Jeremiah 4:31

For I haue heard a voice as of a woman in trauel, and the anguish as of her that bringeth foorth her first childe, the voice of the daughter of Zion, that bewaileth her selfe, that spreadeth her hands, saying; Woe is me now, for my soule is wearied because of murderers. Jeremiah 4:31 (KJV)

that bewaileth herself,

that spreadeth her hands,

saying, Woe is me now! for my soul is wearied because of murderers. Jeremiah 4:31 (KJV)

For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail, and the anguish as of her that bringeth forth her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion, that bewaileth herself, that spreadeth her hands, saying, Woe is me now! for my soul is wearied because of murderers.

The following passage is sometimes cited as a verse from Jeremiah, but the exact wording does not appear in the canonical text of the book.

Context: The Book of Jeremiah is a prophetic book in the Old Testament. Jeremiah was a prophet who lived during a tumultuous period in Israel’s history. He prophesied before and during the Babylonian exile, warning the people of God’s impending judgment because of their persistent rebellion and idolatry.

Explanation: While Jeremiah does express deep sorrow for the suffering of Jerusalem—most famously in verses such as Jeremiah 31:15, which speaks of Rachel weeping for her children—the specific language about “a woman in travail,” “the daughter of Zion … bewaileth herself,” and “my soul is wearied because of murderers” is not found in Jeremiah. The book portrays the daughter of Zion as mourning and pleading for help, but the imagery of murderers causing weariness is not part of the original text. Instead, Jeremiah’s laments focus on the consequences of covenant unfaithfulness, foreign invasion, and the resulting exile.