God’s Word Translation
Jeremiah 13:16
16Honor the Lord your God before it gets dark, before your feet stumble on the mountains in the twilight. You will look for light, but the Lord will turn it into the shadow of death and change it into deep darkness.
Jeremiah 13:16 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Give glory to the Lord your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness.
- New International Version (NIV)Give glory to the Lord your God before he brings the darkness, before your feet stumble on the darkening hills. You hope for light, but he will turn it to utter darkness and change it to deep gloom.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Give glory to the Lord your God before he brings darkness, before your feet stumble on the twilight mountains, and while you look for light he turns it into gloom and makes it deep darkness.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Give glory to the Lord your God Before He causes darkness, And before your feet stumble On the dark mountains, And while you are looking for light, He turns it into the shadow of death And makes it dense darkness.
Context of Jeremiah 13:16
14Then I will smash them like bottles against each other. I will smash parents and children together, declares the Lord. I will have no pity, mercy, or compassion when I destroy them.’ ” 15Listen, and pay attention! Don’t be arrogant. The Lord has spoken. Honor the Lord your God before it gets dark, before your feet stumble on the mountains in the twilight. You will look for light, but the Lord will turn it into the shadow of death and change it into deep darkness. 17If you won’t listen, I will cry secretly over your arrogance. I will cry bitterly, and my eyes will flow with tears because the Lord’s flock will be taken captive. 18Say to the king and his mother, “Come down from your thrones, because your crowns have fallen off your heads.”
Read all of Jeremiah 13Jeremiah 13:16 word by word
תְּנוּ֩ לַיהוָ֨ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֤ם כָּבוֹד֙ בְּטֶ֣רֶם יַחְשִׁ֔ךְ וּבְטֶ֛רֶם יִֽתְנַגְּפ֥וּ רַגְלֵיכֶ֖ם עַל־הָ֣רֵי נָ֑שֶׁף וְקִוִּיתֶ֤ם לְאוֹר֙ וְשָׂמָ֣הּ לְצַלְמָ֔וֶת וְשִׁ֖ית לַעֲרָפֶֽל׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Giveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
- gloryכָּבוֹדkâbôd kâbôd · gloryH3519
- to the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- your Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- before he cause darknessחָשַׁךְchâshak · to darkenH2821
- and before your feetרֶ֫גֶלregel · footH7272
- stumbleנָגַףnâgaph · to strikeH5062
- upon the darkנֶ֫שֶׁףnesheph · twilightH5399
- mountainsהַרhar · mountain: mountH2022
- and, while ye lookקָוָהqâvâh · to awaitH6960
- for lightאוֹר'ôr · lightH216
- he turnשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: makeH7760
- it into the shadow of deathצַלְמָ֫וֶתtsalmâveth · shadowH6757
- makeשִׁיתshîyth · to set: makeH7896
- gross darknessעֲרָפֶל‛ărâphel · cloudH6205
Cross-references for Jeremiah 13:16
- Joshua 7:19Joshua said to Achan, “Son, give honor and praise to the Lord God of Israel! Tell me what you have done. Don’t hide anything from me.”
- 1 Samuel 6:5Make models of your tumors and your mice which are destroying the country, and give glory to the God of Israel. Maybe he will no longer be so hard on you, your gods, and your country.
- Psalms 96:7Give to the Lord, you families of the nations. Give to the Lord glory and power.
- Jeremiah 4:23I see the earth. It’s formless and empty. I see the sky. Its lights are gone.
- Ecclesiastes 11:8Even though people may live for many years, they should enjoy every one of them. But they should also remember there will be many dark days. Everything that is coming is pointless.
- Ecclesiastes 12:1Remember your Creator when you are young, before the days of trouble come and the years catch up with you. They will make you say, “I have found no pleasure in them.”
- Isaiah 5:30On that day they will roar over their prey as the sea roars. If they look at the land, they will see only darkness and distress. Even the light will be darkened by thick clouds.
- Isaiah 8:22They will look at the earth and see only distress and gloom. They will go in anguish and be forced into darkness.
- Isaiah 59:9That is why justice is far from us, and righteousness doesn’t reach us. We hope for light, but we walk in darkness. We hope for brightness, but we walk in gloom.
- Amos 8:9On that day, declares the Almighty Lord, I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight.
- John 12:35Jesus answered the crowd, “The light will still be with you for a little while. Walk while you have light so that darkness won’t defeat you. Those who walk in the dark don’t know where they’re going.
- Proverbs 4:19The way of wicked people is like deep darkness. They do not know what makes them stumble.
- 1 Peter 2:8a stone that people trip over, a large rock that people find offensive.” The people tripped over the word because they refused to believe it. Therefore, this is how they ended up.
- 1 John 2:10Those who love other believers live in the light. Nothing will destroy the faith of those who live in the light.
- Jeremiah 8:15We hoped for peace, but nothing good has happened. We hoped for a time of healing, but there’s only terror.
- Jeremiah 14:19Have you completely rejected Judah? Do you despise Zion? Why have you struck us so hard that we cannot heal? We hope for peace, but no good comes from it. We hope for a time of healing, but there’s only terror.
Commentaries on Jeremiah 13:16
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16Give glory to - God - Confess your sins and turn to him, that these sore evils may be averted. While ye look for light - While ye expect prosperity, he turned it into the shadow of death - sent you adversity of the most distressing and ruinous kind. Stumble upon the dark mountains - Before you meet with those great obstacles, which, having no light - no proper understanding in the matter, ye shall be utterly unable to surmount.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16The dark mountains - Rather, “the mountains of twilight.” Judah is not walking upon the safe highway, but upon dangerous mountains: and the dusk is closing round her. While then the light still serves let her return unto her God. And, while ye look - Translate, “and ye wait for light, and He turn it (the light) into the shadow of death, yea change it into clouded darkness.”Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-17Verses 12-17 As the bottle was fitted to hold the wine, so the sins of the people made them vessels of wrath, fitted for the judgments of God; with which they should be filled till they caused each other's destruction. The prophet exhorts them to give glory to God, by confessing their sins, humbling themselves in repentance, and returning to his service. Otherwise they would be carried into other countries in all the darkness of idolatry and wickedness…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15-16Jeremiah urged the people to listen and not be proud, but to change their attitude. If they refused to recognize the Lord as the one true God of Israel, a terrible darkness would come over the nation.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1616. Give glory, &c.--Show by repentance and obedience to God, that you revere His majesty. So Joshua exhorted Achan to "give glory to God" by confessing his crime, thereby showing he revered the All-knowing God. stumble--image from travellers stumbling into a fatal abyss when overtaken by nightfall (Is 5:30; 59:9, 10; Am 8:9). dark mountains--literally, "mountains of twilight" or "gloom," which cast such a gloomy shadow that the traveller stumbles against…Read the comment
Topics related to Jeremiah 13:16
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Jeremiah 13
- 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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