Jeremiah 39 · Verse 16

Jeremiah 39:16

Go and speak to Ebed–melech the Ethiopian, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring my words upon this city for evil, and not for good; and they shall be accomplished in that day before thee.
Jeremiah 39:16, King James Version

Jeremiah 39:16 in other translations

BSB“Go and tell Ebed-melech the Cushite that this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘I am about to fulfill My words against this city for harm and not for good, and on that day they will be fulfilled before your eyes.
WEB“Go, and speak to Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, ‘The LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says: “Behold, I will bring my words on this city for evil, and not for good; and they will be accomplished before you in that day.
ASVGo, and speak to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will bring my words upon this city for evil, and not for good; and they shall be accomplished before thee in that day.
YLT‘Go, and thou hast spoken to Ebed-Melech the Cushite, saying: Thus said Jehovah of Hosts, God of Israel: Lo, I am bringing in My words unto this city for evil, and not for good, and they have been before thee in that day.
DARBYGo and speak to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will bring my words upon this city for evil, and not for good, and they shall come to pass before thy face in that day.
BBEGo and say to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, This is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel, has said: See, my words will come true for this town, for evil and not for good: they will come about before your eyes on that day.
WebsterGo and speak to Ebed-melech the Cushite, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring my words upon this city for evil, and not for good; and they shall be accomplished in that day before thee.

What does Jeremiah 39:16 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Jeremiah 39:15-18

15-18. Belonging to the time when the city was not yet taken, and when Jeremiah was still in the court of the prison (Jr 38:13). This passage is inserted here because it was now that Ebed-melech's good act (Jr 38:7-12; Mt 25:43) was to be rewarded in his deliverance.

Read the full comment on Jeremiah 39:15-18 →

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 16 Go and speak to Ebed-melech - The king's servant, the Cushite.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Jeremiah 39:15-18

Here is a message to assure Ebed-melech of a recompence for his great kindness to Jeremiah. Because thou hast put thy trust in me, saith the Lord. God recompenses men's services according to their principles. Those who trust God in the way of duty, as this good man did, will find that their hope shall not fail in times of the greatest danger.

Read the full comment on Jeremiah 39:15-18 →

Jeremiah 39:16 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

הָל֣וֹךְha.LokhgoH1980
וְאָמַרְתָּ֡ve.'a.mar.Taand you will sayH559
לְעֶבֶד\־le.'e.ved-to EbedH5663
מֶ֨לֶךְMe.lekhMelechH5663
הַכּוּשִׁ֜יha.ku.Shithe CushiteH3569
לֵאמֹ֗רle.Mor<to> sayingH559
כֹּֽה\־koh-thusH3541
אָמַ֞ר'a.Marhe saysH559
יְהוָ֤הYah.wehYahwehH3068
צְבָאוֹת֙tze.va.'Otof hostsH6635
אֱלֹהֵ֣י'e.lo.Hei[the] God ofH430
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לYis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478
הִנְנִי֩hi.Nihere IH2005
מֵבִ֨יאme.vi'[am] about to bringH935
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
דְּבָרַ֜יde.va.Raiwords myH1697
אֶל\־'el-againstH413
הָעִ֥ירha.'Irthe cityH5892
הַזֹּ֛אתha.Zot<the> thisH2063
לְרָעָ֖הle.ra.'Ahfor harmH7451
וְלֹ֣אve.Lo'and notH3808
לְטוֹבָ֑הle.to.Vahfor goodH2896
וְהָי֥וּve.ha.Yuand they will happenH1961
לְפָנֶ֖יךָle.fa.Nei.kha<to> before youH6440
בַּיּ֥וֹםbai.Yomon the dayH3117
הַהֽוּא\׃ha.Hu'<the> thatH1931

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Jeremiah 39:16

  • Daniel 9:12

    And he hath confirmed his words, which he spake against us, and against our judges that judged us, by bringing upon us a great evil: for under the whole heaven hath not been done as hath been done upon Jerusalem.

  • Zechariah 1:6

    But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not take hold of your fathers? and they returned and said, Like as the Lord of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us.

  • Joshua 23:14-15

    And, behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth: and ye know in all your hearts and in all your souls, that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spake concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof. Therefore it shall come to pass, that as all good things are come upon you, which the Lord your God promised you; so shall the Lord bring upon you all evil things, until he have destroyed you from off this good land which the Lord your God hath given you.

  • Jeremiah 26:20

    And there was also a man that prophesied in the name of the Lord, Urijah the son of Shemaiah of Kirjath–jearim, who prophesied against this city and against this land according to all the words of Jeremiah:

  • Jeremiah 44:28-29

    Yet a small number that escape the sword shall return out of the land of Egypt into the land of Judah, and all the remnant of Judah, that are gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, shall know whose words shall stand, mine, or theirs. And this shall be a sign unto you, saith the Lord, that I will punish you in this place, that ye may know that my words shall surely stand against you for evil:

  • Jeremiah 19:11-12

    And shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Even so will I break this people and this city, as one breaketh a potter’s vessel, that cannot be made whole again: and they shall bury them in Tophet, till there be no place to bury. Thus will I do unto this place, saith the Lord, and to the inhabitants thereof, and even make this city as Tophet:

  • Jeremiah 34:22

    Behold, I will command, saith the Lord, and cause them to return to this city; and they shall fight against it, and take it, and burn it with fire: and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation without an inhabitant.

  • Jeremiah 21:7-10

    And afterward, saith the Lord, I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah, and his servants, and the people, and such as are left in this city from the pestilence, from the sword, and from the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those that seek their life: and he shall smite them with the edge of the sword; he shall not spare them, neither have pity, nor have mercy. And unto this people thou shalt say, Thus saith the Lord; Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death. He that abideth in this city shall die by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth out, and falleth to the Chaldeans that besiege you, he shall live, and his life shall be unto him for a prey. For I have set my face against this city for evil, and not for good, saith the Lord: it shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.

  • Jeremiah 34:2-3

    Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel; Go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah, and tell him, Thus saith the Lord; Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire: And thou shalt not escape out of his hand, but shalt surely be taken, and delivered into his hand; and thine eyes shall behold the eyes of the king of Babylon, and he shall speak with thee mouth to mouth, and thou shalt go to Babylon.

  • Jeremiah 26:15

    But know ye for certain, that if ye put me to death, ye shall surely bring innocent blood upon yourselves, and upon this city, and upon the inhabitants thereof: for of a truth the Lord hath sent me unto you to speak all these words in your ears.

  • Psalms 91:8-9

    Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;

  • Jeremiah 35:17

    Therefore thus saith the Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring upon Judah and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the evil that I have pronounced against them: because I have spoken unto them, but they have not heard; and I have called unto them, but they have not answered.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Ebed-melech.
38:7-13
Behold.
5:14; 19:11,12; 21:7-10; 24:8-10; 26:15,18,20; 32:28,29; 34:2,3,22
35:17; 36:31; 44:28,29; Jos 23:14,15; 2Ch 36:21; Da 9:12; Zec 1:6
Mt 24:35
before thee.
Ps 91:8,9; 92:11

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Jeremiah 39:15

    Now the word of the Lord came unto Jeremiah, while he was shut up in the court of the prison, saying,

  • Jeremiah 39:16

    Go and speak to Ebed–melech the Ethiopian, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring my words upon this city for evil, and not for good; and they shall be accomplished in that day before thee.

  • Jeremiah 39:17

    But I will deliver thee in that day, saith the Lord: and thou shalt not be given into the hand of the men of whom thou art afraid.

Read all of Jeremiah 39

Jeremiah 39:16 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Ve, y habla á Ebed-melec Etiope, diciendo: Así ha dicho Jehová de los ejércitos, Dios de Israel: He aquí traigo yo mis palabras sobre esta ciudad para mal, y no para bien; y vendrán á ser en aquel día á presencia tuya.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Va, et tu parleras à Ébed-Mélec, l’Éthiopien, disant: Ainsi dit l’ Éternel des armées, le Dieu d’Israël: Voici, je fais venir mes paroles sur cette ville pour le mal, et non pour le bien; et elles auront lieu devant toi, en ce jour-là.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Geh und sprich zu Ebedmelech dem Äthiopier, und sage: So spricht Jehova der Heerscharen, der Gott Israels: Siehe, ich bringe meine Worte über diese Stadt zum Bösen und nicht zum Guten, und sie werden an selbigem Tage vor dir geschehen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Vade, et dic Abdemelech Æthiopi, dicens: Hæc dicit Dominus exercituum, Deus Israël: Ecce ego inducam sermones meos super civitatem hanc in malum, et non in bonum, et erunt in conspectu tuo in die illa.