And lest your heart faint, And you fear for the rumor that will be heard in the land (A rumor will come one year, And after that, in another year A rumor will come, And violence in the land, Ruler against ruler),
Parallel translations
- WEB Don’t let your heart faint. Don’t fear for the news that will be heard in the land. For news will come one year, and after that in another year news will come, and violence in the land, ruler against ruler.
- KJV And lest your heart faint, and ye fear for the rumour that shall be heard in the land; a rumour shall both come one year, and after that in another year shall come a rumour, and violence in the land, ruler against ruler.
- BSB Do not let your heart grow faint, and do not be afraid when the rumor is heard in the land; for a rumor will come one year—and then another the next year—of violence in the land and of ruler against ruler.
- NASB “Now, so that your heart does not grow faint, And you are not afraid at the report that will be heard in the land— For the report will come in one year, And after that another report in another year, And violence will be in the land With ruler against ruler—
- NLT But do not panic; don’t be afraid when you hear the first rumor of approaching forces. For rumors will keep coming year by year. Violence will erupt in the land as the leaders fight against each other.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
God tells His people not to lose heart or fear the rumors of upheaval, with violence and ruler against ruler, that will spread year after year. They must stay steady amid the turmoil preceding Babylon's fall.
Overview
Successive reports of unrest and changing rulers (reflecting the instability of Babylon's final years) could tempt the exiles to panic. God reassures them that these events serve His purpose and they need not fear. The call to courage amid turbulent news anticipates Christ's own words urging His followers not to be troubled by wars and rumors of wars, for God reigns over history.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- Isa 13:3–5I have commanded my consecrated ones; yes, I have called my mighty men for my anger, even my proudly exulting ones.
- 2 Kgs 19:7Behold, I will put a spirit in him, and he will hear news, and will return to his own land. I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.”’”
- Isa 19:2I will stir up the Egyptians against the Egyptians, and they will fight everyone against his brother, and everyone against his neighbor; city against city, and kingdom against kingdom.
- Isa 21:2–3A grievous vision is declared to me. The treacherous man deals treacherously, and the destroyer destroys. Go up, Elam; attack! I have stopped all of Media’s sighing.
- 2 Chr 20:23For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to utterly kill and destroy them: and when they had finished the inhabitants of Seir, everyone helped to destroy another.
- Judg 7:22They blew the three hundred trumpets, and Yahweh set every man’s sword against his fellow, and against all the army; and the army fled as far as Beth Shittah toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel Meholah, by Tabbath.
- 1 Sam 14:16–20The watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked; and behold, the multitude melted away and scattered.
- Mark 13:7–8“When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, don’t be troubled. For those must happen, but the end is not yet.
- Luke 21:28But when these things begin to happen, look up, and lift up your heads, because your redemption is near.”
- Luke 21:9–19When you hear of wars and disturbances, don’t be terrified, for these things must happen first, but the end won’t come immediately.”
- Matt 24:6–8You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you aren’t troubled, for all this must happen, but the end is not yet.
- Jer 46:27“But don’t you be afraid, Jacob my servant, neither be dismayed, Israel; for, behold, I will save you from afar, and your offspring from the land of their captivity. Jacob will return, and will be quiet and at ease. No one will make him afraid.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Against the failure of false shepherds Jeremiah promises the Righteous Branch, 'The LORD our righteousness,' and the new covenant written on the heart and sealed in the blood of Christ.
How Jeremiah 51:46 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.