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Wednesday, September 10th, 2025
the Week of Proper 18 / Ordinary 23
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Read the Bible

Contemporary English Version

Jeremiah 7:23

Instead, I told them, "If you listen to me and do what I tell you, I will be your God, you will be my people, and all will go well for you."

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Backsliders;   Blessing;   Condescension of God;   God Continued...;   Impenitence;   Israel, Prophecies Concerning;   Obedience;   Offerings;   Walking;   Wicked (People);   Thompson Chain Reference - Godliness;   Obedience;   Obedience-Disobedience;   Profit and Loss;   The Topic Concordance - Obedience;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Burnt Offering, the;   Obedience to God;  

Dictionaries:

- Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Church, the;   Hypocrisy;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Sacrifice;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Ethics;   Exodus;   Faith;   Forgiveness;   Jeremiah;   Obedience;   Sacrifice and Offering;   Temple of Jerusalem;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Jeremiah;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Self-Examination;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Criticism (the Graf-Wellhausen Hypothesis);   High Place;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - God;   Nomism;   Samuel, Books of;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
However, I did give them this command: ‘Obey me, and then I will be your God, and you will be my people. Follow every way I command you so that it may go well with you.’
Hebrew Names Version
but this thing I commanded them, saying, Listen to my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people; and walk you in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.
King James Version
But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you.
English Standard Version
But this command I gave them: ‘Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.'
New American Standard Bible
"But this is what I commanded them, saying, 'Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you will be My people; and you shall walk entirely in the way which I command you, so that it may go well for you.'
New Century Version
I also gave them this command: Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Do all that I command so that good things will happen to you.
Amplified Bible
"But this thing I did command them: 'Listen to and obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people; and you will walk in all the way which I command you, so that it may be well with you.'
World English Bible
but this thing I commanded them, saying, Listen to my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people; and walk you in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.
Geneva Bible (1587)
But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voyce, and I will be your God, and yee shalbe my people: and walke yee in all the wayes which I haue commaunded you, that it may be well vnto you.
Legacy Standard Bible
But this is what I commanded them, saying, ‘Listen to My voice, and I will be your God, and you will be My people; and you will walk in the entire way which I command you, that it may be well with you.'
Berean Standard Bible
but this is what I commanded them: Obey Me, and I will be your God, and you will be My people. You must walk in all the ways I have commanded you, so that it may go well with you.
Complete Jewish Bible
Rather, what I did order them was this: ‘Pay attention to what I say. Then I will be your God, and you will be my people. In everything, live according to the way that I order you, so that things will go well for you.'
Darby Translation
but I commanded them this thing, saying, Hearken unto my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people; and walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.
Easy-to-Read Version
I only gave them this command: ‘Obey me and I will be your God, and you will be my people. Do all that I command, and good things will happen to you.'
George Lamsa Translation
But this thing I commanded them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God and you shall be my people; and walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you.
Good News Translation
But I did command them to obey me, so that I would be their God and they would be my people. And I told them to live the way I had commanded them, so that things would go well for them.
Lexham English Bible
But I only commanded them this word, saying, ‘Obey my voice, and I will be to you God, and you will be to me people, and you must walk in all of the way that I command you, so that it goes well with you.'
Literal Translation
But I commanded them this thing, saying, Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people. Also, Walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, so that it may be well with you.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
but this I commaunded them, sayenge: herken and obeye my voyce, and I shalbe youre God and ye shal be my people: so that ye walke in all the wayes, which I haue comaunded you, that ye maye prospere.
American Standard Version
but this thing I commanded them, saying, Hearken unto my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people; and walk ye in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.
Bible in Basic English
But this was the order I gave them, saying, Give ear to my voice, and I will be your God, and you will be my people: go in all the way ordered by me, so that all may be well for you.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
but this thing I commanded them, saying: 'Hearken unto My voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be My people; and walk ye in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.'
King James Version (1611)
But this thing commaunded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I wil be your God, and ye shalbe my people: and walke ye in all the wayes that I haue commanded you, that it may be well vnto you.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
But this I commaunded them, saying, Hearken and obay my voyce, and I shalbe your God, and ye shalbe my people, so that ye walke in al the wayes whiche I haue commaunded you, that ye may prosper.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
but I commanded them this thing, saying, Hear ye my voice, and I will be to you a God, and ye shall be to me a people: and walk ye in all my ways which I shall command you, that it may be well with you.
English Revised Version
but this thing I commanded them, saying, Hearken unto my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
But Y comaundide this word to hem, and Y seide, Here ye my vois, and Y schal be God to you, and ye schulen be a puple to me; and go ye in al the weie which Y comaundide to you, that it be wel to you.
Update Bible Version
but this thing I commanded them, saying, Listen to my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people; and walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.
Webster's Bible Translation
But this thing I commanded them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well to you.
New English Translation
I also explicitly commanded them: "Obey me. If you do, I will be your God and you will be my people. Live exactly the way I tell you and things will go well with you."
New King James Version
But this is what I commanded them, saying, "Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people. And walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you.'
New Living Translation
This is what I told them: ‘Obey me, and I will be your God, and you will be my people. Do everything as I say, and all will be well!'
New Life Bible
But I did tell them, ‘Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you will be My people. Walk in all the way that I tell you, that it may be well with you.'
New Revised Standard
But this command I gave them, "Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people; and walk only in the way that I command you, so that it may be well with you."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But, this thing, I commanded them - saying, Hearken ye unto my voice, So will I become unto you - a God, And, ye, shall become unto me - a people, - Ye shall therefore walk in all the way that I may command you, To the end it may be well with you;
Douay-Rheims Bible
But this thing I commanded them, saying: Hearken to my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people: and walk ye in all the way that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you.
Revised Standard Version
But this command I gave them, 'Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people; and walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.'
Young's Literal Translation
But this thing I commanded them, saying: Hearken to My voice, And I have been to you for God, And ye -- ye are to Me for a people, And have walked in all the way that I command you, So that it is well for you.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"But this is what I commanded them, saying, 'Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you will be My people; and you will walk in all the way which I command you, that it may be well with you.'

Contextual Overview

21 The Lord told me to say to the people of Judah: I am the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, but I won't accept sacrifices from you. So don't even bother bringing them to me. You might as well just cook the meat for yourselves. 22 At the time I brought your ancestors out of Egypt, I didn't command them to offer sacrifices to me. 23 Instead, I told them, "If you listen to me and do what I tell you, I will be your God, you will be my people, and all will go well for you." 24 But your ancestors refused to listen. They were stubborn, and whenever I wanted them to go one way, they always went the other. 25 Ever since your ancestors left Egypt, I have been sending my servants the prophets to speak for me. 26 But you have ignored me and become even more stubborn and sinful than your ancestors ever were! 27 The Lord said: Jeremiah, no matter what you do, the people won't listen. 28 So you must say to them: People of Judah, I am the Lord your God, but you have refused to obey me, and you didn't change when I punished you. And now, you no longer even pretend to be faithful to me.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Obey: Jeremiah 11:4, Jeremiah 11:7, Exodus 15:26, Exodus 19:5, Exodus 19:6, Leviticus 26:3-12, Deuteronomy 5:29, Deuteronomy 5:33, Deuteronomy 6:3, Deuteronomy 11:27, Deuteronomy 13:4, Deuteronomy 30:2, Deuteronomy 30:8, Deuteronomy 30:20, Romans 16:26, 2 Corinthians 10:5, Hebrews 5:9

and I: Jeremiah 31:33

that it: Jeremiah 42:6, Deuteronomy 4:10, Deuteronomy 5:16, Deuteronomy 5:33

Reciprocal: Genesis 3:17 - and hast Genesis 22:18 - obeyed Exodus 24:7 - All that Leviticus 26:12 - will be Numbers 29:17 - General Deuteronomy 4:30 - obedient Deuteronomy 10:12 - what doth Deuteronomy 17:3 - which Judges 2:2 - but ye have 1 Samuel 15:22 - Hath the Lord 2 Kings 17:13 - keep 2 Kings 18:12 - they obeyed not 2 Kings 21:8 - only if they Job 36:11 - If Psalms 51:16 - delightest Psalms 81:11 - people Psalms 119:4 - General Proverbs 19:16 - keepeth the Isaiah 26:20 - my Jeremiah 6:16 - and walk Jeremiah 18:10 - do Jeremiah 32:23 - but Zephaniah 3:2 - obeyed Zechariah 7:7 - cried Zechariah 7:9 - saying Luke 13:34 - and ye 1 Corinthians 7:19 - but

Cross-References

Genesis 7:1
The Lord told Noah: Take your whole family with you into the boat, because you are the only one on this earth who pleases me.
Genesis 7:8
He obeyed God and took a male and a female of each kind of animal and bird into the boat with him.
Genesis 7:10
Seven days later a flood began to cover the earth.
Genesis 7:14
They took along every kind of animal, tame and wild, including the birds.
Genesis 7:15
Noah took a male and a female of every living creature with him,
Genesis 7:17
For forty days the rain poured down without stopping. And the water became deeper and deeper, until the boat started floating high above the ground.
Genesis 7:21
Not a bird, animal, reptile, or human was left alive anywhere on earth.
Genesis 7:22
The Lord destroyed everything that breathed. Nothing was left alive except Noah and the others in the boat.
Job 5:19
God will protect you from harm, no matter how often trouble may strike.
Psalms 91:1
Live under the protection of God Most High and stay in the shadow of God All-Powerful.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But this thing commanded I them, saying,.... This was the sum and substance of what was then commanded, even obedience to the moral law; this was the main and principal thing enjoined, and to which the promise was annexed:

obey my voice: the word of the Lord, his commands, the precepts of the decalogue; obedience to which was preferable to the sacrifices of the ceremonial law; see 1 Samuel 15:22, wherefore it follows:

and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people; the meaning is, that while they were obedient to him, he would protect them from their enemies, and continue them in their privileges and blessings, which he had bestowed upon them as his peculiar people:

and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you; not only in some of them, but in all of them; not merely in the observance of legal sacrifices, but chiefly in the performance of moral actions; even in all the duties of religion, in whatsoever is required in the law, respecting God or man:

that it may be well unto you; that they might continue in the land which was given them for an inheritance, and enjoy all the blessings promised to their obedience.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Obey ... - These words are not found verbatim in the Pentateuch, but are a sum mary of its principles. Sacrifice is never the final cause of the covenant, but always obedience (Exodus 19:5-6; Leviticus 11:45. Compare Exodus 20:0; Deuteronomy 11:0, in which the moral object of the Mosaic dispensation is most clearly taught). In connection with Jeremiah’s argument, notice that Amos 5:25 (taken in conjunction with Joshua 5:2-7) proves that the ceremonial law was not observed during the 40 years’ wandering in the wilderness. A thing so long in abeyance in the very time of its founder, could not be of primary importance.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Jeremiah 7:23. This thing commanded I them - Obey my voice — It was not sacrifices and oblations which I required of your fathers in the wilderness, but obedience; it was to walk in that way of righteousness which I have commanded; then I should have acknowledged them for my people, and I should have been their God; and then it would have been well with them. But to my commands,

1. They hearkened not - paid no regard to my word.

2. They inclined not the ear - showed no disposition to attend to my counsels.

3. They walked in the imaginations of their evil heart - followed its irregular and impure motions, rather than the holy dictates of my Spirit.

4. They went backward and not forward. Instead of becoming more wise, obedient, and holy, they grew more corrupt; so that they became more profligate than their fathers.


 
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