Jeremiah 23:12

Jeremiah 23:12 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Wherefore their way shall be unto them as slippery ways in the darkness: they shall be driven on, and fall therein: for I will bring evil upon them, even the year of their visitation, saith the Lord.
• New International Version (NIV)“Therefore their path will become slippery; they will be banished to darkness and there they will fall. I will bring disaster on them in the year they are punished,” declares the Lord.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Therefore their way shall be to them like slippery paths in the darkness, into which they shall be driven and fall, for I will bring disaster upon them in the year of their punishment, declares the Lord.
• New King James Version (NKJV)“Therefore their way shall be to them Like slippery ways; In the darkness they shall be driven on And fall in them; For I will bring disaster on them, The year of their punishment,” says the Lord.

Context of Jeremiah 23:12

10The land is full of people who are not faithful to God. The prophets live wicked lives. They use their power in a bad way. Because of that, God has cursed the land. The land is as dry as a desert, and the fields have no grass. 11The Lord says, ‘The prophets and the priests are all wicked. I see the evil things that they do, even in my temple. Because of that, the paths that they travel on will be dark. They will easily slip and fall to the ground. I will cause terrible trouble to happen to them. I will decide the time when I will punish them.’ That is what the Lord says. 13‘I saw the disgusting thing that the prophets in Samaria did. They used the name of Baal to prophesy. Their messages deceived my people, Israel. 14But now some prophets in Jerusalem do even worse things! They are not faithful to their wives. They always deceive people. They encourage people to do evil things. They do not try to stop them. They are as bad as the people of Sodom long ago. The people of Jerusalem are as bad as the people of Gomorrah.

Jeremiah 23:12 word by word

לָכֵן֩ יִֽהְיֶ֨ה דַרְכָּ֜ם לָהֶ֗ם כַּחֲלַקְלַקּוֹת֙ בָּֽאֲפֵלָ֔ה יִדַּ֖חוּ וְנָ֣פְלוּ בָ֑הּ כִּֽי־אָבִ֨יא עֲלֵיהֶ֥ם רָעָ֛ה שְׁנַ֥ת פְּקֻדָּתָ֖ם נְאֻם־יְהוָֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Wherefore their wayדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: journeyH1870
• shall be unto them as slipperyחֲלַקְלַקּוֹתchălaqlaqqâh · smoothnessH2519
• in the darknessאֲפֵלָה'ăphêlâh · darknessH653
• they shall be driven onדָּחַחdâchâh dâchach · to thrustH1760
• and fallנָפַלnâphal · to fall: fallH5307
• therein: for I will bringבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): bringH935
• evilרָעָהra‛ râ‛âh · distress: harmH7451
• the yearשָׁנָהshâneh shânâh · yearH8141
• of their visitationפְּקֻדָּהpeqûddâh · punishmentH6486
• saithנְאֻםne'ûm · utteranceH5002
• the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068

Cross-references for Jeremiah 23:12

• Jeremiah 13:16Give honour to the Lord your God, before it is too late. Do it before he makes everywhere become dark. Then you will fall down, like someone who walks on the mountains at night. You may hope for light to come, but God will make it completely dark.
• Psalms 35:6Make their way dark and dangerous, as the angel of the Lord chases after them.
• Psalms 73:18Yes, I realized that they are in a dangerous place, where they will easily slip. You will cause them to fall down to their death.
• Proverbs 4:19But the life of wicked people is like a very dark road. They cannot even see what causes them to fall.
• Job 18:18The wicked person has had to leave this world. He has gone from a place where there is light to a place where it is dark.
• Isaiah 8:22They will look down at the earth, but they will only see trouble. Everywhere will be dark and people will have no hope. Then they will fall into complete darkness.
• John 12:35Jesus answered, ‘The light will be with you for only a short time longer. So continue to walk while you still have the light. Do that, so that the dark will not come over you. Anyone who walks in the dark does not know where they are going.
• 1 John 2:11But if someone hates other believers, he is still living in a bad way. He is like someone who is walking in the dark. He cannot see where he is going. He is like a blind person. He cannot understand God's true message.
• Jude 1:13Those false teachers are like water in the sea that the wind blows during a storm. The dirt that comes to the top of the water is like the disgusting things that those people do. They are like stars that have moved away from their proper places in the sky. God has prepared a completely dark place for them. God will keep them there for ever.
• Jeremiah 11:23All those men in Anathoth who wanted to kill you will die. At the right time, I will punish them with great trouble.’
• Jeremiah 48:44Anyone who runs away from danger, will fall into a deep hole. And a trap will catch anyone who climbs out of the deep hole. Yes, the time will soon come when I will punish Moab's people.
• Jeremiah 50:27Kill all their strong soldiers. Let them go to their place of death! Terrible trouble has come to the people of Babylon. The time of their punishment has arrived!’
• Exodus 32:34Now go! Lead the Israelites to the place that I have told you about. My angel will go in front of you. But on the day for punishment, I will certainly punish them for their sin.’
• Micah 7:4The best of them are dangerous like wild plants with thorns. The most honest of them are worse than thorn bushes. The bad time that your prophets told you about is coming. Soon God will punish you, and you will be confused.

Commentaries on Jeremiah 23:12

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12Every word denotes the certainty of their fall. “Their path is like slippery places in darkness:” and on this path “they are pushed with violence.” External circumstances assist in urging on to ruin those who choose the path of vice.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 9-22Verses 9-22 The false prophets of Samaria had deluded the Israelites into idolatries; yet the Lord considered the false prophets of Jerusalem as guilty of more horrible wickedness, by which the people were made bold in sin. These false teachers would be compelled to suffer the most bitter part of the Lord's indignation. They made themselves believe that there was no harm in sin, and practised accordingly; then they made others believe so. Those who are…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12Because of their wickedness, these priests and prophets would have unstable lives; danger would fill every moment.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. slippery ways in ... darkness--Their "way" is their false doctrine which proves fatal to them (Jr 13:16; Psa 35:6; Pr 4:19). I will bring evil ... visitation--still more calamities than those already inflicted. See on Jr 11:23; "visitation," namely, in wrath.Read the comment

Topics related to Jeremiah 23:12

• Priest

In the dictionaries

• Adulterer
• Course
• Righteousness
• Send
• Crime; Crimes
• Err; Error
• Micaiah
• Uriah; Uruah
• Visitation

Commentaries on Jeremiah 23

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings