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Sunday, July 20th, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Easy-to-Read Version

Jeremiah 13:16

Honor the Lord your God. Praise him or he will bring darkness. Praise him before you fall on the dark hills. You people of Judah are hoping for light, but the Lord will turn the light into thick darkness. He will change it into the deepest gloom.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Darkness;   Idolatry;   Israel, Prophecies Concerning;   Repentance;   Wicked (People);   Thompson Chain Reference - Insecurity of the Wicked;   Invitations-Warnings;   Security-Insecurity;   Sin;   Warnings;   Wicked, the;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Darkness;   Procrastination;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Foot;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Glory;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Cloud, Cloud of the Lord;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Glory;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Darkness;   Jeremiah;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Feet;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Gross;   Moon;   Shadow of Death;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Give glory to the Lord your Godbefore he brings darkness,before your feet stumbleon the mountains at dusk.You wait for light,but he brings darkest gloomand makes total darkness.
Hebrew Names Version
Give glory to the LORD your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble on the dark mountains, and, while you look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness.
King James Version
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.
English Standard Version
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 American Standard Bible
Give glory to the LORD your God Before He brings darkness And before your feet stumble On the mountains in the dark, And while you are hoping for light He makes it into gloom, And turns it into thick darkness.
New Century Version
Give glory to the Lord your God before he brings darkness and before you slip and fall on the dark hills. You hope for light, but he will turn it into thick darkness; he will change it into deep gloom.
Amplified Bible
Give glory to the LORD your God, Before He brings darkness And before your feet stumble On the dark and shadowy mountains, And while you are longing for light He turns it into the shadow of death, And makes it into thick darkness.
World English Bible
Give glory to Yahweh your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble on the dark mountains, and, while you look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Giue glory to the Lorde your God before he bring darknes, and or euer your feete stumble in the darke mountaines, and whiles you look for light, he turne it into the shadowe of death and make it as darkenesse.
Legacy Standard Bible
Give glory to Yahweh your God,Before He brings darknessAnd before your feet stumbleOn the dusky mountains;And while you are hoping for light,He makes it into the shadow of deathAnd turns it into dense gloom.
Berean Standard Bible
Give glory to the LORD your God before He brings darkness, before your feet stumble on the dusky mountains. You wait for light, but He turns it into deep gloom and thick darkness.
Contemporary English Version
You hope for light, but God is sending darkness. Evening shadows already deepen in the hills. So return to God and confess your sins to him before you trip and fall.
Complete Jewish Bible
Give glory to Adonai your God before the darkness falls, before your feet stumble on the mountains in the twilight, and, while you are seeking light, he turns it into deathlike shadows and makes it completely dark.
Darby Translation
Give glory to Jehovah your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the mountains of twilight; and ye shall look for light, but he will turn it into the shadow of death, and make [it] gross darkness.
George Lamsa Translation
Give glory to the LORD your God before it becomes dark, and before your feet are injured upon the mountains in the darkness, and, while you look for light, he turns it into darkness and the shadows of death.
Good News Translation
Honor the Lord , your God, before he brings darkness, and you stumble on the mountains; before he turns into deep darkness the light you hoped for.
Lexham English Bible
Give glory to Yahweh your God before he brings darkness, and before your feet stumble on the mountains at twilight. And you will hope for light, but he makes it as gloom, he makes it as thick darkness.
Literal Translation
Give glory to Jehovah your God before He brings darkness, and before your feet stumble on the dark mountains. Yea, while you look for light, He puts it into death shade, setting up deep gloom.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Honoure ye LORDE youre God herein, or he take his light from you, and or euer youre fete stomble in darknesse at ye hill: lest whe ye loke for the light, he turne it in to ye shadowe and darknesse of death.
American Standard Version
Give glory to Jehovah 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.
Bible in Basic English
Give glory to the Lord your God, before he makes it dark, and before your feet are slipping on the dark mountains, and, while you are looking for a light, he makes it into deep dark, into black night.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Give glory to the LORD your God, before it grow dark, and before your feet stumble upon the mountains of twilight, and, while ye look for light, He turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness.
King James Version (1611)
Giue glory to the Lord your God before he cause darknesse, and before your feet stumble vpon the darke mountaines, and while yee looke for light, he turne it into the shadowe of death, and make it grosse darkenesse.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Honour the Lorde your God or he take his light from you, and or euer your feete stumble in darcknesse at the hyll: lest when you loke for the lyght, he turne it into the shadowe and darcknesse of death.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Give glory to the Lord your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble on the dark mountains, and ye shall wait for light, and behold the shadow of death, and they shall be brought into darkness.
English Revised Version
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.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Yyue ye glorie to youre Lord God, bifore that it wexe derk, and bifor that youre feet hirte at derk hillis; ye schulen abide liyt, and he schal sette it in to the schadewe of deeth, and in to derknesse.
Update Bible Version
Give glory to Yahweh your God, before he causes darkness, and before your feet stumble on the dark mountains, and, while you look for light, he turns it into the shadow of death, and makes it gross darkness.
Webster's Bible Translation
Give glory to the LORD your God, before he shall cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and while ye look for light, he shall turn it into the shades of death, [and] make [it] gross darkness.
New English Translation
Show the Lord your God the respect that is due him. Do it before he brings the darkness of disaster. Do it before you stumble into distress like a traveler on the mountains at twilight. Do it before he turns the light of deliverance you hope for into the darkness and gloom of exile.
New King James Version
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.
New Living Translation
Give glory to the Lord your God before it is too late. Acknowledge him before he brings darkness upon you, causing you to stumble and fall on the darkening mountains. For then, when you look for light, you will find only terrible darkness and gloom.
New Life Bible
Give honor to the Lord your God before He brings darkness and before you slip and fall on the dark mountains. You hope for light, but He will turn it into darkness and it will be very dark.
New Revised Standard
Give glory to the Lord your God before he brings darkness, and before your feet stumble on the mountains at twilight; while you look for light, he turns it into gloom and makes it deep darkness.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Give ye to Yahweh your God - glory, Before he cause darkness, and Before your feet stumble upon the twilight mountains; Lest, when ye wait for light, He turn it into the shadow of death, And change it for thick darkness.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Give ye glory to the Lord your God, before it be dark, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains: you shall look for light, and he will turn it into the shadow of death, and into darkness.
Revised Standard Version
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.
Young's Literal Translation
Give ye to Jehovah your God honour, Before He doth cause darkness, And before your feet stumble on dark mountains, And ye have waited for light, And He hath made it for death-shade, And hath appointed [it] for thick darkness.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Give glory to the LORD your God, Before He brings darkness And before your feet stumble On the dusky mountains, And while you are hoping for light He makes it into deep darkness, And turns it into gloom.

Contextual Overview

12 "Jeremiah, say to the people of Judah: ‘This is what the Lord , the God of Israel, says: Every wineskin should be filled with wine.' They will laugh and say to you, ‘Of course, we know that every wineskin should be filled with wine.' 13 Then you will say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says: I will make everyone who lives in this land helpless, like a drunken man. I am talking about the kings who sit on David's throne. I am also talking about the priests, the prophets, and all the people who live in Jerusalem. 14 I will make them stumble and fall against each other, even the fathers and sons.' This message is from the Lord . ‘I will not feel sorry or have pity for them. I will not allow compassion to stop me from destroying the people of Judah.'" 15 Listen and pay attention. The Lord has spoken to you. Do not be proud. 16 Honor the Lord your God. Praise him or he will bring darkness. Praise him before you fall on the dark hills. You people of Judah are hoping for light, but the Lord will turn the light into thick darkness. He will change it into the deepest gloom. 17 If you people of Judah don't listen to him, I will hide and cry. Your pride will cause me to cry. I will cry very hard. My eyes will overflow with tears, because the Lord 's flock will be captured. 18 Tell these things to the king and his wife, "Come down from your thrones. Your beautiful crowns have fallen from your heads." 19 The cities in the Negev are locked. No one can open them. All the people of Judah have been taken away as captives. They were carried away as prisoners. 20 Jerusalem, look! The enemy is coming from the north! Where is the flock you were once in charge of? That beautiful flock is gone now. 21 I will let your enemies become your rulers— people you once trusted with your secrets. What will you say then? Surely you will feel great pain, like a woman giving birth.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Give: Joshua 7:19, 1 Samuel 6:5, Psalms 96:7, Psalms 96:8

before: Jeremiah 4:23, Ecclesiastes 11:8, Ecclesiastes 12:1, Ecclesiastes 12:2, Isaiah 5:30, Isaiah 8:22, Isaiah 59:9, Amos 8:9, Amos 8:10, John 12:35

your: Proverbs 4:19, 1 Peter 2:8, 1 John 2:10, 1 John 2:11

while: Jeremiah 8:15, Jeremiah 14:19, Isaiah 59:9, Lamentations 4:17

the shadow: Psalms 44:19

gross: Exodus 10:21, Isaiah 60:2

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 32:35 - their foot Job 3:5 - the shadow Job 3:9 - look for light Job 10:22 - the shadow of death Job 12:5 - ready Job 19:8 - set Job 38:15 - from Job 38:19 - darkness Psalms 29:1 - Give Psalms 35:6 - their Isaiah 9:19 - is the land Isaiah 45:7 - create darkness Isaiah 59:10 - grope Jeremiah 6:21 - I will Jeremiah 9:10 - the mountains Jeremiah 23:12 - as Lamentations 3:2 - brought Ezekiel 32:7 - I will cover the heaven Ezekiel 34:6 - wandered Ezekiel 34:12 - in the cloudy Joel 2:2 - A day of darkness Amos 4:13 - that maketh Micah 3:6 - night Nahum 1:8 - darkness Zechariah 1:4 - unto Malachi 2:2 - to give Matthew 4:16 - shadow John 11:10 - General 2 Corinthians 5:20 - be Ephesians 5:8 - ye were Revelation 11:13 - gave

Cross-References

Genesis 13:1
So Abram left Egypt. He traveled through the Negev with his wife and everything he owned. Lot was also with them.
Genesis 13:2
At this time Abram was very rich. He had many animals and much silver and gold.
Genesis 13:3
Abram continued traveling around. He left the Negev and went back to Bethel. He went to the place between the city of Bethel and Ai, where he and his family had camped before.
Genesis 13:14
After Lot left, the Lord said to Abram, "Look around you. Look north, south, east, west.
Genesis 13:16
I will make your people so many that they will be like the dust of the earth. If people could count all the particles of dust on earth, they could count your people.
Genesis 13:18
So Abram moved his tents. He went to live near the big trees of Mamre. This was near the city of Hebron. There he built an altar to honor the Lord .
Genesis 15:5
Then God led Abram outside and said, "Look at the sky. See the many stars. There are so many you cannot count them. Your family will be like that."
Genesis 17:6
I will give you many descendants. New nations and kings will come from you.
Genesis 17:16
I will bless her. I will give her a son, and you will be the father. She will be the mother of many new nations. Kings of nations will come from her."
Genesis 17:20
"You mentioned Ishmael, and I heard you. I will bless him, and he will have many children. He will be the father of twelve great leaders. His family will become a great nation.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Give glory to the Lord your God,.... By confessing sin unto him; by humiliation for it before him; by believing what he says, hearkening to his word, and obeying his commands, and living to his honour and glory; see Joshua 7:19, especially by believing in Christ, the true God, and true Messiah, embracing his Gospel, and his ordinances:

before he cause darkness; before the Lord brings on the dark dispensation threatened, the calamity before spoken of; repent while space is given, before it is too late; so the Targum,

"before tribulation comes upon you, and ye be like to those that walk in darkness.''

The Babylonish captivity may be meant, which was a dark day with the Jews, as is their present case, and which may be included; and it is applicable to any dark state of the church of God, such as may be now apprehended as near, through the spread of Popery, the growth of errors and heresies, the persecution of the saints, the slaying of the witnesses, the cessation of the Gospel ministry and ordinances for a while; which is that day of darkness and gloominess, that hour of temptation that shall come upon all the earth, to try its inhabitants; happy those that give glory to God by their faith in him, and by keeping the word of his patience:

and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains; or, "of twilight"; or, "of the evening"; or rather, "upon the mountains in the evening" y; at eventide; at which time it is troublesome and dangerous travelling on mountains. These may design either the mountains to which they would flee for shelter, Matthew 24:16, or those which lay in the way to Babylon, over which they should travel when carried captive; or rather the kingdoms of Babylon and Media, whither they should be carried, and where they should endure much affliction and hardship; it being usual to signify kingdoms by mountains; so Babylon itself is, Jeremiah 51:25, perhaps there may be some allusion, as Sanctus thinks, to Babylon itself, which being situated in a marshy place, might be generally covered with a cloud or mist, and, together with the smoke of the city, might look like a dark mountain; and especially the hanging gardens in it looked at a distance like z mountains with forests on them. It may be applied to the eventide of the latter day, when many shall stumble and fall through mountains of difficulties and discouragements in the way of religion; of professing the pure Gospel and ordinances of it, through the prevailing darkness of the age, and the persecution of men; and to the evening of life, and the dark mountains of death and eternity, on which men may be said to stumble and fall when they die; and when their everlasting state will appear to be fixed as immovable as mountains; and there will be no more means of grace, of faith, repentance, and conversion, but blackness of darkness for evermore, outer darkness, weeping and gnashing of teeth; wherefore, before this time comes, it behooves persons to be concerned for the glory of God, and the everlasting welfare of their souls:

and while ye look for light; prosperity and happiness, as the false prophets gave out they should have; or for help and assistance from the Egyptians, to whom they sent:

he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness; that is, the Lord, who would disappoint them, and, instead of having that relief and comfort they were promised, would bring upon them such shocking calamities, which would be as terrible as death itself, or at least as the shadow of death, and be like gross darkness, even such as was in Egypt, which might be felt; see Isaiah 49:9.

y על הרי נשף "in montibus crepusculi", Montanus, Piscator; "montibus caecioribus intempesta nocte", Junius Tremellius. z See Berosus apud Joseph. Antiqu. l. 10. c. 11. sect. 1. & Contr. Apion. l. 1. c. 19. & Curtius, Hist. l. 5. c. 1.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The 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.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Jeremiah 13:16. Give 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.


 
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