Lectionary Calendar
Tuesday, July 8th, 2025
the Week of Proper 9 / Ordinary 14
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Read the Bible

New American Standard Bible

Jeremiah 21:8

"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.

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 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.
Good News Translation
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.
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 "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.9 "Anyone who stays in this city will die by the sword, by famine, or by plague; but anyone who leaves and goes over to the Chaldeans who are besieging you will live, and he will have his own life as plunder. 10 "For I have set My face against this city for harm and not for good," declares the LORD. "It will be handed over to the king of Babylon and he will burn it with fire."' 11 "Then say to the household of the king of Judah, 'Hear the word of the LORD, 12 house of David, this is what the LORD says: "Administer justice every morning; And save the person who has been robbed from the power of his oppressor, So that My wrath will not spread like fire And burn, with no one to extinguish it, Because of the evil of their deeds. 13 "Behold, I am against you, you inhabitant of the valley, You rocky plain," declares the LORD, "You who say, 'Who will come down against us? Or who will enter our dwellings?' 14 "But I will punish you according to the results of your deeds," declares the LORD, "And I will kindle a fire in its forest So that it may devour all its surroundings."'"

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
Yet he strongly urged them, so they turned aside to him and entered his house; and he prepared a feast for them and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.
Genesis 26:30
Then he made them a feast, and they ate and drank.
Genesis 29:22
So Laban gathered all the people of the place and held a feast.
Genesis 40:20
So it came about on the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, that he held a feast for all his servants; and he lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants.
Judges 14:10
Then his father went down to the woman; and Samson held a feast there, for the young men customarily did this.
Judges 14:12
Then Samson said to them, "Let me now propose a riddle for you; if you actually tell me the answer within the seven days of the feast, and solve it, then I will give you thirty linen wraps and thirty outfits of clothes.
1 Samuel 1:22
But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, "I will not go until the child is weaned; then I will bring him, so that he may appear before the LORD and stay there for life."
1 Samuel 25:36
Then Abigail came to Nabal, and behold, he was having a feast in his house, like the feast of a king. And Nabal's heart was cheerful within him, for he was very drunk; so she did not tell him anything at all until the morning light.
2 Samuel 3:20
Then Abner and twenty men with him came to David at Hebron. And David held a feast for Abner and the men who were with him.
1 Kings 3:15
Then Solomon awoke, and behold, it was a dream. And he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and made peace offerings, and held a feast for all his servants.

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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