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Tuesday, July 29th, 2025
the Week of Proper 12 / Ordinary 17
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New Living Translation

Jeremiah 3:5

Surely you won't be angry forever! Surely you can forget about it!' So you talk, but you keep on doing all the evil you can."

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Backsliders;   Church;   Condescension of God;   Idolatry;   Wicked (People);  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Solomon's Song;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Ethics;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Call, Calling;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Marriage;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Immorality;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Marriage;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Ammi;   Jeremiah;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Kingdom of Judah;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Will he bear a grudge forever?Will he be endlessly infuriated?”This is what you have said,but you have done the evil thingsyou are capable of.
Hebrew Names Version
Will he retain [his anger] forever? will he keep it to the end? Behold, you have spoken and have done evil things, and have had your way.
King James Version
Will he reserve his anger for ever? will he keep it to the end? Behold, thou hast spoken and done evil things as thou couldest.
English Standard Version
will he be angry forever, will he be indignant to the end?' Behold, you have spoken, but you have done all the evil that you could."
New American Standard Bible
'Will He be angry forever, Or keep His anger to the end?' Behold, you have spoken And have done evil things, And you have had your own way."
New Century Version
Will you always be angry at me? Will your anger last forever?' Judah, you said this, but you did as much evil as you could!"
Amplified Bible
'Will He be angry forever? Will He be indignant to the end?' Behold, you have spoken, And you have done all the evil things [you could], And you have had your way and have carried out your wickedness."
World English Bible
Will he retain [his anger] forever? will he keep it to the end? Behold, you have spoken and have done evil things, and have had your way.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Wil he keepe his anger for euer? will he reserue it to the ende? thus hast thou spoken, but thou doest euill, euen more and more.
Legacy Standard Bible
Will He be angry forever?Will He keep it to the end?'Behold, you have spokenAnd have done evil things,And you have had your way."
Berean Standard Bible
Will He be angry forever? Will He be indignant to the end?' This you have spoken, but you keep doing all the evil you can."
Contemporary English Version
you beg me to stop being angry, but you won't stop sinning.
Complete Jewish Bible
[thinking,] ‘He won't bear a grudge forever, will he? He wouldn't maintain it right to the end.' You say this, but you keep doing evil things, you just do whatever you want."
Darby Translation
Will he keep [his anger] for ever? Will he preserve it perpetually? Behold, thou hast spoken and hast done evil things, and thou art [so] determined.
Easy-to-Read Version
You also said, ‘God will not always be angry with me. His anger will not continue forever.' "Judah, you say that, but you do as much evil as you can."
George Lamsa Translation
Will God reserve his anger for ever? Or will he keep it to the end? Behold, you have spoken, and have done evil things beyond measure.
Good News Translation
You won't always be angry; you won't be mad at me forever.' Israel, that is what you said, but you did all the evil you could."
Lexham English Bible
Will he be angry forever? Will he maintain it always'? Look, you have spoken, but you have done all the evil that you could."
Literal Translation
Will He keep His anger forever? Or will He guard it to the end? Behold, you have spoken, and you have done all the evil things that you could.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Wilt thou then put me awaye, and cast me of foreuer? Or wilt thou withdrawe thy self clene fro me? Neuertheles, thou speakest soch wordes, but thou art euer doinge worse, and worse.
American Standard Version
Will he retain his anger for ever? will he keep it to the end? Behold, thou hast spoken and hast done evil things, and hast had thy way.
Bible in Basic English
Will he be angry for ever? will he keep his wrath to the end? These things you have said, and have done evil and have had your way.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Will He bear grudge for ever? Will He keep it to the end?' Behold, thou hast spoken, but hast done evil things, and hast had thy way.
King James Version (1611)
Will he reserue his anger for euer? wil he keepe it to the end? Behold, thou hast spoken and done euill things as thou couldest.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Wyll God continue his wrath for euer? wyll he kepe our faultes in memorie to the ende? Neuerthelesse, thou speakest such wordes, but thou art euer doyng worse and worse to the vtmost of thy power.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Will God’s anger continue for ever, or be preserved to the end? Behold, thou hast spoken and done these bad things, and hadst power to do them.
English Revised Version
Will he retain his anger for ever? will he keep it to the end? Behold, thou hast spoken and hast done evil things, and hast had thy way.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Whether thou schalt be wrooth with outen ende, ether schalt contynue in to the ende? Lo! thou hast spoke, and hast do yuels, and thou were myyti. And for wordis of penaunce thou blasfemydist bi wordis of pride; and thou fillidist thin yuel thouyt, and schewidist thi strengthe ayens thi hosebonde, that thou maist do that thing that thou tretidist bi word.
Update Bible Version
Will he retain [his anger] forever? will he keep it to the end? Look, you have spoken and have done evil things, and have had your way.
Webster's Bible Translation
Will he retain [his anger] for ever? will he keep [it] to the end? Behold, thou hast spoken and done evil things as thou couldst.
New English Translation
You will not always be angry with me, will you? You will not be mad at me forever, will you?' That is what you say, but you continually do all the evil that you can."
New King James Version
Will He remain angry forever? Will He keep it to the end?' Behold, you have spoken and done evil things, As you were able."
New Life Bible
Will You be angry forever? Will You be angry to the end?' See, this is how you talk, but you do all the sinful things you can."
New Revised Standard
will he be angry forever, will he be indignant to the end?" This is how you have spoken, but you have done all the evil that you could.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Will he maintain his anger to times age-abiding? Will he keep it perpetually? Lo! thou hast spoken thus but hast done wicked things and had thy way!
Douay-Rheims Bible
Wilt thou be angry for ever, or wilt thou continue unto the end? Behold, thou hast spoken, and hast done evil things, and hast been able.
Revised Standard Version
will he be angry for ever, will he be indignant to the end?' Behold, you have spoken, but you have done all the evil that you could."
Young's Literal Translation
Doth He keep to the age? watch for ever?' Lo, these things thou hast spoken, And thou dost the evil things, and prevailest.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
'Will He be angry forever? Will He be indignant to the end?' Behold, you have spoken And have done evil things, And you have had your way."

Contextual Overview

1 "If a man divorces a woman and she goes and marries someone else, he will not take her back again, for that would surely corrupt the land. But you have prostituted yourself with many lovers, so why are you trying to come back to me?" says the Lord . 2 "Look at the shrines on every hilltop. Is there any place you have not been defiled by your adultery with other gods? You sit like a prostitute beside the road waiting for a customer. You sit alone like a nomad in the desert. You have polluted the land with your prostitution and your wickedness. 3 That's why even the spring rains have failed. For you are a brazen prostitute and completely shameless. 4 Yet you say to me, ‘Father, you have been my guide since my youth. 5 Surely you won't be angry forever! Surely you can forget about it!' So you talk, but you keep on doing all the evil you can."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

he reserve: Jeremiah 3:12, Psalms 77:7-9, Psalms 85:5, Psalms 103:8, Psalms 103:9, Isaiah 57:16, Isaiah 64:9

thou hast spoken: Ezekiel 22:6, Micah 2:1, Micah 7:3, Zephaniah 3:1-5

Reciprocal: Job 23:7 - There Micah 7:18 - he retaineth Nahum 1:2 - reserveth

Cross-References

Genesis 2:17
except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die."
Genesis 3:2
"Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden," the woman replied.
Genesis 3:3
"It's only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.'"
Genesis 3:6
The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too.
Genesis 3:7
At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.
Genesis 3:10
He replied, "I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked."
Genesis 3:13
Then the Lord God asked the woman, "What have you done?" "The serpent deceived me," she replied. "That's why I ate it."
Genesis 3:14
Then the Lord God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all animals, domestic and wild. You will crawl on your belly, groveling in the dust as long as you live.
Genesis 3:15
And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel."
Genesis 3:22
Then the Lord God said, "Look, the human beings have become like us, knowing both good and evil. What if they reach out, take fruit from the tree of life, and eat it? Then they will live forever!"

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Will he reserve his anger for ever?.... These words may be considered as a continuation of the speech put into their mouths to make to the Lord and plead with him, as well as what follows:

will he keep it to the end? that is, his anger: no; he will not: this is not according to the nature of God; he retains not his anger for ever, Micah 7:18, though, according to some versions, this is to be understood of the sins of these people being reserved and kept forever, as their impudence and obstinacy; so the Syriac and Arabic versions; and to which agrees the Targum,

"is it possible that thy sins should be kept for thee for ever, or the stroke (of punishment) be strengthened upon thee to the end?''

so Kimchi,

"says the prophet, if thou dost this (call him my father, c.) will God reserve thine iniquity for thee for ever, or keep thy sin unto the end? he will not do so but when thou returnest unto him, he will return unto thee, and do thee good; but thou hast not done so.''

The sense is much the same:

behold, thou hast spoken, and done evil things as thou couldest; which were enough to cause the Lord to reserve and keep his anger for ever. There is a double reading here; the Cetib, or writing, is דברתי, "I have spoken"; the prophet had spoken to them to return; or the Lord by the prophet had spoken to them, and put the above words into their mouths, and told them what they should say when they returned to the Lord; "but thou hast done evil things" y; notwithstanding such declarations of grace, and dost continue to do them:

and thou hast prevailed z; as the last clause may be rendered; that I cannot turn away mine anger from thee, but must reserve it, and keep it for ever. The Keri, or reading, is דברת, "thou hast spoken"; thou hast said thou wilt do evil things, and thou hast done them as thou hast said, and hast prevailed; thou hast sinned with all thy might and main, and hast spoken and done as evil things as possibly could be done. Some choose to render the words thus, "if thou hadst spoken"; the words that were put into their mouths before mentioned; "though thou hast done evil things, yet thou wouldest have prevailed" a; that is, with God, to have turned away his anger from thee.

y וחעשי הרעות "sed fecisit mala", Schmidt. z וחוכל "et praevaluisti", Vatablus, Schmidt; "et preavales", Piscator, Gataker; "et evaluisti", Cocceius. a "Si ita loquereris, quanquam mala [plurirma] fecisti, praevaleres", Grotius.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Rather, “Will he, the young husband,” retain, “keep up His anger forever!” These words should be joined to Jeremiah 3:4.

Behold ... - Rather, “Behold, thou hast spoken” thus, but thou hast “done evil things” persistently. The King James Version translates as if Judah’s words and deeds were both evil. Really her words were fair, but her deeds proved them to be false.

And here ends the prophecy, most interesting as showing what was the general nature of Jeremiah’s exhortations to his countrymen, during the 14 years of Josiah’s reign. He sets before them God and Israel united by a covenant of marriage, to the conditions of which Yahweh is ever true, while Israel practices with zest every form of idolatry. Therefore, the divine blessing is withheld. It is an honest and manly warning, and the great lesson it teaches us is, that with God nothing avails but a real and heartfelt repentance followed by a life of holiness and sincere devotion to His service.

Jeremiah 3:6-4 - “The Call to Repentance”

The former prophecy ended with the denunciation of God’s perpetual anger because of Israel’s obstinate persistence in sin. Now there is an invitation to repentance, and the assurance of forgiveness. The argument is as follows: Israel had been guilty of apostasy, and therefore God bad put her away. Unwarned by this example her more guilty sister Judah persists in the same sins Jeremiah 3:6-11. Israel therefore is invited to, return to the marriage-covenant by repentance Jeremiah 3:12-14, in which case she and Judah, accepted upon the like condition, shall become joint members of a spiritual theocracy. Jeremiah 3:15-18. The repentance which God requires must be real Jeremiah 3:19-4.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Jeremiah 3:5. Will he reserve his anger for ever? — Why should not wrath be continued against thee, as thou continuest transgression against the Lord?


 
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