremiah 9:21

9:21 ‘Death has climbed in ¹  through our windows.

It has entered into our fortified houses.

It has taken away our children who play in the streets.

It has taken away our young men who gather in the city squares.’

Jeremiah 6:11

6:11 I am as full of anger as you are, Lord, ² 

I am tired of trying to hold it in.”

The Lord answered, ³ 

“Vent it, then, ⁴  on the children who play in the street

and on the young men who are gathered together.

Husbands and wives are to be included, ⁵ 

as well as the old and those who are advanced in years.

Jeremiah 44:7

44:7 “So now the Lord, the God who rules over all, the God of Israel, ⁶  asks, ‘Why will you do such great harm to yourselves? Why should every man, woman, child, and baby of yours be destroyed from the midst of Judah? Why should you leave yourselves without a remnant?

[9:21]  ¹ sn Here Death is personified (treated as though it were a person). Some have seen as possible background to this lament an allusion to Mesopotamian mythology where the demon Lamastu climbs in through the windows of houses and over their walls to kill children and babies.

[6:11]  ² tn Heb “I am full of the wrath of the Lord.”

[6:11]  ³ tn These words are not in the text but are implicit from the words that follow. They are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[6:11]  ⁴ tn Heb “Pour it out.”

[6:11]  ⁵ tn Heb “are to be captured.”

[44:7]  ³ tn Heb “Yahweh, the God of armies, the God of Israel.” Compare 35:17; 38:17 and for the title “God of armies” see the study note on 2:19.