Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version They say to their mothers, “Where is bread and wine?” as they faint like the wounded in the streets of the city, as their lives ebb away in their mothers’ arms. New Living Translation They cry out to their mothers, “We need food and drink!” Their lives ebb away in the streets like the life of a warrior wounded in battle. They gasp for life as they collapse in their mothers’ arms. English Standard Version They cry to their mothers, “Where is bread and wine?” as they faint like a wounded man in the streets of the city, as their life is poured out on their mothers’ bosom. Berean Standard Bible They cry out to their mothers: “Where is the grain and wine?” as they faint like the wounded in the streets of the city, as their lives fade away in the arms of their mothers. Berean Literal Bible To their mothers they say, “Where is the grain and wine?” In their becoming feeble like a wounded one in the streets of the city, in the pouring out their soul into the bosom of their mothers. King James Bible They say to their mothers, Where is corn and wine? when they swooned as the wounded in the streets of the city, when their soul was poured out into their mothers' bosom. New King James Version They say to their mothers, “Where is grain and wine?” As they swoon like the wounded In the streets of the city, As their life is poured out In their mothers’ bosom. New American Standard Bible They say to their mothers, “Where is grain and wine?” As they faint like a wounded person In the streets of the city, As their lives are poured out In their mothers’ arms. NASB 1995 They say to their mothers, “Where is grain and wine?” As they faint like a wounded man In the streets of the city, As their life is poured out On their mothers’ bosom. NASB 1977 They say to their mothers, “Where is grain and wine?” As they faint like a wounded man In the streets of the city, As their life is poured out On their mothers’ bosom. Legacy Standard Bible They say to their mothers, “Where is grain and wine?” As they faint like a wounded man In the open squares of the city, As their life is poured out On their mothers’ bosom. Amplified Bible They cry to their mothers, “Where is grain and wine?” As they faint like a wounded man In the streets of the city, As their life [slips away and] is poured out In their mothers’ arms. Berean Annotated Bible They cry out to their mothers: “Where is the grain and wine? as they faint like the wounded in the streets of the city, as their lives fade away in the arms of their mothers. Christian Standard Bible They cry out to their mothers, “Where is the grain and wine? ” as they faint like the wounded in the streets of the city, as their life pours out in the arms of their mothers. Holman Christian Standard Bible They cry out to their mothers: Where is the grain and wine? as they faint like the wounded in the streets of the city, as their lives fade away in the arms of their mothers. American Standard Version They say to their mothers, Where is grain and wine? When they swoon as the wounded in the streets of the city, When their soul is poured out into their mothers' bosom. Contemporary English Version A child begs its mother for food and drink, then blacks out like a wounded soldier lying in the street. The child slowly dies in its mother's arms. English Revised Version They say to their mothers, Where is corn and wine? when they swoon as the wounded in the streets of the city, when their soul is poured out into their mothers' bosom. GOD'S WORD® Translation They're asking their mothers for some bread and wine as they faint like wounded people in the city streets. Their lives dwindle away in their mothers' arms. Good News Translation Hungry and thirsty, they cry to their mothers; They fall in the streets as though they were wounded, And slowly die in their mothers' arms. International Standard Version They ask their mothers, "Is there anything to eat or drink?" They faint in the streets of the city like wounded men. Their life ebbs away while they lie on their mother's bosom. NET Bible Children say to their mothers, "Where are food and drink?" They faint like a wounded warrior in the city squares. They die slowly in their mothers' arms. New Heart English Bible They tell their mothers, "Where is grain and wine?" When they faint as the wounded in the streets of the city, as their lives fade away in their mothers' bosom. Webster's Bible Translation They say to their mothers, Where is corn and wine? when they swooned as the wounded in the streets of the city, when their soul was poured out into their mothers' bosom. Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleThey cry out to their mothers: “Where is the grain and wine?” as they faint like the wounded in the streets of the city, as their lives fade away in the arms of their mothers. World English Bible They ask their mothers, “Where is grain and wine?” when they swoon as the wounded in the streets of the city, when their soul is poured out into their mothers’ bosom. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionTo their mothers they say, "" “Where [are] grain and wine?” In their becoming feeble as a pierced one "" In the broad places of the city, "" In their soul pouring itself out into the bosom of their mothers. Berean Literal Bible To their mothers they say, “Where is the grain and wine?” In their becoming feeble like a wounded one in the streets of the city, in the pouring out their soul into the bosom of their mothers. Young's Literal Translation To their mothers they say, 'Where are corn and wine?' In their becoming feeble as a pierced one In the broad places of the city, In their soul pouring itself out into the bosom of their mothers. Smith's Literal Translation To their mothers will they say, Where the grain and wine? in their languishing as the wounded in the broad places of the city, in the pouring out of their soul into their mothers bosom. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleLamed. They said to their mothers: Where is corn and wine? when they fainted away as the wounded in the streets of the city: when they breathed out their souls in the bosoms of their mothers. Catholic Public Domain Version LAMED. They said to their mothers, “Where is the wheat and the wine?” when they fell like the wounded in the streets of the city, when they breathed out their lives into the bosoms of their mothers. New American Bible They cry out to their mothers, “Where is bread and wine?” As they faint away like the wounded in the streets of the city, As their life is poured out in their mothers’ arms. New Revised Standard Version They cry to their mothers, “Where is bread and wine?” as they faint like the wounded in the streets of the city, as their life is poured out on their mothers’ bosom. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleThey say to their mothers, Where is wheat and wine and butter? when they faint like the slain in the streets of the city, when their soul is poured out into their mother's bosom. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated Lamed To their mothers they say: “Where is the grain and the wine and the oil?”, when they were afflicted as the slain in the streets of the city, when their souls are poured out into the bosom of their mothers OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917They say to their mothers: 'Where is corn and wine?' When they swoon as the wounded In the broad places of the city, When their soul is poured out Into their mothers' bosom. Brenton Septuagint Translation LAMED. They said to their mothers, Where is corn and wine? while they fainted like wounded men in the streets of the city, while their souls were poured out into their mother's bosom. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context God's Anger over Jerusalem…11My eyes fail from weeping; I am churning within. My heart is poured out in grief over the destruction of the daughter of my people, because children and infants faint in the streets of the city. 12They cry out to their mothers: “Where is the grain and wine?” as they faint like the wounded in the streets of the city, as their lives fade away in the arms of their mothers. 13What can I say for you? To what can I compare you, O Daughter of Jerusalem? To what can I liken you, that I may console you, O Virgin Daughter of Zion? For your wound is as deep as the sea. Who can ever heal you?… Cross References They cry out to their mothers: Lamentations 4:4 The nursing infant’s tongue clings in thirst to the roof of his mouth. Little children beg for bread, but no one gives them any. Deuteronomy 28:56-57 The most gentle and refined woman among you, so gentle and refined she would not venture to set the sole of her foot on the ground, will begrudge the husband she embraces and her son and daughter / the afterbirth that comes from between her legs and the children she bears, because she will secretly eat them for lack of anything else in the siege and distress that your enemy will inflict on you within your gates. Jeremiah 31:15 This is what the LORD says: “A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.” “Where is the grain and wine?” Joel 1:10-12 The field is ruined; the land mourns. For the grain is destroyed, the new wine is dried up, and the oil fails. / Be dismayed, O farmers, wail, O vinedressers, over the wheat and barley, because the harvest of the field has perished. / The grapevine is dried up, and the fig tree is withered; the pomegranate, palm, and apple—all the trees of the orchard—are withered. Surely the joy of mankind has dried up. Hosea 2:8-9 For she does not acknowledge that it was I who gave her grain, new wine, and oil, who lavished on her silver and gold—which they crafted for Baal. / Therefore I will take back My grain in its time and My new wine in its season; I will take away My wool and linen, which were given to cover her nakedness. Haggai 1:6 You have planted much but harvested little. You eat but never have enough. You drink but never have your fill. You put on clothes but never get warm. You earn wages to put into a bag pierced through.” as they faint like the wounded in the streets of the city, Isaiah 51:20 Your sons have fainted; they lie at the head of every street, like an antelope in a net. They are full of the wrath of the LORD, the rebuke of your God. Lamentations 4:14 They wandered blind in the streets, defiled by this blood, so that no one dared to touch their garments. Lamentations 4:9 Those slain by the sword are better off than those who die of hunger, who waste away, pierced with pain because the fields lack produce. as their lives fade away in the arms of their mothers. 2 Kings 4:20 After the servant had picked him up and carried him to his mother, the boy sat on her lap until noon, and then he died. 1 Kings 17:19-23 But Elijah said to her, “Give me your son.” So he took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed. / Then he cried out to the LORD, “O LORD my God, have You also brought tragedy on this widow who has opened her home to me, by causing her son to die?” / Then he stretched himself out over the child three times and cried out to the LORD, “O LORD my God, please let this boy’s life return to him!” … Lamentations 4:10 The hands of compassionate women have cooked their own children, who became their food in the destruction of the daughter of my people. Deuteronomy 28:53-57 Then you will eat the fruit of your womb, the flesh of the sons and daughters whom the LORD your God has given you, in the siege and distress that your enemy will inflict on you. / The most gentle and refined man among you will begrudge his brother, the wife he embraces, and the rest of his children who have survived, / refusing to share with any of them the flesh of his children he will eat because he has nothing left in the siege and distress that your enemy will inflict on you within all your gates. … Jeremiah 14:18 If I go out to the country, I see those slain by the sword; if I enter the city, I see those ravaged by famine! For both prophet and priest travel to a land they do not know.’” Jeremiah 19:9 I will make them eat the flesh of their sons and daughters, and they will eat one another’s flesh in the siege and distress inflicted on them by their enemies who seek their lives.’ Ezekiel 5:10 As a result, fathers among you will eat their sons, and sons will eat their fathers. I will execute judgments against you and scatter all your remnant to every wind.’ Treasury of Scripture They say to their mothers, Where is corn and wine? when they swooned as the wounded in the streets of the city, when their soul was poured out into their mothers' bosom. as the Ezekiel 30:24 And I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, and put my sword in his hand: but I will break Pharaoh's arms, and he shall groan before him with the groanings of a deadly wounded man. soul Isaiah 53:12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. Jump to Previous Bosom Bread Breast Broad City Corn Cry Drained Faint Falling Feeble Grain Itself Life Mothers Mother's Open Pierced Places Pour Poured Pouring Soul Squares Streets Swoon Swooned Wine WoundedJump to Next Bosom Bread Breast Broad City Corn Cry Drained Faint Falling Feeble Grain Itself Life Mothers Mother's Open Pierced Places Pour Poured Pouring Soul Squares Streets Swoon Swooned Wine WoundedLamentations 2 1. Jeremiah laments the misery of Jerusalem20. He complains thereof to God They cry out to their mothers: This phrase captures the desperation and helplessness of the children during the siege of Jerusalem. In ancient Near Eastern culture, mothers were seen as primary caregivers, and the cry to their mothers signifies a deep sense of need and vulnerability. The imagery of children crying out highlights the severe impact of the Babylonian siege on the most innocent and defenseless members of society. This reflects the fulfillment of the curses for disobedience outlined in Deuteronomy 28:53, where it is prophesied that during a siege, people would suffer extreme hunger. “Where is the grain and wine?” as they faint like the wounded in the streets of the city, as their lives fade away in the arms of their mothers. Persons / Places / Events 1. Children of JerusalemThe verse depicts the suffering of the children during the siege of Jerusalem, highlighting their desperate cries for sustenance. 2. Mothers The mothers are portrayed as helpless witnesses to their children's suffering, unable to provide for their basic needs. 3. Streets of the City The streets of Jerusalem serve as the setting for this tragic scene, emphasizing the widespread devastation and despair. 4. Siege of Jerusalem This event refers to the Babylonian siege that led to the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC, a pivotal moment in Jewish history. 5. Prophet Jeremiah Traditionally attributed as the author of Lamentations, Jeremiah laments the destruction and suffering of his people. Teaching Points The Consequences of DisobedienceLamentations 2:12 serves as a stark reminder of the severe consequences of turning away from God. It calls believers to examine their own lives for areas of disobedience and to seek repentance. The Depth of Human Suffering This verse vividly portrays the depth of human suffering and the impact of sin on innocent lives. It encourages Christians to have compassion for those in distress and to be active in providing relief and support. The Role of Lament in Faith Lamentations teaches that it is acceptable to bring our sorrows and questions before God. It encourages believers to express their grief and seek comfort in God's presence. Hope Amidst Despair While the verse depicts despair, the broader message of Lamentations points to hope in God's faithfulness. Believers are reminded to trust in God's promises even in the darkest times. The Importance of Community Support The imagery of children crying out to their mothers highlights the need for community and family support during crises. Christians are called to be a source of strength and encouragement to one another. Bible Study Questions and Answers 1. What is the meaning of Lamentations 2:12?2. How does Lamentations 2:12 illustrate the consequences of turning away from God? 3. What emotions are expressed by the children in Lamentations 2:12? 4. How can we ensure our spiritual nourishment, avoiding the fate in Lamentations 2:12? 5. Compare Lamentations 2:12 with Deuteronomy 28:53. What similarities do you find? 6. How can we support families facing spiritual or physical hunger today? 7. What is the historical context of Lamentations 2:12? 8. How does Lamentations 2:12 reflect God's judgment on Jerusalem? 9. What theological themes are present in Lamentations 2:12? 10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Lamentations 2? 11. What foods are mentioned in the Bible? 12. Lamentations 5:2 depicts a Jerusalem left desolate--do archaeological findings fully align with the extent of destruction described? 13. Leviticus 2:12-13: How consistent is the requirement to add salt with other scriptural instances that list different mandatory ingredients? 14. What is the Daniel Fast? What Does Lamentations 2:12 Mean They cry out to their mothersThe verse opens with a heartbreaking picture of children wailing for help. The scene is personal and domestic—no lofty temple courts, no palace halls, just home, where mothers are normally the first line of comfort. • Lamentations 4:4 echoes this desperation: “The infant’s tongue clings to the roof of his mouth from thirst.” • Earlier, Jeremiah predicted such misery in Jeremiah 19:9, underscoring that the Lord had warned Israel of the coming judgment. • The detail reminds us that God’s covenant blessings and curses touch every level of life (Deuteronomy 28:53). He takes sin seriously enough to let its consequences reach even the nursery. “Where is the grain and wine?” Grain and wine represent the staples of everyday provision—food and joy. Their absence shouts famine, but also spiritual emptiness. • Lamentations 4:5 notes that those once “nurtured in purple” now scavenge for scraps; prosperity has turned to poverty. • Psalm 4:7 links grain and wine with gladness granted by God. When they are gone, it is a sign that He has withdrawn His favor. • Joel 1:10–12 pictures a similar devastation where “the grain is ruined, the new wine dries up,” connecting material loss to national rebellion. As they faint like the wounded in the streets of the city The children are not merely hungry; they collapse “like the wounded,” as though struck in battle. The war has left no safe zone; the streets where they once played now double as battleground infirmaries. • Isaiah 51:20 uses the same imagery of sons who “faint at every street corner” to describe covenant judgment. • Lamentations 2:11 records Jeremiah’s response: “My eyes fail from weeping; I have no comfort,” showing that even the prophet is emotionally spent by viewing the carnage. • Luke 21:26 later employs the language of fainting to describe end-time distress, reminding us that human frailty under God’s judgment is a recurring biblical theme. As their lives fade away in the arms of their mothers The children die where they should be safest—in a mother’s embrace. The phrase emphasizes both the tenderness of parental love and the total inability of that love to save apart from God’s mercy. • Lamentations 2:19 urges mothers to “pour out your hearts like water before the presence of the Lord… for the lives of your children,” underscoring that rescue must come from Him. • Lamentations 1:16 shows Jerusalem personified as a mother who has “no one to comfort” her, highlighting collective grief. • 2 Kings 6:28-29 records an earlier siege in Samaria where mothers faced unthinkable choices, illustrating how sin’s curse descends to the next generation when a nation rejects the Lord. summary Lamentations 2:12 literally records the horrors that rolled over Jerusalem when God’s righteous judgment arrived. Hungry children wailing, mothers helpless, streets turned into battlefields—all testify that sin’s cost is staggering. Yet the vivid detail also presses readers toward repentance and dependence on the only One who can supply grain, wine, and life itself. Scripture’s accuracy in portraying both judgment and compassion invites us to trust its every word, seek the Lord while He may be found, and cling to the hope ultimately fulfilled in Christ, who bore judgment so that life might no longer fade away but flourish eternally. (12) They say . . .--The words seem to paint what was actually passing before the writer's eye, but may be the vivid present which represents the past. The children cried for food, and their mothers had none to give them. They were like wounded men at their last gasp, and breathed out their life as they clung in their despair to their mothers' breasts.Verse 12. - Corn. Either in the sense of parched corn (comp. Leviticus 23:14; 1 Samuel 17:17; Proverbs 27:22) or a poetic expression for "bread" (comp. Exodus 16:4; Psalm or. 40)Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew They cry outיֹֽאמְר֔וּ (yō·mə·rū) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural Strong's 559: To utter, say to their mothers: לְאִמֹּתָם֙ (lə·’im·mō·ṯām) Preposition-l | Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine plural Strong's 517: A mother, ) “Where אַיֵּ֖ה (’ay·yêh) Interrogative Strong's 346: Where? is the grain דָּגָ֣ן (dā·ḡān) Noun - masculine singular Strong's 1715: Corn, grain (of cereals) and wine?” וָיָ֑יִן (wā·yā·yin) Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular Strong's 3196: Wine, intoxication as they faint בְּהִֽתְעַטְּפָ֤ם (bə·hiṯ·‘aṭ·ṭə·p̄ām) Preposition-b | Verb - Hitpael - Infinitive construct | third person masculine plural Strong's 5848: To shroud, clothe, to languish like the wounded כֶּֽחָלָל֙ (ke·ḥā·lāl) Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular Strong's 2491: Pierced, polluted in the streets בִּרְחֹב֣וֹת (bir·ḥō·ḇō·wṯ) Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural Strong's 7339: A broad open place, plaza of the city, עִ֔יר (‘îr) Noun - feminine singular Strong's 5892: Excitement as their lives נַפְשָׁ֔ם (nap̄·šām) Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural Strong's 5315: A soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, emotion fade away בְּהִשְׁתַּפֵּ֣ךְ (bə·hiš·tap·pêḵ) Preposition-b | Verb - Hitpael - Infinitive construct Strong's 8210: To spill forth, to expend, to sprawl out in אֶל־ (’el-) Preposition Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to the arms חֵ֖יק (ḥêq) Noun - masculine singular construct Strong's 2436: The bosom of their mothers. אִמֹּתָֽם׃ (’im·mō·ṯām) Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine plural Strong's 517: A mother, ) Links Lamentations 2:12 NIVLamentations 2:12 NLT Lamentations 2:12 ESV Lamentations 2:12 NASB Lamentations 2:12 KJV Lamentations 2:12 BibleApps.com Lamentations 2:12 Biblia Paralela Lamentations 2:12 Chinese Bible Lamentations 2:12 French Bible Lamentations 2:12 Catholic Bible OT Prophets: Lamentations 2:12 They tell their mothers Where is grain (Lam. 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