Lectionary Calendar
Tuesday, July 29th, 2025
the Week of Proper 12 / Ordinary 17
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Read the Bible

Easy-to-Read Version

Jeremiah 31:36

"The descendants of Israel will never stop being a nation. That would happen only if I lost control of the sun, moon, stars, and sea."

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Astronomy;   God;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Moon, the;   Stars, the;  

Dictionaries:

- Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Building;   Day;   Ezekiel, Theology of;   Offerings and Sacrifices;   Promise;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Jeremiah;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Death;   Greek Versions of Ot;   Jeremiah;  

Encyclopedias:

- The Jewish Encyclopedia - God;   New Testament;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
If this fixed order departs from before me—
Hebrew Names Version
If these ordinances depart from before me, says the LORD, then the seed of Yisra'el also shall cease from being a nation before me forever.
King James Version
If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the Lord , then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever.
English Standard Version
"If this fixed order departs from before me, declares the Lord , then shall the offspring of Israel cease from being a nation before me forever."
New American Standard Bible
"If this fixed order departs From Me," declares the LORD, "Then the descendants of Israel also will cease To be a nation before Me forever."
New Century Version
"Only if these laws should ever fail," says the Lord , "will Israel's descendants ever stop being a nation before me."
Amplified Bible
"If this fixed order departs From before Me," says the LORD, "Then the descendants of Israel also will cease From being a nation before Me forever."
World English Bible
If these ordinances depart from before me, says Yahweh, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me forever.
Geneva Bible (1587)
If these ordinances depart out of my sight, saith the Lorde, then shall the seede of Israel cease from being a nation before me, for euer.
Legacy Standard Bible
"If these statutes are removedFrom before Me," declares Yahweh,"Then the seed of Israel also will ceaseFrom being a nation before Me forever."
Berean Standard Bible
"Only if this fixed order departed from My presence, declares the LORD, would Israel's descendants ever cease to be a nation before Me."
Contemporary English Version
I will never forget to give those commands, and I will never let Israel stop being a nation. I, the Lord , have spoken.
Complete Jewish Bible
This is what Adonai says: "If the sky above can be measured and the foundations of the earth be fathomed, then I will reject all the offspring of Isra'el for all that they have done," says Adonai .
Darby Translation
If those ordinances depart from before me, saith Jehovah, the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever.
George Lamsa Translation
If those ordinances depart from before me, says the LORD, then the descendants of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever.
Good News Translation
He promises that as long as the natural order lasts, so long will Israel be a nation.
Lexham English Bible
"If these rules would cease from before me," declares Yahweh, "also the offspring of Israel would cease from being a nation before me forever."
Literal Translation
If these ordinances depart from before Me, says Jehovah, the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before Me forever.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Like as this ordinaunce shal neuer be taken out of my sight, saieth the LORDE: So shal the sede of Israel neuer ceasse, but all waye be a people before me.
American Standard Version
If these ordinances depart from before me, saith Jehovah, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever.
Bible in Basic English
If the order of these things before me is ever broken, says the Lord, then will the seed of Israel come to an end as a nation before me for ever.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Thus saith the LORD: If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, then will I also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, saith the LORD.
King James Version (1611)
If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the Lord, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for euer.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Like as this ordinaunce shall neuer be taken out of my sight, saith the Lord: so shall the seede of Israel neuer ceasse, but alway be a people before me.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Therefore the heart of Moab shall sound as pipes, my heart shall sound as a pipe for the shorn men; forasmuch as what every man has gained has perished from him.
English Revised Version
If these ordinances depart from before me, saith the LORD, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
If these lawis failen bifore me, seith the Lord, thanne and the seed of Israel schal faile, that it be not a folk bifore me in alle daies.
Update Bible Version
If these ordinances depart from before me, says Yahweh, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me forever.
Webster's Bible Translation
If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the LORD, [then] the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever.
New English Translation
The Lord affirms, "The descendants of Israel will not cease forever to be a nation in my sight. That could only happen if the fixed ordering of the heavenly lights were to cease to operate before me."
New King James Version
"If those ordinances depart From before Me, says the LORD, Then the seed of Israel shall also cease From being a nation before Me forever."
New Living Translation
"I am as likely to reject my people Israel as I am to abolish the laws of nature!"
New Life Bible
"If these laws change before Me, then the children of Israel will stop being a nation before Me forever."
New Revised Standard
If this fixed order were ever to cease from my presence, says the Lord , then also the offspring of Israel would cease to be a nation before me forever.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
If these ordinances depart from before me, Declareth Yahweh, - the seed of Israel also, may cease from being a nation before me, all the days,
Douay-Rheims Bible
If these ordinances shall fail before me, saith the Lord: then also the seed of Israel shall fail, so as not to be a nation before me for ever.
Revised Standard Version
"If this fixed order departs from before me, says the LORD, then shall the descendants of Israel cease from being a nation before me for ever."
Young's Literal Translation
If these statutes depart from before Me, An affirmation of Jehovah, Even the seed of Israel doth cease From being a nation before Me all the days.
THE MESSAGE
"If this ordered cosmos ever fell to pieces, fell into chaos before me"— God 's Decree— "Then and only then might Israel fall apart and disappear as a nation before me."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"If this fixed order departs From before Me," declares the LORD, "Then the offspring of Israel also will cease From being a nation before Me forever."

Contextual Overview

35 He makes the sun shine in the day, and he makes the moon and the stars shine at night. He stirs up the sea so that its waves crash on the shore. The Lord All-Powerful is his name. This is what the Lord says: 36 "The descendants of Israel will never stop being a nation. That would happen only if I lost control of the sun, moon, stars, and sea." 37 The Lord says, "I will never reject the descendants of Israel. That would happen only if people could measure the sky above, and learn all the secrets of the earth below. Only then would I reject them for the bad things they have done." This message is from the Lord . 38 This message is from the Lord , "The days are coming when the city of Jerusalem will be rebuilt for the Lord . The whole city will be rebuilt—from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. 39 The measuring line will stretch from the Corner Gate straight to the hill of Gareb and then turn to the place named Goah. 40 The whole valley where dead bodies and ashes are thrown and all the terraces down to the bottom of Kidron Valley all the way to the corner of Horse Gate will be holy to the Lord . The city of Jerusalem will never again be torn down or destroyed."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

those: Jeremiah 33:20-26, Psalms 72:5, Psalms 72:17, Psalms 89:36, Psalms 89:37, Psalms 102:28, Psalms 119:89, Psalms 148:6, Isaiah 54:9, Isaiah 54:10

cease: Jeremiah 46:28, Deuteronomy 32:26, Amos 9:8, Amos 9:9

Reciprocal: Genesis 9:9 - General 2 Kings 17:20 - all the seed Job 38:33 - the ordinances Psalms 83:4 - General Isaiah 11:11 - set his hand Isaiah 65:9 - I will Jeremiah 33:25 - and if Jeremiah 48:2 - come Matthew 24:35 - Heaven Romans 11:1 - Hath God

Cross-References

Genesis 30:2
Jacob became angry with Rachel and said, "I am not God. He is the one who has caused you to not have children."
Genesis 31:19
While Laban was gone to cut the wool from his sheep, Rachel went into his house and stole the false gods that belonged to her father.
Genesis 31:20
Jacob tricked Laban the Aramean. He did not tell Laban he was leaving.
Genesis 34:7
In the fields Jacob's sons heard the news about what had happened. They were very angry because Shechem had brought shame to Israel by raping Jacob's daughter. They came in from the fields as soon as they heard about the terrible thing Shechem had done.
Genesis 49:7
Their anger is so strong that it is a curse. They are too cruel when they are angry. They will not get their own land in the land of Jacob. They will be spread throughout Israel.
Numbers 16:15
So Moses became very angry. He said to the Lord , "I never did anything wrong to these people. I never took anything from them—not even a donkey! Don't accept their gifts!"
2 Kings 5:11
Naaman became angry and left. He said, "I thought Elisha would at least come out and stand in front of me and call on the name of the Lord his God. I thought he would wave his hand over my body and heal the leprosy.
2 Kings 13:19
The man of God was angry with Jehoash. Elisha said, "You should have hit five or six times! Then you would have defeated Aram until you destroyed it! But now, you will defeat Aram only three times."
Proverbs 28:1
The wicked are afraid of everything, but those who live right are as brave as lions.
Mark 3:5
Jesus looked at the people. He was angry, but he felt very sad because they were so stubborn. He said to the man, "Hold out your hand." The man held out his hand, and it was healed.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the Lord,.... Of the sun, moon, and stars; should these leave their proper course, and not perform their several functions, or do the service appointed for them; should they desert their master, or disobey his orders, turn away from him, and pay no regard to the laws and rules he has set them:

[then] the seed of Israel shall also cease from being a nation before me for ever; but, as the former is impossible, so is the latter, The Jews ceased not from being a nation through their captivity in Babylon, nor through their destruction by the Romans; they continue a distinct nation and people to this day, though scattered throughout the nations of the world: though this rather refers to the spiritual Israel, the holy nation and peculiar people; Christ will have a seed to serve him as long as the sun and moon endure; his church shall continue to the end of the world; it is built on a rock; and the gates of hell cannot prevail against it.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

If those - If these. From the uniformity of God’s operations in the material world, the prophet deduces the certainty of a similar uniformity in God’s dealings with man in things spiritual.

A nation - A people. Israel has long ceased to be a nation, but it still exists as a numerous, influential, and distinct people. In Matthew 28:19-20 Jeremiah’s prophecy receives its Christian application, and Israel becomes the Church, with the promise of perpetual existence. It has no national existence, but its members ought to be a strongly marked people, refusing to be merged in the world, while everywhere they pervade and influence it.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Jeremiah 31:36. If those ordinances — As sure as the sun shall give light to the day, and the moon to the night, so surely shall the Jews continue to be a distinct people. The same thing is expressed in other words in the next verse. Hitherto this prophecy has been literally fulfilled; the Jews are still a distinct people from all the dwellers upon earth. Every attempt that has been made in any country to naturalize and unite them with the people of that country, has proved abortive. The well-circumstanced attempt made this year (1830) in England, when the strongest interest was excited in their behalf, has also utterly failed. And why? Because of God's purpose expressed in Jeremiah 31:35-37 of the BOOK of the Prophet JEREMIAH.


 
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