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Jeremiah 7 meaning explained in AI Summary

This chapter centers around a scathing critique of the Israelites' false sense of security and their empty rituals at the Temple in Jerusalem.

  • God's Message (7:1-15): God instructs Jeremiah to stand at the Temple gate and deliver a message of impending doom. He condemns the Israelites for their wickedness, including idolatry, injustice, oppression of the poor and vulnerable, and hypocrisy. They believe that simply offering sacrifices at the Temple will protect them, but God rejects their empty rituals while their hearts remain far from him. He reminds them of Shiloh, the previous place of worship that he destroyed due to the people's wickedness.
  • Idolatry and Disobedience (7:16-20): Jeremiah specifically calls out the people's worship of the queen of heaven (likely Ishtar or Astarte), offering cakes and libations to her. This act of idolatry further demonstrates their rebellion against God.
  • Meaningless Sacrifices (7:21-28): God emphasizes that he never commanded sacrifices during the Exodus. What he truly desires is obedience and a genuine relationship with him. He accuses the Israelites of rejecting his words and following their own stubborn hearts.
  • Consequences of Disobedience (7:29-34): Due to their persistent idolatry and wickedness, God declares that the place will no longer be called Topheth or the Valley of Ben Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter. He will make Jerusalem a desolate ruin, filled with the bodies of the slain. The joyous sounds of celebration will be replaced by the cries of mourning parents.

Overall, Jeremiah 7 serves as a powerful warning against religious hypocrisy and the dangers of relying on rituals without true repentance and obedience to God. It highlights the importance of aligning one's heart with God's will and living a life characterized by justice, compassion, and genuine worship.

Jeremiah 7 bible study ai commentary

Jeremiah 7's central theme is a blistering critique of religious hypocrisy. Delivered at the gate of the Jerusalem Temple, this sermon, often called the "Temple Sermon," exposes the fatal flaw in Judah's faith: the belief that the physical Temple and its rituals provided unconditional security. Jeremiah declares that God despises their worship because it is divorced from social justice and true obedience. Without repentance and a radical change in their ethical behavior, the very Temple they trust in will be destroyed, just as God's previous dwelling at Shiloh was.

Jeremiah 7 context

This sermon was likely delivered early in the reign of King Jehoiakim (around 609 BC), shortly after the religious reforms of King Josiah. Despite Josiah's efforts to centralize worship in Jerusalem and purify it (2 Kings 22-23), the people's hearts had not truly changed. A popular theology, sometimes called the "Royal Zion Theology" (based on God's promises to David and Jerusalem in 2 Samuel 7 and Psalm 132), had morphed into a superstitious belief that Jerusalem and its Temple were inviolable. The people used the Temple as a talisman, performing religious rituals while engaging in gross social injustice and idolatry, believing God would never abandon His own house. Jeremiah confronts this dangerous presumption head-on.


Jeremiah 7:1-4

The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: “Stand in the gate of the Lord's house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the Lord, all you men of Judah who enter these gates to worship the Lord. Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Amend your ways and your deeds, and I will let you dwell in this place. Do not trust in these deceptive words: ‘This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord.’”

In-depth-analysis

  • The Gate: A strategic location. Jeremiah addresses the people as they are coming to worship, catching them in the very act of their hypocrisy.
  • Amend your ways: The immediate call is for ethical transformation, not improved ritual. This sets the theme for the entire sermon.
  • Hekal YHWH (The temple of the LORD): The threefold repetition mimics a magical incantation or a nationalistic creed. The people chanted this, believing the building itself possessed protective power, guaranteeing their safety regardless of their actions. It was a false security blanket.
  • Deceptive words: Jeremiah labels their core theological belief a lie. Trusting in a physical location or religious rite over genuine obedience is self-delusion.

Bible references

  • Micah 3:11: "...Her priests teach for a price; her prophets practice divination for money; yet they lean on the Lord and say, “Is not the Lord in our midst? No disaster shall come upon us.”" (Identical false security).
  • Matthew 3:9: "And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham." (John the Baptist rebuking trust in heritage over repentance).
  • Acts 7:48: "Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made by hands, as the prophet says..." (Stephen's speech critiquing the same Temple-centric superstition).

Cross references

1 Sam 4:3 (bringing Ark as a talisman), Isa 1:11-17 (rebuke of empty ritual), Matt 7:21 (not everyone who says 'Lord, Lord').


Jeremiah 7:5-7

“For if you truly amend your ways and your deeds, if you truly execute justice one with another, if you do not oppress the sojourner, the fatherless, or the widow, or shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not go after other gods to your own harm, then I will let you dwell in this place, in the land that I gave of old to your fathers forever.”

In-depth-analysis

  • This section outlines the non-negotiable terms of the covenant. God's presence is conditional upon the people's ethical behavior.
  • True Justice: The list highlights sins against the most vulnerable members of society—sojourner, fatherless, widow. This is a bedrock principle of Torah.
  • Shed innocent blood: This could refer to judicial corruption (executing the innocent) or even child sacrifice (v. 31).
  • To your own harm: Jeremiah clarifies that idolatry isn't just an offense against God; it is self-destructive for the people.

Bible references

  • Exodus 22:21-22: "You shall not wrong a sojourner or oppress him... You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child." (The foundational law).
  • Deuteronomy 10:18: "He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing." (The character of God they were meant to emulate).
  • James 1:27: "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction..." (The enduring nature of these ethics).

Cross references

Zec 7:9-10 (execute true justice), Psa 82:3-4 (give justice to weak), Isa 1:23 (princes love bribes).


Jeremiah 7:8-11

“Behold, you trust in deceptive words to no avail. Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to Baal, and go after other gods that you have not known, and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, ‘We are delivered!’—only to go on doing all these abominations? Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I myself have seen it, declares the Lord.”

In-depth-analysis

  • Jeremiah explicitly lists violations of the Ten Commandments (theft, murder, adultery, false witness, idolatry), showing a complete societal breakdown.
  • We are delivered!: They likely interpreted deliverance from past threats (like Assyria) as a blank check for future behavior. They performed a Temple ritual and felt "absolved" to return to their sin.
  • me‘arat pārîṣîm (den of robbers): A powerful metaphor. The Temple was not a home for worshipers but a hideout for criminals. They committed their "crimes" in society and then ran to the Temple for sanctuary, as if it were a safe house where God couldn't see them.

Bible references

  • Matthew 21:13: "He said to them, 'It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a ‘den of robbers.’” (Jesus' direct quote and application of this verse to the Temple of His day, a profound act of prophetic identification with Jeremiah).
  • Romans 2:21-23: "...you who preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery?... You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law." (Paul on the hypocrisy of knowing the law but not living it).

Cross references

Exo 20:1-17 (Ten Commandments), Eze 33:25-26 (similar list of sins), 1 Cor 6:9-10 (the unrighteous will not inherit kingdom).


Jeremiah 7:12-15

“Go now to my place that was in Shiloh, where I made my name dwell at the first, and see what I did to it because of the evil of my people Israel. And now, because you have done all these things, declares the Lord, and when I spoke to you persistently you did not listen... therefore I will do to the house that is called by my name, and in which you trust... as I did to Shiloh. And I will cast you out of my sight, as I cast out all your kinsmen, the whole offspring of Ephraim.”

In-depth-analysis

  • The Shiloh Argument: This is Jeremiah's irrefutable historical proof. Shiloh was the central sanctuary for the Israelite confederacy before Jerusalem, housing the Ark of the Covenant. God abandoned and allowed it to be destroyed (by the Philistines) because of the corruption of the priesthood (Eli's sons). The ruins of Shiloh were a tangible, terrifying warning.
  • Persistent Speech: Emphasizes God's patience. Judgment is not capricious; it follows a long period of unanswered calls to repentance.
  • Offspring of Ephraim: A reference to the Northern Kingdom of Israel, which was conquered and exiled by Assyria in 722 BC. Jeremiah warns Judah (the Southern Kingdom) that they share the same bloodline and will share the same fate for the same sins.

Bible references

  • 1 Samuel 4:10-11: "So the Philistines fought... and the ark of God was captured, and the two sons of Eli... died." (The historical account of Shiloh's fall).
  • Psalm 78:60-61: "He forsook his dwelling at Shiloh, the tent where he dwelt among mankind, and delivered his power to captivity, his glory to the hand of the foe." (The event memorialized in Israel's songbook).
  • 2 Kings 17:18: "Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them out of his sight. None was left but the tribe of Judah only." (The exile of the Northern Kingdom, "Ephraim").

Cross references

Jos 18:1 (Shiloh established), 1 Sam 2:27-36 (prophecy against Eli's house).


Jeremiah 7:16

“As for you, do not pray for this people, or lift up a cry or prayer for them, and do not intercede with me, for I will not hear you.”

In-depth-analysis

  • A stunning and terrifying command. It signals that a divine tipping point has been reached. The time for intercession is over; judgment is now irrevocably set.
  • This removes Jeremiah from the classic role of an intercessor like Moses (Exodus 32) or Samuel (1 Samuel 7). God is showing that the situation is now beyond the hope of appeal.

Bible references

  • 1 John 5:16: "...There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for that." (A New Testament parallel recognizing a state of rebellion so hardened that prayer is no longer effective).
  • Ezekiel 14:14: "...even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver but their own lives by their righteousness, declares the Lord God." (God stating that even the most righteous intercessors cannot avert judgment now).
  • Exodus 32:10: "...Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them... but I will make of you a great nation." (A contrasting passage where God opens the door for intercession, and Moses successfully turns back His wrath).

Cross references

Jer 11:14 (command repeated), Jer 14:11 (command repeated again).


Jeremiah 7:17-20

“Do you not see what they are doing in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? The children gather wood, the fathers kindle fire, and the women knead dough, to make cakes for the queen of heaven. And they pour out drink offerings to other gods, to provoke me to anger... It is not me they provoke, declares the Lord, but themselves, to their own shame.”

In-depth-analysis

  • Polemics: This is a direct attack on a specific, popular pagan cult. The "queen of heaven" is likely a reference to Ishtar (Akkadian) or Astarte (Canaanite), a goddess of fertility and war. This was not a hidden sin, but a public, family-oriented activity.
  • Total Societal Involvement: Children, fathers, women—every part of the family unit is implicated. Idolatry has pervaded the very fabric of their home lives.
  • To their own shame: God reframes their rebellion. While it provokes His anger, the ultimate victim of their sin is themselves. It leads to their own destruction and public disgrace.

Bible references

  • Jeremiah 44:17-19: "...We will... make offerings to the queen of heaven... for then we had plenty of food, and prospered..." (Exiles in Egypt explicitly defend their worship of her, blaming their current trouble on having stopped).
  • Ezekiel 8:14: "Then he brought me to the entrance of the north gate of the house of the Lord, and behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz." (Another example of pagan cults being practiced at the very gates of the Temple).

Cross references

Judg 2:13 (serving Baal and Ashtaroth), 1 Kgs 11:5 (Solomon followed Ashtoreth).


Jeremiah 7:21-26

“...Add your burnt offerings to your sacrifices, and eat the flesh. For in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, I did not speak to your fathers or command them concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices. But this command I gave them: ‘Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.’ But they did not obey or incline their ear...”

In-depth-analysis

  • This is not a historical negation of the sacrificial law in Leviticus. It is a polemical argument about priority.
  • dabar (word/command): The key command at Sinai wasn't about the mechanics of sacrifice, but about listening and obedience (Shama - "Obey my voice"). The covenant relationship (I will be your God, you will be my people) is founded on obedience, not ritual performance.
  • Add your offerings... and eat the flesh: This is a statement of contempt. "Since your hearts are wrong, your sacrifices are meaningless. They're just meat. Go ahead and eat it all." This nullified the holy purpose of the offerings.

Bible references

  • 1 Samuel 15:22: "And Samuel said, 'Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice...'" (The classic statement of this principle).
  • Hosea 6:6: "For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings." (A core tenet of prophetic theology).
  • Hebrews 10:8-9: "...‘Sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings you have not desired...’ Then he added, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will.’ He does away with the first in order to establish the second." (The author of Hebrews uses this OT theme to show how Christ's perfect obedience surpasses and fulfills the entire sacrificial system).

Cross references

Isa 1:11 (I have had enough of burnt offerings), Mic 6:6-8 (what does the LORD require), Amos 5:21-24 (I hate your feasts).


Jeremiah 7:27-29

“So you shall speak all these words to them, but they will not listen to you. You shall call to them, but they will not answer you. And you shall say to them, ‘This is the nation that did not obey the voice of the Lord their God, and did not accept discipline; truth has perished; it is cut off from their lips.’ ‘Cut off your hair and cast it away; raise a lamentation on the bare heights, for the Lord has rejected and forsaken the generation of his wrath.’”

In-depth-analysis

  • God prepares Jeremiah for failure. His mission is not to succeed in turning the people, but to be a faithful witness so they are without excuse.
  • Truth has perished: The fundamental problem is a refusal to accept correction or truth.
  • Cut off your hair: In that culture, this was an act of extreme grief, shame, and mourning. It symbolizes the cutting off of a Nazirite vow or the nation's "consecrated" status. The nation is to go into mourning for itself because God has rejected it.

Bible references

  • Isaiah 6:9-10: "And he said, 'Go, and say to this people: ‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’” (The "prophetic hardening" commission, also given to Isaiah).
  • Job 1:20: "Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped." (Shaving the head as a sign of mourning).
  • Ezekiel 3:7: "But the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, for they are not willing to listen to me..." (Ezekiel receives a similar warning).

Cross references

Micah 1:16 (make yourselves bald for your children), Rom 10:21 (all day I have held out hands to disobedient people).


Jeremiah 7:30-34

"...For the sons of Judah have done evil in my sight, declares the Lord. They have set their abominations in the house that is called by my name, to defile it. And they have built the high places of Topheth, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, which I did not command, nor did it come into my heart. Therefore, behold, the days are coming... when it will no longer be called Topheth... but the Valley of Slaughter... the land shall become a waste.”

In-depth-analysis

  • Abominations in the house: Idolatrous symbols were placed inside the Temple itself, the ultimate act of defilement.
  • Topheth/Valley of the Son of Hinnom: This was a real valley southwest of Jerusalem. It became the site of the most detestable form of idolatry: child sacrifice to the god Molech.
  • lo'-tsivviti...v'lo' alah al-libbi (I did not command, nor did it come into my heart): God's most emphatic expression of disgust. This practice is so alien to His character that the very idea is abhorrent.
  • Valley of Slaughter: The punishment fits the crime. The place where they slaughtered their children will become the place where their own corpses are unceremoniously dumped, unable to be buried, and eaten by birds.
  • Gehenna: The Hebrew name, ge-hinnom, became the Aramaic Gehenna, used in the New Testament as the word for the place of eternal punishment/hell fire (e.g., Matthew 5:22).

Bible references

  • Leviticus 18:21: "You shall not give any of your children to offer them to Molech, and so profane the name of your God: I am the Lord." (The direct prohibition of this act).
  • 2 Kings 23:10: "And he [Josiah] defiled Topheth, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, that no one might burn his son or his daughter as an offering to Molech." (Josiah's reform that was ultimately reversed or proved ineffective).
  • Matthew 10:28: "...but rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell (Gehenna)." (Jesus uses the imagery of this valley to describe final judgment).

Cross references

Jer 19:5-6 (the same prophecy), 2 Chr 28:3 (Ahaz did this), Isa 30:33 (Topheth prepared for the king).

Jeremiah chapter 7 analysis

  • Liturgy and Ethics: The chapter is a masterclass on the unbreakable link between worship and justice. God evaluates the genuineness of worship not by its fervor or precision, but by the ethical character of the worshiper. Ritual without righteousness is an abomination.
  • Prophetic Fulfillment in Christ: Jesus' actions and words in the Temple (Matthew 21, Mark 11, Luke 19) are a direct fulfillment and re-application of Jeremiah 7. By quoting "den of robbers," Jesus identifies himself as a prophet in the mold of Jeremiah, declaring the same judgment on a new generation that had fallen into the same trap of religious hypocrisy.
  • Theology of Place: The chapter systematically deconstructs the idea that God can be confined to or manipulated by a sacred space. God's presence is tied to His covenant people's faithfulness, not to a building. This lays the theological groundwork for the New Testament understanding that the people of God, the church, are the new temple (1 Cor 3:16-17; 1 Pet 2:5).

Jeremiah 7 summary

Jeremiah confronts Judah at the Temple gate, warning them not to trust in the building for salvation. He declares their worship meaningless because they practice widespread social injustice and idolatry. Citing the historical destruction of God's first dwelling at Shiloh as a precedent, he announces that God will destroy this Temple and send them into exile. The judgment is so certain that God forbids Jeremiah from even praying for the people. Their sins have culminated in the abomination of child sacrifice, and God will turn their place of perverse worship into a valley of slaughter.

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Jeremiah chapter 7 kjv

  1. 1 The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,
  2. 2 Stand in the gate of the LORD's house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the LORD, all ye of Judah, that enter in at these gates to worship the LORD.
  3. 3 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place.
  4. 4 Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, are these.
  5. 5 For if ye throughly amend your ways and your doings; if ye throughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbour;
  6. 6 If ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt:
  7. 7 Then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, for ever and ever.
  8. 8 Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit.
  9. 9 Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not;
  10. 10 And come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations?
  11. 11 Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the LORD.
  12. 12 But go ye now unto my place which was in Shiloh, where I set my name at the first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel.
  13. 13 And now, because ye have done all these works, saith the LORD, and I spake unto you, rising up early and speaking, but ye heard not; and I called you, but ye answered not;
  14. 14 Therefore will I do unto this house, which is called by my name, wherein ye trust, and unto the place which I gave to you and to your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh.
  15. 15 And I will cast you out of my sight, as I have cast out all your brethren, even the whole seed of Ephraim.
  16. 16 Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to me: for I will not hear thee.
  17. 17 Seest thou not what they do in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?
  18. 18 The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger.
  19. 19 Do they provoke me to anger? saith the LORD: do they not provoke themselves to the confusion of their own faces?
  20. 20 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, mine anger and my fury shall be poured out upon this place, upon man, and upon beast, and upon the trees of the field, and upon the fruit of the ground; and it shall burn, and shall not be quenched.
  21. 21 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Put your burnt offerings unto your sacrifices, and eat flesh.
  22. 22 For I spake not unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices:
  23. 23 But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you.
  24. 24 But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward.
  25. 25 Since the day that your fathers came forth out of the land of Egypt unto this day I have even sent unto you all my servants the prophets, daily rising up early and sending them:
  26. 26 Yet they hearkened not unto me, nor inclined their ear, but hardened their neck: they did worse than their fathers.
  27. 27 Therefore thou shalt speak all these words unto them; but they will not hearken to thee: thou shalt also call unto them; but they will not answer thee.
  28. 28 But thou shalt say unto them, This is a nation that obeyeth not the voice of the LORD their God, nor receiveth correction: truth is perished, and is cut off from their mouth.
  29. 29 Cut off thine hair, O Jerusalem, and cast it away, and take up a lamentation on high places; for the LORD hath rejected and forsaken the generation of his wrath.
  30. 30 For the children of Judah have done evil in my sight, saith the LORD: they have set their abominations in the house which is called by my name, to pollute it.
  31. 31 And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart.
  32. 32 Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that it shall no more be called Tophet, nor the valley of the son of Hinnom, but the valley of slaughter: for they shall bury in Tophet, till there be no place.
  33. 33 And the carcases of this people shall be meat for the fowls of the heaven, and for the beasts of the earth; and none shall fray them away.
  34. 34 Then will I cause to cease from the cities of Judah, and from the streets of Jerusalem, the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride: for the land shall be desolate.

Jeremiah chapter 7 nkjv

  1. 1 The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,
  2. 2 "Stand in the gate of the LORD's house, and proclaim there this word, and say, 'Hear the word of the LORD, all you of Judah who enter in at these gates to worship the LORD!' "
  3. 3 Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: "Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place.
  4. 4 Do not trust in these lying words, saying, 'The temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD are these.'
  5. 5 "For if you thoroughly amend your ways and your doings, if you thoroughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbor,
  6. 6 if you do not oppress the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place, or walk after other gods to your hurt,
  7. 7 then I will cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers forever and ever.
  8. 8 "Behold, you trust in lying words that cannot profit.
  9. 9 Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn incense to Baal, and walk after other gods whom you do not know,
  10. 10 and then come and stand before Me in this house which is called by My name, and say, 'We are delivered to do all these abominations'?
  11. 11 Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of thieves in your eyes? Behold, I, even I, have seen it," says the LORD.
  12. 12 "But go now to My place which was in Shiloh, where I set My name at the first, and see what I did to it because of the wickedness of My people Israel.
  13. 13 And now, because you have done all these works," says the LORD, "and I spoke to you, rising up early and speaking, but you did not hear, and I called you, but you did not answer,
  14. 14 therefore I will do to the house which is called by My name, in which you trust, and to this place which I gave to you and your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh.
  15. 15 And I will cast you out of My sight, as I have cast out all your brethren? the whole posterity of Ephraim.
  16. 16 "Therefore do not pray for this people, nor lift up a cry or prayer for them, nor make intercession to Me; for I will not hear you.
  17. 17 Do you not see what they do in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?
  18. 18 The children gather wood, the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead dough, to make cakes for the queen of heaven; and they pour out drink offerings to other gods, that they may provoke Me to anger.
  19. 19 Do they provoke Me to anger?" says the LORD. "Do they not provoke themselves, to the shame of their own faces?"
  20. 20 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, My anger and My fury will be poured out on this place?on man and on beast, on the trees of the field and on the fruit of the ground. And it will burn and not be quenched."
  21. 21 Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: "Add your burnt offerings to your sacrifices and eat meat.
  22. 22 For I did not speak to your fathers, or command them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices.
  23. 23 But this is what I commanded them, saying, 'Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people. And walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you.'
  24. 24 Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but followed the counsels and the dictates of their evil hearts, and went backward and not forward.
  25. 25 Since the day that your fathers came out of the land of Egypt until this day, I have even sent to you all My servants the prophets, daily rising up early and sending them.
  26. 26 Yet they did not obey Me or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck. They did worse than their fathers.
  27. 27 "Therefore you shall speak all these words to them, but they will not obey you. You shall also call to them, but they will not answer you.
  28. 28 "So you shall say to them, 'This is a nation that does not obey the voice of the LORD their God nor receive correction. Truth has perished and has been cut off from their mouth.
  29. 29 Cut off your hair and cast it away, and take up a lamentation on the desolate heights; for the LORD has rejected and forsaken the generation of His wrath.'
  30. 30 For the children of Judah have done evil in My sight," says the LORD. "They have set their abominations in the house which is called by My name, to pollute it.
  31. 31 And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, which I did not command, nor did it come into My heart.
  32. 32 "Therefore behold, the days are coming," says the LORD, "when it will no more be called Tophet, or the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter; for they will bury in Tophet until there is no room.
  33. 33 The corpses of this people will be food for the birds of the heaven and for the beasts of the earth. And no one will frighten them away.
  34. 34 Then I will cause to cease from the cities of Judah and from the streets of Jerusalem the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride. For the land shall be desolate.

Jeremiah chapter 7 niv

  1. 1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD:
  2. 2 "Stand at the gate of the LORD's house and there proclaim this message: "?'Hear the word of the LORD, all you people of Judah who come through these gates to worship the LORD.
  3. 3 This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Reform your ways and your actions, and I will let you live in this place.
  4. 4 Do not trust in deceptive words and say, "This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD!"
  5. 5 If you really change your ways and your actions and deal with each other justly,
  6. 6 if you do not oppress the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow and do not shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not follow other gods to your own harm,
  7. 7 then I will let you live in this place, in the land I gave your ancestors for ever and ever.
  8. 8 But look, you are trusting in deceptive words that are worthless.
  9. 9 "?'Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal and follow other gods you have not known,
  10. 10 and then come and stand before me in this house, which bears my Name, and say, "We are safe"?safe to do all these detestable things?
  11. 11 Has this house, which bears my Name, become a den of robbers to you? But I have been watching! declares the LORD.
  12. 12 "?'Go now to the place in Shiloh where I first made a dwelling for my Name, and see what I did to it because of the wickedness of my people Israel.
  13. 13 While you were doing all these things, declares the LORD, I spoke to you again and again, but you did not listen; I called you, but you did not answer.
  14. 14 Therefore, what I did to Shiloh I will now do to the house that bears my Name, the temple you trust in, the place I gave to you and your ancestors.
  15. 15 I will thrust you from my presence, just as I did all your fellow Israelites, the people of Ephraim.'
  16. 16 "So do not pray for this people nor offer any plea or petition for them; do not plead with me, for I will not listen to you.
  17. 17 Do you not see what they are doing in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?
  18. 18 The children gather wood, the fathers light the fire, and the women knead the dough and make cakes to offer to the Queen of Heaven. They pour out drink offerings to other gods to arouse my anger.
  19. 19 But am I the one they are provoking? declares the LORD. Are they not rather harming themselves, to their own shame?
  20. 20 "?'Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: My anger and my wrath will be poured out on this place?on man and beast, on the trees of the field and on the crops of your land?and it will burn and not be quenched.
  21. 21 "?'This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Go ahead, add your burnt offerings to your other sacrifices and eat the meat yourselves!
  22. 22 For when I brought your ancestors out of Egypt and spoke to them, I did not just give them commands about burnt offerings and sacrifices,
  23. 23 but I gave them this command: Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in obedience to all I command you, that it may go well with you.
  24. 24 But they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubborn inclinations of their evil hearts. They went backward and not forward.
  25. 25 From the time your ancestors left Egypt until now, day after day, again and again I sent you my servants the prophets.
  26. 26 But they did not listen to me or pay attention. They were stiff-necked and did more evil than their ancestors.'
  27. 27 "When you tell them all this, they will not listen to you; when you call to them, they will not answer.
  28. 28 Therefore say to them, 'This is the nation that has not obeyed the LORD its God or responded to correction. Truth has perished; it has vanished from their lips.
  29. 29 "?'Cut off your hair and throw it away; take up a lament on the barren heights, for the LORD has rejected and abandoned this generation that is under his wrath.
  30. 30 "?'The people of Judah have done evil in my eyes, declares the LORD. They have set up their detestable idols in the house that bears my Name and have defiled it.
  31. 31 They have built the high places of Topheth in the Valley of Ben Hinnom to burn their sons and daughters in the fire?something I did not command, nor did it enter my mind.
  32. 32 So beware, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when people will no longer call it Topheth or the Valley of Ben Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter, for they will bury the dead in Topheth until there is no more room.
  33. 33 Then the carcasses of this people will become food for the birds and the wild animals, and there will be no one to frighten them away.
  34. 34 I will bring an end to the sounds of joy and gladness and to the voices of bride and bridegroom in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem, for the land will become desolate.

Jeremiah chapter 7 esv

  1. 1 The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD:
  2. 2 "Stand in the gate of the LORD's house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the LORD, all you men of Judah who enter these gates to worship the LORD.
  3. 3 Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Amend your ways and your deeds, and I will let you dwell in this place.
  4. 4 Do not trust in these deceptive words: 'This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD.'
  5. 5 "For if you truly amend your ways and your deeds, if you truly execute justice one with another,
  6. 6 if you do not oppress the sojourner, the fatherless, or the widow, or shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not go after other gods to your own harm,
  7. 7 then I will let you dwell in this place, in the land that I gave of old to your fathers forever.
  8. 8 "Behold, you trust in deceptive words to no avail.
  9. 9 Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to Baal, and go after other gods that you have not known,
  10. 10 and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, 'We are delivered!' ? only to go on doing all these abominations?
  11. 11 Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I myself have seen it, declares the LORD.
  12. 12 Go now to my place that was in Shiloh, where I made my name dwell at first, and see what I did to it because of the evil of my people Israel.
  13. 13 And now, because you have done all these things, declares the LORD, and when I spoke to you persistently you did not listen, and when I called you, you did not answer,
  14. 14 therefore I will do to the house that is called by my name, and in which you trust, and to the place that I gave to you and to your fathers, as I did to Shiloh.
  15. 15 And I will cast you out of my sight, as I cast out all your kinsmen, all the offspring of Ephraim.
  16. 16 "As for you, do not pray for this people, or lift up a cry or prayer for them, and do not intercede with me, for I will not hear you.
  17. 17 Do you not see what they are doing in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?
  18. 18 The children gather wood, the fathers kindle fire, and the women knead dough, to make cakes for the queen of heaven. And they pour out drink offerings to other gods, to provoke me to anger.
  19. 19 Is it I whom they provoke? declares the LORD. Is it not themselves, to their own shame?
  20. 20 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, my anger and my wrath will be poured out on this place, upon man and beast, upon the trees of the field and the fruit of the ground; it will burn and not be quenched."
  21. 21 Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: "Add your burnt offerings to your sacrifices, and eat the flesh.
  22. 22 For in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, I did not speak to your fathers or command them concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices.
  23. 23 But this command I gave them: 'Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.'
  24. 24 But they did not obey or incline their ear, but walked in their own counsels and the stubbornness of their evil hearts, and went backward and not forward.
  25. 25 From the day that your fathers came out of the land of Egypt to this day, I have persistently sent all my servants the prophets to them, day after day.
  26. 26 Yet they did not listen to me or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck. They did worse than their fathers.
  27. 27 "So you shall speak all these words to them, but they will not listen to you. You shall call to them, but they will not answer you.
  28. 28 And you shall say to them, 'This is the nation that did not obey the voice of the LORD their God, and did not accept discipline; truth has perished; it is cut off from their lips.
  29. 29 "'Cut off your hair and cast it away; raise a lamentation on the bare heights, for the LORD has rejected and forsaken the generation of his wrath.'
  30. 30 "For the sons of Judah have done evil in my sight, declares the LORD. They have set their detestable things in the house that is called by my name, to defile it.
  31. 31 And they have built the high places of Topheth, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, which I did not command, nor did it come into my mind.
  32. 32 Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when it will no more be called Topheth, or the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter; for they will bury in Topheth, because there is no room elsewhere.
  33. 33 And the dead bodies of this people will be food for the birds of the air, and for the beasts of the earth, and none will frighten them away.
  34. 34 And I will silence in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, for the land shall become a waste.

Jeremiah chapter 7 nlt

  1. 1 The LORD gave another message to Jeremiah. He said,
  2. 2 "Go to the entrance of the LORD's Temple, and give this message to the people: 'O Judah, listen to this message from the LORD! Listen to it, all of you who worship here!
  3. 3 This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies, the God of Israel, says: "'Even now, if you quit your evil ways, I will let you stay in your own land.
  4. 4 But don't be fooled by those who promise you safety simply because the LORD's Temple is here. They chant, "The LORD's Temple is here! The LORD's Temple is here!"
  5. 5 But I will be merciful only if you stop your evil thoughts and deeds and start treating each other with justice;
  6. 6 only if you stop exploiting foreigners, orphans, and widows; only if you stop your murdering; and only if you stop harming yourselves by worshiping idols.
  7. 7 Then I will let you stay in this land that I gave to your ancestors to keep forever.
  8. 8 "'Don't be fooled into thinking that you will never suffer because the Temple is here. It's a lie!
  9. 9 Do you really think you can steal, murder, commit adultery, lie, and burn incense to Baal and all those other new gods of yours,
  10. 10 and then come here and stand before me in my Temple and chant, "We are safe!" ? only to go right back to all those evils again?
  11. 11 Don't you yourselves admit that this Temple, which bears my name, has become a den of thieves? Surely I see all the evil going on there. I, the LORD, have spoken!
  12. 12 "'Go now to the place at Shiloh where I once put the Tabernacle that bore my name. See what I did there because of all the wickedness of my people, the Israelites.
  13. 13 While you were doing these wicked things, says the LORD, I spoke to you about it repeatedly, but you would not listen. I called out to you, but you refused to answer.
  14. 14 So just as I destroyed Shiloh, I will now destroy this Temple that bears my name, this Temple that you trust in for help, this place that I gave to you and your ancestors.
  15. 15 And I will send you out of my sight into exile, just as I did your relatives, the people of Israel. '
  16. 16 "Pray no more for these people, Jeremiah. Do not weep or pray for them, and don't beg me to help them, for I will not listen to you.
  17. 17 Don't you see what they are doing throughout the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?
  18. 18 No wonder I am so angry! Watch how the children gather wood and the fathers build sacrificial fires. See how the women knead dough and make cakes to offer to the Queen of Heaven. And they pour out liquid offerings to their other idol gods!
  19. 19 Am I the one they are hurting?" asks the LORD. "Most of all, they hurt themselves, to their own shame."
  20. 20 So this is what the Sovereign LORD says: "I will pour out my terrible fury on this place. Its people, animals, trees, and crops will be consumed by the unquenchable fire of my anger."
  21. 21 This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies, the God of Israel, says: "Take your burnt offerings and your other sacrifices and eat them yourselves!
  22. 22 When I led your ancestors out of Egypt, it was not burnt offerings and sacrifices I wanted from them.
  23. 23 This is what I told them: 'Obey me, and I will be your God, and you will be my people. Do everything as I say, and all will be well!'
  24. 24 "But my people would not listen to me. They kept doing whatever they wanted, following the stubborn desires of their evil hearts. They went backward instead of forward.
  25. 25 From the day your ancestors left Egypt until now, I have continued to send my servants, the prophets ? day in and day out.
  26. 26 But my people have not listened to me or even tried to hear. They have been stubborn and sinful ? even worse than their ancestors.
  27. 27 "Tell them all this, but do not expect them to listen. Shout out your warnings, but do not expect them to respond.
  28. 28 Say to them, 'This is the nation whose people will not obey the LORD their God and who refuse to be taught. Truth has vanished from among them; it is no longer heard on their lips.
  29. 29 Shave your head in mourning, and weep alone on the mountains. For the LORD has rejected and forsaken this generation that has provoked his fury.'
  30. 30 "The people of Judah have sinned before my very eyes," says the LORD. "They have set up their abominable idols right in the Temple that bears my name, defiling it.
  31. 31 They have built pagan shrines at Topheth, the garbage dump in the valley of Ben-Hinnom, and there they burn their sons and daughters in the fire. I have never commanded such a horrible deed; it never even crossed my mind to command such a thing!
  32. 32 So beware, for the time is coming," says the LORD, "when that garbage dump will no longer be called Topheth or the valley of Ben-Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter. They will bury the bodies in Topheth until there is no more room for them.
  33. 33 The bodies of my people will be food for the vultures and wild animals, and no one will be left to scare them away.
  34. 34 I will put an end to the happy singing and laughter in the streets of Jerusalem. The joyful voices of bridegrooms and brides will no longer be heard in the towns of Judah. The land will lie in complete desolation.
  1. Bible Book of Jeremiah
  2. 1 The Call of Jeremiah
  3. 2 Israel Forsakes the Lord
  4. 3 Faithless Israel Called to Repentance
  5. 4 Disaster from the North
  6. 5 Jerusalem Refused to Repent
  7. 6 Impending Disaster for Jerusalem
  8. 7 Evil in the Land
  9. 8 Sin and Treachery
  10. 9 Oh that my head were waters, and my eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep
  11. 10 Idols and the Living God
  12. 11 The Broken Covenant
  13. 12 Jeremiah's Complaint
  14. 13 The Ruined Loincloth
  15. 14 Famine, Sword, and Pestilence
  16. 15 The Lord Will Not Relent
  17. 16 Famine, Sword, and Death
  18. 17 The Sin of Judah
  19. 18 The Potter and Clay
  20. 19 The Broken Flask
  21. 20 Jeremiah Persecuted by Pashhur
  22. 21 Jerusalem Will Fall to Nebuchadnezzar
  23. 22 Message to the evil Kings
  24. 23 The Righteous Branch
  25. 24 The Good Figs and the Bad Figs
  26. 25 Seventy Years of Captivity
  27. 26 Jeremiah Threatened with Death
  28. 27 The Yoke of Nebuchadnezzar
  29. 28 Hananiah the False Prophet
  30. 29 Jeremiah's Letter to the Exiles
  31. 30 Restoration for Israel and Judah
  32. 31 The Lord Will Turn Mourning to Joy
  33. 32 Jeremiah Buys a Field During the Siege
  34. 33 The Lord Promises Peace
  35. 34 Zedekiah to Die in Babylon
  36. 35 The Faithful Rechabites
  37. 36 Jehoiakim Burns Jeremiah's Scroll
  38. 37 King Zedekiah's vain hope
  39. 38 Jeremiah Cast into the Cistern
  40. 39 The Fall of Jerusalem
  41. 40 Jeremiah Remains in Judah
  42. 41 Gedaliah Murdered
  43. 42 Warning Against Going to Egypt
  44. 43 Jeremiah Taken to Egypt
  45. 44 Judgment for Idolatry
  46. 45 Message to Baruch
  47. 46 Judgment on Egypt
  48. 47 Judgment on the Philistines
  49. 48 Judgment on Moab
  50. 49 Judgment on Ammon
  51. 50 Judgment on Babylon
  52. 51 The Utter Destruction of Babylon
  53. 52 The Fall of Jerusalem Recounted