Jeremiah 45:5

Jeremiah 45:5 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not: for, behold, I will bring evil upon all flesh, saith the Lord: but thy life will I give unto thee for a prey in all places whither thou goest.
• New International Version (NIV)Should you then seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them. For I will bring disaster on all people, declares the Lord, but wherever you go I will let you escape with your life.’ ”
• English Standard Version (ESV)And do you seek great things for yourself? Seek them not, for behold, I am bringing disaster upon all flesh, declares the Lord. But I will give you your life as a prize of war in all places to which you may go."
• New King James Version (NKJV)And do you seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them; for behold, I will bring adversity on all flesh,” says the Lord. “But I will give your life to you as a prize in all places, wherever you go.” ’ ”

Context of Jeremiah 45:5

3You said, “I have terrible trouble! I have a lot of pain, and the Lord has also made me very sad. I am so upset that I have become very weak. I cannot rest at all.” 4But the Lord says this to you, Baruch: “I will soon knock down the things that I have built. I will pull out of the ground the things that I have planted. I will do that everywhere in the land. If you want to become famous and important, do not hope for that to happen. I will send great trouble to all the people on the earth. But I promise that I will keep your life safe, wherever you go.” That is what the Lord says.’

Jeremiah 45:5 word by word

וְאַתָּ֛ה תְּבַקֶּשׁ־לְךָ֥ גְדֹל֖וֹת אַל־תְּבַקֵּ֑שׁ כִּ֡י הִנְנִי֩ מֵבִ֨יא רָעָ֤ה עַל־כָּל־בָּשָׂר֙ נְאֻם־יְהוָ֔ה וְנָתַתִּ֨י לְךָ֤ אֶֽת־נַפְשְׁךָ֙ לְשָׁלָ֔ל עַ֥ל כָּל־הַמְּקֹמ֖וֹת אֲשֶׁ֥ר תֵּֽלֶךְ־שָֽׁם׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And seekestבָּקַשׁbâqash · to seekH1245
• thou great thingsגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
• not: for, behold, I will bringבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): bringH935
• evilרָעָהra‛ râ‛âh · distress: harmH7451
• upon all fleshבָּשָׂרbâώâr · fleshH1320
• saithנְאֻםne'ûm · utteranceH5002
• the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• but thy lifeנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: lifeH5315
• will I giveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
• unto thee for a preyשָׁלָלshâlâl · spoilH7998
• in all placesמָקוֹםmâqôm mâqôm meqômâh meqômâh · placeH4725
• whither thou goestיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212

Cross-references for Jeremiah 45:5

• 2 Kings 5:26But Elisha said to him, ‘My spirit was with you when you went out. It was there when the man came down from his chariot to meet you. This is not the proper time to accept gifts of money, clothes, olive trees, vineyards, sheep, cows or servants.
• Romans 12:16Always try to agree and to be friends with each other. Do not be proud. Be friends with people who are not important. Do not think that you know everything.
• 1 Corinthians 7:26This is what I think: There are many troubles in the world today. So it is better for everybody to continue as they are.
• 1 Timothy 6:6What makes our life really rich? We should serve God in a way that pleases him and be happy with the things that we have.
• Hebrews 13:5In the way that you live, do not want lots of money. Be happy with the things that you have. Be happy, because God has said this: ‘I will never leave you; I will always be there with you.’
• Matthew 6:25So I tell you this. You should not worry about how to stay alive. Do not worry about the food and drink that you need. Do not worry about the clothes that you need to wear. Your life is more important than the food that you eat. Your body is more important than your clothes.
• Jeremiah 25:26all the kings of the nations in the north, those who live near together and those who live far apart; the people of all the other kingdoms everywhere on the earth. Finally, the king of Babylon will have to drink the wine of the Lord's great anger.
• Genesis 6:12God saw how much the earth had become spoiled. Everyone was doing bad things.
• Isaiah 66:16The Lord will use fire and his sword to judge all people. The Lord will kill many people.
• Zephaniah 3:8So wait for me, I will stand up and I will punish the nations. I have decided to bring together the nations and the people that kings rule over. Then I will punish them very, very much. They will see how angry I am. They will see it because, on that day, I will burn all the earth.’ That is what the Lord says.
• Jeremiah 21:9Anyone who stays in the city will die. War or famine or disease will kill them. But you may choose to leave the city. You may put yourselves under the power of Babylon's army that is attacking the city. Anyone who does that will continue to live.
• Jeremiah 38:2They had heard him say this: ‘The Lord says, “Any people who stay in this city will die. War or famine or disease will kill them. But those people who leave the city will not die. If they put themselves under the power of Babylon's soldiers, they will live.”
• Jeremiah 39:18I will certainly save you. You will not die in battle. You trusted me, so I will keep your life safe. I, the Lord, say that to you.” ’

Commentaries on Jeremiah 45:5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5And seekest thou great things for thyself? - Nothing better can be expected of this people: thy hopes in reference to them are vain. Expect no national amendment, till national judgments have taken place. And as for any benefit to thyself, think it sufficient that God has determined to preserve thy life amidst all these dangers. But thy life will I give unto thee for a prey - This is a proverbial expression. We have met with it before, Jeremiah 21:9…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5Baruch could rely on divine protection, regardless of the troubles he faced. The chapters before this one show that the Lord kept this promise. Baruch was with Jeremiah when they went to Egypt.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. seekest thou great things for thyself--Thou art over-fastidious and self-seeking. When My own peculiar people, a "whole" nation (Jr 45:4), and the temple, are being given to ruin, dost thou expect to be exempt from all hardship? Baruch had raised his expectations too high in this world, and this made his distresses harder to be borne. The frowns of the world would not disquiet us if we did not so eagerly covet its smiles. What folly to seek great…Read the comment

Topics related to Jeremiah 45:5

• Humility

In the dictionaries

• Baruch
• Bible, the
• Jeremiah (2)

Commentaries on Jeremiah 45

• 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
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings