Lectionary Calendar
Thursday, July 31st, 2025
the Week of Proper 12 / Ordinary 17
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Read the Bible

Good News Translation

Jeremiah 21:8

Then the Lord told me to say to the people, "Listen! I, the Lord , am giving you a choice between the way that leads to life and the way that leads to death.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Salvation;   Thompson Chain Reference - Nebuchadnezzar;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Babylon;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Babylon;   Egypt;   Jeremiah;   Judah, tribe and kingdom;   Zedekiah;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Remnant;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Jeremiah;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Numbers (2);  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Kingdom of Judah;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Four;   Literature, Sub-Apostolic;   Way;   Zedekiah (2);   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Didache;  

Devotionals:

- Daily Light on the Daily Path - Devotion for July 25;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“But tell this people, ‘This is what the Lord says: Look, I am setting before you the way of life and the way of death.
Hebrew Names Version
To this people you shall say, Thus says the LORD: Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death.
King James Version
And unto this people thou shalt say, Thus saith the Lord ; Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death.
English Standard Version
"And to this people you shall say: ‘Thus says the Lord : Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death.
New American Standard Bible
"You shall also say to this people, 'This is what the LORD says: "Behold, I am setting before you the way of life and the way of death.
New Century Version
"Also tell this to the people of Jerusalem: ‘This is what the Lord says: I will let you choose to live or die.
Amplified Bible
"And to this people you (Jeremiah) shall also say, 'Thus says the LORD, "Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death.
World English Bible
To this people you shall say, Thus says Yahweh: Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And vnto this people thou shalt say, Thus saith the Lorde, Beholde, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death.
Legacy Standard Bible
"You shall also say to this people, ‘Thus says Yahweh, "Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death.
Berean Standard Bible
You are also to say to this people, 'This is what the LORD says: Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death.
Contemporary English Version
Then I told them that the Lord had said: People of Jerusalem, I, the Lord , give you the choice of life or death.
Complete Jewish Bible
"And here is what you are to tell this people: ‘ Adonai says: "Look! I am presenting you with the way of life and the way of death.
Darby Translation
And unto this people thou shalt say, Thus saith Jehovah: Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death.
Easy-to-Read Version
"Also tell the people of Jerusalem, ‘This is what the Lord says: Understand that I will let you choose to live or die.
George Lamsa Translation
And to this people you shall say, Thus says the LORD: Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death.
Lexham English Bible
"And to this people you shall say, ‘Thus says Yahweh, "Look, I am setting before you the way of life and the way of death.
Literal Translation
And you shall say to this people, So says Jehovah, Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And vnto this people thou shalt saye: Thus saieth the LORDE: beholde, I laye before you the waye of life and deeth.
American Standard Version
And unto this people thou shalt say, Thus saith Jehovah: Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death.
Bible in Basic English
And to this people you are to say, The Lord has said, See, I put before you the way of life and the way of death.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And unto this people thou shalt say: Thus saith the LORD: Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death.
King James Version (1611)
And vnto this people thou shalt say; Thus saith the Lord; Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And vnto this people thou shalt say, thus saith the Lorde: Beholde, I lay before you the way of life and death.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And thou shalt say to this people, Thus saith the Lord; Behold, I have set before you the way of life, and the way of death.
English Revised Version
And unto this people thou shalt say, Thus saith the LORD: Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And thou schalt seie to this puple, The Lord God seith these thingis, Lo! Y yyue bifore you the weie of lijf, and the weie of deth.
Update Bible Version
And to this people you shall say, Thus says Yahweh: Look, I set before you the way of life and the way of death.
Webster's Bible Translation
And to this people thou shalt say, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death.
New English Translation
"But tell the people of Jerusalem that the Lord says, ‘I will give you a choice between two courses of action. One will result in life; the other will result in death.
New King James Version
"Now you shall say to this people, "Thus says the LORD: "Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death.
New Living Translation
"Tell all the people, ‘This is what the Lord says: Take your choice of life or death!
New Life Bible
"Also tell the people, ‘The Lord says, "See, I set before you the way of life and the way of death.
New Revised Standard
And to this people you shall say: Thus says the Lord : See, I am setting before you the way of life and the way of death.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And unto this people, shalt thou say, Thus, saith Yahweh, - Behold me! setting before you the way, of life, and the way of death:
Douay-Rheims Bible
And to this people thou shalt say: Thus saith the Lord: Behold I set before you the way of life, and the way of death.
Revised Standard Version
"And to this people you shall say: 'Thus says the LORD: Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death.
Young's Literal Translation
And unto this people thou dost say, Thus said Jehovah: Lo, I am setting before you the way of life, And the way of death!
THE MESSAGE
"And then tell the people at large, ‘ God 's Message to you is this: Listen carefully. I'm giving you a choice: life or death. Whoever stays in this city will die—either in battle or by starvation or disease. But whoever goes out and surrenders to the Chaldeans who have surrounded the city will live. You'll lose everything—but not your life. I'm determined to see this city destroyed. I'm that angry with this place! God 's Decree. I'm going to give it to the king of Babylon, and he's going to burn it to the ground.'
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"You shall also say to this people, 'Thus says the LORD, "Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death.

Contextual Overview

8 Then the Lord told me to say to the people, "Listen! I, the Lord , am giving you a choice between the way that leads to life and the way that leads to death. 9 Anyone who stays in the city will be killed in war or by starvation or disease. But those who go out and surrender to the Babylonians, who are now attacking the city, will not be killed; they will at least escape with their life. 10 I have made up my mind not to spare this city, but to destroy it. It will be given over to the king of Babylonia, and he will burn it to the ground. I, the Lord , have spoken." 11The Lord told me to give this message to the royal house of Judah, the descendants of David: "Listen to what I, the Lord , am saying. See that justice is done every day. Protect the person who is being cheated from the one who is cheating him. If you don't, the evil you are doing will make my anger burn like a fire that cannot be put out. 13 You, Jerusalem, are sitting high above the valleys, like a rock rising above the plain. But I will fight against you. You say that no one can attack you or break through your defenses. 14 But I will punish you for what you have done. I will set your palace on fire, and the fire will burn down everything around it. I, the Lord , have spoken."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

I set: Deuteronomy 11:26, Deuteronomy 30:15, Deuteronomy 30:19, Isaiah 1:19, Isaiah 1:20

Reciprocal: Proverbs 6:23 - the way Proverbs 15:24 - way Jeremiah 38:2 - He Jeremiah 38:17 - If thou Ezekiel 18:31 - for why Micah 6:16 - that

Cross-References

Genesis 19:3
He kept on urging them, and finally they went with him to his house. Lot ordered his servants to bake some bread and prepare a fine meal for the guests. When it was ready, they ate it.
Genesis 26:30
Isaac prepared a feast for them, and they ate and drank.
Genesis 29:22
So Laban gave a wedding feast and invited everyone.
Genesis 40:20
On his birthday three days later the king gave a banquet for all his officials; he released his wine steward and his chief baker and brought them before his officials.
Judges 14:10
His father went to the woman's house, and Samson gave a banquet there. This was a custom among the young men.
Judges 14:12
Samson said to them, "Let me tell you a riddle. I'll bet each one of you a piece of fine linen and a change of fine clothes that you can't tell me its meaning before the seven days of the wedding feast are over." "Tell us your riddle," they said. "Let's hear it."
1 Samuel 1:22
But this time Hannah did not go. She told her husband, "As soon as the child is weaned, I will take him to the house of the Lord , where he will stay all his life."
1 Samuel 25:36
Abigail went back to Nabal, who was at home having a feast fit for a king. He was drunk and in a good mood, so she did not tell him anything until the next morning.
2 Samuel 3:20
When Abner came to David at Hebron with twenty men, David gave a feast for them.
1 Kings 3:15
Solomon woke up and realized that God had spoken to him in the dream. Then he went to Jerusalem and stood in front of the Lord 's Covenant Box and offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings to the Lord . After that he gave a feast for all his officials.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And unto the people thou shalt say, thus saith the Lord,.... These are the words, not of the prophet to the messengers of the king, ordering or advising them what they each of them should say to the people; for the message by them is finished; but they are the words of the Lord to the prophet, directing him what he should say to the people at this critical juncture:

behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death; the way how to preserve their lives; and which, if they did not choose to take, would be inevitable death. The allusion seems to be to a phrase used by Moses, when he gave the law; obedience to which would issue in life, and disobedience in death, Deuteronomy 30:15.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Compare the marginal reference; but here the alternative is a life saved by desertion to the enemy, or a death by famine, pestilence, and the sword within the walls.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Jeremiah 21:8. Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death. — Meaning escape or destruction in the present instance. This is explained in the next verse.


 
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