Jeremiah 4:14 kjv
O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee?
Jeremiah 4:14 nkjv
O Jerusalem, wash your heart from wickedness, That you may be saved. How long shall your evil thoughts lodge within you?
Jeremiah 4:14 niv
Jerusalem, wash the evil from your heart and be saved. How long will you harbor wicked thoughts?
Jeremiah 4:14 esv
O Jerusalem, wash your heart from evil, that you may be saved. How long shall your wicked thoughts lodge within you?
Jeremiah 4:14 nlt
O Jerusalem, cleanse your heart
that you may be saved.
How long will you harbor
your evil thoughts?
Jeremiah 4 14 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jeremiah 4:14 | How long will you entertain evil thoughts? | Implies persistent sinful intentions. |
| Psalm 51:10 | Create in me a clean heart, O God, | Echoes the need for inner purification. |
| Proverbs 4:23 | Keep your heart with all vigilance, | Highlights the importance of guarding one's heart. |
| Isaiah 1:16 | Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; | Calls for external and internal cleansing. |
| Ezekiel 18:31 | Cast away from you all your transgressions | Urges removal of all sins. |
| Matthew 5:8 | Blessed are the pure in heart, | Connects inner purity with divine blessing. |
| Mark 7:15-23 | From within, out of the heart of man, proceed | Emphasizes the heart as the source of impurity. |
| Romans 1:24 | gave them up to dishonor the unseemly uses of their bodies | Shows the consequence of corrupt hearts. |
| Romans 7:18 | I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. | Acknowledges indwelling sin. |
| Romans 12:2 | Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed | Calls for transformation of the inner self. |
| Galatians 5:19-21 | Now the works of the flesh are evident: | Lists corrupt behaviors stemming from the heart. |
| 1 John 1:9 | If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just | Offers a path to cleansing through confession. |
| Revelation 21:27 | But nothing unclean will ever enter it, | Shows God's standard for heaven's inhabitants. |
| Jeremiah 3:1-10 | Even though Israel acted like a faithless wife, | Illustrates persistent spiritual unfaithfulness. |
| Jeremiah 5:3 | O LORD, do not your eyes turn to the truth? | Contrasts God's truth with human falsehood. |
| Jeremiah 6:13 | For from the least to the greatest of them, | Describes widespread sin in the leadership. |
| Jeremiah 7:8-11 | But behold, you are trusting in deceptive words | Points to reliance on false security. |
| Jeremiah 11:15 | What have you to do in my house, seeing you practice robbery | Addresses those who appear religious but are wicked. |
| Jeremiah 17:1-4 | The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron | Depicts deeply ingrained sin. |
| Jeremiah 23:16 | Do not listen to the words of the prophets | Warns against false prophecy that justifies sin. |
Jeremiah 4 verses
Jeremiah 4 14 Meaning
The verse warns Jerusalem to cleanse her wickedness from her heart to prevent God's judgment from erupting like an uncontrollable fire. The persistent inward corruption necessitates an inward cleansing before external destruction occurs.
Jeremiah 4 14 Context
Jeremiah 4 describes a prophecy of impending Babylonian invasion and destruction upon Judah and Jerusalem. The prophet urges the people to repent and return to the Lord to avert this catastrophe. Chapter 4 begins with a call to purification (v. 1), followed by a warning of the severe consequences of their unfaithfulness, vividly depicting the enemy's advance. Verse 14 acts as an intensified plea, directly addressing Jerusalem, highlighting that their prolonged dalliance with evil thoughts, rooted in her heart, makes judgment inevitable unless she genuinely purifies herself. The historical context is during the late monarchial period of Judah, a time of spiritual decline and impending doom.
Jeremiah 4 14 Word Analysis
how long? ( מַה־עוֹד – mah-‘od) – This phrase signifies impatience with an ongoing, unacceptable state of affairs. It questions the duration of their sin.
will you entertain? ( תִּלִינִי – tālīnî) – Implies to lodge, to abide, to remain, suggesting an intentional allowing of wicked thoughts to dwell within.
evil thoughts? ( רָעוֹת – rā‘ôṯ) – Refers to wicked deeds, mischief, or calamitous things, but here, it points to the internal intentions and schemes that lead to such actions.
in you. ( בָּךְ – bāk) – Directly addresses Jerusalem as the entity that harbors these wicked thoughts.
the heart ( לֵב – lēḇ) – The center of volition, intellect, and emotion in Hebrew thought; the core of one's being where sin originates and is harbored.
to be cleansed. ( לְהִטָּהֵר – ləhiṭṭāhēr) – A reflexive or passive verb meaning to purify oneself, to be made clean from moral and ceremonial defilement.
words / pronouncements ( דִּבְרֵי – diḇrê) – In this context, it refers to the outcome of the inward disposition – the sinful actions and pronouncements that will issue forth.
the LORD ( יְהוָה – Yəhôwâ) – The covenant name of God, emphasizing his relationship with Israel and the seriousness of his pronouncements.
have done. ( עָשִׂית – ‘āśîṯ) – Refers to the totality of their sinful actions and ingrained patterns of sin, a cumulative result of the heart's corruption.
to us ( לָנוּ – lānû) – The direct recipients of God's impending judgment, indicating that the purging is for the benefit of those remaining and for future restoration.
for evil. ( לְרָעָה – ləra‘â) – signifying their actions and thoughts lead to harmful and destructive outcomes.
Jeremiah 4 14 Bonus Section
The imagery of cleansing in this verse echoes Old Testament ritual purity laws, but Jeremiah extends it to the moral and spiritual realm. The judgment that will "go forth" is not merely external, but an internal judgment within their own midst or perhaps the devastating effects of the enemy's onslaught upon them. The word "heart" is crucial; it represents the seat of one's spiritual life, where sin originates and where God desires to dwell. True repentance, as Jeremiah consistently calls for, begins with a radical internal change, a "circumcision of the heart" (Jeremiah 4:4). The verse suggests that the destruction to come is not arbitrary, but a logical consequence of allowing evil to reside and fester within.
Jeremiah 4 14 Commentary
This verse is a powerful indictment of Jerusalem's spiritual condition. It is not merely external compliance that God seeks, but an internal transformation. The persistent harboring of wicked thoughts within the "heart"—the very core of their being—is seen as the root cause of their impending judgment. God's question, "How long?" underscores His long-suffering but also His imminent action. The judgment described (like fire that does not go out) is severe, reflecting the depth of their ingrained sin. The plea for cleansing is not a superficial washing but a deep-seated moral purification from their iniquity. Without this inward work, their fate is sealed. This passage resonates with the New Testament emphasis on the heart as the source of sin (Mark 7:21-23) and the necessity of genuine repentance and spiritual transformation for salvation.