Jer 9:1-2 | NETfull | STEP | [Heb. 8:23] I wish that my head were a well full of water and my eyes were a fountain full of tears! If they were, I could cry day and night for those of my dear people who have been killed.

Jeremiah 9:1-2

1 [Heb. 8:23] ^{▼▼ Beginning with 9:1, the verse numbers through 9:26 in the English Bible differ from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 9:1 ET = 8:23 HT, 9:2 ET = 9:1 HT, 9:3 ET = 9:2 HT, etc., through 9:26 ET = 9:25 HT. Beginning with 10:1 the verse numbers in the ET and HT are again the same.} I wish that my head were a well full of water ^{▼▼ Heb “I wish that my head were water.”}
and my eyes were a fountain full of tears!
If they were, I could cry day and night
for those of my dear people ^{▼▼ Heb “daughter of my people.” For the translation given here see 4:11 and the note on the phrase “dear people” there.} who have been killed.
2 [Heb. 9:1] I wish I had a lodging place in the desert
where I could spend some time like a weary traveler. ^{▼▼ Heb “I wish I had in the desert a lodging place [inn, or place to spend the night] for travelers.”}
Then I would desert my people
and walk away from them
because they are all unfaithful to God,
a congregation ^{▼▼ Or “bunch,” but this loses the irony; the word is used for the solemn assemblies at the religious feasts.} of people that has been disloyal to him. ^{▼▼ Heb “they are all adulterers, a congregation of unfaithful people.” However, spiritual adultery is, of course, meant, not literal adultery. So the literal translation would be misleading.}