Jeremiah 16:4 kjv — They shall die of grievous deaths; they shall not be lamented; neither shall they be buried; but they shall be as dung…

King James Version

"They shall die of grievous deaths; they shall not be lamented; neither shall they be buried; but they shall be as dung upon the face of the earth: and they shall be consumed by the sword, and by famine; and their carcases shall be meat for the fowls of heaven, and for the beasts of the earth."

— Jeremiah 16:4, King James Version

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Jeremiah 16:4 in Other Translations

6 versions All translations
  • ASV

    “They shall die grievous deaths: they shall not be lamented, neither shall they be buried; they shall be as dung upon the face of the ground; and they shall be consumed by the sword, and by famine; and their dead bodies shall be food for the birds of the heavens, and for the beasts of the earth. ”

  • WEB

    “They shall die grievous deaths: they shall not be lamented, neither shall they be buried; they shall be as dung on the surface of the ground; and they shall be consumed by the sword, and by famine; and their dead bodies shall be food for the birds of the sky, and for the animals of the earth.”

  • NET

    “They will die of deadly diseases. No one will mourn for them. They will not be buried. Their dead bodies will lie like manure spread on the ground. They will be killed in war or die of starvation. Their corpses will be food for the birds and wild animals.”

  • DRB

    “They shall die by the death of grievous illnesses: they shall not be lamented, and they shall not be buried, they shall be as dung upon the face of the earth: and they shall be consumed with the sword, and with famine: and their carcasses shall be meat for the fowls of the air, and for the beasts of the earth.”

  • BBE

    “Death from evil diseases will overtake them; there will be no weeping for them and their bodies will not be put to rest; they will be like waste on the face of the earth: the sword and need of food will put an end to them; their dead bodies will be meat for the birds of heaven and for the beasts of the earth.”

  • KJVA

    “They shall die of grievous deaths; they shall not be lamented; neither shall they be buried; but they shall be as dung upon the face of the earth: and they shall be consumed by the sword, and by famine; and their carcases shall be meat for the fowls of heaven, and for the beasts of the earth.”

Jeremiah 16 — Context

1

The word of the Lord came also unto me, saying,

2

Thou shalt not take thee a wife, neither shalt thou have sons or daughters in this place.

3

For thus saith the Lord concerning the sons and concerning the daughters that are born in this place, and concerning their mothers that bare them, and concerning their fathers that begat them in this land;

4

They shall die of grievous deaths; they shall not be lamented; neither shall they be buried; but they shall be as dung upon the face of the earth: and they shall be consumed by the sword, and by famine; and their carcases shall be meat for the fowls of heaven, and for the beasts of the earth.

5

For thus saith the Lord, Enter not into the house of mourning, neither go to lament nor bemoan them: for I have taken away my peace from this people, saith the Lord, even lovingkindness and mercies.

6

Both the great and the small shall die in this land: they shall not be buried, neither shall men lament for them, nor cut themselves, nor make themselves bald for them:

7

Neither shall men tear themselves for them in mourning, to comfort them for the dead; neither shall men give them the cup of consolation to drink for their father or for their mother.

Jeremiah 16:4 — Frequently Asked Questions

7 questions
What does Jeremiah 16:4 say?
Jeremiah 16:4 in the King James Version reads: “They shall die of grievous deaths; they shall not be lamented; neither shall they be buried; but they shall be as dung upon the face of the earth: and they shall be consumed by the sword, and by famine; and their carcases shall be meat for the fowls of heaven, and for the beasts of the earth.”
Where is Jeremiah 16:4 in the Bible?
Jeremiah 16:4 is found in the Old Testament, in the book of Jeremiah, chapter 16, verse 4.
Who wrote Jeremiah?
Jeremiah is traditionally attributed to Jeremiah, with scribal help from Baruch. It was written c. 627–580 BC.
What is the book of Jeremiah about?
Jeremiah, the "weeping prophet," ministered through Judah's slow-motion collapse — pleading with kings and people to repent, suffering imprisonment for his message, and ultimately watching Jerusalem fall. Yet in the midst of judgment he promises a new covenant written on the heart.
What are the major themes of Jeremiah?
Jeremiah explores themes including Judgment, Repentance, New Covenant, Suffering Prophet, Hope. These themes shape the meaning and context of Jeremiah 16:4.
What translation should I read Jeremiah 16:4 in?
Jeremiah 16:4 is available on GodsGoodBook in the King James Version (KJV), American Standard Version (ASV), World English Bible (WEB), NET Bible, Young's Literal Translation, Darby Bible, Douay-Rheims Bible, and the Bible in Basic English. Each translation reflects different translation philosophies — use the translation picker on this page to compare them, or browse our full translations directory.
How can I memorize Jeremiah 16:4?
Jeremiah 16:4 reads (KJV): “They shall die of grievous deaths; they shall not be lamented; neither shall they be buried; but they shall be as dung upon the face of the earth: and they shall be consumed by the sword, and by famine; and their carcases shall be meat for the fowls of heaven, and for the beasts of the earth.” Read it aloud, break it into short phrases, repeat each phrase three times before adding the next, then put the phrases together. Reading it in multiple translations (above) often helps the meaning settle.
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