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Jeremiah 3:19-5:9
King James Version
Jeremiah 3:19-5:9
King James Version
19 But I said, How shall I put thee among the children, and give thee a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of nations? and I said, Thou shalt call me, My father; and shalt not turn away from me.
20 Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the Lord.
21 A voice was heard upon the high places, weeping and supplications of the children of Israel: for they have perverted their way, and they have forgotten the Lord their God.
22 Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the Lord our God.
23 Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills, and from the multitude of mountains: truly in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel.
24 For shame hath devoured the labour of our fathers from our youth; their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters.
25 We lie down in our shame, and our confusion covereth us: for we have sinned against the Lord our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day, and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God.
4 If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the Lord, return unto me: and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight, then shalt thou not remove.
2 And thou shalt swear, The Lord liveth, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; and the nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory.
3 For thus saith the Lord to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns.
4 Circumcise yourselves to the Lord, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.
5 Declare ye in Judah, and publish in Jerusalem; and say, Blow ye the trumpet in the land: cry, gather together, and say, Assemble yourselves, and let us go into the defenced cities.
6 Set up the standard toward Zion: retire, stay not: for I will bring evil from the north, and a great destruction.
7 The lion is come up from his thicket, and the destroyer of the Gentiles is on his way; he is gone forth from his place to make thy land desolate; and thy cities shall be laid waste, without an inhabitant.
8 For this gird you with sackcloth, lament and howl: for the fierce anger of the Lord is not turned back from us.
9 And it shall come to pass at that day, saith the Lord, that the heart of the king shall perish, and the heart of the princes; and the priests shall be astonished, and the prophets shall wonder.
10 Then said I, Ah, Lord God! surely thou hast greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall have peace; whereas the sword reacheth unto the soul.
11 At that time shall it be said to this people and to Jerusalem, A dry wind of the high places in the wilderness toward the daughter of my people, not to fan, nor to cleanse,
12 Even a full wind from those places shall come unto me: now also will I give sentence against them.
13 Behold, he shall come up as clouds, and his chariots shall be as a whirlwind: his horses are swifter than eagles. Woe unto us! for we are spoiled.
14 O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee?
15 For a voice declareth from Dan, and publisheth affliction from mount Ephraim.
16 Make ye mention to the nations; behold, publish against Jerusalem, that watchers come from a far country, and give out their voice against the cities of Judah.
17 As keepers of a field, are they against her round about; because she hath been rebellious against me, saith the Lord.
18 Thy way and thy doings have procured these things unto thee; this is thy wickedness, because it is bitter, because it reacheth unto thine heart.
19 My bowels, my bowels! I am pained at my very heart; my heart maketh a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, because thou hast heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.
20 Destruction upon destruction is cried; for the whole land is spoiled: suddenly are my tents spoiled, and my curtains in a moment.
21 How long shall I see the standard, and hear the sound of the trumpet?
22 For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.
23 I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light.
24 I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly.
25 I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled.
26 I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the Lord, and by his fierce anger.
27 For thus hath the Lord said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end.
28 For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black; because I have spoken it, I have purposed it, and will not repent, neither will I turn back from it.
29 The whole city shall flee for the noise of the horsemen and bowmen; they shall go into thickets, and climb up upon the rocks: every city shall be forsaken, and not a man dwell therein.
30 And when thou art spoiled, what wilt thou do? Though thou clothest thyself with crimson, though thou deckest thee with ornaments of gold, though thou rentest thy face with painting, in vain shalt thou make thyself fair; thy lovers will despise thee, they will seek thy life.
31 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.
5 Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth; and I will pardon it.
2 And though they say, The Lord liveth; surely they swear falsely.
3 O Lord, are not thine eyes upon the truth? thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved; thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction: they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return.
4 Therefore I said, Surely these are poor; they are foolish: for they know not the way of the Lord, nor the judgment of their God.
5 I will get me unto the great men, and will speak unto them; for they have known the way of the Lord, and the judgment of their God: but these have altogether broken the yoke, and burst the bonds.
6 Wherefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them, and a wolf of the evenings shall spoil them, a leopard shall watch over their cities: every one that goeth out thence shall be torn in pieces: because their transgressions are many, and their backslidings are increased.
7 How shall I pardon thee for this? thy children have forsaken me, and sworn by them that are no gods: when I had fed them to the full, they then committed adultery, and assembled themselves by troops in the harlots' houses.
8 They were as fed horses in the morning: every one neighed after his neighbour's wife.
9 Shall I not visit for these things? saith the Lord: and shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?
Jeremiah 3:19-5:9
New International Version
Jeremiah 3:19-5:9
New International Version
19 “I myself said,
“‘How gladly would I treat you like my children
and give you a pleasant land,(A)
the most beautiful inheritance(B) of any nation.’
I thought you would call me ‘Father’(C)
and not turn away from following me.
20 But like a woman unfaithful to her husband,
so you, Israel, have been unfaithful(D) to me,”
declares the Lord.
21 A cry is heard on the barren heights,(E)
the weeping(F) and pleading of the people of Israel,
because they have perverted their ways
and have forgotten(G) the Lord their God.
“Yes, we will come to you,
for you are the Lord our God.
23 Surely the idolatrous commotion on the hills(K)
and mountains is a deception;
surely in the Lord our God
is the salvation(L) of Israel.
24 From our youth shameful(M) gods have consumed
the fruits of our ancestors’ labor—
their flocks and herds,
their sons and daughters.
25 Let us lie down in our shame,(N)
and let our disgrace cover us.
We have sinned(O) against the Lord our God,
both we and our ancestors;(P)
from our youth(Q) till this day
we have not obeyed(R) the Lord our God.”
4 “If you, Israel, will return,(S)
then return to me,”
declares the Lord.
“If you put your detestable idols(T) out of my sight
and no longer go astray,
2 and if in a truthful, just and righteous way
you swear,(U) ‘As surely as the Lord lives,’(V)
then the nations will invoke blessings(W) by him
and in him they will boast.(X)”
3 This is what the Lord says to the people of Judah and to Jerusalem:
“Break up your unplowed ground(Y)
and do not sow among thorns.(Z)
4 Circumcise yourselves to the Lord,
circumcise your hearts,(AA)
you people of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem,
or my wrath(AB) will flare up and burn like fire(AC)
because of the evil(AD) you have done—
burn with no one to quench(AE) it.
Disaster From the North
5 “Announce in Judah and proclaim(AF) in Jerusalem and say:
‘Sound the trumpet(AG) throughout the land!’
Cry aloud and say:
‘Gather together!
Let us flee to the fortified cities!’(AH)
6 Raise the signal(AI) to go to Zion!
Flee for safety without delay!
For I am bringing disaster(AJ) from the north,(AK)
even terrible destruction.”
7 A lion(AL) has come out of his lair;(AM)
a destroyer(AN) of nations has set out.
He has left his place
to lay waste(AO) your land.
Your towns will lie in ruins(AP)
without inhabitant.
8 So put on sackcloth,(AQ)
lament(AR) and wail,
for the fierce anger(AS) of the Lord
has not turned away from us.
9 “In that day,” declares the Lord,
“the king and the officials will lose heart,(AT)
the priests will be horrified,
and the prophets will be appalled.”(AU)
10 Then I said, “Alas, Sovereign Lord! How completely you have deceived(AV) this people and Jerusalem by saying, ‘You will have peace,’(AW) when the sword is at our throats!”
11 At that time this people and Jerusalem will be told, “A scorching wind(AX) from the barren heights in the desert blows toward my people, but not to winnow or cleanse; 12 a wind(AY) too strong for that comes from me. Now I pronounce my judgments(AZ) against them.”
13 Look! He advances like the clouds,(BA)
his chariots(BB) come like a whirlwind,(BC)
his horses(BD) are swifter than eagles.(BE)
Woe to us! We are ruined!(BF)
14 Jerusalem, wash(BG) the evil from your heart and be saved.(BH)
How long(BI) will you harbor wicked thoughts?
15 A voice is announcing from Dan,(BJ)
proclaiming disaster from the hills of Ephraim.(BK)
16 “Tell this to the nations,
proclaim concerning Jerusalem:
‘A besieging army is coming from a distant land,(BL)
raising a war cry(BM) against the cities of Judah.(BN)
17 They surround(BO) her like men guarding a field,
because she has rebelled(BP) against me,’”
declares the Lord.
18 “Your own conduct and actions(BQ)
have brought this on you.(BR)
This is your punishment.
How bitter(BS) it is!
How it pierces to the heart!”
19 Oh, my anguish, my anguish!(BT)
I writhe in pain.(BU)
Oh, the agony of my heart!
My heart pounds(BV) within me,
I cannot keep silent.(BW)
For I have heard the sound of the trumpet;(BX)
I have heard the battle cry.(BY)
20 Disaster follows disaster;(BZ)
the whole land lies in ruins.(CA)
In an instant my tents(CB) are destroyed,
my shelter in a moment.
21 How long must I see the battle standard(CC)
and hear the sound of the trumpet?(CD)
22 “My people are fools;(CE)
they do not know me.(CF)
They are senseless children;
they have no understanding.(CG)
They are skilled in doing evil;(CH)
they know not how to do good.”(CI)
23 I looked at the earth,
and it was formless and empty;(CJ)
and at the heavens,
and their light(CK) was gone.
24 I looked at the mountains,
and they were quaking;(CL)
all the hills were swaying.
25 I looked, and there were no people;
every bird in the sky had flown away.(CM)
26 I looked, and the fruitful land was a desert;(CN)
all its towns lay in ruins(CO)
before the Lord, before his fierce anger.(CP)
27 This is what the Lord says:
“The whole land will be ruined,(CQ)
though I will not destroy(CR) it completely.
28 Therefore the earth will mourn(CS)
and the heavens above grow dark,(CT)
because I have spoken and will not relent,(CU)
I have decided and will not turn back.(CV)”
29 At the sound of horsemen and archers(CW)
every town takes to flight.(CX)
Some go into the thickets;
some climb up among the rocks.(CY)
All the towns are deserted;(CZ)
no one lives in them.
30 What are you doing,(DA) you devastated one?
Why dress yourself in scarlet
and put on jewels(DB) of gold?
Why highlight your eyes with makeup?(DC)
You adorn yourself in vain.
Your lovers(DD) despise you;
they want to kill you.(DE)
31 I hear a cry as of a woman in labor,(DF)
a groan as of one bearing her first child—
the cry of Daughter Zion(DG) gasping for breath,(DH)
stretching out her hands(DI) and saying,
“Alas! I am fainting;
my life is given over to murderers.”(DJ)
Not One Is Upright
5 “Go up and down(DK) the streets of Jerusalem,
look around and consider,(DL)
search through her squares.
If you can find but one person(DM)
who deals honestly(DN) and seeks the truth,
I will forgive(DO) this city.
2 Although they say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives,’(DP)
still they are swearing falsely.(DQ)”
3 Lord, do not your eyes(DR) look for truth?
You struck(DS) them, but they felt no pain;
you crushed them, but they refused correction.(DT)
They made their faces harder than stone(DU)
and refused to repent.(DV)
4 I thought, “These are only the poor;
they are foolish,(DW)
for they do not know(DX) the way of the Lord,
the requirements of their God.
5 So I will go to the leaders(DY)
and speak to them;
surely they know the way of the Lord,
the requirements of their God.”
But with one accord they too had broken off the yoke
and torn off the bonds.(DZ)
6 Therefore a lion from the forest(EA) will attack them,
a wolf from the desert will ravage(EB) them,
a leopard(EC) will lie in wait near their towns
to tear to pieces any who venture out,
for their rebellion is great
and their backslidings many.(ED)
7 “Why should I forgive you?
Your children have forsaken me
and sworn(EE) by gods that are not gods.(EF)
I supplied all their needs,
yet they committed adultery(EG)
and thronged to the houses of prostitutes.(EH)
8 They are well-fed, lusty stallions,
each neighing for another man’s wife.(EI)
9 Should I not punish them for this?”(EJ)
declares the Lord.
“Should I not avenge(EK) myself
on such a nation as this?
Jeremiah 3:19-5:9
New King James Version
Jeremiah 3:19-5:9
New King James Version
19 “But I said:
‘How can I put you among the children
And give you (A)a pleasant land,
A beautiful heritage of the hosts of nations?’
“And I said:
‘You shall call Me, (B)“My Father,”
And not turn away from Me.’
20 Surely, as a wife treacherously departs from her [a]husband,
So (C)have you dealt treacherously with Me,
O house of Israel,” says the Lord.
21 A voice was heard on (D)the desolate heights,
Weeping and supplications of the children of Israel.
For they have perverted their way;
They have forgotten the Lord their God.
22 “Return, you backsliding children,
And I will (E)heal your backslidings.”
“Indeed we do come to You,
For You are the Lord our God.
23 (F)Truly, in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills,
And from the multitude of mountains;
(G)Truly, in the Lord our God
Is the salvation of Israel.
24 (H)For shame has devoured
The labor of our fathers from our youth—
Their flocks and their herds,
Their sons and their daughters.
25 We lie down in our shame,
And our [b]reproach covers us.
(I)For we have sinned against the Lord our God,
We and our fathers,
From our youth even to this day,
And (J)have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God.”
Jeremiah Laments over Judah
4 “If you will return, O Israel,” says the Lord,
(K)“Return to Me;
And if you will put away your abominations out of My sight,
Then you shall not be moved.
2 (L)And you shall swear, ‘The Lord lives,’
(M)In truth, in [c]judgment, and in righteousness;
(N)The nations shall bless themselves in Him,
And in Him they shall (O)glory.”
3 For thus says the Lord to the men of Judah and Jerusalem:
(P)“Break up your [d]fallow ground,
And (Q)do not sow among thorns.
4 (R)Circumcise yourselves to the Lord,
And take away the foreskins of your hearts,
You men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem,
Lest My fury come forth like fire,
And burn so that no one can quench it,
Because of the evil of your doings.”
An Imminent Invasion
5 Declare in Judah and proclaim in Jerusalem, and say:
(S)“Blow the trumpet in the land;
Cry, ‘Gather together,’
And say, (T)‘Assemble yourselves,
And let us go into the fortified cities.’
6 Set up the [e]standard toward Zion.
Take refuge! Do not delay!
For I will bring disaster from the (U)north,
And great destruction.”
7 (V)The lion has come up from his thicket,
And (W)the destroyer of nations is on his way.
He has gone forth from his place
(X)To make your land desolate.
Your cities will be laid waste,
Without inhabitant.
8 For this, (Y)clothe yourself with sackcloth,
Lament and wail.
For the fierce anger of the Lord
Has not turned back from us.
9 “And it shall come to pass in that day,” says the Lord,
“That the heart of the king shall perish,
And the heart of the princes;
The priests shall be astonished,
And the prophets shall wonder.”
10 Then I said, “Ah, Lord God!
(Z)Surely You have greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem,
(AA)Saying, ‘You shall have peace,’
Whereas the sword reaches to the [f]heart.”
11 At that time it will be said
To this people and to Jerusalem,
(AB)“A dry wind of the desolate heights blows in the wilderness
Toward the daughter of My people—
Not to fan or to cleanse—
12 A wind too strong for these will come for Me;
Now (AC)I will also speak judgment against them.”
13 “Behold, he shall come up like clouds,
And (AD)his chariots like a whirlwind.
(AE)His horses are swifter than eagles.
Woe to us, for we are plundered!”
14 O Jerusalem, (AF)wash your heart from wickedness,
That you may be saved.
How long shall your evil thoughts lodge within you?
15 For a voice declares (AG)from Dan
And proclaims [g]affliction from Mount Ephraim:
16 “Make mention to the nations,
Yes, proclaim against Jerusalem,
That watchers come from a (AH)far country
And raise their voice against the cities of Judah.
17 (AI)Like keepers of a field they are against her all around,
Because she has been rebellious against Me,” says the Lord.
18 “Your(AJ) ways and your doings
Have procured these things for you.
This is your wickedness,
Because it is bitter,
Because it reaches to your heart.”
Sorrow for the Doomed Nation
19 O my (AK)soul, my soul!
I am pained in my very heart!
My heart makes a noise in me;
I cannot hold my peace,
Because you have heard, O my soul,
The sound of the trumpet,
The alarm of war.
20 (AL)Destruction upon destruction is cried,
For the whole land is plundered.
Suddenly (AM)my tents are plundered,
And my curtains in a moment.
21 How long will I see the [h]standard,
And hear the sound of the trumpet?
22 “For My people are foolish,
They have not known Me.
They are [i]silly children,
And they have no understanding.
(AN)They are wise to do evil,
But to do good they have no knowledge.”
23 (AO)I beheld the earth, and indeed it was (AP)without form, and void;
And the heavens, they had no light.
24 (AQ)I beheld the mountains, and indeed they trembled,
And all the hills moved back and forth.
25 I beheld, and indeed there was no man,
And (AR)all the birds of the heavens had fled.
26 I beheld, and indeed the fruitful land was a (AS)wilderness,
And all its cities were broken down
At the presence of the Lord,
By His fierce anger.
27 For thus says the Lord:
“The whole land shall be desolate;
(AT)Yet I will not make a full end.
28 For this (AU)shall the earth mourn,
And (AV)the heavens above be black,
Because I have spoken.
I have (AW)purposed and (AX)will not relent,
Nor will I turn back from it.
29 The whole city shall flee from the noise of the horsemen and bowmen.
They shall go into thickets and climb up on the rocks.
Every city shall be forsaken,
And not a man shall dwell in it.
30 “And when you are plundered,
What will you do?
Though you clothe yourself with crimson,
Though you adorn yourself with ornaments of gold,
(AY)Though you enlarge your eyes with paint,
In vain you will make yourself fair;
(AZ)Your lovers will despise you;
They will seek your life.
31 “For I have heard a voice as of a woman in [j]labor,
The anguish as of her who brings forth her first child,
The voice of the daughter of Zion bewailing herself;
She (BA)spreads her hands, saying,
‘Woe is me now, for my soul is [k]weary
Because of murderers!’
The Justice of God’s Judgment
5 “Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem;
See now and know;
And seek in her open places
(BB)If you can find a man,
(BC)If there is anyone who executes [l]judgment,
Who seeks the truth,
(BD)And I will pardon her.
2 (BE)Though they say, ‘As (BF)the Lord lives,’
Surely they (BG)swear falsely.”
3 O Lord, are not (BH)Your eyes on the truth?
You have (BI)stricken them,
But they have not grieved;
You have consumed them,
But (BJ)they have refused to receive correction.
They have made their faces harder than rock;
They have refused to return.
4 Therefore I said, “Surely these are poor.
They are foolish;
For (BK)they do not know the way of the Lord,
The judgment of their God.
5 I will go to the great men and speak to them,
For (BL)they have known the way of the Lord,
The judgment of their God.”
But these have altogether (BM)broken the yoke
And burst the bonds.
6 Therefore (BN)a lion from the forest shall slay them,
(BO)A wolf of the deserts shall destroy them;
(BP)A leopard will watch over their cities.
Everyone who goes out from there shall be torn in pieces,
Because their transgressions are many;
Their backslidings have increased.
7 “How shall I pardon you for this?
Your children have forsaken Me
And (BQ)sworn by those (BR)that are not gods.
(BS)When I had fed them to the full,
Then they committed adultery
And assembled themselves by troops in the harlots’ houses.
8 (BT)They were like well-fed lusty stallions;
Every one neighed after his neighbor’s wife.
9 Shall I not punish them for these things?” says the Lord.
“And shall I not (BU)avenge Myself on such a nation as this?
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 3:20 Lit. companion
- Jeremiah 3:25 disgrace
- Jeremiah 4:2 justice
- Jeremiah 4:3 untilled
- Jeremiah 4:6 banner
- Jeremiah 4:10 Lit. soul
- Jeremiah 4:15 Or wickedness
- Jeremiah 4:21 banner
- Jeremiah 4:22 foolish
- Jeremiah 4:31 childbirth
- Jeremiah 4:31 faint
- Jeremiah 5:1 justice
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.