EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Jeremiah 4:22
22The Lord says, ‘My people are fools. They do not know me. They are like children who do not know anything. They understand nothing. They are very clever at doing evil things. But they do not know how to do what is good.’
Jeremiah 4:22 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)“My people are fools; they do not know me. They are senseless children; they have no understanding. They are skilled in doing evil; they know not how to do good.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)"For my people are foolish; they know me not; they are stupid children; they have no understanding. They are 'wise'—in doing evil! But how to do good they know not."
- New King James Version (NKJV)“For My people are foolish, They have not known Me. They are silly children, And they have no understanding. They are wise to do evil, But to do good they have no knowledge.”
Context of Jeremiah 4:22
20They are winning one battle after another! They are destroying the whole land. Our homes are becoming heaps of stones. They quickly knock down our tents. 21How long will our enemy continue to attack us? How long will I see their flags and hear their trumpets? The Lord says, ‘My people are fools. They do not know me. They are like children who do not know anything. They understand nothing. They are very clever at doing evil things. But they do not know how to do what is good.’ 23I looked at the earth. It had no shape and it was empty. I looked at the sky. Its light had disappeared. 24I looked at the mountains. They were shaking. All the hills were moving around.
Read all of Jeremiah 4Jeremiah 4:22 word by word
כִּ֣י׀ אֱוִ֣יל עַמִּ֗י אוֹתִי֙ לֹ֣א יָדָ֔עוּ בָּנִ֤ים סְכָלִים֙ הֵ֔מָּה וְלֹ֥א נְבוֹנִ֖ים הֵ֑מָּה חֲכָמִ֥ים הֵ֙מָּה֙ לְהָרַ֔ע וּלְהֵיטִ֖יב לֹ֥א יָדָֽעוּ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- For my peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- foolishאֱוִיל'ĕvîyl · fool(ish)H191
- they have not knownיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
- sottishסָכָלsâkâl · foolH5530
- childrenבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- and they have none understandingבִּיןbîyn · to understandH995
- wiseחָכָםchâkâm · wiseH2450
- to do evilרָעַעrâ‛a‛ · be evilH7489
- but to do goodיָטַבyâţab · be goodH3190
Cross-references for Jeremiah 4:22
- Jeremiah 5:4I thought, ‘These are poor, foolish people. They do not understand what the Lord wants them to do. They do not know his commands.
- Jeremiah 8:7Even birds know when it is time for them to move to a different place. That is true for storks, doves, swallows and cranes. Birds know when it is time to return, but my people do not know my laws.
- Deuteronomy 32:6You are fools who do not understand what is right. You should not do these things against the Lord. He is your Father, the one who created you. He made you become a strong nation.
- Psalms 14:1Only fools say to themselves, ‘There is no God.’ People like that do bad and evil things. None of them do things that are good and right.
- Isaiah 1:3An ox knows its master. A donkey knows the place where its master feeds it. But Israel's people do not know me. My people do not understand me.’
- Isaiah 6:9The Lord said, ‘Go! Tell my message to those people: “You will continue to listen, but you will never understand! You will continue to look, but you will not see anything!”
- Isaiah 27:11When the branches become dry, they break off the tree. Women will take the sticks and they will make fires with them. That is what these people are like. They do not understand anything. So their Maker will not help them or be kind to them.
- Psalms 49:10Surely you see that even wise people die, in the way that fools and stupid people also die. Then their money will belong to someone else.
- Jeremiah 42:19Listen to me, you people who still remain in Judah. The Lord has said to you, “Do not go to Egypt.” You must understand that I am now warning you.
- Hosea 4:1Israelites, listen to the Lord's message! The Lord accuses the people who live in Israel of these bad things: ‘Nobody in the land of Israel is faithful. They have no true love. They do not want to know God.
- Matthew 23:16It will be very bad for you, teachers. You cannot see what is true, but you show people which way to go. You say to people, “You may make a promise by the name of the temple. Then it is not a serious promise. You do not have to do it. But you may also make a promise by the gold things in the temple. Then it is a serious promise, and you must do it.”
- Romans 1:22They said that they were wise, but really they became fools.
- Romans 3:11There is nobody who understands what is true. There is nobody who wants to worship God.
- Hosea 5:4Yes, the sins of the Israelites do not allow them to return to me, the Lord their God. They are not faithful to me and they love to worship idols. They do not want to know me.
- John 16:3They will do these things to you because they have never known either the Father or me.
- Romans 1:28Those people decided that they did not need to know anything about God. So God let their minds become spoiled. As a result, they do bad things that people ought not to do.
Commentaries on Jeremiah 4:22
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 19-31Verses 19-31 The prophet had no pleasure in delivering messages of wrath. He is shown in a vision the whole land in confusion. Compared with what it was, every thing is out of order; but the ruin of the Jewish nation would not be final. Every end of our comforts is not a full end. Though the Lord may correct his people very severely, yet he will not cast them off. Ornaments and false colouring would be of no avail. No outward privileges or profession, no…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2222. Jehovah's reply; they cannot be otherwise than miserable, since they persevere in sin. The repetition of clauses gives greater force to the sentiment. wise ... evil ... to do good ... no knowledge--reversing the rule (Ro 16:19) "wise unto ... good, simple concerning evil."Read the comment
Topics related to Jeremiah 4:22
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Jeremiah 4
- 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
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